Who Is Soke Karl William Marx Sr.?

By David E. Wiggins

I have known Karl W. Marx Sr. approximately one year.  I had been in three different styles of karate and was looking for a style that didn’t have oriental meditation, physical abuse, or non-Christian values taught with the style.  My three sons, wife and I wanted a well rounded, practical, American karate system with Christian/Biblical principals displayed by the teaching materials and teachers. 

I discovered Keichu after a thorough Internet search of Karate systems.  The more I studied about the Keichu style the more I liked what I read.  I sent Karl Marx Sr. a short email asking if the style was taught in Oklahoma City or near my home in Blanchard.  I thought I might get a return email from a secretary or at best another black belt.  I was delighted when Soke Marx wrote back personally and referred to himself as Pastor Karl.  It was intriguing to meet a man who had many accomplishments in his past who would take the time to converse with someone simply inquiring about karate. 

I bought his two books and consumed them in short time.  The first book (If I Can Do It Anyone Can) about his life was very interesting and fun to read.  Our family read it together in the evenings after school.  It was really fun to read about someone working his way thorough life, learning to fight, fighting, and then teaching fighting.  It was good for my boys to read about someone who not only was fighting others but fighting against himself and his shortcomings.  In the mist of it all, the book always comes back to Christ.  I think my boys learned some lessons that will help them throughout their life time.  It may even keep them out of some of the trouble that Pastor Karl experienced growing up.

The second book (Martial Art Spirit) was very interesting.  Some I agreed with, some I was challenged by and other parts I disagreed with.  The book really made you think about many different subject areas.  I think because part of the book had been written when Pastor Karl wasn’t yet a Christian, that it was not as Biblical as I had hoped.  I did appreciate his honesty and his attempt to correlate many aspects of Karate with Christianity.  I certainly enjoyed thinking through the concepts of self-defense of the mind and spirit.  The point was well made that these are important issues for all Christians to come to grips with.

There wasn’t a Keichu school nearby so Pastor Karl sent me the Karate/Jujitsu DVD’s and my family has been practicing several times a week for about the last eight months.  Much of the techniques are similar to the other karate styles our family has studied.  The classes have been different from past training, in that there is always an emphasis on Christian values and mental self defense.  We have kept in close contact with Pastor Karl, asking questions by email as needed and working hard to discipline ourselves to practice our techniques, kata’s and sparing.  I’ve been very pleased with the responses from Pastor Karl and the interesting and encouraging emails he has sent to me over the past several months.  Our family is working hard and hopes to meet with Pastor Karl next spring or summer to test for our black belt level. 

Overall Pastor Karl has had a huge impact on our family.  He has showed us that a man can be a Christian and be trained to defend himself and his family.  We pray we can learn this system and help train others to protect their families/friends, stay in good shape, and find Christ in the process.

By David E. Wiggins