Jim Kelly (martial artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Kelly
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Kelly in Black Samurai, 1977.
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| Born |
James Milton Kelly
May 5, 1946 Paris, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | June 29, 2013 (aged 67) San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Bourbon County High School University of Louisville |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1972–2013 |
| Spouse(s) |
Marilyn Dishman
(m. 1967; div. 1968)Marcia Bentley
(m. 1980–2013) |
| Partner(s) | Rosalind Miles (1973–1976) |
James Milton Kelly (born May 5, 1946 – died June 29, 2013) was an American athlete, martial artist, and actor. He became famous in the early 1970s. This was after he won many karate championships. Kelly appeared in many action films that featured martial arts. He also starred in movies known as "blaxploitation" films.
Kelly acted alongside Bruce Lee in the 1973 movie Enter the Dragon. He also had lead roles in other films. These included Black Belt Jones (1974) and Three the Hard Way (1974). Jim Kelly passed away from cancer on June 29, 2013, when he was 67 years old.
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Jim Kelly's Early Life and Sports Career
Jim Kelly's father managed a locker-rental service for Navy workers. Kelly started his sports journey at Bourbon County High School in Paris, Kentucky. He played basketball, football, and competed in track and field.
He received a football scholarship to the University of Louisville. However, he left during his first year. This was after a coach used a racial slur against a Black teammate. Instead, Kelly began to study Shorin-ryu karate.
Becoming a Karate Champion
Kelly began his martial arts training with Sin Kwang The' in Lexington, Kentucky. He also trained in Okinawan karate. His teachers included Parker Shelton, Nate Patton, and Gordon Doversola.
In the early 1970s, Kelly became one of the most successful karate champions in the world. In 1971, he won four important championships. The most notable was the World Middleweight Karate title. He won this at the 1971 Long Beach International Karate Championships.
Kelly later opened his own dojo (a martial arts training hall). Many Hollywood celebrities visited his dojo. This eventually led him to start acting in movies.
Jim Kelly's Tennis Career
Besides his martial arts and film careers, Kelly also became a professional tennis player. He played amateur tennis in the 1970s. In 1975, he joined the USTA Senior Men's Circuit.
He reached the No. 2 ranking in senior men's doubles in California. He was also in the top ten in senior men's singles in the state. Later in his life, he owned and directed a tennis club in the San Diego area.
Jim Kelly's Acting Career
Jim Kelly was the first Black martial arts film star. His first movie role was a martial arts instructor. This was in the 1972 thriller Melinda. He got the role after being asked to teach martial arts to the film's star.
Kelly then co-starred with Bruce Lee in the huge hit movie, Enter the Dragon (1973). He played Williams, a martial artist. Williams was invited to a tournament run by a crime lord named Han. The role was originally meant for another actor. But he dropped out just days before filming in Hong Kong.
The producer, Fred Weintraub, heard about Kelly's karate studio. He visited Kelly and was very impressed. This movie gave Kelly some of his most famous lines:
Han (Shih Kien): We are all ready to win, just as we are born knowing only life. It is defeat that you must learn to prepare for.
Williams (Kelly): I don't waste my time with it. When it comes, I won't even notice.
Han: Oh? How so?
Williams: I'll be too busy looking good.
This movie role also helped Kelly get a three-film contract with Warner Brothers. This led to him starring in several martial arts films. These movies often showed the unique idea of an African-American martial arts master.
His other two Warner Brothers films were Golden Needles (1974) and Hot Potato (1976). In Hot Potato, he played his character Black Belt Jones again. He rescued a diplomat's daughter from the jungles of Thailand.
Kelly also made three films with other Black action heroes, Jim Brown and Fred Williamson. These movies were Three the Hard Way (1974), Take a Hard Ride (1975), and One Down, Two to Go (1982).
In the late 1970s, he starred in lower-budget films like Black Samurai (1977) and Death Dimension (1978). After One Down, Two to Go, Kelly rarely appeared in movies. He did appear in two episodes of the TV show Highway to Heaven in 1985 and 1986. His last film was a small role in Afro Ninja (2009).
Why Jim Kelly Stepped Back from Acting
In a 2010 interview, Kelly explained why he wasn't in many movies anymore:
I never left the movie business. It’s just that after a certain point, I didn’t get the type of projects that I wanted to do. I still get at least three scripts per year, but most of them don’t put forth a positive image. There’s nothing I really want to do, so I don’t do it. If it happens, it happens, but if not, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.
Film director Reginald Hudlin talked about Jim Kelly's lasting impact. He said that Kelly created an image of a "cool martial artist with the giant ‘fro." This image still matters today. Hudlin added that if you can create an image that lasts over 30 years with just a few films, "you must have done something really right."
Jim Kelly's Personal Life and Death
Jim Kelly was married two times. His first marriage was to Marilyn Dishman from 1967 to 1968. His second marriage was to Marcia Bentley, from 1980 until his death in 2013. From 1973 to 1976, Kelly dated actress Rosalind Miles.
On June 29, 2013, Jim Kelly passed away from cancer. He died at his home in San Diego, California. He was 67 years old.
Filmography
Film
- Melinda (1972) – Charles Atkins
- Enter the Dragon (1973) – Williams
- Black Belt Jones (1974) – Black Belt Jones
- Three the Hard Way (1974) – Mister Keyes
- Golden Needles (1974) – Jeff
- Take a Hard Ride (1975) – Kashtok
- Hot Potato (1976) – Jones
- Black Samurai (1977) – Robert Sand
- The Tattoo Connection (a.k.a. E yu tou hei sha xing, Black Belt Jones 2) (1978) – Lucas
- Death Dimension (1978) – Lt. Detective J. Ash
- The Amazing Mr. No Legs (a.k.a. Mr. No Legs) (1979)
- One Down, Two to Go (1982) – Chuck
- Stranglehold (1994) – Executive #4
- Ultimatum (1994) – Executive
- Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted (2004) – Self
- Afro Ninja (2009) – Cleavon Washington
Television
- Highway to Heaven (1985–1986) – Reporter, station attendant (2 episodes)
See also
In Spanish: Jim Kelly (actor) para niños
