He may have been known for his musical talent, but Elvis Presley also loved martial arts. However, there was definitely one martial arts incident that he immediately regretted.
During a recent interview with Express, Chip Young, a session musician of Elvis Presley, spoke about how the King was trying to teach him how to disarm a gunman. The results were disastrous. “[I said], ‘Hey Elvis. If somebody drew a pistol on you, how would you get it away from them?’ Elvis replied, ‘Oh that’s easy. Hey, [songwriter] Red West, bring that pistol over here.’”
Young then revealed that West reached for his pocket and pulled out a pistol. After unloading the gun, West pointed the gun at Elvis Presley. “Right about the time I said, ‘Let me move [the guitars].’ Pow. Elvis hit [Red’s] hand and that gun went flying right into the back of my gut string guitar. The barrel went into the guitar and hung there. of course, everybody in the studio died laughing.”
Young then recalled Elvis Presley immediately seeing the error in the situation and quickly tried to make it up to him. “[He pleaded], ‘Chip go buy you another guitar and bring me the bill.’ I could have gone and gotten a Ramirez for two or three thousand dollars. It wouldn’t have made a difference to him.”
Young went on to add that he told Elvis Presley that the guitar was probably worth more than it has ever been and in the end, he donated the hole-ridden guitar to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ed Parker Opens Up About Teaching Elvis Presley Marital Arts
While chatting with The Washington Post in 1978, Ed Parker spoke about what Elvis Presley was like when he first started martial arts. “He was insecure. He’d been a mother’s boy, in a way. And when he went into the service and learned the martial arts, they helped to build his character, his confidence, and his image. His karate motions helped him to radiate a vibrance to the audience. And they stimulated a vibrancy in himself.”
Parker also stated that Elvis Presley’s weakness had nothing to do with food or drugs. But had everything to do with the love of his fans. “When his marriage failed, he thought it might have a big influence on his fans. He thought it might cause them to choose sides between him and Priscilla. These things were of great concern to him.”
Following the divorce, Parker said he noticed that Elvis Presley struggled both mentally and physically. “Elvis’ body ran for four years on nervous energy alone. There was nothing for him to look forward to. But he always gave his best performance. He was a strong-willed individual.”
In regards to writing a book dedicated to Elvis Presley, Inside Elvis, Parker added, “I miss Elvis. As a wonderful, as a brother.”
