I was indeed honored to earn Joe’s trust. I spent a lot of time in Raleigh sparring with Joe at the YMCA. Also, I met up with him on the road at seminars in North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, California, Oklahoma, Texas and all parts in between. On many occasions, I was able to organize a series of seminars near my home. This would allow Joe to live at my apartment for a week at a time.  We sparred, planned our publicity campaigns and the articles we would submit for publication, and exchanged ideas about training and martial arts.

In 1983, Joe partnered with me to advance the American Independent Karate/Kickboxing Instructors Association (AIKIA) to a national audience. During his 20 years as the active AIKIA National Director for Training and Instruction, Joe became ultra-successful as the nation’s leading karate seminar performer. During the years that followed I was fortunate to publish more than 80 articles and seven books promoting Joe Lewis as the leading authority in martial arts instruction.

Also in 1983 Joe met and courted the beautiful Kim Lewis, a former model and Miss Raleigh beauty pageant winner. They were married in 1985. Joe and Kim made the perfect team for seminar tours. Although divorced in 2005, they share two exceptional kids, their son Cameron and daughter Kristina. While Joe may have earned his reputation as a fighter, his passion in life became that of a teacher. Lewis excelled as a seminar performer.

With AIKIA, Joe and I had become a successful team. In 1988, we recruited Bill Wallace and Jeff Smith (Lewis, Wallace, and Smith were the most celebrated karate fighters of the day.) to form the “Karate College.” Karate College became the nation’s top multi-cultural mixed martial arts summer camp. At Joe’s request, both Wallace and Smith joined AIKIA as national directors. In the 1980s and 1990s, AIKIA was arguably the top martial arts organization in the country and Karate College was the number one training camp. AIKIA was the first organization dedicated to promoting the Joe Lewis American Karate Systems.

As a business partner, I had sought to expand the Lewis brand to identify the fact that Joe Lewis was the only world champion fighter, and only competitor to ever be coached directly by Bruce Lee. After studying the process leading to the success of the “New Coke versus Coke Classic” brand marketing campaign of the mid-’80s I coined the term “Original Jeet Kune Do.” I felt it was important to get Joe the attention he deserved as an original Bruce Lee student. In 1993, Joe and I partnered with Ted Wong to offer the first ever “Original Jeet Kune Do” summer camp. Joe had worked with Ted as a training partner at Bruce Lee’s house in the late ’60s. In the summer of 1995, Joe, Ted, and I agreed to form the Original Jeet Kune Do Council.

Together, Ted, Joe and I organized, reviewed and wrote down the specific training methods and theories that Bruce Lee had taught Joe and that Joe had tested in competition.  Joe told me if possible he would prefer not to use the name jeet kune do and asked me to come up with a name that would work. I decided on the name “Non-Classical Combative Methodologies” to best identify the exact JKD principles, methods, skills and drills taught to Joe Lewis by Bruce Lee. Joe liked the name because it was non-classical yet methodically combative, and, there was no reference to the typical Asian terminology.  NCCM is not at all a style. NCCM is the science of the offensive approach methodology. NCCM is what makes JLAKS work. I’ll explain more about the NCCM concept in Chapter 5.

We published the book you are about to read with Paladin Press in 1998. I wrote the book after meticulously transposing a series of interviews given specifically for the proposed book. After I finished a chapter I would mail it to Joe for comments. In a few months we had a finished manuscript. He was proud to be a book author and quickly sent copies to his best friends including, Chuck Norris and Walter Anderson (Parade magazine publisher).

JLAKS represents the essence of Joe Lewis of the ’80s and ’90s. Joe had made his early reputation as the world champion full-contact karate fighter and undisputed U.S. heavyweight kickboxing champion. In 1983, he was officially voted by a panel of former champions as “The Greatest Karate Fighter of All Time.” Our intent was to chronicle Joe’s rise to the top of the martial arts field. As I was writing the pages representing countless hours of research and training in the JLAKS, I could recall Joe talking about his dreams as a kid, the importance of earning his first black belt, his first tournament win, and his amazing revelations on fighting and karate.

Joe Lewis has done so much for my personal success that I am pleased to present his story to his countless fans worldwide. It was a privilege to work for and with him. It was an honor to call him my friend. As the sole surviving author I could have published this book and sought to make a profit. Instead I am offering this book free to all readers in hopes that you might help Joe’s kids.

Joe knew the value of education and provided as much as he could for his son and daughter before his death. However a college education costs a lot more than was left. On behalf of my friend and mentor Joe Lewis, I ask that you please consider donating any amount, $5, $10, $20, $100 or more to the Joe Lewis College Fund: 3316 Bucks Run Trail, Wake Forrest, NC 27587. One hundred percent of your donation goes straight to his kids. I hope every Joe Lewis Black Belt will consider presenting a seminar, camp or tournament and donate the proceeds to the Joe Lewis College Fund. I can think of no better way to remember Joe than to remember his kids. Thank you. Jerry Beasley, 2012