Chuck Norris Biography

Fast Facts

• Donated time and money over the years to several non-profit organizations including the United Way, Make-A-Wish and the U․S․ Veteran's Administration, among others
• Sole creator of 'Chun Kuk Do', a martial art based primarily on tangsudo that includes a code of honor as well as tactics from each style of combat he has learned over the years
• It was only in 1958 at the age of 18 that he took an interest in martial arts after joining the United States Air Force and being stationed in South Korea where he quickly took up tangsudo
• Quote: "I don't initiate violence, I retaliate․"
• Quote: "Whatever luck I had, I made․ I was never a natural athlete, but I paid my dues in sweat and concentration․"
• Gained notoriety in television after appearing as the titular character in "Walker, Texas Ranger" for eight seasons in the 1990s and early 2000s
• After a lackluster career as a professional karate competitor, he gained immediate stardom after meeting Bruce Lee and impressing him so much that he was cast opposite the action star in "Return of the Dragon" from 1972
• Made history in 1990 as the first American to be given the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt Grand Master in Tae Kwon Do
• Endorsed a fan website created in his honor named 'Chuck Norris Facts' that compiles fictional instances in which he always overcomes evil and difficult tasks
• Named an honorary United States Marine in March of 2007 by Commandant General James Conway