Bob
Wall was born in San Jose, California and has one brother and four sisters. He has been married for 40
years to his wife Lillian and is the father of two daughters, Shana and Kara. He began wrestling in high school and then got
his black belt in Judo while attending San Jose State College. Wall’s National Guard unit was activated December 1960
& Wall was sent to Fort Ord California for Basic Training, Wall became the “outstanding trainee” of Company
A fourth Battle Group while stationed at Fort Ord. He then moved to Los Angeles, trained with the Great
Gene LeBell and began studying Okinawa-te where he met Joe Lewis in 1964. Bob Wall is a Black Belt under
Gene LeBell, became Joe Lewis’ first Black Belt in 1967 and has a Black Belt from Chuck Norris.
They formed a partnership and opened the famed
“Sherman Oaks Karate Studio,” training ground for many super stars such as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Mike Stone,
Pat Burleson, Jim Harrison, Benny Urquidez, Steve McQueen, Elvis & Priscilla Presley, Jack Palance, Johnny Desmond, Freddie
Prinze, Brian Keith, The Osmonds and many more.
In 1967, Joe Lewis sold his interest to the legendary Chuck Norris, and he and Bob Wall built the
most successful chain of karate studios in United States history. In 1973, Wall and Norris sold out to a conglomerate, and
Norris went on to become a super star actor and Wall a real estate magnate.
Wall co-starred in three of the late great Bruce Lee’s films,
Way of the Dragon, Game of Death and Enter the Dragon and seven of Chuck Norris’ films, along with several Walker Texas
Ranger episodes.
Bob Wall took 1st or 2nd in every major karate championship from 1965 to 1972 including the World
Championship, the Internationals, the United States Championship, the National Championships, the Tournament of Champions,
and was a member of the legendary quintet of Chuck Norris, Mike Stone, Joe Lewis, Skipper Mullins, and Bob Wall in sweeping
the world professional titles for 1970, 1971 and 1972.
Wall was dubbed the “Voice
of Karate,” by Professional Karate Magazine, and many other publications after announcing every World Karate Championship
from his retirement in 1973 until 1984. Wall was also the commentator for the Four Seasons Championships, the World Martial
Arts Championships on Pay-Per-View, the “Kick World Full-Contact Championships,” with Curt Gowdy, the “Battle
of Atlanta,” with Tom Harmon and Freddie Prinze, the World Combat Championship on Pay-Per-View in 1995, the World Martial
Art Challenge with Steve Albert, and many other major championships.
He starred with his wife Lillian, in “Lawman Jeans” commercials, Hai
Karate, and Black Belt cologne commercials with Chuck Norris and Mike Stone. He was a founding member with Chuck Norris of
the “World Pro-Am Championships” and the “Four Seasons Championships.” Wall has been featured on the
front covers of many magazines including “Black Belt”, “Fighting Stars”, “Karate Revue”,
“Official Karate”, “Karate”, “Professional Karate”, “Budo”, “Inside
Karate”, “ Karate Journal”, “Fighter”, “Karate Illustrated”, “Karate News”,
“Action Karate”, “Fighting Spirit”, “Martial Arts”, “Action Martial Arts”,
“World News”, “Traditional Karate”, “Budo Karate” and “Martial Arts Professional”.
Bob Wall was voted into
the “Professional Karate Hall of Fame” in 1975, listed in the “Who’s Who of Karate” in 1980,
the “Who’s Who in California” in 1982/83, and also the “Who’s’ Who in Business and Finance”
in 1983/84. Wall was given the Texas Karate Hall of Fame in 1987, and the International Karate Hall of Fame award in 1988,
was inducted into the “Martial Arts Museum Hall of Fame” in 1990, the Karate Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1991 and
is featured on the first “Karate Trading Cards.” Wall was also inducted into the USA International Karate Hall
of Fame in 1995 and American Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 1999. He was also inducted into the Masters Hall
of Fame in 2000, the GSKA Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Karate Team Fighter of the Century Award in 2001.
He was also inducted in the Warrior/Gentleman Hall of Fame in 2001, the Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2002, the
Blue Grass Nationals Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the Living Legends Fighter Award in 2003. He received
the Living Legends Pioneer Award in 2003 and was inducted into the Legend of Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2004.
