Pat E. Johnson, the ninth-degree black belt and Chuck Norris contemporary who choreographed the fight scenes, trained the actors and portrayed a tournament referee in the first three Karate Kid films, has died. He was 84.
Johnson died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, his niece, Colleen Mary Johnson Summerville, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Johnson also was a stuntperson, stunt coordinator, trainer and/or fight coordinator on Buffy the Vampire Slayer; on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mortal Kombat movies; and on other films including Enter the Dragon (1973), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Batman and Robin (1997) and Wild Wild West (1999).
Johnson served as a top instructor at Norris’ karate schools in the Los Angeles area starting in the late 1960s, and his students over the years included Steve McQueen, Bob Barker and members of the Osmond family.
For The Karate Kid (1984), Johnson...
Johnson died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles, his niece, Colleen Mary Johnson Summerville, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Johnson also was a stuntperson, stunt coordinator, trainer and/or fight coordinator on Buffy the Vampire Slayer; on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mortal Kombat movies; and on other films including Enter the Dragon (1973), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Batman and Robin (1997) and Wild Wild West (1999).
Johnson served as a top instructor at Norris’ karate schools in the Los Angeles area starting in the late 1960s, and his students over the years included Steve McQueen, Bob Barker and members of the Osmond family.
For The Karate Kid (1984), Johnson...
- 11/6/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Donnie Yen believes “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” makes an obvious statement on Bruce Lee.
Yen, who stars in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” addressed the portrayal of fellow martial arts master, late icon Lee, in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 Oscar-winning epic film. The depiction of Lee, played by Mike Moh, showed him being pompous on set and getting beaten up by fictional stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt).
“Everybody is entitled to their opinions. Quentin Tarantino is a very renowned filmmaker, and he’s entitled to his status – and I’m entitled to state my own view,” Yen told Variety. “Obviously, he was making fun of Bruce. It was cartoonish.”
Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee previously slammed the controversial fictionalized depiction of her father by Moh, claiming that the film made Lee look like “an asshole.”
“I tried to approach it from a cool, collected, and more calm, direct point of view,...
Yen, who stars in “John Wick: Chapter 4,” addressed the portrayal of fellow martial arts master, late icon Lee, in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 Oscar-winning epic film. The depiction of Lee, played by Mike Moh, showed him being pompous on set and getting beaten up by fictional stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt).
“Everybody is entitled to their opinions. Quentin Tarantino is a very renowned filmmaker, and he’s entitled to his status – and I’m entitled to state my own view,” Yen told Variety. “Obviously, he was making fun of Bruce. It was cartoonish.”
Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee previously slammed the controversial fictionalized depiction of her father by Moh, claiming that the film made Lee look like “an asshole.”
“I tried to approach it from a cool, collected, and more calm, direct point of view,...
- 3/28/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Gene LeBell, a pioneering mixed martial artist and hugely respected Hollywood stuntman, has died at the age of 89. LeBell was a behind-the-scenes giant in films, professional wrestling, and combat sports. He introduced Bruce Lee to the art of grappling, and counted among his students the eclectic likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Norris, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Roddy Piper, and Ronda Rousey. Over a career that spanned more than half a century, LeBell became known as "The Godfather of Grappling." His chokehold technique was legendary, which, allegedly, Steven Seagal learned the hard way.
Born on October 9, 1932, LeBell took to martial...
The post The Legendary Stuntman Who Inspired Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth Has Passed Away appeared first on /Film.
Born on October 9, 1932, LeBell took to martial...
The post The Legendary Stuntman Who Inspired Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth Has Passed Away appeared first on /Film.
- 8/10/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Gene Lebell, who had an acting and stunt career that stretched from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet to 24 and who the WWE called today “a towering figure in the world of martial arts,” has died. He was 89.
Lebell reportedly had more than 1,000 TV and movie credits, mostly as a stuntman, but also as a heavy, often a fight referee and sometimes a colorful background character. Dubbed “The Godfather of Grappling,” he faced off onscreen against Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee. He refereed Muhammad Ali’s infamous fight against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki. Holding a 10th degree red belt in Judo and a 9th degree black belt in Ju-jitsu, helped train everyone from Lee to Norris to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Ronda Rousey.
