Paul B. Mills (March 1, 1947 – February 18, 2024)* carried a rare kind of gravity…quiet, steady, and unmistakably real. In the lives he touched, he wasn’t remembered only for what he knew, but for how he gave it, with warmth, humility, and deep respect for the people standing in front of him.* He moved through Kenpo the way true craftsmen move through their work…measuring twice, cutting once, and leaving behind something that would outlast him.*

His story is inseparable from the lineage of American Kenpo Karate. Under the mentorship of Mr. Ed Parker,* Paul began his ascent through the ranks and received his 1st degree black belt in 1981.* That direct teacher-student connection matters…not as a boast, but as a living thread of principle, method, and intent, the kind of “why” that keeps an art honest when time tries to blur it.*

And Paul’s life carried more than one kind of precision. In 1971, he broke the world fast draw record,* a feat credited to timing and reflexes…principles he didn’t leave in a trophy case, but carried forward as a philosophy for living and training.* The same emphasis, clean mechanics, honest timing, real results, shows up in the way he approached Kenpo…practical, principled, and relentlessly tested.

After Mr. Parker’s passing, Paul and his wife, Deon, created their own association, the A.K.K.I. (American Kenpo Karate International).* It wasn’t formed as a banner to stand under, but as a vessel to protect and transmit what Paul had forged through decades of refinement. He traveled widely and mentored countless students,* and his Las Vegas camps at Sam’s Town became a known gathering point for learning, exchange, and growth.* In that space, “association” meant community…people bound not by paperwork, but by shared effort, and shared responsibility.

Today, the story continues with clarity and care. The Mills Family describes their role as stewardship, not governance,* and the AKKI organization is “formally and legally retired.”* The Legacy Guidelines exist to preserve and honor Grandmaster Mills’ teachings, while preventing confusion about the retired status of the AKKI organization.* In other words, the name and marks point backward in reverence…toward lineage and legacy, not forward as a claim of ongoing institutional authority.*

Sources

• Crandall Funeral Home obituary for Paul B. Mills (dates, fast draw record in 1971, mentorship under Ed Parker, black belt in 1981, creation of AKKI with Deon, travel/mentoring, Sam’s Town camps).*

• Paul Mills Kenpo Legacy Guidelines (stewardship language, AKKI formally/legal retirement, purpose of guidelines, clarity that AKKI is not active/accepting memberships/certifying ranks).*

• Ed Parker background (founder/codifier of American Kenpo, general context).*

• Official IKKA site (context on Ed Parker Sr. and legacy framing).*