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Interview:

Q…DR. Williams, I was asked to interview you, but don.t know where to start.

A.. That’s Ok, Just ask whatever interests you.

Q..So?  How did you get involved in the martial arts?

A..It was because I was raised in a ghetto where fighting was common, so, when I got the chance to learn jujitsu, I took it.

Q..You say jujitsu, was it like the Brazilian BJJ?

A..No, that’s not real jujitsu, it’s the groundwork from the sport of judo.

G..What do you mean?

A..What I was shown was not a sport like judo and BJJ are.

Q..Explain?

A.. “A guy grabs your hair, you reach down and grab his testicles ’’, then it’s a test of wills, who will let go first? That is the Jujitsu I learned…

Q.. Kinday dirty fighting, isn’t it?

A..It is scientific, but real…

Q..Did you use it as a kid?

A..Actually, we invited a gang from another part of town to our playground, to fight for bragging rights, it was no weapons, so, they arrived in about 10 cars, we were waiting, then each guy went after someone he thought he could beat.

Q… Where were the police?

A..Watching from a block away. Anyways, the guy who picked me was the gang leader, a lot bigger and older than me, and he came running towards me, but I couldn’t get away, so we rolled into a ditch, and my teacher told me draw blood and it wins fights, so I bit his eyebrow and after a few seconds, seeing all his blood, he gave up, he though I must have hit him, so, that made my reputation..

Q…Wow!

A..He became a drug dealer, and was murdered later on, but he always remembered me, and showed me respect. (He carried the scar over his eye till he died)

Q..How long did you study jujitsu?

A.. a few years, then I got involved in both amateur boxing and weightlifting.

Q..How did you do in boxing?

A.. Lost my first 7 fights.

Q..Did you quit then?

A..No! just learned to fight better, never lost after that, won the golden gloves. I had mild haemophilia , bleed like a pig, lost a lot because of that, then outgrew it. I boxed until I was in my 40’s, while doing other sports, often wondered how good I might have been if that was all I had done.

Q..you said you did weightlifting?

A.. Trained weights all my life, I set over 100 records, one was a world record, still stands today

Q. What do you mean?

A..I was doing strongman shows, and at one, I did a 505 pound one-hand deadlift without hand straps or cheating, it still stands today. I was gifted with very strong hands, like my father, I could bend coins, bend spikes and tear car license plates in half, that is why the record has never been broken.

Q..So, what else did you do?

A.. at age 13, I started judo, did it for 15 years, was never thrown in competition, competed locally, the Canada games and the US Olympic trials. I loved judo, but there were politics that caused me lots of troubles over the years.

Q.. I heard you hold a 7th dan in Karate directly from Japan?

A…Let me explain something I’m a perfectionist, I don’t do anything as a hobby, when I competed, I did it to win, 2nd place was an insult to me, so, karate was something I gave 100% to, and when I went before the Japanese grandmasters, they were happy to give me a 7th dan, and had I stayed with them, I would be a 9th dan today.

Q..Did you have a social life at all?

A.. Ha Ha Ha, never dated till I was 19, took me a year to kiss her, that answer your question.

Q…I seen your picture at age 72, you still have pretty muscled arms.

A..Trained with weight 3 times a week since I was 15, never missed many workouts, I hit the bag and run win sprints, never smoked, drank or did drugs in my life, I eat well and I feel great, I was still benching 300 a few years ago, can get back to that weight in 5 months if I want to…the key is your mind must not accept aging…

Q…What else have you done?

A.. I can write a book on my life and nobody will believe it! You name it, I probably did it!

Q..Heard you were a cop?

A.. Yes, just worked as a special constable to clean a town out of hoods who were terrifying the citizens

Q.. What?

A.. I was giving some police officers a course, one got beat up, they asked me to work for them to make it safer, so, I took the job, 2 years, 9 pm to 8 am, 7 days a week, by myself, no phone, no backup, and it was a test of my courage and my skills.

Q..Did you get in any fights?

A.. All the time, they had a bounty on my head, everyone was trying me out, lots got hurt, a few went to the hospital, but eventually, the police could walk the beat, something they hadn’t done in years.

Q..Did you use excess force?

A… I did what I had to in order to survive, some got kinda hurt a bit in the process, remember I was alone here, no backup at all, so it was pretty rough, but, unlike todays cops, there was no mace or tazers, and your gun stayed in your holster, so you learned to be street smart.

Q.. after that, did you remain a police officer?

A.. No, I attended a course at the academy, the instructor was showing techniques that were ineffective, I pointed it out, he challenged me to prove it,  I stepped on the mat with him, and they hired to replace him.

Q..I heard you taught SWAT?

A..yes, along with other instructors, then they asked me to pretend I was a fugitive so they could show the cadets how to catch me, I ended up taking over their command post, stealing a cop car and getting away, they were kinda embarrassed over that.

Q…Whats the story about your inheriting a traditional samurai system?

A… It’s a long story, but it just happened, right place at right time..

Q…Lastly, you are the oldest guy to fight pro MMA?

A…Yes I fought at age 70, the guy was 48, and 55 pounds heavier and he landed a hard head shot that had me very wobbled, I faked my way through it, then as we touched gloves for the start of the 2nd round, he sneaked a kick to my ribs, it didn’t hurt, so I gave him my ribs to kick , then I kicked his leg, took him down and finished him with a ankle lock.

Q..Some say you were not trying hard

A.. People always have something negative to say, the fact that I walked into the ring at 70 should be considered good, but because I decided not to really hurt him, and took it easier than I needed to doesn’t matter, remember he was trying his best, the shot he got me with would have knocked out lesser fighters than me, and I doubt many could take full power kicks to the ribs from a former kickboxer weighing 260 pounds, like I did, so I really don’t care what people say, they weren’t in the ring with him, and I was…

Q… Thank you

A.. anytime my friend..

you.