Dr. E C Fulcher Jr History In Martial Arts
In 1980, an event happened that would have an effect on my life and lead me into the Martial Arts world.
One night, I was on a stage speaking when a man walked in from off the street. He approached me while on the platform and physically attacked me. I shoved him away, and the security team quickly apprehended and held him until the police arrived. Afterward, I decided to learn self-defense because I would not always have security around me.
From childhood, I always had an interest in Martial Arts, even though I never had the opportunity to get involved when I was younger. When I was about twenty-eight (28) years old, I visited many different schools in the area but found that their systems were not designed for real self-defense. I quickly realized that just because a dojo has a sign that says, ‘Karate School,’ did not mean it had a knowledgeable instructor. However, I wanted to learn how to fight and defend myself. I ended up joining John Burdyck’s American Karate School, there the people fought and worked hard.
I did not think my journey in Martial Arts would go further than learning a few techniques in self-defense. However, after a year, to my surprise and pleasure, I discovered that I was better at it than I thought I would have been, so I stayed in it. I trained for five years until reaching the rank of brown belt. During that time, I competed in many tournaments. You can see many pictures of my trophies, and most are for first and second place, which prove my success.
Locally, I did very well. As a Blue belt, I won a Grand Championship. In 1985, Karate Review Magazine ranked me in sixth and eleventh place. You can see a picture of it here as well.
Eventually, I outgrew the system I was in as it was a very elementary system. I did however train from White belt to Brown Belt in that system.
I started training under Shoto Tanamura from Japan. He taught Aikido, self-defense and grappling. I obtained my First-Degree Black Belt under his system at the Jesse Shanks Martial Arts School.
I received my Second-Degree Black Belt, in knife fighting, under Donald ‘The Assassin’ Peaker at the Forest Hill Karate Club.
I achieved my Third-Degree Black Belt under Kung Fu Master Billy Bryant and his system. I thoroughly enjoyed self-defense, but I also enjoyed full-contact fighting. I received a Blue belt under Danny R Hill, who owned a full-contact school called American Kick-Punch Karate Federation in North Carolina. During this time, I fought in many tournaments in point fighting. My preference is full-contact fighting and kickboxing, which I occasionally did.
In 1988, having trained under multiple systems of Martial Arts, I started my own school with about twenty students, which adapted the Ti Ki Doo system. I started it because I wanted to continue training, but I did not want an elementary system. I wanted a school that really focused on full-contact fighting and real street self-defense. My students worked extremely hard.
During the first year we competed in tournaments, my school achieved enormous success (see the pictures on this post). We attended sixteen tournaments and walked away with two hundred and two trophies. Ninety-six were ‘form’ trophies and one hundred eight were ‘fighting’ trophies with one Grand Championship! I was blessed to train three Maryland State Champions, and I sponsored the National Super Heavy Weight Champion, Gerald ‘The Awesome’ Dawson.
My students had to restrain from fighting full contact in these tournaments because they were point matches. My school, ‘The Maryland Expose’ Karate Team,’ became well known on the East Coast. Since I had experience on promoting other events in my life, I decided to host tournaments. I named the first two, ‘Just Say No To Drugs,’ which Mayor Kurt Schmoke attended and spoke to the competitors. Also, President George H. W. Bush sent me a letter of congratulations for our effort in thwarting the drug epidemic.
I became President of the Maryland Black Belt Association (MBBA) and was the head of that for three years.
Later, I changed the name of the tournament to ‘The Maryland Expose’ World Karate Championships.’ I hosted these events for eleven years until the year 2000. The posts show that I had remarkable success hosting these tournaments. It usually takes a long time for a promoter to set up a high-end production, but within five years, I had the best organized and largest tournaments in the local area. People from all over the United States attended my events because it was a World Championship competition. I appeared on Prince Georges County TV as a guest talking about Martial Arts in 1998 and 1999 and several other TV shows and interviews.
Part of the success was due to my connection with Boyce Lydell and the National Black Belt League, Dennis Brown, Joe Corley, and Mike Sawyer of Naska, my team competed in those circuits. I also judged the World Grand Championships in Niagara Falls. Eventually, I took the position of Commissioner for the NBL Mid-Atlantic Division, which encompassed about seven states. Due to this endeavor, many top competitors attended my tournaments. I also had connections to NASKA – the North American Sport Karate Association. Both the NBL and NASKA gave my tournaments good ratings. I have to say “thank you” to the Krane system as well.
I was also an original member of the “Promoters Plus Association” headed up by my friend Robert Everhart. Myself, Dennis Brown, Montez Dennis, Eberhard Welch, James Wyatt, and Howard Moore were original members and founders of that association.
