Sonny Chiba

Sonny is a student of karate instructor Choi Bae-dal who is the founder of Kyokushin Karate.

Best known in international cult-cinema circles for starring as Terry Tsurugi, the hitman for hire in The Street Fighter (1974) film series, which produced 3 sequels.

Sonny: An actor's body should be full of emotions, whether it is happiness or sorrow, pain or joy, enraged or elated. You have to express yourself with your whole body. Japanese actors don't normally do this. What I'm doing as an action star is what every actor should be doing. Action is drama. If we cannot make the audience laugh, smile or cry with us, we are not actors. That may be idealistic -- but it's true.

Frequent co-star of Etsuko Shihomi, the star of the Sister Street Fighter series.