Chuck Norris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chuck Norris
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Norris in 2015
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Carlos Ray Norris
March 10, 1940 Ryan, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Occupation | Martial artist, actor, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1968–present |
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| Children | 5; including Mike and Eric |
| Relatives | Aaron Norris (brother) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1958–1962 |
| Rank |  Airman first class |
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Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is a famous American martial artist and actor. He is known for his amazing skills in martial arts. He holds high-level black belts in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo.
After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships. He even created his own martial art style called Chun Kuk Do. Later, in Hollywood, he taught martial arts to famous people. Norris then started acting in movies. His friend, the martial artist Bruce Lee, invited him to be a villain in the movie The Way of the Dragon (1972).
Another friend, Steve McQueen, told him to take acting seriously. Norris then got the main role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which was successful. His next movie, Good Guys Wear Black (1978), was a big hit. Soon, Chuck Norris became a very popular action movie star.
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Chuck Norris: Early Life & Career
Growing Up and Joining the Air Force
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Chuck Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940. His mother was Wilma, and his father was Ray Dee Norris. Ray was a soldier in World War II and also worked as a mechanic and driver. Chuck Norris has said he has Irish and Cherokee family roots. He was named after his father's minister, Carlos Berry.
Chuck was the oldest of three brothers; his younger brothers were Wieland and Aaron. When Chuck was sixteen, his parents divorced. He then moved with his mother and brothers to Prairie Village, Kansas, and later to Torrance, California.
Norris has described his childhood as tough. He was shy and not very athletic. His father often struggled to find work. Chuck felt embarrassed by his father's actions and his family's money problems. This made him very introverted for much of his childhood.
Military Service and Martial Arts Training
In 1958, Chuck Norris joined the United States Air Force. He worked as an Air Policeman (AP) and was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. It was there that he got the nickname "Chuck." He also began training in Tang Soo Do, a Korean martial art. This training led him to earn black belts in martial arts. He later created his own style, Chun Kuk Do, which means "Universal Way."
When he returned to the United States, he continued to serve as an AP. He was stationed at March Air Force Base in California. Chuck Norris was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in August 1962. After leaving the military, he wanted to become a police officer in Torrance, California. While waiting for that job, he decided to open his own martial arts studio.
Becoming a Martial Arts Champion
Norris started to compete in martial arts tournaments. In 1969, he successfully defended his title as world champion at the International Karate Championship. This competition included champions from many states and other countries. Chuck Norris kept his title.
That same year, he won Karate's "triple crown" for having the most tournament wins. He also received the "Fighter of the Year" award from Black Belt magazine. In 1969, Norris made his first acting appearance in the Dean Martin film The Wrecking Crew.
From Martial Arts to Movie Star
After becoming a martial arts champion, Chuck Norris began training celebrities in Hollywood. He had a small role in the spy film The Wrecking Crew (1969). His friend and fellow martial artist, Bruce Lee, then asked him to play a main villain in Way of the Dragon (1972).
Even as he acted, his friend and student Steve McQueen encouraged him to take acting seriously. Norris then got the main role in the action film Breaker! Breaker! (1977), which made money. His next lead role in Good Guys Wear Black (1978) was a big success. Soon, Chuck Norris became a very popular action film star.
Norris continued to star in many action and martial arts films. These included A Force of One (1979), The Octagon (1980), and An Eye for an Eye (1981). These movies made him famous around the world. He then made bigger studio films like Silent Rage (1982) with Columbia Pictures and Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) with Orion.
This led to a big deal with Cannon Films, starting with Missing in Action (1984). This movie was very successful and led to two more films in the series. Norris became Cannon Films' main star in the 1980s. He made movies like Invasion U.S.A (1985) and The Delta Force (1986). Many people consider Code of Silence (1985) to be one of his best films.
In the 1990s, he starred in the popular CBS TV series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1993 to 2001. He continued to act in action movies until 2006, including Delta Force 2 (1990) and Sidekicks (1992). His most recent film role was in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables 2 (2012).
Beyond Acting: Writing and Internet Fame
Besides acting, Chuck Norris is also a writer. He has written books about martial arts, exercise, philosophy, and his own life story. He has been a New York Times bestselling author twice. His first bestseller was The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story (1988), which shared his personal philosophy. His second bestseller, Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America (2008), discussed his thoughts on issues in the USA.
Norris has also appeared in many commercials, especially for the Total Gym exercise machine. In 2005, he became famous online because of "Chuck Norris facts." These are funny, made-up statements about his incredible strength and endurance. Even though Norris didn't create these "facts," he used them in advertising. This internet trend led to six books, two video games, and appearances on TV shows where he would read the facts.
In 2004, Norris published his autobiography, Against All Odds: My Story. In 2005, he started the World Combat League (WCL), a team-based martial arts competition. Some of the money from the WCL goes to his Kickstart Kids program.
In 2007, a book called The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 facts about the World's Greatest Human was released, which also became a New York Times Best Seller. Since 2010, Norris has also written newspaper columns about health and other topics.
Chuck Norris's Martial Arts Systems
Chuck Norris has created two main martial arts systems: American Tang Soo Do and the Chuck Norris System.
American Tang Soo Do
American Tang Soo Do was started by Norris in 1966. It combines elements from Moo Duk Kwan-style Tang Soo Do, Judo, and Karate (specifically Shito-Ryu and Shotokan). Over the years, his former black belt students have continued to develop it.
