Geoffrey “Eagle” Huston began his KIA experience when he was seven years old, attaining his Black Belt in his early teens. Eagle was a precocious young man, quiet of manner, respectful, smart, and he gave Mr. King one of the greatest, funniest and most unforgettable memories in KIA history.
In the 1980s, Mr. King donned a long beard. Eagle, then eight years old, had a private lesson in the afternoon of the day Mr. King shaved off his beard. When Geoffrey entered the studio, he looked at Mr. King with a bewildered look on his face and asked inquisitively, “Who are you?” Mr. King realized Geoffrey didn’t recognize him without his beard so he played right along. Using a Southern accent, he answered back without skipping a beat, “I’m Mr. King’s brother, visiting from Alabama. I’m a black belt, too, and because Mr. King couldn’t be here today, he asked me to take over for him.” “Oh,” was Eagle’s response as he dispensed with the bow usually paid to his instructor, walking right past him into the studio. It’s all Mr. King could do to keep from laughing. “What does Mr. King do with you?” asked the “brother.” Without hesitation, and with a straight face, Geoffrey replied, “Oh, he lets me do whatever I want!” It’s all Mr. King could do to keep from exploding and falling on the floor in laughter. In a fit of contained humor, he watched as the young Geoffrey Huston just wandered around the studio, looking at the black belts hanging on the walls but not presenting himself for his lesson in the least. What a gloriously funny moment.
Finally, Mr. King broke the silence, dropped his Southern accent, and revealed his true identity. Geoffrey was in shock and could hardly believe his eyes! “No way!” he declared. Yes, way. Eventually, the lesson resumed, much to Eagle’s chagrin. To this day, Eagle’s antics in trying to get out of doing his private lesson and portraying Mr. King as letting him “do whatever he wants” remains one of the funniest moments in Mr. King’s teaching career.