Keith Vitali vs. Doug Smith

Classic point fighting with Keith Vitali (#1 Point Fighter in America, 1979 - 1981)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Keith_Vitali
• karate
• martial
• arts
• fight
• sports
• martial_arts

[Sta6kA]

can someone tell keith vitali height?

[jkreng]

@Sta6kA

Keith was 6 feet tall.

[TheShinobi32]

Keith use to be a bad dude he was in several martial arts movies like revenge of the ninja with Sho Kosugi.

[stevevandien]

@jkreng Granted. But in those days, one could score with FULL body contact and even the same re. the head, depending on who was judging the match. I was a junior fighter in the Midwest from 1973-4. We could score by blasting one another in the body, and we were not required to use Safe-T equipment We could also strike with significant if not full contact -- regardless of whether the striking weapon bore pads or was bare -- to the part of one's head covered by a baseball catcher's mask:).

[stevevandien]

It's doubtful that American point karate competitions will regain this standard. Even so, let's hope for a time when judges will only call strong, SOLID techniques, while rejecting that cartwheel-kick silliness. Competitive karate should at the very least SUGGEST the techniques one might use for self-defense. I have no doubt that Vitali, Genova, Harris, Al Francis, McCallum, Anderson, Tucker etc. could have prevailed in street combat. Likewise re. Wallace, Jeff Smith, Howard Jackson . . .

[jkreng]

@Frequent2001

This point fighting match was back in the early 80's. The emphasis on point fighting is to score by making controlled contact so all judges can see it (majority of judges calling the hits gets a point) and not KO the opponent.

[superstar1218]

the cartwheel kick is actually from kung fu. its called spider weaves its web. i used it and broke a guys nose so it is very deadly if uses correctly.

[shotojojo1986]

ahhh.. the early days of open style karate

[ACmacho]

Awesome!!! keith I am one of your biggest fans.

Art Camacho

[tgumbyw]

Wow! Keith Vitali came to our summer camp in the early '90's and put on a show. I had really never heard of him before until then. I was fortunate enough to be chosen to spar with Keith. Keith did the same thing to me you see him do here at :46. What an honor and priviledge to get to spar with someone of his caliber. A truely honorable martial artist which we desperately need more of.

[tgumbyw]

Keith was at our summer camp, I think in the early '90s. He was FAST. He did the same thing to me as this guy. Put me on the ground by checking the back leg. It was awsome to get to spar with him. That guy is in different dimension athletically.