Chuck Norris

Martial Artist, Action Star, and Actor

Show Business, Republican

Kickin' Ass and improving the Round House Kick

Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

The Wrecking Crew Way of the Dragon The Student Teachers Slaughter in San Francisco The Warrior Within Bruce Lee, the Legend Breaker! Breaker! Good Guys Wear Black A Force of One The Octagon An Eye for an Eye Silent Rage Forced Vengeance Lone Wolf McQuade Missing in Action Missing in Action 2: The Beginning Code of Silence Invasion U.S.A. The Delta Force The Karate Kommandos Braddock: Missing in Action III Hero and the Terror Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection The Hitman Sidekicks Hellbound Top Dog Forest Warrior The President's Man The President's Man 2: A Line in the Sand Bells of Innocence Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story The Contender The Cutter

Country

Texas Walker Ranger

Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, the son of Wilma (Scarberry), who was eighteen when Norris was born, and Ray Norris, a truck and bus driver and mechanic. Norris's paternal grandfather (an immigrant) and maternal grandmother were Irish, while his paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather were Cherokee Native Americans. Norris was named after Carlos Berry, his father's minister. He has two younger brothers, Weiland (deceased) and Aaron (a Hollywood producer). When Norris was ten, his parents divorced, and he later relocated to Prairie Village, Kansas and then Torrance, California with his mother and brothers. Norris describes his childhood as downbeat. He was nonathletic, shy, and scholastically mediocre. Other children taunted him about his mixed ethnicity, and Norris daydreamed about beating up his tormentors. Norris mentioned in his autobiography that his father had a very serious problem with drinking and "wasn't there" a lot for him growing up. Norris admitted that he loved his father but did not like him. However, he professed that he only felt pity for the man because "that was just how he was, and he missed so much."

Norris finished high school and soon married his girlfriend, Kim Durnthaler. He then joined the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman in 1958 and was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. It was in South Korea that Norris acquired the nickname Chuck and began his training in Tang Soo Do (tangsudo), an interest that would lead to black belts in that art and the founding of the Chun Kuk Do ("Universal Way") form. He also created the education associations United Fighting Arts Federation and "KickStart" (formerly "Kick Drugs Out of America"), a middle school and high schoolbased program intended to give at-risk children a focus point in life through the martial arts. When he returned to the United States he continued to act as an AP at March Air Force Base California. Norris was discharged in August of 1962.

Chuck Norris's fight career lasted from 1964-1974. Norris started off by losing his first three tournaments but, by 1966, he was almost unbeatable. Among the numerous titles he won were The National Karate Championships (1966), All-Star Championships (1966), World Middleweight Karate Championship (1967), All-American Karate Championship (1967), Internationals (1968), World Professional Middleweight Karate Championship (defeating Louis Delgado on 24 November 1968), All-American Championship (1968), National Tournament of Champions (1968), American Tang Soo Championship, and the North American Karate Championship. Norris compiled a fight record of 65-5 with wins over champions Joe Lewis, Skipper Mullins, Arnold Urquidez, Ronald L. Marchini, Victor Moore, Louis Delgado, and Steve Sanders. Of the five men to beat Norris, three were Allen Steen, Joe Lewis, and Norris's last career defeat to Louis Delgado in 1968. Norris retired as undefeated Professional Full-Contact Middleweight Champion in 1974.

In the eyes of a Ranger,
The unsuspectin' stranger
Had better know the truth of wrong from right,
'Cause the eyes of a Ranger are upon you,
Any wrong you do he's gonna see,
When you're in Texas look behind you,
'Cause that's where the Ranger's gonna be