Many top competitors attended my events because I organized them to be efficient, and I gave the prize money and trophies out that we said we were going to do, which some promoters of tournaments did not do. Through my efforts and with the NBL and Naska, my school became known worldwide. The following are names of some top competitors that attended my tournaments: Jerry ‘Fast Feet’ Fontanez, Gerald ‘The Awesome’ Dawson, Dennis Brown, Leroy ‘Super Feet’ Taylor, Kurt Shryock, Mark Russo, Jeff Speakman, and many others. In 1999, someone from the Soviet Union asked me to teach and demonstrate. Although I did not go, someone told me that I was well known there because articles about me appeared in many Karate magazines, which they read.
I was incredibly happy with the success of my tournaments, and most people, who attended, had a wonderful experience and admired the organization of the event. I am privileged to have worked with many people dedicated to Martial Arts. I always appreciated the support of Christine Bannon-Rodriguez and Don Rodriguez, who are true Martial Artists, their contribution always enhanced my tournaments. Eboni Adams competed in my tournament and later went on to act in the movie Blade 2 with Wesley Snipes. Another notable person who attended my tournament was Kenpo Star, Jeff Speakman, who also made several movies. The Perfect Weapon, Street Knight, The Expert, Deadly October, Running Red, Land of the Free, and many more.
Since many Martial Art schools are no more than child daycare centers, I set out to create a school with a high level of discipline and technique so that when someone walked out of my dojo, they earned the color belt they wore. Many schools hand out distinct color belts without the student earning it. If they must use it on the street, it is only then they realize what their instructor did to them by giving out undeserved belts.
Although I am a fan of the UFC, it has done great harm to the “Martial Arts.” world, they promote a false concept of Martial Arts to a new generation. However, the league bases everything they do on popularity, so they pander to their audience. Therefore, the UFC does not portray authentic Martial Arts. Instead, they show tough guys and badass images. It functions differently than a dedicated Martial Artist. Again, I am a fan of the UFC, their fighters are serious athletes, but many do not demonstrate the mental discipline or technique fundamental to the Martial Arts.
Other great fighters in years past were able to fight in the PKA (which is full contact – knockout – kickboxing) and also keep the dignity, discipline, and technique of the sport in this system. Jeff Smith is a seven-time world champion. He was an aggressive fighter who punched hard, but at the same time, he uses discipline and proper technique in his system. Bill ‘Super Foot’ Wallace, who is a friend, also fought but maintained discipline and technique. Leroy ‘Super Feet’ Taylor, also a friend, was a world champion and knockout artist, but he still maintained discipline and technique. I must also mention Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, Dale Cook, ‘Bad’ Brad Hefton, Ishmael Robles, and Ron Van Clief in this light! Christine Bannon-Rodriguez, Kurt Shryock, Mark Russo are great competitors that maintain the proper concept of the Art. Jeff Speakman and others continue to maintain a high level of discipline of what the true ‘Martial Arts’ is about.
People like Jerry ‘Fast Feet’ Fontanez, Gerald ‘The Awesome’ Dawson, Joe Corely, Mike Sawyer, Kurt Shryock, and Mark Russo, who are point fighters with some full-contact still maintain that high level of what Martial Arts is about, and I have tremendous respect for them. I am honored to say they are my friends or that I have worked with some of them. They are true Martial Artists because no matter what endeavor they chose, they kept the purpose of the Martial Arts, which is not just physical training and fighting, it is about mental discipline, self-control, and proper technique. These people are pioneers of full-contact fighting, and they are tremendous assets to the sport. They prove that you can be a full-contact fighter and maintain good discipline. It has been an honor to have worked with them in the past. Sadly, the UFC does not do this in most cases.
Martial Arts is an “art.” It is not just about fighting, however, we want to be formidable fighters too. Although I was ranked in Karate Review Magazine on the East Coast, I was not on the level of the fighters I just named, but I fought hard and aggressively. It was like an all-out war when I fought, but I stressed discipline and proper technique when I instructed my students. I tried to maintain the ‘art form’ of Martial Arts. It has always been my goal to keep the integrity of the sport in place.
Currently, I do some private teaching, but I do not promote tournaments anymore. My Karate Team is no longer together, some of them have started their own things. My journey in the Martial Arts world has been exciting, and I am proud to have been associated with everyone I mentioned. I look back on this experience with pride and honor, and it is something that I am glad that I have in my history.
I was very honored to be inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. I was also in the original collector cards of Martial Arts. You can see the many accomplishments on this page.
