Professor Ed Malley (A 1987 Article)

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Good afternoon, my fellow Americans and those martial arts listeners throughout the world. Welcome to another edition of martialartsbusinessmagazine.com. This is Dr. Rick Black.

One of the things that I want to share with you today is a story that was written by a martial arts acquaintance and submitted to a magazine that I own called Florida Martial Arts Magazine. It was in 1987, he asked a couple of days ago, this gentleman’s name was Sensei Bill Clays. Bill Clays died of physical complications. But of the stories the he wrote was probably one of the favorite stories of all the magazine that were submitted to my magazine over the ten years that I was a publisher. It is called ‘The Judo’, It is a Foundation of the Martial Arts. It was written about Professor Ed Malley in Sanford. I’m going to kind of read this to you and I hope you forgive me if I stammer and stutter.

Judo is a foundation of the martial arts. In 1949, Edwin Malley began to study in Judo at high school in Brooklyn, New York, under the only Judo instructor in New York City at that time. He studied the art for six months there, prior to enlisting in the US Air force. While in the circus, Malley said that he had a special program to beat thirty six pilots. They had a conditioning unit, I was part of those. I plug the pilots and the crew members, exercises and combative techniques. For the combative part of the program, they brought in Mel Bruno, a professional wrestler and a third degree black belt Judo practitioner to teach. During the part of the combative measures and instructors course, the Air force sent to a Protocon Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan for five months. They trained all day in fighting Karate, Judo, Akido, Japanese Police Combat Technique and Taijutsu, they are taking their weapons.

Professor Malley earned his first degree black belts competing for at the Protocon Institute in 1953. When this article was written in 1987, he held his six degree black belt, red and white actually in Judo, fourth degree black belt in Karate and third degree black belt in Jiu jitsu. When Malley returns in Japan, he began passing along what he had learned to the military air craft pilots and crew members. Wherever his military duties took him, he taught at local YMCA’s and recreation centers. In 1955, Mellay was the first airman to place in the National Judo Tournament, held at the Olympic Judo School in California which was own by relative of a wrestler, Gene Lebell. That same year, he was one of twelve Judoka. He picked to go on a two-month good will for Japan, when every turn from Japan he went to Nordengland, competed in one the air force championships four years in a row.

In 1957, the air force picked him to be on their National Judo Team. In 1959, Malley also won the New England’s State Championship in the East Coast Judo Championships. That same year, Ed moved to Florida, ‘Worked for seven straight years, I was the over-all Florida champion’, Malley said. Mellay opened his first Judo School in Tampa in 1963, and has been teaching there. He said ‘I have never missed a class and I’m proud of that’.

Since opening his Dojo as it turned out numerous champions, one of the students, Dewey Mitchell, believed in pick for the Olympic Team in 1984. He had also produced many world and international champions including Tom Masterson, Tommy Ring, Sean Givens, Shannon Givens, Ron Slynther and Jean Garren who won the 1967 American Heavyweight Champion and is currently teaching special forces troops in Central America.

 

Judo is a foundation of the martial arts and I defy anyone to argue to that point with me. If a person starts out with Judo, learns the moves and pros and get into the conditioning then goes into Karate or Kung Fu or whatever, it will be a hundred percent better. You need Judo in extreme situations or nine times out of ten you whined on the floor in a grappling situation, I’d say the journey is in you. He also point out kids watch too much TV and too many movies and they all want to do is hope somebody in the eyes will pick him in the groin. Too many little kids today all want to learn weapon, like the non-chakra, tam foot, sai, filling stars, stuff they see in the movie. They see one guy beating up guys in the movie and they think they can learn to do that. In today’s world champ is one of the eight, pull out the gun and shoot you. Mainly not only teach yourself defense but also common sense. If you get robbed in a parking lot, go call the police, Malley said. Why try to take out someone with a gun. Watching one of Professor Malley’s classes you might know that his voice is off and loud and sharp when giving commands to the students. But when he demonstrate a technique, just as how to pin an opponent, his stern facial expression suddenly turn into a shibbish grin then he tells the students ‘Under then to try to get away’, which because of Malley’s expertise, it is nearly impossible for the students to do it.

While teaching, I try to teach it the way that it’s never boring. It is always interesting. I try to make the students think and keep them alert, that is the number one thing to do, to keep them alert. In my Judo, they get terrific conditioning; many people in the martial arts could not take it because they don’t have the conditioning. Malley blatantly stated, ‘I try to teach my students control the opponent, about destroying your opponent. I like the idea of being able to tie an opponent up in a little mass without totally destroying them’. Malley places a great deal of emphasis on conditioning. He has seven thousand square foot Dojos, not only quick with a large Judo mass of training, but also as two way learns a sauna, large locker room, showers, a bag room filled with heavy bags hanging from the ceiling, one ton horse on the leaf for practicing upper cuts, and a massage room, he has also serve five physical massage therapist.

In 1980, Master Malley was honored by being named to black belt hall of fame by black belt magazine. He is Judo Instructor of the Year, he had also been awarded an honorary Dr. Claus degree, a class A instructor certification in Judo, and numerous roles from national and international competitions. He is also been named Sportson of the Year by the Half of Tribune.

In 1987, when Professor Malley was 55 years old, he had over 200 students training at his Dojo, many of them being doctors and lawyers. He often teaches free clinic recreation centers and likes talking about his Golden Agers Program for senior citizens. He can tell many stories about his students.

Several years ago, one of Master Malley’s students, a sixty three year old grandmother, who was a victim of an attempted purse snatcher. The grandmother back kicked the attacker in the groin; disable them long enough to prevent escape. And another incident, one of the students, a six month old pregnant housewife was across the shopping center by two men to take the purse, the woman elbowed one of the men in the nose and both men ran off.

Malley’s closing commands concerning today’s competitors or I believe that martial arts competitors today need to get back to the basics. Back to traditional type of training. There is too much barnum today. Karate competitors look like their slap-fighting, there is too much marketing in today’s martial arts. Professor Malley’s been quoted to saying ‘I would like to be remembered as one who was able to make this a better life by passing through’.

Again, that was a story that was written by Sensei Bill Clays about Professor Ed Malley who now is seventy seven years of age or seventy eight years of age, who has his son there as a teacher and many of the students. I met Master Malley in 1966, when I was a brown belt. I went to his school with my father in Tampa, whirled in Clearwater. Master Malley is an incredible individual, probably one of the most cordial men that I know. I’m a member of the World Head of Family Sokeship Council and master instructor myself. Now, Master Malley’s training proceeds me by almost a decade and he is truly been an inspiration for me and for other martial artists.

I thank you and welcome civil listeners and this is Dr. Rick Black, signing off and good day.