Kicks and Picks: Brian Anderson Remains in Hillsdale Teaching Martial Arts and Playing the Blues
Written by Doug Goodnough
Brian Anderson, ’79, went from Chargers Blue to playing the blues. The former Hillsdale College standout running back has had an interesting life since arriving on campus from Ypsilanti High School in 1975.
A teammate introduced him to the martial art of Tae Kwon Do (TKD) as a freshman, and the now sixth-degree black belt has been teaching TKD classes part-time at the College for more than 45 years. After two heart attacks forced an early retirement following more than 18 years as a corrections officer at the Jackson State Prison, he still remains active as a guitarist in two blues bands, and tours around the region playing the music he loves.
The 66-year-old said his love of Hillsdale started nearly the moment he stepped on campus. His high school football coach, Ralph Perriello, ’64, (a former Charger football great who will be inducted posthumously in September 2023 into the Hillsdale College Athletic Hall of Fame) brought him over to the College for a visit.
“I was getting really discouraged because (college coaches) were looking at my size,” said Anderson, a two-time high school All-American running back who stood just 5 feet, 6 inches tall and a stout 180 pounds. “I had never heard of Hillsdale before. (Perriello) brought me down here and said, ‘You will fit in perfectly.’ And it was like that instantly.”
Playing for then-head coach Jack McAvoy for three years and Ron Lynch his senior year, Anderson shared the backfield with some great teammates, including Steve Rodick, ’79, and Herman McCall, ’78.
“The football experience was great,” Anderson said. “We worked hard. Nobody was going to take a position. And any one of us can step in at any time. It was a lot of fun.”
During his senior year in 1978, Anderson led the Chargers in rushing with 847 yards and eight touchdowns. Trying to pattern his running style after Chicago Bears great Gale Sayers, Anderson said he used his low center of gravity and shifty running style to his advantage.
“If you can’t touch me, you can’t tackle me,” he said of his running philosophy. “I took advantage of what God has given me. I just loved being a running back.”
Being able to bench press around 400 pounds and recording a sub 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Anderson also contributed to Hillsdale’s track and field team. After graduating with a degree in art, Anderson decided to try pro football. He had tryouts with several Canadian Football League and National Football League teams, but eventually played semi-pro football for the Kalamazoo Cougars, where he led the league in rushing.
Anderson was introduced to the martial arts during his freshman year at Hillsdale, when senior linebacker Ronnie Parker remained after practice “throwing kicks and stuff.”
“I said, ‘What are you doing? What is that?’ He said, ‘Tae Kwon Do.’”
He decided to take a college class with Grand Master Tae Zee Park.
“I was just going to do it for a semester,” Anderson said. “But then I said, ‘Man, I love this stuff.’”
Park took Anderson under his wing, and less than two years later, his pupil earned his black belt. Park and McAvoy, who was also the athletic director, asked Anderson to take over TKD classes for the College in 1977, and he has been doing it ever since.
“(Park) wanted me to teach here,” Anderson said of his mentor, who has several TKD schools around the area. “He put me in charge. It was a world of education for me. It helped me with a lot of things.”
Every Tuesday and Thursday evening during the academic year, Anderson conducts TKD classes in the dance studio of the Sports Complex. He also teaches a personal safety (self-defense) class Monday and Wednesday afternoons.
Anderson said what makes TKD different from other martial arts is the emphasis on kicking.
“It’s the art of kicking,” he said. “Seventy percent of the techniques we do are kicking.”
Although the occasional bouts of gout and the aging process have slowed Anderson down a bit, he said teaching TKD is something that has remained constant.
“I can teach you how to throw a kick and never get out of this seat. That’s how comfortable I am with teaching now,” Anderson said.
His other passion is playing the blues. Learning to play the guitar at age 3, Anderson is currently a member of two bands: the Who Dat? Blues Band and The Mike Boyd Group. Who Dat? performs several times a year at select blues festivals, while Coldwater-based Boyd Group plays around the area several times a month.
“I’m a blues man,” Anderson said. “I’ll sing my Jimmy Hendrix blues (because) I can play that.”
The father of three and grandfather of four said he continues to live in Hillsdale because “it’s quiet, it’s relaxing.”
“I fell in love with Hillsdale College when I came down here for my first meeting with Jack McAvoy. I went where I was supposed to be. I love it here.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in August 2023