Sonny Chiba, a fourth-degree black belt in karate and trained in judo, ninjutsu, kendo, and kempo has enjoyed a successful film career spanning 40 years. He is best remembered as the vicious assassin in the Street Fighter series of films beginning in 1974 which has earned him a cult following around the globe.
Chiba, originally Sadao Maeda was the second of five children born to Shichinosuke Maeda, a military test pilot and his wife Haruko. At an early age, he developed an interest in traditional Japanese theater and gymnastics. The latter nearly put him on the Japanese Olympic
… More team before a back injury ended his gymnastics career. Nippon Taiiku University is where he began learning karate under World Karate Grand Master Masatatsu "Mas" Oyama. He went on to earn a first degree black belt in judo and eventually coach at the university during his senior year.
In 1960, he was discovered during a "New Faces" contest held by Toei Company and renamed Shinichi Chiba. ("Sonny" would be added a number of years later as a result of a Toyota Sunny-S ad campaign he participated in.) Thanks to his athleticism, Chiba was groomed by the studio as an action star appearing first on television and eventually cast in leading roles in a series of action films, while often returning to television. In 1969, Chiba created the Japan Action Club to train stars in martial arts and action scenes. Both Etsuko Shihomi and Hiroyuki Sanada were graduates of the program. To capitalize on the post-Bruce Lee craze in the mid-'70's, Toei turned to Chiba to star in his most famous role beginning with The Street Fighter in 1974, followed by a number of spin-offs.
Throughout the late '70's and eighties, Chiba appeared in a number of films, although few have reached great success outside of Japan. Having relocated to Los Angeles, he has appeared in a number of low-grade American films, often billed fourth or fifth. Thankfully, Hong Kong filmmakers have recently cast him in a number of films including Andy Lau's Storm Riders. Chiba continues to train and assist up-and-coming actors in Japan and he may yet get a much deserved greater recognition in the West for his role in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill (2003-2004).
