Martial arts is a way of life that helped him cross paths with a cultural icon, and the journey continued with yet another milestone reached as Robert Meteye III of Slidell was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Mo. The honor took place July 12, and a national board of nine people knew that in Meteye — an eighth-degree black belt in Lung Shou Pai and Nei She Pai Kung Fu — it definitely had a deserving member.
Robert P. Meteye III, left, of Slidell, has been inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Mo. He is an eighth-degree black belt in Lung Shou Pai and Nei She Pai Kung Fu. Meteye, who has more than 50 years in the martial arts, is shown with former UFC MMA Champion Nate Quarry.
Having been involved in martial arts in one form or another since the age of 7, it was an honor befitting a devoted student, teacher and practitioner.
“It’s certainly an honor to be chosen for the hall of fame,” said Meteye, former body guard for Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali. “I consider the practice a way of life because I enjoy teaching and helping others.”
Already an established master and teacher, his services were sought out in 1978 when Mohammed Ali visited New Orleans to train for an epic rematch in the Superdome with Leon Spinks. For a little more than a week, he was charged with protecting, arguably, one of the greatest boxers of all time, and certainly one of boxing’s most colorful and charismatic figures.
“He was a very positive person to be around,” Meteye said about Ali. “One of the things he always said was that you could do anything you put your mind to. He had such a great personality, and people loved being around him.”
One would wonder why one of the greatest boxers of all time needed a body guard, until the crowds of adoring fans would swarm the workouts open to the public in the days leading up to the bout. There was a size difference between the two men, as Ali stood about 6-foot-1, weighing in at 230 pounds while Meteye was a few inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter, but those around Meteye had faith.
“A wise person told me a long time ago that it was better to know martial arts and not need it, rather than not know it, and be in a situation to need it,” he said.
Leave a Reply