Elvis Presley could walk into almost any room and instantly become the center of attention, even when somebody else was supposed to be performing. Tom Jones discovered that firsthand during one of his Las Vegas shows when Elvis appeared and suddenly decided that the audience needed to see something completely unrelated to music: his karate skills.
This was far more than a passing hobby for Elvis. He spent years studying martial arts, trained with respected instructors and became intensely proud of his progress. So when he joined Jones during the concert, Elvis did not simply wave to the audience. He began demonstrating kicks and techniques right there onstage, temporarily turning a Tom Jones show into his own karate demonstration.
Elvis Presley – Karate Demonstration (Gladiators 1974)
Footage of Elvis practicing karate makes the Tom Jones story easier to understand. He approached the martial art with real enthusiasm and enjoyed demonstrating what he had learned. In surviving footage connected with his karate training, Elvis can be seen working through techniques alongside members of his circle rather than merely posing for photographs.
His fascination eventually grew beyond private lessons and unexpected demonstrations. Elvis became closely associated with instructor Kang Rhee and supported a karate film project that became The New Gladiators. The unfinished footage was preserved and eventually released years later, showing just how seriously Elvis wanted martial arts to become another part of his creative life.
Inside the TigerMan Dojo: Remembering Kang and His Impact on Elvis
The second video takes the story deeper by looking at Kang Rhee, one of the instructors closely tied to Elvis’s martial arts years. That relationship helps explain why Elvis could become excited enough about karate to demonstrate it in unexpected places. What might have looked like another eccentric celebrity moment was connected to something he had spent years studying.
Elvis Presley changed popular music with records like Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog and Suspicious Minds, then became one of the most recognizable performers of the 20th century. Yet away from those famous songs, karate became another passion he desperately wanted to master. Watch the videos above and see why Elvis was proud enough of his karate skills to interrupt even a Tom Jones concert to show them off.