Thomas Carroll (martial artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thomas Carroll |
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|---|---|
| Born | February 7, 1938 South Carolina |
| Died | (aged 61) |
| Style | Shotokan karate, Kenpō |
| Fighting out of | New York City, U.S. |
Thomas "Lapuppet" Carroll (born February 7, 1938 – died March 20, 1999) was a very important African-American martial artist. He was a member of the USA Karate Hall of Fame and the Black Belt Hall of Fame. Thomas Carroll was from Brooklyn, New York. He was also part of the US Ju-Jitsu Federation, but he mostly focused on Shotokan karate. He passed away in March 1999.
Early Life
Thomas Carroll was born in South Carolina in 1938. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He finished high school at Franklin K. Lane High School. He also went to the State University of New York. However, he believed that learning from "the University of the street" was more helpful.
Thomas Carroll worked as a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department. He was also in the United States Marine Corps. He reached the rank of First Sergeant in the Marines.
A Martial Arts Master
Before learning karate, Thomas Carroll practiced jiujitsu. He then started learning karate from his teacher, George Cofield. Carroll became a member of the USA Karate Hall of Fame. He also served as chairman and treasurer for USA Karate New York. He was a head coach too.
He played a big role in getting karate recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Many people see him as a pioneer in American martial arts. He won against many famous martial artists in tournaments. One of them was Bill "Superfoot" Wallace.
Thomas Carroll also trained actors like Gregory Hines and Ralph Macchio. Ralph Macchio is famous for his role in Karate Kid. Carroll was a contemporary of other famous martial artists. These included Chuck Norris and Joe Lewis. He earned an 8th-degree black belt. In 1969, he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame. Thomas Carroll was also featured in magazines. These included Black Belt Magazine and Official Karate Magazine.
On the Big Screen
Thomas Carroll also had a career in movies. In 1976, he acted in the movie The Super Weapon. This film also starred Ron van Clief. He was also in a movie called Angel With a Kick.
He appeared in the 1976 documentary The Warrior Within. In this film, he was shown training young people.
