Ed Parker; Built Chain of Karate Schools

Ed Parker, credited with bringing the traditional style of Chinese karate to the United States and who later owned an international chain of karate schools bearing his name, died Saturday night, it was reported Monday. He was 59.

Parker, who lived in Pasadena, once was a bodyguard for Elvis Presley.

He collapsed shortly after arrival at Honolulu Airport and died of a massive heart attack en route to Kaiser Hospital, according to David Parker, a nephew.

Parker, a native of Hawaii, earned a black belt in karate and then moved to California, where he opened his first school in Pasadena in 1957.

He said he learned karate in his native Honolulu to protect himself from other youngsters who taunted him because he did not drink or smoke. A devout Mormon, Parker studied sociology and psychology at Brigham Young University.

For 27 years, Parker staged an annual karate tournament in Long Beach. At the 1964 tournament Parker introduced Bruce Lee, who later starred in a series of kung fu films.

His students also included producer Blake Edwards, who featured Parker in one of the “Pink Panther” movies. Parker, a burly six-footer with long gray hair, also was choreographer and martial arts expert for a number of other films.

He is survived by his widow, Leilani, and five children.