Celebrity Martial Artists

[Rich Parsons]

JUNE CASTRO - June Castro is a true master of Kali, Escrima, and kickboxing. She is one of the highest ranked females in the MA world.

I saw this and then clicked on the link to find out more and found

June Castro is an eigth degree black belt, one of the highest ranked female instructors in the world. She began studying the art of Shaolin Kenpo Karate at the age of four, under the strict tutelage of her father, the renowned Great Grandmaster Ralph Castro.

Through the years she has won numerous trophies in both state and international competition. June is also an instructor in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do Concepts.

June also has several top selling instructional videos currently on the market. The titles include: Kickboxing For Fitness, Women's Self Defense, How To Bully Proof Your Child, and Shaolin Kenpo, parts 1 and 2.

She is rated by Black Belt Magazine as one of the country's top ranked martial artist. In addition, June is a contributing editor for Unique Publications, and writes a monthly column for Inside Kung Fu Magazine entitled, Physical Fitness.

June is also the host of a television series called, "Total Health".

Just curious, she is listed as a true master of Kali and Escrima, and I am not say she is not, and the Bio lists other arts, just curious is all.

 

[Rich Parsons]

SOPHIA CRAWFORD - For four seasons, this British beauty was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

And her Bio

Born and raised in Britain, she started her film career as extra in the movie Kickboxer. At the age of 17 she moved to Hong Kong in hopes of starring in action movies. In 1997, during the instability of Hong Kong's transfer back to Chinese rule, she decided to move to the United States.

Upon entering the US she played such roles as Chameleon in the WMAC Masters television show. However, her most famous role to date may be her work as Sarah Michelle Geller's stunt double on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television program. She was Buffy in action for the first four seasons. With the show entering the fifth season, she left to pursue other interests.

Her skills include: Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, broadsword, firearms, gymnastics, stage fighting and stunt choreography.

I have to say I am a Buffy Fan, even the original 'B' Movie. I like the TV series for the choreography.


Also a Buffy A Girl (* She is much ore than a Buffy Girl *)

DIANA LEE INOSANTO - Forget that she is the daughter of Dan Inosanto, and the "symbolic daughter in the charmed circle of Bruce Lee", and recognize that which is equally true: Diana Inosanto has beauty, talent and her own style that is fine, fine, fine.

Diana Lee Inosanto grew up wanting to be an actress. However, the family she was born into precluded that she first become a martial artist.

Initially trained privately by her father, Dan Inosanto, Diana's first lessons were about defending herself. As she grew, MA continued to be an important part of her life. In all, her training consists of Jun Fan Gung Fu (Jeet Kune Do), Filipino Kali, Thai Boxing, Pencak Silat, Shoot Wrestling, and Savate.

Today, she is the feature cover story of several magazines worldwide including BLACK BELT MAGAZINE, INSIDE KUNG FU, and INSIDE KARATE, among others. She also travels extensively with her husband, wrestler, Ron Balicki, teaching and promoting martial arts.

Realizing her childhood dream, Diana is also an actress, stuntwoman, and model. She has worked on several film and television projects including: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Walker Texas Ranger, and Touched By An Angel.

Image Courtesy of Martial Arts Research Systems

 

[Rich Parsons]

WESLEY SNIPES - Easily one of the best actors to perform in the martial arts genre. We don't know what took us so long getting him listed with these other great martial artists.

His Bio

Growing up in the Bronx, Wesley Snipes perfected a persona that would land him roles in Mario Van Peebles' New Jack City and Spike Lee's Jungle Fever. He attended Manhattan's High School for the Performing Arts (the school from Fame) until he was forced to drop out when the family moved down South. He returned to New York a few years later to study drama at the prestigious theatre program at S.U.N.Y.-Purchase, where he was one of only four African-American students.
After he graduated, Snipes installed telephones before landing his first movie role in the Goldie Hawn vehicle Wildcats. Next came a role as a street tough who pushes Michael Jackson against a wall (with Michael looking beyond scared) in the Scorsese-directed music-video for Jackson's "Bad." This performance was good enough to get him noticed by Spike Lee, who cast him in Mo' Better Blues. Lee was so impressed by Snipes that he wrote the role of Jungle Fever's Flipper Purify with him in mind.

A martial-arts aficionado since childhood, Snipes is an expert at capoeira. This talent, coupled with his tall good looks and acting ability, made him a natural for action-adventure films such as Passenger 57 and Rising Sun. But Snipes proved he's equally gifted with more subtle and complex material with his portrayal of a wheelchair-bound patient in The Waterdance.