“Gene was the guy who taught Bruce Lee about grappling,” according to comedian, podcaster and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan.
The duo...
Lebell reportedly had more than 1,000 TV and movie credits, mostly as a stuntman, but also as a heavy, often a fight referee and sometimes a colorful background character. Dubbed “The Godfather of Grappling,” he faced off onscreen against Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Lee. He refereed Muhammad Ali’s infamous fight against Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki. Holding a 10th degree red belt in Judo and a 9th degree black belt in Ju-jitsu, helped train everyone from Lee to Norris to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Ronda Rousey.
“Gene was the guy who taught Bruce Lee about grappling,” according to comedian, podcaster and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan.
The duo...
- 8/10/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood stuntman and martial artist Gene LeBell has died. He was 89.
Professional wrestler Bas Rutten announced LeBell’s death via Facebook, writing, “You will be greatly missed Gene, I love you my friend, till we meet again!”
LeBell started catch wrestling when he was 7, under the guidance of American wrestler Ed “The Strangler” Lewis. He was also taught by famous martial arts trainer Karl Gotch and professional wrestler Lou Thesz.
LeBell tried pro wrestling, but returned to martial arts when he challenged professional boxer, Milo Savage, in 1963. He won the fight.
LeBell also worked in film and television as a stuntman, with roles in more than 250 films. He appeared in Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii,” “The Green Hornet” TV series, where he met Bruce Lee, and “The Incredible Hulk.”
Writing for Black Belt Magazine, LeBell recalled, “He was the best martial artist of his time. Bruce and I had a bond with the martial arts,...
Professional wrestler Bas Rutten announced LeBell’s death via Facebook, writing, “You will be greatly missed Gene, I love you my friend, till we meet again!”
LeBell started catch wrestling when he was 7, under the guidance of American wrestler Ed “The Strangler” Lewis. He was also taught by famous martial arts trainer Karl Gotch and professional wrestler Lou Thesz.
LeBell tried pro wrestling, but returned to martial arts when he challenged professional boxer, Milo Savage, in 1963. He won the fight.
LeBell also worked in film and television as a stuntman, with roles in more than 250 films. He appeared in Elvis Presley’s “Blue Hawaii,” “The Green Hornet” TV series, where he met Bruce Lee, and “The Incredible Hulk.”
Writing for Black Belt Magazine, LeBell recalled, “He was the best martial artist of his time. Bruce and I had a bond with the martial arts,...
- 8/10/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Gene LeBell, the colorful judo champion, wrestler and stuntman who trained Bruce Lee, fought Elvis Presley and John Wayne in the movies and was an inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has died. He was 89.
LeBell died in his sleep early Tuesday morning at his home in Sherman Oaks, his trustee and business manager, Kellie Cunningham, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Affectionately known as the “Godfather of Grappling” and “Judo” Gene LeBell, he was a two-time Aau national judo champion early in his career. Later, he taught his masterful submission techniques to Lee, Chuck Norris, pro wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Mma fighter Ronda Rousey and many, many others.
With his legendary strong handshake, red hair, weathered face and battered nose, LeBell was universally admired by fighters and wrestlers around the world.
By his own admission, “every star...
Gene LeBell, the colorful judo champion, wrestler and stuntman who trained Bruce Lee, fought Elvis Presley and John Wayne in the movies and was an inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has died. He was 89.
LeBell died in his sleep early Tuesday morning at his home in Sherman Oaks, his trustee and business manager, Kellie Cunningham, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Affectionately known as the “Godfather of Grappling” and “Judo” Gene LeBell, he was a two-time Aau national judo champion early in his career. Later, he taught his masterful submission techniques to Lee, Chuck Norris, pro wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Mma fighter Ronda Rousey and many, many others.
With his legendary strong handshake, red hair, weathered face and battered nose, LeBell was universally admired by fighters and wrestlers around the world.
By his own admission, “every star...
