A Living Legend Tells His Story

Born and raised in the housing projects of Newark, N.J., Karriem ABdAllah began studying karate in 1963 and rose to greatness as dominating fighter—the only martial artist to ever fight on a major boxing undercard, the legendary 1975 “Thrilla In Manila” battle between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. However, Master Karriem found his true calling not as a fighter, but as a martial arts teacher, community leader, and mentor, instilling confidence, determination, drive, and unshakeable self-belief in more than 10,000 children—including many champions—over six decades. The creator of the K.A. System of Karate, now 80, joins Beyond The Hype ahead of the screening of the documentary film “Beyond The Belt: The Legend of Karriem ABdDallah.”