His next role was one of his most challenging: he starred as a drag queen stranded in middle America in To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. Snipes established beyond a doubt his ability to carry a film with his role as a homicide detective caught up in a White House cover-up in 1997's Murder at 1600. He next co-starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. in back-to-back projects, the adultery drama One Night Stand and the action-packed sequel to 1993's The Fugitive, U.S. Marshals. In 1998, Snipes' ultra-ripped physique and martial-arts savvy were both showcased to entertaining effect in his performance as the titular Marvel Comics hero of Blade.

I did not know he studied capoeira. Just curious when and where?

Thanks
:asian:

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Rich Parsons
I did not know he studied capoeira. Just curious when and where?

You'll find some discussion of it here:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=259

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by arnisador
You'll find some discussion of it here:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=259

Thanks Arni, the sites referenced were the same. There was a mention that he studied capoeira in an interview on Blade the DVD. I need to borrow this DVD and review it.

Thanks

 

[Shiatsu]

For June Castro. Since she is JKD concepts, I wouls assume she is from Dan Inosantos camp, and they teach a lot of that stuff. I could be very incorrect on this though.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by Shiatsu
For June Castro. Since she is JKD concepts, I wouls assume she is from Dan Inosantos camp, and they teach a lot of that stuff. I could be very incorrect on this though.

That would have been my tought as well. I just thought it was wierd they mentioned arts that she was a master in and then not mention her training in them. Oh well.

Like I said not disrespect meant, just curious.

 

[Shiatsu]

I was curious about it too.:asian:

 

[Cthulhu]

Originally posted by Shiatsu
For June Castro. Since she is JKD concepts, I wouls assume she is from Dan Inosantos camp, and they teach a lot of that stuff. I could be very incorrect on this though.

I believe June Castro trained with Burton Richardson, who is under Inosanto. She's also the daughter of Ralph Castro, founder of Shaolin Kenpo.

Cthulhu

 

[Shiatsu]

We all knew that she was the daughter of GM Castro. But Burton Richardson would explain the Escrima and blade training.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by Shiatsu
We all knew that she was the daughter of GM Castro. But Burton Richardson would explain the Escrima and blade training.

Yes, it was the Escrima Training that I was interested in.

Thanks!

 

[Shiatsu]

If you guys would like I could give Burton a shout and find out.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by Shiatsu
If you guys would like I could give Burton a shout and find out.

Yes, I would like that. Does she specialise in a specific form of Kali or Escrima?

Thanks

 

[Shiatsu]

I don't know if she specializes, I will ask him.:asian:

 

[Shiatsu]

I just got the e-mail back from Burton. He is the one that rained her. He didn't go into specifics, what he did state was that she was a extremely fast learner, and very efficient in the art.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by Shiatsu
I just got the e-mail back from Burton. He is the one that rained her. He didn't go into specifics, what he did state was that she was a extremely fast learner, and very efficient in the art.

Thanks, I wish he would have said, what she had trained in even if nothing more than Inosanto Blend FMA.

Oh well, next topic for me

Thank you for asking

 

[Rick Wade]

Ladies and Gentalmen.

When it coems to Female Stars (that knows Martial Arts) there has to be a balance between beauty and skill. There for the best one I know of is Jenifer Garner from Alias. I do not know what style she studies but it looks like TKD.

Just on a personal note I have never seen TKD look so good.

 

[teej]

On one of the previous pages, someone posted that Billy Idol was an Ed Parker blk blt.

I heard that Billy Idol had asked Mr. Parker to be his body guard, but I did not think that agreement lasted very long.

Does anyone know for sure if Billy Idol studied Kenpo, and did he make it to black belt?

Yours in Kenpo,
Teej

 

[OULobo]

I remember talking on this thread about Glenn Danzig being a martial artist and bit of an ego tripper. Well, it looks like he got it handed back to him. Check out this back stage confrontation.

http://www.shaggusmachaggis.com/vid/dannyglenn.mpeg

 

[Littledragon]

We all know about martial artists who were into the MAs before they became celebrities like the following: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Steven Seagal, etc.

How about people who are more well known for their celebrity rather than their MA backgrounds. For example, the following persons practice, or have trained in the following MAs:

Wesley Snipes, actor, Capoeira
Valdimir Putin, Russian President, Judo
Dustin "Screech" Diamond, actor, BB in Karate
Jessie Jackson Jr., US Congressman, Taekwondo
Mickey Roarke, actor, Boxing

How many others do you know?

:asian:

Kareem Abul Jabar does Jeet Kune Do
Brandon Lee Jeet Kune Do
Teddy Roosevelt Brown belt in Judo
Elvis Black belt in Kempo
Kelly Hu Blackbelt in Karate