Richard Norton

Richard Norton (born 6 January 1950) is an Australian martial artist, actor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, security consultant, and fight choreographer. He holds a 5th dan black belt in Gōjū-ryū karate, a 6th dan black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, an 8th dan black belt in Chun Kuk Do, and a level 6 ranking in American kickboxing. After high school, Norton worked as a bodyguard in the entertainment business before pursuing an acting career. His first screen appearance was in the 1980 Chuck Norris film The Octagon, and he has worked on over 80 feature films and television programs. He appeared in a number of martial arts films, facing off against stars such as Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yasuaki Kurata, Benny Urquidez, Don Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock, and has worked as fight choreographer for titles like The Condemned (2007), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Suicide Squad (2016), Dark Phoenix (2019) and The Suicide Squad (2021). With fellow karateka Bob Jones, Norton is the co-creator of Zen Do Kai, a hybrid self-defense martial art intended for the security industry. He is also the head of Richard Norton BJJ. Early life and training Norton was born in the Croydon suburb of Sydney, Australia in 1950. He began studying Judo at the age of 11, and later took up Gōjū-ryū karate, earning his black belt at the age of 17. In 1970, he was hired by Bob Jones as the chief instructor for his Melbourne dojo, which later developed into Zen Do Kai, while also working as a security guard.