Karate Actors...

[Em MacIntosh]

Firewalker was the best chuck movie ever, followed by code of silence.
I thought van dam was just a bodybuilder with some kickboxing exp.

 

[Darksoul]

-Yeah Chuck's singing isn't going to win any awards but it doesnt' bother me at all. I've heard some bad Karaoke, little girls screechin out brittney spears and little boys singing country tone deaf. I just figure for a lot of things, there is always someone worse out there. Code of Silence is a good movie, haven't seen that one in years. Forced Vengeance is another favorite of mine.

-Has anyone heard Steven Segal's album?

A--->

 

[cstanley]

I know it was supposed to be a joke.

It was Bruce Lee. Look it up.

 

[jtbdad]

It was Bruce Lee. Look it up.

Again I know it was supposed to be a joke.

 

[cstanley]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059991/

Ah, punctuation problem. You should have said, "I know. It was supposed to be a joke." Sorry. Anyway, the green Hornet was pretty corny stuff.

 

[twendkata71]

Van Damme studied Shotokan karate in his youth. and for the movies he added taekwondo and muythai. He still trains.

Firewalker was the best chuck movie ever, followed by code of silence.
I thought van dam was just a bodybuilder with some kickboxing exp.

 

[Martin h]

Dolph Lundgren is, I believe, a 3. dan (or was it even higher) in Kyokushin

Yes, he is 3rd dan in Shin-Kyokushin. he took it a few years ago. He still trains and works out with his old shihan Brian Fitkin when he is home in sweden. He was offered the 3rd dan as a honorary belt long ago, but declined -preferring to earn it the hard way.
He started out as knockdown karate fighter and was "discovered" by Gracie Jones and drafted as her bodyguard after she watched him win a Australian knockdown karate open -which eventually led to her helping him into the movie industry.
He was also part of the swedish national knockdown karate team in the 70ies.

 

[Martin h]

Sonny Chiba practices, Mas Oyama was his mentor.

Chiba did judo. He was coached by Oyama when he was making the movie triology based on Oyamas life, and I think he got a honorary belt, but he never did karate seriously.

 

[Martin h]

Sensei Nicholas Pettas (K-1 fighter/kickboxer. formerly kyokushin, now independent) has starred in several movies in japan (but not in any major roles). Not sure if you can say that he has acting as his occupation though.

I could name many more well known karate guys who starred as "bad guy #4" -but thats not really what we are talking about.
Lol, all the "ninjas" from "you only live twice" with Sean Connery were kyokushin guys. They borrowed in most of kyokushins Hombu dojo students as extras.

 

[Karatedrifter7]

Yeah, I can think of a few.. Jason Alexander from Seinfeld.
Danny Bonaduce a black belt in I believe Villari Kempo, and something else. Donny Osmond studied with Chuck Norris. Fred Williamson blaxploitation actor, is a black belt in both Kenpo and Shotokan. Blake Edwards the director is a black belt at least, in American Kenpo.
(Not really an actor) but Howard Stern has taken Shotokan. And Priscilla Presley, has studied with Mike Stone.

 

[Leopard claw]

Buddy Rich (jazz drummer/actor) had a black belt. Don't know what style, but he is in the Karate Hall of fame in Tokyo.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

James Colburn originally trained with Bruce Lee at his home in Oakland. Later he trained in karate with Dan Ivan I believe. That may be the other way around.
Robert Culp I believe trained with Howard Nishioka in Judo.
John Saxson still trains in Jujitsu. Originally his martial arts training was with Bruce Lee for the Enter the Dragon Movie.

No, John Saxon did some Judo in the late '50s and was a Brown Belt in Shotokan before he even met Bruce Lee.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Didn't the guy who played Kato in the Green Hornet study some kind of MA? (JK)

I had the opportunity to meet Tom Laughlin and last I heard he is still alive. He's was very softspoken when I met him. Don't like his politics.

Bruce Lee was Kato. DUH! :mst:

 

[twendkata71]

Buddy Rich was a black belt in Goju ryu karate. He trained with Aaron Banks.

Buddy Rich (jazz drummer/actor) had a black belt. Don't know what style, but he is in the Karate Hall of fame in Tokyo.

 

[chinto]

does or did William Shatner ( old Captian Kirk) study any martial arts? I know they used basicly the old Applegate system that the military tought some in WWII and after that at least some to most soldiers and sailors and marines in the 1950'a and 1960's in the star trek series.

 

[Karatedrifter7]

Add Sean Connery to that list with Kyokushin Karate.

 

[Martin h]

Add Sean Connery to that list with Kyokushin Karate.

Sean Connery got a Honorary belt in kyokushin from Oyama after "you only live twice" (when they hired a LOT of kyokushin guys as extras to play the "ninja" force). He never actually trained it.
When asked about it by a kyokushin guy a few years ago, he could not even remember it.

 

[Karatedrifter7]

Hmmm perhaps? if you've looked into it. But Connery could kick some *** back in his day. He once told gangster and woman abuser Johnny Stompanto he'd kill him if he didint leave Lana Turner alone.
You dont have to be in Karate to be an *** kicker. Also comedian Schekey Green was able to knock out several guys back stage who jumped him hired by Sinatra. As this was reported by the late Mike Douglas.

 

[chinto]

Hmmm perhaps? if you've looked into it. But Connery could kick some *** back in his day. He once told gangster and woman abuser Johnny Stompanto he'd kill him if he didint leave Lana Turner alone.
You dont have to be in Karate to be an *** kicker. Also comedian Schekey Green was able to knock out several guys back stage who jumped him hired by Sinatra. As this was reported by the late Mike Douglas.

Connery as i understand it had some boxing training and provably some hand to hand combat training for diferent roles at least. the bond role had lots of use of martial arts in it at diferent times when he had the role. I think he is provably a pretty tough old scottsman.

 

[TjThunder]

Jeffrey Meek has a blackbelt in Aikido, at least it says that on his www.imdb.com profile. The internet movie database is a good site for info on actors. Michael Jai White has 7 Blackbelts in different forms of Karate/Taekwondo styles. You should check out his training regime on youtube he's amazing!!