Elvis Presley did not treat karate as a casual celebrity hobby. He trained for years, practiced techniques around friends and sometimes demonstrated moves when people asked. But according to three former members of his security team, one private demonstration in Las Vegas went badly wrong and left a woman with an injury far more serious than anyone initially realized.
The account appears in the controversial 1977 book Elvis: What Happened? by former bodyguards Red West, Sonny West and Dave Hebler. They recalled a married woman becoming fascinated while watching Elvis demonstrate karate and asking him how one of the techniques worked. During the demonstration, Elvis accidentally broke her ankle.
Elvis Presley Karate Demonstration From 1974
Watch Elvis demonstrate karate in 1974
According to the book, the woman initially tried not to create a scene and was seen limping away afterward. The injury eventually required an operation and a pin had to be placed in her ankle. There was later concern that she might sue Elvis. Because this story originates primarily from the former bodyguards’ tell-all, the details are best understood as their firsthand recollection rather than an independently established account.
What makes the accident more understandable is how deeply karate had become part of Elvis’s life. He first became interested while serving in the Army, earned his first-degree black belt in 1960 and continued training for years. Master Kang Rhee later awarded him higher-ranking black belts, including an eighth-degree certificate in 1974. Elvis even helped establish the Tennessee Karate Institute in Memphis.
Elvis Used His Karate Moves in the ’68 Comeback Special
Watch Elvis incorporate karate into his performance
That second clip shows why karate cannot be separated entirely from Elvis the performer. The sharp movements, stances and sudden bursts of motion he practiced away from the stage sometimes appeared in his performances too. Long before the reported Las Vegas accident, martial arts had already become part of the physical language audiences associated with Elvis.
Elvis Presley changed popular music with “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock” and a stage presence copied for generations. Yet away from the records and screaming crowds, karate remained one of his longest-running passions. Watch the first video to see just how seriously Elvis approached martial arts, then see how those same movements eventually found their way into the performances that helped make him the King.