Famous American Martial Artists

An iconic actor and martial artist, Bruce Lee, in his short life, gained international fame and developed his own form of martial arts, Jeet Kune Do. In films, he debuted as a child actor and became a huge Hollywood star after the release of his last film Enter the Dragon.

A black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and Judo, Chuck Norris is an American martial artist, screenwriter and a popular action film star. He has won many martial arts championships. He later founded his own discipline, Chun Kuk Do. He has also written books on martial arts, philosophy, politics, Christianity, plus Western novels and biography.

The son of the legendary martial artist and actor, Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee followed in his father’s footsteps. Trained in martial arts, he made his film debut in the 1980s and became a successful star in his own right. He was accidentally wounded while filming The Crow and died. The film, dedicated to him, became a hit.

Michael Jai White is an American martial artist and actor. When he portrayed Al Simmons in the film Spawn, White became one of the first black actors to play a major comic book superhero in the history of American film industry. Known for his martial arts skills, White has played leading roles in popular action films like Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

Best known for being a top performer on the obstacles show American Ninja Warrior, stuntwoman and TV star Jessie Graff is a black belt in Taekwondo and is well-versed in other forms of martial arts, too. An aerospace engineering graduate, she has also been a competitive gymnast and a pole vaulter.

Cung Le is a Vietnamese-born American actor, retired kickboxer, Sanshou fighter, and mixed martial artist. He has competed in popular promotions, such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A former International Kickboxing World Champion in the Light Heavyweight division, Cung Le has an impressive record of 17–0 in kickboxing. He is also a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.

Frank Dux is a Canadian martial artist and fight choreographer. He began his training in ninjutsu as a teenager. He claims he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve for a few years and was awarded the Medal of Honor; however, this claim is disputed. He later founded his own school of ninjutsu called Dux Ryu Ninjutsu. 

Benson Henderson is an MMA fighter who has competed in promotions like WEC and UFC. A former UFC Lightweight Champion, Henderson currently competes for Bellator MMA in their Lightweight division. Henderson is also a former WEC Lightweight Champion. In 2012, he was named Fighter of the Year by ESPN. He also won Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award in 2012.

Cynthia Rothrock was not just a mixed martial artist but has also acted in various martial arts films. The Black Belt Hall of Famer began training in martial arts at 13 and eventually ended up being one of the first women martial artists to be featured on the martial arts magazine covers.

Athlete and martial artist Jim Kelly won hearts with his Afro hairstyle and his roles in action film such as Enter the Dragon and Black Belt Jones. Apart from films, he also excelled in karate, winning contests such as the International Middle Weight Karate Championship. He has also played professional tennis.

Part of the Brazilian Gracie family that has pioneered the its own form of martial arts, Rener Gracie has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has also co-created the Gracie University martial arts curriculum and owns Quikflip Apparel. He is married to three-time WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres.

Born Edgar Cano, martial arts instructor Eddie Bravo later took up the last name of his stepfather. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he has also launched the grappling tournament Eddie Bravo Invitational. He also developed his own signature style of martial arts, known as the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.

Best known for playing Bruce Lee in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Ryu in the Street Fighter web series franchise, Mike Moh is a martial artist with a black belt in American Taekwondo. He is also equipped with a degree in business marketing.

Taimak is an American actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He is best known for his portrayal of Leroy Green in the 1985 martial arts movie The Last Dragon. An accomplished martial artist, Taimak holds black belts in various martial art forms, such as Jeet Kune Do, Goju Ryu Karate, Hapkido, Wing Chun, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 

Kenny Florian is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC. Florian took part in four different weight classes, becoming only one of the two fighters to do so in the history of the UFC. Florian is regarded as one of the best competitors to have never won a UFC Championship. He currently works as a commentator.

Kane Kosugi is an American actor, martial artist, and media personality. Like his father Sho Kosugi, Kane established himself as an actor with knowledge and skills of martial arts in American and Japanese media. Apart from appearing in over 30 TV series and films, Kosugi has also competed in the obstacle challenge program Sasuke, becoming the show’s first American competitor.

Bren Foster is an Australian martial artist who holds black belts in various martial art forms, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, hwarangdo, and hapkido. As an actor, Foster is best known for his portrayal of Chief Petty Officer Wolf Taylor in the popular action-drama television series The Last Ship. 

Steve Cardenas is an American musician, martial artist, and actor. He is known for playing Rocky DeSantos in the superhero TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. A black belt in Taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Cardenas is also renowned for his achievements in martial arts. He holds several awards, including a gold medal at the Jujitsu Pro Gear Open in 2010.

The highest-ranked female judoka in the history of the sport, Keiko Fukuda was also the last-surviving student of the founder of the art, Kanō Jigorō. Apart from breaking the male bastion of the judo circuit, she also penned books, launched a kata championship, and taught judo around the world.

A master Shotokan karate, Teruyuki Okazaki moved from Japan to the US, initially with the intention of staying for 6 months, to promote the art internationally. He later settled in Philadelphia, where he opened his own dojo. He was associated with the ISKF as its chief instructor