The heyday of action movies introduced many stars to Hollywood fans. Actors with high physical fitness and brilliant fighting skills. Many of these faces are still remembered by their fans and some of them may have been forgotten. In the following, we review the changes in appearance of 30 famous American martial arts actors over time. Some of them haven’t aged at all, while others have changed a lot.
1. Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris is proficient in martial arts such as Judo, Tang Su Do, Taekwondo and Karate, but he is also highly skilled in Chun Kuk Do and Ju Jitsu. His fighting skills have helped him gain fame, especially after his role in the movie “Walker, Texas Ranger”.
2. Don Wilson known as “Dragon”
Don Wilson became known for the movie “Batman Forever”. In addition, he is an accomplished kickboxer who has won more than 7 championships and more than 70 victories in his career.
3. Michael Dadikoff
Michael Dadikoff rose to fame playing Joe in 1985’s American Ninja, and it was this project that inspired him to pursue martial arts later in life. So he mastered Judo, Karate as well as Aikido, but prefers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
4. Richard Norton
Richard Norton has practiced Judo since childhood, but was most successful in martial arts such as Goju-Kai Karate Do and Zen Do Kai. It was his fighting skills that helped him rise to fame in movies, especially after his role in City Hunter.
5. Jason Scott Lee
Jason Scott Lee has been seriously involved in Jeet Kune Do and has achieved significant success in it and teaches this martial art. He became particularly popular for his role in the movie “Dragon: The Life Story of Bruce Lee”.
6. Michael J. White
Michael J. White is an experienced fighter in Taekwondo, Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Kyokushin Kai, Tang Su Do, and Okinawan Kobudo, and is familiar with the intricacies of each. He is also skilled in Chinese martial arts and became famous by playing in the movie “Black Dynamite”.
7. Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal is a skilled fighter in Kendo, Karate, Shito-Ryu, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but he is particularly skilled in Aikido. His skills have come in handy many times in his acting career and after he became famous in ‘Under Siege’.
8. Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes began to actively study martial arts as a teenager, achieving success in kickboxing, shotokan, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and capoeira, but he was also proficient in hapkido. He became popular with the release of the movie “Blade” in which he played the main role.
9. Gary Daniels
Gary Daniels is serious about taekwondo, but also has good kung fu and kickboxing skills. Daniels also practiced Thai boxing. He became known as an actor by participating in the filming of “Fist of the North Star”.
10. Philip Ray
Philip Ray achieved considerable fame by playing the role of Tommy Lee in the “Best of the Best” film series, which was first released in 1989. He is a serious student of Hapkido and Kendo, but is a master of Taekwondo.
11. Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme has practiced Karate, Taekwondo, Shotokan, Muay Thai as well as Karate and Kickboxing at the professional level, where he has more than 50 victories. His acting career started with the release of “Bloody Ring”.
12. Keith Cook
Keith Cook achieved considerable fame as an actor in “Mortal Kombat”. He is well-versed in martial arts techniques such as karate, wushu and taekwondo, thanks to which he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in the mid-80s.
13. Jerry Trimble
Jerry Trimble is a professional kickboxer known for his skill and speed, as well as a good knowledge of Taekwondo. One of his most prominent film careers is acting in “Mohamseh”. He has awards from the World Kickboxing League.
14. Mark Dacasius
Mark Dacasius is the founder of the Won Hop Koen Do fighting style and is also skilled in many fighting styles, especially Brazilian Capoeira and Shaolin. In 1993, he starred in the movie “Only Power”, which made him famous.
15. Simon Ray
Simon Ray is world-renowned for his professional hapkido and taekwondo skills, and is also known for his precise footwork. As a stuntman in “Rush Hour 2” (2001), he has also made a name for himself in film productions.
16. Jeff Speakman
Jeff Speakman is a master of martial arts, specifically Goju-Ryu and American Kempo, who has earned a black belt for his skills. He started acting in the late 80s, but his popularity started after his role in the movie “The Perfect Weapon”.
17. James Lowe
James Lo has a little knowledge of Korean Karate, but specializes mostly in Kung Fu, where he often improvises. He is active in the film industry, but some of his first breakthroughs came after performing stunts in the movie Big Trouble in Little China.
18. Timek Guarillo
Timek Guarillo is skilled in Hapkido, Jit-Kun Do, and Ju-Jitsu, and has earned a black belt in karate with which he can teach techniques, but is still busy as an actor. He became famous by playing in the movie “The Last Dragon” in 1985.
19. Billy Blanks
Billy Blanks has won the karate championship more than 5 times. He also has good technique in boxing, taekwondo and kickboxing. His popularity as an actor began to grow with his role in the movie “Lionheart”.
20. Johnny Gwin
Johnny Gwin has practiced martial arts professionally since childhood, in particular, he mastered wushu and competed on the US national team. As an actor, he became more known after the film Hami.
21. Benny Orchids
Benny Urquids is professionally involved in the martial arts of Ju-Jitsu, Kendo, Shotokan, Taekwondo, Kajukenbu, Muay Thai, Yukidokan and Kickboxing, in which he holds championship titles. One of his memorable roles is in the movie “Mobile Restaurant”.
22. Ernie Reyes Jr
Ernie Reyes Jr. is an expert in the martial art of Taekwondo, in which he holds 6 skill levels and a black belt, and also has good skills in Thai boxing. He has acted in the movie “Red Sonia”.
23. Chris Casamasa
Chris Casamasa studied martial arts from a young age and reached the 8th dan in karate and also teaches. He became very popular with his role in “Mortal Kombat”.
24. Dan Inosanto
Dan Inosanto was one of Bruce Lee’s students and was favored by his skills. He is well skilled in Panchak Silat, Arnis, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as Jeet Kune Do. Dan rose to fame with his role as Pascal in the movie “Game of Death”.
25. Chuck Jeffries
Chuck Jeffries is well trained in Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Kickboxing as well as Wushu. He became known after his role in Ghost Dog: Samurai Walk.
26. Steven Ho
Steven Ho held the position of karate champion in American forms and is also known for his unique striking technique in movies. One of his iconic appearances is as Chan in the movie “Mortal Kombat” which was released in 1995.
27. Roger Yuan
Roger Yuan has professional skills in martial arts such as Kuk Do where he achieved black belt and teaches in this field. In the film industry, one of his successful roles was filming “Shanghai Noon” in which he played the role of Lu Fong.
28. become robin
Robin Shu has little knowledge of kempo karate, but practices wushu at a professional level. He became known as an actor after playing in “Mortal Kombat” in 1995.
29. Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is quite good at boxing, but has achieved a remarkable level of skill in Kyokushin and Karate, leading the Swedish national team. His first notable appearance was in the movie “Rocky 4” where he played the role of Ivan Drago.
30. Bill Wallace
Bill Wallace was a professional kickboxer and achieved good results in karate and judo. His martial arts skills paved the way for his acting career and he rose to fame in 1979 playing the role of Sparks in Air Force One.