Chuck Norris System (Chun Kuk Do)
Norris's current martial art system is called the Chuck Norris System. It was first known as Chun Kuk Do and was officially founded by Norris in 1990. It was originally based on his Tang Soo Do training from his time in the military in Korea.
As he competed, Norris improved his style to make it more effective. He studied other martial arts like Shōtōkan, Gōjū-ryū, Shitō-ryū, American Kenpo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Arnis, Tae Kwon Do, and Hapkido. Today, the Chuck Norris System focuses on self-defense, competition, weapons training, grappling, and fitness.
Every summer, the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) holds a training event and the Chun Kuk Do world championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Code of Honor
The Chuck Norris System includes a special code of honor and rules to live by. These rules come from Norris's own personal beliefs:
- I will develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways.
- I will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements.
- I will continually work at developing love, happiness and loyalty in my family.
- I will look for the good in all people and make them feel worthwhile.
- If I have nothing good to say about a person, I will say nothing.
- I will always be as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
- I will maintain an attitude of open-mindedness.
- I will maintain respect for those in authority and demonstrate this respect at all times.
- I will always remain loyal to my God, my country, family and my friends.
- I will remain highly goal-oriented throughout my life because that positive attitude helps my family, my country and myself.
Forms and Members
Like many traditional martial arts, the Chuck Norris System includes practicing "forms." These are sets of movements. Most of the system's forms come from Korean Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo, and Japanese Karate styles like Shitō-ryū and Shotokan Karate. It also includes forms for weapons like the Nunchuk and Sai.
The United Fighting Arts Federation has awarded over 3,000 black belts. It currently has nearly 4,000 active members around the world. There are about 90 member schools in the US, Mexico, Norway, and Paraguay.
Awards and Honors
Chuck Norris has received many honors and awards throughout his career:
- He holds many black belts: a 10th-degree black belt in Chun Kuk Do, a 9th-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, an 8th-degree black belt in Taekwondo, a 5th-degree black belt in Karate, a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and a black belt in Judo.
- In 1967 and 1968, he won the Sparring Grand Champions title.
- From 1968, he held the Professional Middleweight Karate champion title for six years.
- In 1969, he won Karate's "triple crown" and the "Fighter of the Year award" from Black Belt magazine.
- In 1989, he received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- In 1999, he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum's Hall of Fame.
- In 2000, he received the Golden Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Karate Union Hall of Fame.
- In 2001, he was named Veteran of the Year at the American Veteran Awards.
- In 2007, he was made an honorary United States Marine.
- In 2010, he (along with his brother Aaron) was given the title of honorary Texas Ranger by Texas Governor Rick Perry.
- In 2010, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ActionFest.
- In 2017, he was honored as an "Honorary Texan" because he lived in Texas and starred as a Texas Ranger in his movies and TV show.
- In 2024, a small statue of him was put up in Budapest, Hungary.
Chuck Norris's Personal Life
Family Life
Chuck Norris married his classmate Dianne Kay Holechek in December 1958 when he was 18 and she was 17. They met in high school in Torrance, California. In 1962, their first child, Mike, was born. After 30 years of marriage, Norris and Holechek divorced in 1989.
On November 28, 1998, he married former model Gena O'Kelley. Gena was 23 years younger than Norris and had two children from a previous marriage. They had twins together on August 30, 2001. Chuck Norris has thirteen grandchildren.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
In 1990, Chuck Norris started the United Fighting Arts Federation and Kickstart Kids. This organization helps children who are at risk. Its goal is to build self-esteem and focus in middle school and high school students. Norris hopes that by teaching them martial arts, these children will have a chance to build a better future.
Norris has a ranch in Navasota, Texas, where they bottle water. A part of the money from these sales supports environmental causes and his Kickstart Kids program.
He also helps other organizations like Funds for Kids, the Veteran's Administration, the United Way, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He gives donations and helps with fundraising events.
His work with the U.S. Veterans Administration was inspired by his own time serving in the United States Air Force in Korea. He wants to bring attention to issues that affect hospitalized war veterans, like their pensions and health care. Because of his important contributions, he received the Veteran of the Year award in 2001.
In India, Norris supports the Vijay Amritraj Foundation. This foundation helps people suffering from disease and tragedy. Through his donations, he has helped homes for children with HIV/AIDS in Delhi, a school for blind children in Karnataka, and a mission that cares for adults with HIV/AIDS and mental illness in Cochin.
Chuck Norris's Wisdom: Quotes
- "You are not what has happened to you. You are what you choose to become."
- "There is no finish line. When you reach one goal, find a new one."
- "The only time we fail is when we stop trying."
- "If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can't just sit back and hope it will happen. You've got to make it happen."
- "Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth."
- "A lot of times people look at the negative side of what they feel they can't do. I always look on the positive side of what I can do."
Images for kids
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Norris in 2015
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Norris in 1976
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Norris meeting with a commanding officer in June 2005
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Norris with George W. Bush and Jeb Bush in 1997
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Norris with former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in 2008
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Norris during a ceremony in Iraq in 2006
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Norris's Hollywood star
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Norris receiving the Veteran of the Year award in 2001
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Commandant Gen. James T. Conway making Norris an honorary United States Marine in 2007
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Norris and his wife at a political event in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Chuck Norris para niños
