An Old Man's Way: Doug Perry’s Unlikely Journey Through Karate, War, and Life

Raised by poor, adoptive parents in the American South, Doug Perry wasn’t dealt the best of hands. His inauspicious upbringing from the mill districts of Charlotte, NC to the beach scene of coastal Carolina should have landed him in prison or an early grave. But Doug’s course would be forever changed by two islands half a world apart. From Parris Island to the obscure Island of Okinawa, the warrior traditions of the United States Marine Corps and Karate-do revealed an unlikely path to self-discovery. From the battlefields of Vietnam to the tranquil beaches of Okinawa, Doug found purpose and perspective. He would become a highly decorated Marine and one of the most senior karate practitioners in American history. Influencing the lives of many karate enthusiasts, his path is a self-described “Old Man’s Way,” but old men were young once.