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MASTER KELLY MARKHAM More than a quarter of a century ago, a lantern jawed, steely eyed, very serious young man named Kelly Markham walked into our Nashville dojo. Said he wanted to learn karate. He looked not too much different than he does today, and was the same Kelly that he is today. His straight forward open manner and his physical aggressiveness made you just know that if he liked karate, this was going to be one of the real good ones. As history would indicate, he did like it; and it liked him as well. Kelly was there only for a year, but won a lifetime membership and life long friends that trained with him. He was in Nashville going to school so it was back to Rogersville after graduation. There was no karate school in Rogersville. So Kelly, full of determination to succeed in martial arts, drove 100 miles round trip each week for two years. He now had his black belt and the" legend of Kelly’s Hero’s "was born. One constant in his life, he has always known who he is, and what his priorities are. He will tell you very quickly that God and family come first. Karate has been a way to highlight his character and a positive stage to be an example of his beliefs. But it is not his religion. Kelly is unique in many ways. He may be the last real honest straight shooter to live life his way and never sweat the small stuff. Kelly is a maverick. Not the kind that makes a habit of being arbitrary just for the sake of it, but the kind that is his own man at all times. Kelly could have advanced through the Dan ranks more quickly but he refused to come to Knoxville on a moments notice or play the game. Mr. Long complained to me about Kelly not coming around more often. I said, "Mr. Long no one trains any harder than Kelly but if you push him he’ll fight back and we’ll lose a good Isshinryu man". Mr. Long came to understand Kelly’s ways and respected him for it. They developed a very good relationship and we kept a very good Isshinryu man. Most of us are obsessive-compulsive about what we do. Not Kelly. He will hold a tournament and walk around and talk like some one else is in charge. Kelly wants to spend the day with friends. The dreary details can work themselves out. They always do and his tournament is one not to miss. This laid back great guy image disappears when he crosses the ring stripes. This vicious, nasty, fire brand, come right to you fighter (Not a dirty fighter) is a circle saw with attitude. He had the hardest right hand for his weight I’ve seen. He sits there with that thing cocked and just throws it through you when you get in range. Couple this with a flair for good sportsmanship and you have one of the outstanding pure fighters and competitors of our time. Kelly has won a room full of trophies and honors. His school "Kelly’s Hero’s", boast other national champions that fight with the same skill and gusto as their instructor. One of the first things I told my guys when we started going to tournaments is, "when you get in the ring with one of the "hero’s, "you’d better strap it on a little bit tighter.” Kelly is an IIKA board member and brings common sense and integrity to its membership. Here is another guy that I have been blessed with knowing. He is the kind of man that you could and would go to in any situation where you needed some one you could trust and count on. Kelly Markham, a stand out and stand up guy in every way. Master Denny Shaffer, Ku-Dan |
