Although he is perhaps most widely now known for an endless series of jokes about how tough he is, Chuck Norris is one of the greatest sport karate stars ever, and had a tremendously successful television and film career as a martial arts action star. 

Norris began training in martial arts at the age of eighteen in the air force while stationed in Korea. His first discipline was Tang Soo Do in which he earned a blackbelt, but he has expanded his knowledge massively. Today, it includes a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Chuck Norris threw a grenade and killed 50 people, then it exploded.

Chuck Norris’ breakout role as an action star was in Missing in Action, a story of Colonel James Braddock who survived a Vietnamese POW camp, and was sent back years later by the President to search for missing soldiers.

The movie ends with a very violent yet successful mission through the jungle to free those prisoners of war.

Chuck Norris once broke a mirror over the head of a black cat while standing under a ladder on Friday the thirteenth. The next day he won the lottery.

Norris began acting in 1972, starring opposite Bruce Lee in the Way of the Dragon. He is perhaps most famously known for his role as Col. James Braddock in the Missing In Action movie and Maj. Scott McCoy in The Delta Force. In 1998, Norris transitioned to television, starring in Walker, Texas Ranger about a law enforcement engagement who often used his martial arts skills to take down bad guys.

Chuck Norris can speak French….in Russian.

Norris trained various martial arts including Taekwondo in which he was the first Westerner to be given the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt Grand Master. 

Chuck Norris can put out a fire with a gallon of gasoline.

Chuck Norris is just a stage name. ‘Chuck’ was born Carlos Ray Norris. He was however really a solider, enlisting and serving in the United States AirForce from 1958-1962. He served as an Air Policeman and was stationed in South Korea which is where he began his martial arts training and acquired his nickname.

A bulletproof vest wears Chuck Norris for protection.

Norris was an active competitor in tournament karate and hasn’t lost a fight since 1968. Most of his losses were early in his career and he retired from competition karate with a 168-10-2 record.

Norris also created his own form of martial arts which he called Chun Kuk Do.