Chris Parkerson

I am also of the "kind" variety, even though I run a bodyguard company. So is Hal, even though the US Government made war on him for 30 years, taking everything he owned, attempting to kill him several times, and otherwise harassing him. He carries the knife wounds and bullet holes as souvenires. That is partly why we hooked up. I was fully intrigued by his life and story.

Here was a guy that decided not to kill Castro, came in from the cold, and negotiated a settlement to get out of a type of trade that really doesn't allow for retirement - especially for folks that failed to fulfill their directives.

Now, that is a whole different set of parameters than being a street bully or local tough guy. While I trained with him in the 1990's, he was hit twice by vehicles while riding his bike in Corpus Christi. After being struck, the car load (once it was a van load) of guys exited their vehicle and proceeded to beat him up. In neither case was anyone arrested. His Camper was burglarized - only certain documents were taken. Again, no arrests. And finally, while training at a small dojo, a man walks in wanting to rondori. He literally tries to kill Hal (I wasn't there but was told about it 3 days later) several times. Hal stopped the attacks each time and continued to play by judo rules. After the bout, Hal sensed that the man had a gun in his gear. Hal disappeared, hid, watched the guy exit the dojo, and slept in a field for two days.

Such is the price for forging a path less followed. Indeed, I am currently in Houston and intend to visit this old buddy on Saturday. Cold eyed and kind sums him up. What an anomaly. And master of the arm bar.