James began his martial art journey in 1962, when he and two friends, Jack Hebert and Jimmy Cooksey obtained a book called This is Karate, by Masutatsu Oyama. Together they practiced the techniques illustrated in the book in their garages with homemade heavy bags, macawara boards, hanging balls and other unique training aids. Led by Jack, who had some formal training, they sought techniques that had practical fighting application. Like all young, testosterone filled boys they often got in to fights and even gang fights in their rough city of Port Arthur, Texas. Their heroes back then were Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Bill Wallace, Mike Stone and Ed Parker. In addition they practiced Ninja skills like climbing buildings, fence walking, stealth hiding and all sorts of unusual and sometime dangerous endeavors at night while avoiding the police cruisers. When James got older his martial art experience was put on hold. He went to college and obtained three degrees - chemistry, biology and pharmacy. He also was a flight instructor, appliance repairman, a plumber and was skilled in all the building trades. When he got married, he and his wife Sherry felt something was missing from their lives and attended The Institute for Religious Development in Warwick, New York. Here, they spent many years absorbing and practicing an ancient teaching that had been lost to mankind. Part of this teaching was the practice of sacred dances that were found in remote monasteries. These dances, which they simply called "movements," were handed down from generation to generation, unchanged for thousands of years. When James and Sherry decided to start a family, they moved back to Texas and settled in the city of Bryan. Here, they were disappointed by the absence of spiritual practice they had known in New York. They realized that some aspects of martial art, especially forms, were "three centered activities" similar to the sacred movements they had practiced at the Institute. They wanted their children to experience the benefits of this type of activity. When their daughter Laura was twelve and their son Joey was nine, they enrolled them in a taekwondo school in Bryan. The school was affiliated with the American Taekwondo Association (ATA). After several months, their children were having so much fun, James and Sherry decided to join taekwondo also. James was forty-four and Sherry was forty-one. Because their children were two belts ahead of them, they helped their parents learn martial art. The Killingworth's became the first Black Belt family in their local association. When Laura and Joey went into high school they left their practice of martial art behind. Laura went into gymnastics and Joey went into baseball and football. James and Sherry continued their journey in taekwondo. They built their own dojang (place of formal exercise) in their back yard and practiced together on a regular basis. After a period of hesitation, they both decided to enter into competition. As they continued to ascend through Black Belt ranks, they both earned the title of World Champions. Sherry won two world titles and James won thirty-one Top Ten Medals and fifteen world titles. Sherry obtained the rank of Fourth Degree Black Belt and James was a Fifth Degree Black Belt. In James' final year of competition (2015), he swept his entire division (60-99 year olds). He won first place in all four events - forms, sparring, weapons and combat weapons. This earned him four world titles (gold medals) and the coveted Quadruple Crown. He was sixty-eight years old. Since they achieved all of their aims in martial art competition, they decided to retire. He and his wife still train together in their own dojang and are now training their grandson.
