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GRANDMASTER STEVE-MUHAMMAD
Black Karate Federation
Grandmaster Steve Muhammad is a co-founder
of the Black Karate Federation and the
organization’s first president. He
is also one of most dynamic and celebrated
figures in the history of American martial
arts. From his days as a tournament competitor
with an unrivaled championship record,
to becoming a trainer of fighting champions
and of thousands of martial art practitioners
worldwide, Steve Muhammad exemplifies the
true spirit of the martial arts tradition.
In short, he is a warrior and a true gentleman.
Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1944, Muhammad
was the youngest of several siblings,
all of whom were raised in a tight knit
and fairly athletic family. Muhammad’s
first exposure to the fighting arts actually
began observing his mother! To keep her
boys in line, she developed “a
mean right hook.”
In high school, Muhammad became an outstanding
athlete who excelled in football, baseball
and track. He later attended Kansas State
University on a football scholarship
before leaving to join the Marine Corps.
While in the military as a member of
the Pathfinders, he received his first
real exposure to the martial arts. Training
with the Pathfinders was similar to training
with the Green Berets – it was
intense and highly disciplined.
During his military years, Muhammad
was stationed at Camp Pendleton, which
is in Southern California. Twice a week
he drove north to Los Angeles to train
in kenpo with Ed Parker. Even after he
was later transferred to El Toro Marine
Base, he continued to travel and train
in Los Angeles. Muhammad’s training
was eventually interrupted with a tour
of duty in Vietnam. The experience of
fighting in Vietnam gave him discipline
and a first-hand look at the reality
and brutal effectiveness of combat.
After his enlistment was over in 1963,
Muhammad returned to California and immersed
himself in the study of kenpo with Ed
Parker. He earned his first black belt
three years later under Parker’s
instructors Dan Inosanto and Chuck Sullivan.
As A tournament competitor, Muhammad
became a member of the West Coast Karate
Team. During those early days of sport
karate, he faced renowned fighters such
as Joe Lewis, Al Dacascos, Chuck Norris,
and Benny Urquidez. Many tournament veterans
called Muhammad ‘The fastest hands
in karate.’ He later received the
ultimate tribute from the late Bruce
Lee, who said Muhammad had the ‘fastest
hands I had ever seen.’
In the decades following Muhammad’s
magnificent tournament career, he became
interested in developing a more personal
approach to fighting and began to introduce
his own techniques in his training. Some
of his theories, such as “Brain
Sight” and the “Principles
of Mathematical Fighting” have
revolutionized his art.
The quiet-spoken Muhammad has twice
been awarded the Golden Fist Award by
his colleagues, and he has been nominated
for the Black Belt magazine Hall of Fame
for his outstanding contributions to
the martial arts. He is co-author of “Championship
Kenpo,” “The God Side Of
Kenpo” and “Brain Sight.”
Mr. Muhammad has also found time to
appear in a few films. His most notable
role was in “Enter The Dragon.” In
this classic Bruce Lee movie, Muhammad
played the role of Jim Kelly’s
instructor. Additionally, Mr. Muhammad
has worked with actor Wesley Snipes for
several years as his bodyguard and accompanied
him throughout his film career.
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