On August 19, 2021, legendary Japanese actor Sonny Chiba succumbed to complications from Covid-19. He was 82. If you don’t know Chiba, he was a pioneering martial arts movie stars and a genuine master of the martial arts. Long before Bruce Lee, there was Sonny Chiba.
Chiba was his stage name. He was born as Sadaho Maeda and adopted “Chiba” after Japan’s Chiba prefecture where he grew up. His Japanese stage name was Shinichi Chiba, but he was known internationally as Sonny.
Chiba was a natural athlete and a contender for Japan’s Olympic gymnastics team until he was sidelined by an injury. He pivoted to study Karate under the venerated master Mas Oyama, a hardened full-contact fighter who was famous for killing bulls with his bare hands. Chiba went on to earn black belts in several schools of Karate, as well as Judo, Kendo, and Ninjitsu.
In the 60s, Chiba...
Chiba was his stage name. He was born as Sadaho Maeda and adopted “Chiba” after Japan’s Chiba prefecture where he grew up. His Japanese stage name was Shinichi Chiba, but he was known internationally as Sonny.
Chiba was a natural athlete and a contender for Japan’s Olympic gymnastics team until he was sidelined by an injury. He pivoted to study Karate under the venerated master Mas Oyama, a hardened full-contact fighter who was famous for killing bulls with his bare hands. Chiba went on to earn black belts in several schools of Karate, as well as Judo, Kendo, and Ninjitsu.
In the 60s, Chiba...
- 8/20/2021
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Similar News
Film Review: Desperado (2024) by Cheng Si Yi
- 4/17/2024
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
‘The Blair Witch Project’ Star Joshua Leonard Slams Lionsgate Over Reboot: It’s Been ’25 Years of Disrespect’
- 4/15/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Life without Bruce and Brandon: Shannon Lee on losing her superstar father and brother
- 4/15/2024
- by Ann Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
“Tmnt - “Street Fighter: Duel”
- 4/17/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Street Fighter: Duel Teams Up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in New Collab
- 4/17/2024
- by Joseph Luster
- Crunchyroll
Prince of Persia, Max Payne and 8 More Video Game Adaptations That Failed Miserably
- 4/6/2024
- by Prantik Prabal Roy
- FandomWire
Harakiri Squad - Jennie Kermode - 19008
- 4/17/2024
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Recap: Kaiju No. 8 Episode 1, “The Man Who Became a Kaiju”
- 4/16/2024
- by Kelly Knox
- Crunchyroll
This Horror Anime Is A Secret Remake Of A 60s TV Classic
- 4/16/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.