Robert Wall
| Robert Alan "Bob" Wall | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 22, 1939 San Jose, California |
| Residence |
  Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Style | Karate, Tang Soo Do |
| Teacher(s) | Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, Gene LeBell, Machado Brothers |
| Rank | 9th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do |
| Website | http://www.worldblackbelt.com/ |
Robert Alan "Bob" Wall (born August 22, 1939) is an American actor and martial artist.[1]
Biography
Wall is a karate champion. Among the martial arts Bob Wall has studied Okinawa-te karate under Gordon Doversola. In 1966, Wall along with karate champion, Joe Lewis, opened the famous Sherman Oaks Karate Studio in Sherman Oaks, California. In 1968, Lewis sold his share of the studio to Chuck Norris. He is featured in a number of films, most notably three appearances with martial arts master Bruce Lee. He appeared in the 1972 film Way of the Dragon with Bruce Lee, along with Chuck Norris. He then had a major role in Bruce Lee's most famous film (in the western world) as O'hara in Enter the Dragon in 1973.[2] He later appeared in Game of Death, Bruce Lee's incomplete film re-cut in 1978, and played small roles in Chuck Norris films, such as Code of Silence (1985), Firewalker (1986) and Hero and the Terror (1988). More recently, in 2009, Wall starred as a bodyguard in the film Blood and Bone.
While portraying the dreaded O'Hara, an urban legend surrounding the making of Enter The Dragon claims that he never quite got along with Bruce Lee and that the fight on the parade ground where he smashed the bottles was more than just a managed fight. However, Wall and others present at the time deny this story, stating the tale was blown out of proportion and that Wall and Lee were actually good friends.[3] Wall has studied several arts under many notable masters. They include Judo under "Judo" Gene LeBell, Okinawan Shorin-Ryu under Joe Lewis, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the Machado Brothers.[4]
Personal
Wall is a 9th degree black belt under Chuck Norris and the co-founder and CEO of a martial arts organization known as World Black Belt Inc.[5] In 1975 Wall authored the book, "Who's Who in the Martial Arts and Directory of Black Belts" Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 75-2280, the first book of its kind for martial artists. Wall has been married to his wife Lillian for 40 years and has two adult daughters: Shana and Kara.[6]
References
- ↑ "Bob Wall Interview: "Pulling No Punches"". Black Belt. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Bob Wall Interview: "Pulling No Punches"". Black Belt. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ↑ Bob Wall Interview
- ↑ World Black Belt Inc >> Bob Wall Bio. URL accessed on April 6, 2010.
- ↑ "1 on 1 With Bob Wall". Inside Kung Fu. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
- ↑ World Black Belt Inc >> Shana Wall Bio. URL accessed on April 6, 2010.