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’m going to tell you a story of a fight that was at one point, but first let me tell you that never, in the seven years that I’ve known him, has he raised his voice. What makes this really amazing is that he taught all kinds of outlaw bikers, 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 he taught himself that art in the US He then formed seven different kata on his own, and named them Kwon Bup.
One night he was in a bar with some of his more rowdy students. Don’t judge, things were the way they were back then, and it wasn’t uncommon for guys to go out and try their martial arts in the real world. In any case, Bob was with a group of 1% members, and they were having drinks and laughing and causing a ruckus.
Bob, half drunk, got into a fight with a cowboy (yes, there were cowboys in San Jose in the sixties, real cowboys), and the guy threw back his fist and… a Hell’s Angel (Walt) picked the cowboy up. he by the collar and the belt and hit his head against the bar. “I just saved your life, man,” and Walt placed the cowboy back on his feet. They all laughed.
Some time later, the cyclists decided to head for greener pastures. Bob crossed the parking lot toward his car and suddenly changed his mind. Totally under the influence, he stammered, “I’ve got to work things out with that guy,” and headed back to the bar.
The cowboy in question was watching Bob from the front window, and enlisted the help of one of his friends, and they stood on either side of the driveway. Bob walked into the bar and the two twisted guys lunged at 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 out, sending both jeans flying into the air. Now, I knew that hip roll, 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 he had thrown two very big guys through a bar, and he hadn’t actually hurt them!
He was the most polite man I have ever met, even when under the influence, and he just wanted to get along with people. However, when the moment of truth came, he did what he had to do and still managed not to hurt anyone. The real blessing is that he left the knowledge of it in the seven kata called Kwon Bup Karate.
