jkdberlin
15-02-2007, 16:19
Just read these shocking news over internet.
Sincerely,
Rafael Amill
Choson Martial Arts Club
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Practice News Story: Obituary
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, American martial artist, action star, Hollywood television actor, writer and humanitarian, died at the age of 66, in Hollywood, early Tuesday evening at 4:30 p.m.from a heart attack while filming an infomercial for his “Total Gym.”
He was born on Mar. 10, 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma. He finished high school and soon after in 1958 married his girlfriend, Diane Holechek. In that same year Norris joined the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman and was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. It was in South Korea that Norris acquired the nickname “Chuck” and began his training in Tang Soo Do (tangsudo). He won several black belts in that art, as well as Taekwondo, and Shito ryu Karate, and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 1968, Chuck fought and won the World Professional MiddleWeight Karate championships by defeating the World's Top Fighters. He held that title until 1974 when he retired undefeated.
In 1968, he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Fighter of the Year. In 1975, he was inducted as Instructor of the Year and in 1977 he received the honor of Man of the Year. In 1997 he made history when he was the first man ever in the Western hemisphere to be awarded an 8th Degree Black Belt Grand Master in Tae Kwon Do which was a first in 4,500 years of tradition. On July 1, 2000 he was presented the Golden Lifetime Achievement Award by the World Karate Union Hall of Fame.
His first starring role was 1977's Breaker! Breaker!, and later starred in films such as The Octagon (1980), An Eye for an Eye (1981), and Lone Wolf McQuade. In 1984, he starred in Missing in Action, the first of a series of POW rescue fantasies. In 1993, he began shooting the series Walker, Texas Ranger, which lasted eight years on CBS.
He was the founder of the Chun Kuk Do ("Universal Way") form and the education associations United Fighting Arts Federation and with help of President George Bush, Chuck implemented his "KickStart" program, helping youngsters resist drug-related peer pressures through martial arts training teaching the martial arts to children in middle schools and high schools.
He is survived by his ex-wife Diane Holechek, sons Mike and Eric and daughter Dina, wife Gena O’Kelley and son Dakota and daughter Danilee. He is also survived by brothers Wieland and Aaron.
Funeral services are yet to be announced.
The Death of the Ranger
HOLLYWOOD - Encouraging millions to stay healthy and kids to keep off drugs, role model and spokesman for Total Gym exercise machine Chuck Norris, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Feb. 13, 2007. He was 66. Mr. Norris was filming an infomercial with his second wife, Gena O’Kelly approximately 4:30 p.m. PST when the accident occurred. He was pronounced dead on the set by paramedics who then took his body to the UCLA Medical Center. “Total and complete shock, he was so healthy and so vibrant” said close friend and former trainer, Bruce Lee in disbelief. “Indeed we lost a great man” said Mr. Lee. Mr. Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, as Carlos Ray Norris on March 3, 1940.
According to Wikipedia.org Mr. Norris was described as “American martial artist, action star, Hollywood actor, and recently, an internet phenomenon, who's best known for playing Cordell Walker on Walker, Texas Ranger.” A NRA member, 6-time world Karate Champion, founder of 2 martial art forms Chun Kuk Do and American Tang Soo Do, founder of the National Tang Soo Do Congress (NTC), he had attained much in his life as noted on IMDb.com. Mr. Norris was one of three Americans to achieve the eighth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He was awarded “Veteran of the Year 2001” at the sixth annual American Veterans Awards in December 2001. Norris also received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the Machado Brothers. In 1968 he won the title of the Professional World Middle-Weight Champion and the next year was named “Fighter of the Year” by Black Belt Magazine according to IMDb.com.
After high school Norris married his girlfriend Diane Holchek, in December 1958 and joined the United States Air force, and during a tour in Korea he became interested in the study of Asian martial art of Tang Soo Do. They were divorced, thirty years later, in 1988 and have three children, Mike 44, Dina 42, and Eric 41. It was during the time that he was training father-son actors Steve McQueen and Chad McQueen that Steve encouraged Norris to think about acting. “If you can’t do anything else, there’s always acting” is what Steven claims he said to Norris from the IMDb website.
Norris broke into the acting scene in 1969 in The Wrecking Crew according to his website. Taking on several roles he finally landed the lead in the hit TV-show Walker, Texas Ranger which aired from 1993 until 2001. Three years before the show began Norris started a program which he took great pride called, Kick Drugs Out of America. It was later renamed KICKSTART. “He loved helping children be aware of their actions, he was an amazing father and mentor to so many” said his wife Gena O’Kelly. Norris and O’Kelly gave birth to twins Dakota Alan and Danilee Kelly in 2001. Norris is survived also by his first wife Diane Holecheck and three grandchildren from son, Eric Norris. “I am at a loss of words, my father was one of those people that you could see living for hundreds of years” said Eric.
The family asks for no flowers, but for those mourning his loss, to purchase a Total Gym workout machine in memory of him. “He would love to know that his memory would be replaced with this machine, he was just amazing. He will be missed” said friend and co-spokesperson Christie Brinkley.
The family is planning a private service to be held Feb. 17, 2007 at Hollywood Funeral Home located on 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood, CA. He will be buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery where hundreds of others Hollywood stars are buried, more information can be found at hollywoodforever.com.
