William "Bill" Hall - UKMA Instructor

 

Bill Hall started training in the fighting arts at age 6 when he started training with his father and uncle. His father, Bill Sr., and his uncle Chet trained in Boston under Charlie Welsh, a Master Boxing Coach who trained “Barbados” Joe Walcott. This training started in 1974 and continued throughout Bill’s entire life. This set the solid foundation for all future training, especially during Bill’s professional fighting career. Boxing goes back several generations throughout Bill’s family. 

After trying different Martial Arts styles, Bill started training in Kenpo in the early 1980s and earned his first Black Belt in 1987. Bill spent most of this time learning to teach Kenpo and was at the dojo most days for 6 hours each day. He is still practicing and teaching both Kenpo Kata and uses Kenpo methodologies and concepts in all of his teachings. 
Wanting to get back to the root of most of the Kenpo Katas, Bill started studying Shotokan Karate in the late 1980s and has continued to this day. Bill holds a 5th Degree Black Belt under Former World Kickboxing Champion Kevin “Hurricane” Hudson. 
Bill trained out of the Bemjo Kickboxing Gym in Greenville, NC, under Randy Ballard, Goju-Shorin Master Bill McDonald, and John Ormsby. Bill started Professional Kickboxing in 1989, achieved a world ranking as high as #3, and fought for a world title in 1991. Bill Hall’s kickboxing career ended after 14 years when in 2003, he was forced to retire due to injuries he received training for a United States Cruiserweight Title.
His stable mates include such incredible fighters as World Champions Kevin “Hurricane” Hudson, Ronnie Copeland, “Sunshine” Dale Frye, and many other great champions.

Bill’s law enforcement and counter-terrorism career started in 1995. He is a retired Federal Law Enforcement Agent. Bill spent time on the street as a cop, worked in counter-narcotics on a Special Response Team in the Border Patrol, and from 2001 to 2016, Bill worked in international Counter Terrorism. He has worked countless missions worldwide and has spent time in war zones protecting members of the Counterterrorism community. He has trained Law Enforcement and Counter Terrorism operators since 1996 and continues to do so today.

Bill started training Krav Maga/Haganah in the 2000s with Mike Lee Kanarek and later with SSG Krav Maga Association and achieved the rank of brown belt. In 2023, Bill was promoted to Krav Maga black belt under the United Krav Maga Association.   

Black Belt Ranks in 6 different Systems. 

  • 7th Dan in Danny Lane’s World Martial Arts Federation Under Master Danny Lane. 

  • 7th Dan, Champion Martial Arts under John Maynard (the only man in the world that holds Black Belts under Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, and Chuck Norris. 

  • 8th Degree Black Belt IKKA, Master 

  • 5th Dan Joe Lewis Fighting Systems Under Grand Master and Legend Joe Lewis 

  • 5th Dan in Shotokan Karate under World Kick Boxing Champion Kevin “Hurricane” Hudson

  • 1st Dan in Krav Maga under the United Krav Maga Association

  • Co-founder of Offensive Strategic Body Defense 

  • Owns and operates American Asian Karate Systems at the Yama Dojo.