MARTIALFORCE.COM
PRESENTS
An Interview with
Master Robert Parham
“Where would MMA be today without traditional karate.”
Interview by Eddie Morales
Martialforce.com
Online Magazine
My name is Eddie Morales and welcomed to Martialforce.com Online Martial Arts Magazine. Back in August 11, 2007 I was nominated for the Masters Hall of Fame, which was being presented by Master Dan Hect. While at this event I met many of the top Martial Artist from throughout the country. I am always in search of interesting stories and people in regards to interviews on Martialforce. One of my missions in Martialforce.com is to give credit to all those martial artist that have dedicated themselves to the arts and as a result made changes in there lives and the lives of those around them. I met Master Robert Parham at this event and we have been friends since. I decided to do research on his background in Martial Arts so that I could develop good questions for this interview. During my research I found Master Parham’s background to be that of a dedicated, intense Martial Artist that has reached the Championship level in Kick Boxing and point or Sport Karate. When we met he was very humble and was more concerned with the comfort of everyone in the event then his own. I found him to be the personification of the Code of Honor, which is at times lost in the Martial Arts world. We here at Martialforce.com hope you enjoy this interview.
Martialforce.com: Where are you from and what sparked your initial interest in Martial Arts?
ROBERT PARHAM: I was born on Staten Island, New York and moved to Hillside, New Jersey as a youth. My dad would take us to the movies every weekend to see martial arts movies. The very first one I saw was “The Invisible Fist” followed by “Karado: The Hong Kong Cat” and then “Enter The Dragon”. I was totally amazed by Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly. I wanted to be like them. My dad studied Tai Chi and Kung Fu and tried to teach me early on, but it wasn’t until I got beat up by a girl that I took it seriously.
Martialforce.com: Can you tell our readers about the art you study and teach?
ROBERT PARHAM: Sure. I study the martial art of Comba-Tai. It’s more of a martial arts proper so to speak. In saying that I mean the military traditions of the civilizations of the Kushite Empire are the roots of the system. We strive to make martial arts a discipline and a tool of self-development, not just self-defense.
Martialforce.com: In your opinion, is traditional Karate worth practicing as opposed to MMA and if yes or no, why?
ROBERT PARHAM: Oh definitely! Where would MMA be today without traditional karate. MMA is just a sport, much like tennis, boxing, football, etc. There is a warrior code in traditional martial arts, a code of honor, integrity, discipline and self-respect. This is not to say that the MMA fighters today lack these qualities, but once again it’s a sport. I enjoy the entertainment value of the sport. Do you think these fighters would be involved in the sport if they weren’t getting paid?
Martialforce.com: You became a champion in Sport karate and kickboxing, my question is, did you compete in kickboxing as a natural progression of Sport Karate or was there another reason?
ROBERT PARHAM: That’s a good question. As a competitor, one always tries to be the best one can be. I was an amateur boxer before I got involved in Sport Karate. It seemed as though I achieved all I could in the Sport and didn’t want to stagnate. I wanted to return to the ring with the knowledge and experience I gained from Sport Karate to see how well I could progress. It was more so to test myself than a natural progression I guess.
Martialforce.com: In regards to Sport Karate, who would you say was your toughest competition?
ROBERT PARHAM: Two people come to mind immediately. Jose Pacheco and Eric O’Neal. I fought Jose Pacheco at the Supergrands in New Orleans back in 1993. I studied him during the competition and knew in my heart that we would meet before the quarterfinals. I got a jump on him and had a nice lead, but he started fighting back hard. I squeaked by him with a two-point victory. He’s a very clever and cagey fighter.
Eric O’Neal is another person I studied very closely, but no matter what plan I had for him, he always seemed to elevate his game. He and I always finished first and second in our division. We fought four times and he won all four. The second time we met he beat me by half a point. The last time we met for the finals at the USKA World Championships, I had a broken rib but he was just too fast and had exceptional start time. I love him like a brother!
Martialforce.com: Who was your greatest influence in Martial Arts?
ROBERT PARHAM: My greatest influence was Professor Moses Powell. I never saw a gentleman that could move as graceful as he did. My dad did a demonstration way back in the 1970’s and shared the stage with the late Professor.
Martialforce.com: You were inducted in the 2007 Masters Hall of Fame, can you tell our readers how you felt about this award?
ROBERT PARHAM: It was and still is an honor to be recognized with other great martial artists like Bill Wallace, Bob Wall, Randy Couture, Eric Lee, Benny Urquidez, Don Wilson, Taimak, yourself included…the list goes on. More importantly, it has given me an opportunity to serve the martial arts community by nominating those who are also deserving of this honor.
Martialforce.com: Our research indicates that you have a film career; can you speak on some of your current projects and how you initially got involved in acting?
ROBERT PARHAM: I acted in all of my grammar school and high school plays as a way to overcome my fear of public speaking. As my Sport Karate career progressed, I met Norman Lacaden and Hiro Koda. They had done some independent films and spoke to me about it. I met some other folks along the way and landed my first role, as an extra on “Under Siege”. I became good friends with John Graham, an excellent Kung Fu instructor from Alabama, and he got me a fight scene in a movie with Mattias Hues and Bridgette Nielsen called “Watership Warrior”. From there, I got extra roles in “The Insider” and other movies.
I moved to California after Hurricane Katrina and thought that this is a great opportunity to get back into acting. I’ve done quite a few indie films since I’ve been here. I just wrapped “Buster Jones” late last year. It’s the story of a minor league basketball star/martial arts expert who investigates his cousin’s death and uncovers a plot to terrorize the 1984 Olympic Games. It has some great characters. The trailer is on BusterJones.tv…check it out!
Martialforce.com: Is there anyone you would like to work with on film?
ROBERT PARHAM: I would love to work with Don Wilson. He’s versatile in a sense that he’s not typecast as the “action guy”. He’s done drama, comedy and action. Not many actors can cross genres like that. There still many people who still don’t know he’s involved in the martial arts. There are some others who I’d love to work with (Taimak, Chyna McCoy and Percy Brown)
BUSTER JONES MOVIE
Martialforce.com: To date, what do you feel is your greatest personal accomplishment?
ROBERT PARHAM: My greatest personal accomplishments are my relationships with my children. They give me so much inspiration. To watch them grow into responsible young adults is such a satisfying part of my life.
Martialforce.com: What are your thoughts on the Martial Arts movies of today as oppose to twenty years ago?
ROBERT PARHAM: No comparison! There’s a few movies today that may stand out, especially Tony Jaa’s films, but what can compare to classics like “5 Fingers of Death”, “Chinese Hercules”, “The Five Deadly Venoms”, “Blood of the Dragon” and “The Streetfighter”. Call me old school when it comes to martial arts films, but I love those movies!
Martialforce.com: In regards to acting, whose work do you admire?
ROBERT PARHAM: There are a few people I admire as actors. My film coach, a’Ali-Salaam. He is awesome! He’s done many indie films and had a small part in “My Name is Khan”. Then there are Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, who set the bar in my opinion. Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise are also actors who I admire. These people keep pushing the envelope, trying new roles, reprising old ones with a twist, much like martial arts training. If I can acquire a morsel of talent that these gentlemen posses, I’d be happy.
Martialforce.com: Thank you for this interview and we wish you the best in all your future endeavors.
ROBERT PARHAM: Thank you!