Pat E. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pat E. Johnson |
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| Born | December 31, 1939 Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 5, 2023 (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Style | American Tang Soo Do |
| Teacher(s) | Chuck Norris, Kang Do Hee |
| Rank | 9th degree black belt |
| Notable students | Steve McQueen, Bob Barker, Osmond family, William Zabka |
Patrick E. Johnson (born December 31, 1939 – died November 5, 2023) was an American martial artist. He was a very skilled martial artist. He held a 9th degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do. This is a type of Korean martial art.
Pat Johnson was also the president of the National Tang Soo Do Congress. This group was started by famous martial artist Chuck Norris in 1973. Johnson was well-known for creating the fight scenes in The Karate Kid movies. He even acted in them as the head referee. He worked on many other films too, like Enter the Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Mortal Kombat. In 1995, Black Belt magazine named him "Instructor of the Year."
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Pat Johnson's Life and Training
Patrick E. Johnson was born in 1939 in Niagara Falls, New York. He started learning a traditional Korean martial art called Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in 1963. At that time, he was serving in the U.S. Army in South Korea.
He trained under a Korean master named Kang Lo Hee. Johnson earned his black belt in just thirteen months. After leaving the army, Johnson met Chuck Norris. He soon became the chief instructor at Norris's martial arts school in California. This was in 1968.
New Rules for Karate Tournaments
In 1968, Pat Johnson created the penalty-point system. This system is still used in karate tournaments today. It helps judges score fights fairly.
From 1968 to 1973, Johnson was the captain of Chuck Norris's black belt competition team. This team was amazing! They won 33 national and international titles in a row. In 1971, Johnson became the National Tang Soo Do Champion. He also won the "Golden Fist Award" twice. This award was for being the best karate referee in the United States. He won it in 1975 and 1976.
Working with Chuck Norris
In 1973, Chuck Norris started the National Tang Soo Do Congress (NTC). He made Johnson the executive vice president. Later, Norris formed a new group called the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Johnson was again named executive vice president.
Pat Johnson in Movies
In 1980, Johnson had a small role in a movie called The Little Dragons. He played a karate instructor. In 1984, he worked on The Karate Kid movie. He was the stunt coordinator, meaning he planned all the fight scenes. He also played the chief referee in the movie's big tournament. Only four actors in the movie knew martial arts before filming, and he was one of them!
In 1986, Pat Johnson earned his ninth-degree black belt. This is a very high rank. Later that year, he left the UFAF and restarted the National Tang Soo Do Congress. Pat Johnson passed away in Los Angeles on November 5, 2023. He was 84 years old.
Key Achievements
- 1963: Started training in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in South Korea.
- 1965: Earned his 1st degree black belt.
- 1968: Became chief instructor for Chuck Norris Karate Studios.
- 1968: Created the penalty point system for karate tournaments.
- 1968–1973: Led the Chuck Norris Black Belt Competition Team to 33 wins.
- 1971: Became the national Tang Soo Do champion.
- 1973: Named vice-president of the National Tang Soo Do Congress.
- 1975–1976: Won the "Golden Fist Award" for best karate referee.
- 1980: Named executive vice-president of the United Fighting Arts Federation.
- 1984: Was the stunt coordinator for The Karate Kid.
- 1986: Received his 9th degree black belt.
- 1986: Reformed the National Tang Soo Do Congress.
- 1989: Was the stunt coordinator for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- 1993: Added to the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) Hall of Fame.
- 1995: Was the stunt coordinator for Mortal Kombat.
- 1996: Inducted into the Black Belt magazine Black Belt Hall of Fame as "Instructor of the Year."
