Longtime Ki Whang Kim student and champion Marcella Byrd passed away August 20, 2024. She was 61.
GM Albert Cheeks told this story about her:
Marcella Byrd won Madison Square Garden five years in a row in the women’s division. The last year she said, “The women’s division is too easy, I want to fight with the men.” Master Kim said, “Are you sure?” she said “Yes. I trained with Mike Warren and Albert Cheeks, and, you know…”
So we trained with her on really just how not to take direct shots, how to slip and move. She took second place in the lightweight men’s division. When the men found out that a women was entering the men’s divisions, they were like “No! Cause we’re going to hit her like a man!” and I said. “And she’s going to hit you like a lady.”
And on the first fight, I said, “Marcella, you gotta send a message. Drop him. When you see that opening, from the back leg, that round kick, drop it right in his head.” I said “they’re not going to disqualify you because it would be too embarrassing.’ And so she dropped the guy and he was on the floor. And his instructor was like, “GET UP! GET UP!” I looked up and Marcella went, “Yes, that’s what we need.” When she got hit that night, and she got dropped, Master Kim went in the ring and said to her “That’s enough.” She said “No, I gotta finish it.” But she lost to the person who became the champion, Mark Williams.
She was really just a beautiful soul.
Here is audio of Master Kim and Marcella saying farewell to each other after a class:
