I want to tell you about the most educated man in the world and the art he studied, which is called Kwon Bup Karate. I’ll tell you a story about a fight he was in at one point, but first let me tell you that never, in the seven years that I’ve known him, did he raise his voice. What makes this really amazing is that he taught all kinds of outlaw motorcyclists, including the Hells Angels, in San Jose in the sixties.
His name was Robert J. Babich, and he learned Kyokushinkai Karate from Don Buck, who was probably the first Westerner to teach the art in the United States. He then learned Kang Duk Won Karate from Norman Rha, and this was probably the first time art was taught in the US He then formulated seven different kata on his own, calling them Kwon Bup.
One night he was in a bar with some of his more boisterous students. Don’t judge, things were what they were back then, and it wasn’t unusual for guys to go out and try their martial arts in the real world. In any case, Bob was with a 1% group of people, and they were drinking and laughing and causing a ruckus.
Bob, half drunk, got into an argument with a cowboy (yes, there were cowboys in San Jose in the sixties, real cowboys), and the guy threw back his fist and … an angel from hell (Walt) raised to the cowboy. by the neck and belt and hit his head against the bar. “I just saved his life, buddy,” and Walt got the cowboy back on his feet. They all laughed.
Some time later, the cyclists decided to go out in search of greener pastures. Bob calmly crossed the parking lot to his car and suddenly changed his mind. Totally under the influence, he slurred, “I have to go fix things with that guy,” and went back to the bar.
The cowboy in question was watching Bob from the front window, and enlisted the help of one of his friends, who stood on either side of the door. Bob walked into the bar and the two twisted guys jumped him. Bob was short and skinny, they were pretty big guys, and what happened next was … not what anyone expected.
Bob twisted his hips and spread his palms, and both jeans flew back through the air. Now, I knew that hip twist, we did it all the time in class, I thought it was for … well, I don’t know what I thought it was for. Bob, however, had just used that hip twist and had thrown two very big guys through a bar, and he hadn’t actually hurt them!
He was the most educated man I have ever met, even when under the influence, and he just wanted to get along with people. However, when it came time to push, he did what he had to do and still managed not to hurt anyone. The real blessing is that he left his knowledge in the seven kata called Kwon Bup Karate.
