Carlos Ray Norris Jr., a martial artist and actor has been making his way into action movie fans’ hearts for decades. Here are some amazing Facts About Chuck Norris!
Norris is a competitive karate fighter and has also starred in several successful films and the CBS drama Walker Texas Ranger.
We will look at some of his most interesting facts and figures as Norris reached 80 years of age in March 2020.
Facts About Chuck Norris
1. Chuck Norris is a veteran of the military.
Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940. He was the third of three boys. Norris went to North Torrance High School after moving to California. After graduating from high school, he joined U.S. Air Force and became a member of the military police to pursue a career as a law enforcement officer. Norris discovered martial arts while stationed at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Norris learned combat skills after he could not control a drunken man in a bar while on patrol. Before returning to California, he studied Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do. Norris started teaching students the skills he had learned after being released from the Air Force in 1962.
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2. Chuck Norris was a talent that Steve McQueen introduced to acting.
Norris was a world champion in karate, which gave credence to his skills as a martial arts instructor. He taught many celebrities, including Osmonds and Priscilla Presley, the finer points of self-defense. Norris even trained Price is Right host Bob Barker. Norris wasn’t satisfied with the results of his schools, and he was eager to find other opportunities after he retired from competition in 1974. McQueen suggested Norris attempt acting. McQueen was correct, eventually. After nine years and nine films, Norris finally made a breakthrough with 1982’s Lone Wolf McQuade.
3. Chuck Norris had to comply with a producer’s order to face Bruce Lee.
Although Norris wasn’t a household name until the 1980s, his role as a villain opposite Bruce Lee in 1972’s Return of the Dragon was a pivotal meeting of two legendary martial arts actors. He called Norris when he searched for an opponent for the climactic battle. The film’s producer demanded that Norris gain twenty pounds to make him appear larger than Lee. Norris stated that he didn’t do jump kicks in the movie. “I couldn’t get off the ground!”
4. Chuck Norris created his system of martial arts.
Norris drew on the many years of experience he gained from training in Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do to create his unique martial arts system. He eventually called it Chun Kuk Do. The system encourages students to learn combat techniques and look for the best in others. In 2015, it was renamed the Chuck Norris System.
5. Chuck Norris used to market Chuck Norris Action Jeans.
Norris’s fame in martial arts was why he was chosen to endorse athletic products. Century, a martial arts equipment manufacturer, hired Norris as a spokesperson for their Karate Jeans. The flexible fabric was sewn into the crotch and would allow the wearer to perform a bone-crunching kick while still looking stylish. They were eventually renamed Action Jeans and promoted by Norris for many years.
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6. Chuck Norris created his cartoon series.
In the 1980s, Norris was at the height of his popularity and teamed up with Ruby-Spears animation company for an animated series, Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos. The series featured Norris and a group of martial artists fighting villains such as Superninja, or The Claw. 65 shows were originally planned, but only a handful of them was aired. “We did six shows, but then a woman at CBS said that those were too violent,” Norris stated to MTV News.
7. Chuck Norris a true Texas Ranger.
Norris dominated bad guys for eight seasons as the 1990s CBS television show Walker Texas Ranger star. This was the first primetime TV series in Texas at Norris’s insistence. In recognition of Norris’s efforts in raising awareness about the Texas Rangers and his contributions to helping underprivileged youths through martial arts programs, Rick Perry made Norris an honorary Texas Rangers member in 2010. Aaron Norris (an executive producer) was Norris’s older brother.
8. Chuck Norris was surprised by Chuck Norris’s participation in Dodgeball.
Norris is generally good-humored and willing to laugh at himself. He declined to appear in the 2004 comedy Dodgeball. A True Underdog Story, because he couldn’t drive three hours to Long Beach, California. Star Ben Stiller called Norris to inquire, but he didn’t read the script. He just shot the scene where he gives a thumbs up to the dodgeball players.
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Norris was shocked at the context of the movie when he saw it in theaters. “But at the end, when Ben is a big fat man and watching TV, it’s the movie’s last line. It’s, “F***in’ Chuck Norris Norris told Empire in 2007!” “My mouth opened to here… I said, “Holy mackerel!” That was quite shocking; Ben didn’t tell me!
