Thomas "Lapuppet" Carrol, (7 February 1938 - 20 March 1999) was an African-American martial artist, and also a member of USA Karate

Karate

is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

 Hall of Fame , and the Black belt Hall of fame http://books.google.com/books?id=uM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=thomas+lapuppet&source=bl&ots=501M0kNycy&sig=yLuvfPg-TqjvSjujK5XCyQeE_0E&hl=en&ei=L8xxTZeBOsX6lwe33Yl1&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB4Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=thomas%20lapuppet&f=false of Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, NY. He was also a member of the US Ju-Jitsu Federation. http://www.usjjf.org/bio/lapuppet/index.htm. He focused in Ronin Karate and shotokan karate. Carrol died from cancer in March 1999.

Early life

Carroll was born in South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 in 1938, but was raised in Brooklyn, NY. Graduating from Franklin K. Lane High School

Franklin K. Lane High School

Franklin K. Lane High School is a public high school in New York City, United States. The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education as H.S. 420.-Location:...

, he then went on to attend the State University of New York

State University of New York at Old Westbury

The State University of New York College at Old Westbury is a university college that is part of the State University of New York system. The college is in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York...

 in Westbury, NY. While not graduating from there, due to his belief that "The University of the street" provided a more dynamic education. Thomas Carrol worked as a Firefighter

Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...

 for the FDNY and was also in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

.
He was a member of the Prince Hall

Prince Hall

Prince Hall , was a tireless abolitionist and a leader of the free black community in Boston. Hall tried to gain New England’s enslaved and free blacks a place in some of the most crucial spheres of society, Freemasonry, education and the military...

 Masons

Prince Hall Freemasonry

Prince Hall Freemasonry derives from historical events which led to a tradition of separate predominantly African-American Freemasonry in North America...

. http://www.usakarate.org/dir.hof/lapuppett_obit.html

Martial Arts Career

Carroll was a member of the USA Karate Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...

, chairman of USA Karate New York as Treasurer, and holding positions as head coach. He was key in getting Karate recognized by the International Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

http://www.usakarate.org/dir.hof/lapuppett_obit.html.
Thomas Carroll LaPuppet born in South Carolina in 1938 http://books.google.com/books?id=uM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=Thomas+Carroll+LaPuppet&source=bl&ots=500L1mRwbD&sig=0YbmunVqSVWG3EUJ8R5zKlqsLyI&hl=en&ei=A9fLTKawLMGBlAeE_-HjCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Thomas%20Carroll%20LaPuppet&f=false passed away on March 23, 1999 http://www.usjujitsu.net/bio/lapuppet/index.htm. Considered by some to be an American Martial Arts Pioneer. http://www.usjujitsu.net/bio/lapuppet/index.htm He defeated many famous martial artists including Bill "Superfoot" Wallace in tournaments. http://books.google.com/books?id=uM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=Thomas+Carroll+LaPuppet&source=bl&ots=500L1mRwbD&sig=0YbmunVqSVWG3EUJ8R5zKlqsLyI&hl=en&ei=A9fLTKawLMGBlAeE_-HjCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Thomas%20Carroll%20LaPuppet&f=false. He also trained actors Gregory Hines

Gregory Hines

Gregory Oliver Hines was an American actor, singer, dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Born in New York City, Hines and his older brother Maurice started dancing at an early age, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang...

 and Ralph Macchio

Ralph Macchio

Ralph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...

 of Karate Kid http://books.google.com/books?id=uM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=Thomas+Carroll+LaPuppet&source=bl&ots=500L1mRwbD&sig=0YbmunVqSVWG3EUJ8R5zKlqsLyI&hl=en&ei=A9fLTKawLMGBlAeE_-HjCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Thomas%20Carroll%20LaPuppet&f=false. He is considered to be a contempary of the cerebral Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...

 and Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis

Joseph Peter "Joe" Lewis is an English footballer who plays for Peterborough United as a goalkeeper, having made a £400,000 transfer from Norwich City on 8 January 2008.-Norwich City:...

 http://www.aokaincmcgrath.com/hanshi/wine_roses.htm. An 8th degree blackbelt http://books.google.com/books?id=uM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=Thomas+Carroll+LaPuppet&source=bl&ots=500L1mRwbD&sig=0YbmunVqSVWG3EUJ8R5zKlqsLyI&hl=en&ei=A9fLTKawLMGBlAeE_-HjCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Thomas%20Carroll%20LaPuppet&f=false. He appeared in the movie Angel With a Kick http://www.rhythmarts.com/angelkick/angelkick.htm as well as The Super Weaponhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0201210/. A black belt hall of fame in 1969 http://www.rhythmarts.com/angelkick/angelkick.htm

Movie career

He acted in the 1976 movie The Super Weapon, which also starred Ron van Clief

Ron van Clief

Ron van Clief is an American martial artist and an actor in Hollywood and Hong Kong action films. He is the father of poet Shihan van Clief.- Early life :Van Clief was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City...

. He was also in the movie Angel With a Kick.