The Passing of Master Fred Miller

by Malcolm E Livingston on Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 7:08pm

Saturday Oct. 2, 2010 - Family, friends, and a small group of former students came out to honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Frederick C. Miller- World Light Heavyweight Champion (undefeated) and who had trained more than 50 years in the martial arts.

I did not sleep too well last night, so with a solemn heart I decided to write these words.


There are those who are with you much of your life, contributing very little to it; in a meaningful way.  And then there is the rare individual who but for a brief time, manages to forge the very foundation upon which you exist.
For me, that man was Frederick Chamberlain Miller; a masterful teacher, skilled technician, and ferocious fighter, who was the first to teach me the ways of self-mastery through martial arts.
In no uncertain terms, he was my idol; a ghetto legend who seemed to rise above the cold harsh realities of inner-city life.  When kids my age were busy purchasing the latest thing with Bruce Lee’s face on it, I was running to the newsstand hoping to see a picture of Fred in one of the latest martial art magazines.  Yeah, we all called him Fred; he was sort of informal like that, we all came from the same “hood”.  But don’t get it twisted, he was not viewed by me as a peer or friend; in a young boy’s eyes he was much too grand for that.  When I say I was in awe of him, I am not joking, I would spend hours each day trying to emulate his every movement; the way he held his hands, his kicks, his combinations, and especially his cat stance, which he often used as a ploy to lure opponents into believing they could rush him.  To this day, I’ve never seen anyone be able to generate so much power from that position; I’ve seen him sit in a deep cat stance and throw a lead-leg front kick and still double-over a heavy bag.  That’s some serious power for you!  The average practitioner would probably find it difficult matching this feat even from the back leg in a fighting stance.
No doubt, the man was incredible, and I am honored and proud to say I was one of his students.  However, I am deeply saddened by his passing, not just because I will miss him, but because I never got the opportunity to tell him personally, what he had meant to my life.
In honest, quiet reflection, I think that he would have been proud of the man, the father, and the teacher I have become.  “If it is true that we will all meet again, let it be so; in a small musty gym with no windows, drenched with the sweat of our effort and the tears of sheer pursuit.  Let it be so, that once again I find myself in line with my brothers, with Master Fred C Miller utterly working us into the ground.”

Malcolm Livingston