Sincerely,
Rafael Amill
Choson Martial Arts Club
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Practice News Story: Obituary
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, American martial artist, action star, Hollywood television actor, writer and humanitarian, died at the age of 66, in Hollywood, early Tuesday evening at 4:30 p.m.from a heart attack while filming an infomercial for his “Total Gym.”
He was born on Mar. 10, 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma. He finished high school and soon after in 1958 married his girlfriend, Diane Holechek. In that same year Norris joined the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman and was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. It was in South Korea that Norris acquired the nickname “Chuck” and began his training in Tang Soo Do (tangsudo). He won several black belts in that art, as well as Taekwondo, and Shito ryu Karate, and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 1968, Chuck fought and won the World Professional MiddleWeight Karate championships by defeating the World's Top Fighters. He held that title until 1974 when he retired undefeated.
In 1968, he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as Fighter of the Year. In 1975, he was inducted as Instructor of the Year and in 1977 he received the honor of Man of the Year. In 1997 he made history when he was the first man ever in the Western hemisphere to be awarded an 8th Degree Black Belt Grand Master in Tae Kwon Do which was a first in 4,500 years of tradition. On July 1, 2000 he was presented the Golden Lifetime Achievement Award by the World Karate Union Hall of Fame.
His first starring role was 1977's Breaker! Breaker!, and later starred in films such as The Octagon (1980), An Eye for an Eye (1981), and Lone Wolf McQuade. In 1984, he starred in Missing in Action, the first of a series of POW rescue fantasies. In 1993, he began shooting the series Walker, Texas Ranger, which lasted eight years on CBS.
He was the founder of the Chun Kuk Do ("Universal Way") form and the education associations United Fighting Arts Federation and with help of President George Bush, Chuck implemented his "KickStart" program, helping youngsters resist drug-related peer pressures through martial arts training teaching the martial arts to children in middle schools and high schools.
He is survived by his ex-wife Diane Holechek, sons Mike and Eric and daughter Dina, wife Gena O’Kelley and son Dakota and daughter Danilee. He is also survived by brothers Wieland and Aaron.
Funeral services are yet to be announced.
The Death of the Ranger
HOLLYWOOD - Encouraging millions to stay healthy and kids to keep off drugs, role model and spokesman for Total Gym exercise machine Chuck Norris, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Feb. 13, 2007. He was 66. Mr. Norris was filming an infomercial with his second wife, Gena O’Kelly approximately 4:30 p.m. PST when the accident occurred. He was pronounced dead on the set by paramedics who then took his body to the UCLA Medical Center. “Total and complete shock, he was so healthy and so vibrant” said close friend and former trainer, Bruce Lee in disbelief. “Indeed we lost a great man” said Mr. Lee. Mr. Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, as Carlos Ray Norris on March 3, 1940.
According to Wikipedia.org Mr. Norris was described as “American martial artist, action star, Hollywood actor, and recently, an internet phenomenon, who's best known for playing Cordell Walker on Walker, Texas Ranger.” A NRA member, 6-time world Karate Champion, founder of 2 martial art forms Chun Kuk Do and American Tang Soo Do, founder of the National Tang Soo Do Congress (NTC), he had attained much in his life as noted on IMDb.com. Mr. Norris was one of three Americans to achieve the eighth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He was awarded “Veteran of the Year 2001” at the sixth annual American Veterans Awards in December 2001. Norris also received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the Machado Brothers. In 1968 he won the title of the Professional World Middle-Weight Champion and the next year was named “Fighter of the Year” by Black Belt Magazine according to IMDb.com.
After high school Norris married his girlfriend Diane Holchek, in December 1958 and joined the United States Air force, and during a tour in Korea he became interested in the study of Asian martial art of Tang Soo Do. They were divorced, thirty years later, in 1988 and have three children, Mike 44, Dina 42, and Eric 41. It was during the time that he was training father-son actors Steve McQueen and Chad McQueen that Steve encouraged Norris to think about acting. “If you can’t do anything else, there’s always acting” is what Steven claims he said to Norris from the IMDb website.
Norris broke into the acting scene in 1969 in The Wrecking Crew according to his website. Taking on several roles he finally landed the lead in the hit TV-show Walker, Texas Ranger which aired from 1993 until 2001. Three years before the show began Norris started a program which he took great pride called, Kick Drugs Out of America. It was later renamed KICKSTART. “He loved helping children be aware of their actions, he was an amazing father and mentor to so many” said his wife Gena O’Kelly. Norris and O’Kelly gave birth to twins Dakota Alan and Danilee Kelly in 2001. Norris is survived also by his first wife Diane Holecheck and three grandchildren from son, Eric Norris. “I am at a loss of words, my father was one of those people that you could see living for hundreds of years” said Eric.
The family asks for no flowers, but for those mourning his loss, to purchase a Total Gym workout machine in memory of him. “He would love to know that his memory would be replaced with this machine, he was just amazing. He will be missed” said friend and co-spokesperson Christie Brinkley.
The family is planning a private service to be held Feb. 17, 2007 at Hollywood Funeral Home located on 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood, CA. He will be buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery where hundreds of others Hollywood stars are buried, more information can be found at hollywoodforever.com.