- 8/10/2022
- by Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Artisans introduces a new series — Where Are They Now? — focusing on living legends of the below-the-line world. Written by James C. Udel, a member of Iatse’s Local 80 Grips since 1993 and author of “The Film Crew of Hollywood,” these stories will profile retired or semiretired artisans whose work has left an enduring impact on the history of the movies.
Stuntman Gene LeBell might not have been around since Hollywood’s first fist fight, but his skill has transformed the genre.
Born in Los Angeles in 1932, LeBell was shipped off to a military school at age 6 by his full-time working mom after his father died in a surfing accident. The diminutive kid was bullied, finally responding by choking the offending cadet — a move he applied to Steven Seagal 52 years later while filming “Hard to Kill.”
After his mom remarried, LeBell was raised near L.A.’s old Olympic Auditorium. The athletic...
Stuntman Gene LeBell might not have been around since Hollywood’s first fist fight, but his skill has transformed the genre.
Born in Los Angeles in 1932, LeBell was shipped off to a military school at age 6 by his full-time working mom after his father died in a surfing accident. The diminutive kid was bullied, finally responding by choking the offending cadet — a move he applied to Steven Seagal 52 years later while filming “Hard to Kill.”
After his mom remarried, LeBell was raised near L.A.’s old Olympic Auditorium. The athletic...
- 8/3/2018
- by James C. Udel
- Variety Film + TV
There's a good chance you're hearing the name Ronda Rousey go around this weekend. That's because the 28-year-old Ufc fighter is an astonishing force to be reckoned with in the mixed martial arts world, and just won a highly anticipated match with Cat Zingano Saturday night … in 14 seconds. Here's five quick things you should know about Rousey. 1. Keep Your Arms Away from HerRousey is currently the undefeated Ufc Women's Bantamweight Champion, and has won nine of her 11 fights by locking her opponent into an arm bar submission hold. (The other two she Ko'd.) It took her 14 seconds take out Zingano with an arm bar Saturday.
- 3/1/2015
- by Alex Heigl, @alex_heigl
- PEOPLE.com
WWE.com
Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts have been somewhat married since their inceptions. As legit pro wrestling gave way to scripted pro wrestling, the same tactics and training techniques stuck around for decades. The likes of Billy Robinson, Judo Gene LeBell and Stu Hart transitioned their shoot wrestling abilities and parlayed them into success in pro wrestling.
Worked fights continued all the way up through the 1990s, but as the Ufc emerged, it became much easier to decipher a work from a shoot. That hasn’t stopped the two worlds from intersecting, as the likes of Ken Shamrock, Brock Lesnar, Dan Severn, Bob Sapp and several others have managed success in both Mma and pro wrestling.
Not every pro wrestling crossover has had the same level of success as the aforementioned stars, though. Some pro wrestlers that transitioned into the cage quite frankly had no business being involved with the sport,...
Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts have been somewhat married since their inceptions. As legit pro wrestling gave way to scripted pro wrestling, the same tactics and training techniques stuck around for decades. The likes of Billy Robinson, Judo Gene LeBell and Stu Hart transitioned their shoot wrestling abilities and parlayed them into success in pro wrestling.
Worked fights continued all the way up through the 1990s, but as the Ufc emerged, it became much easier to decipher a work from a shoot. That hasn’t stopped the two worlds from intersecting, as the likes of Ken Shamrock, Brock Lesnar, Dan Severn, Bob Sapp and several others have managed success in both Mma and pro wrestling.
Not every pro wrestling crossover has had the same level of success as the aforementioned stars, though. Some pro wrestlers that transitioned into the cage quite frankly had no business being involved with the sport,...
- 6/28/2014
- by Sean Ross Sapp
- Obsessed with Film
Home Invasion is a weekly post every Tuesday which shows you what is being released on Blu-Ray & DVD today! We scoured through Amazon to bring you everything you might be interested in. Our Picks of the Week are releases that we are looking forward to checking out, have reviewed and/or were are Picks of the Week on the Dtb Podcast. All descriptions are courtesy of Amazon.com.
Price: $22.99
Click Here to buy the Blu-RayClick Here to buy the DVD
I Am Bruce Lee is the amazing story of one of the greatest icons ever to enter the public consciousness, the first film to truly tell Bruce Lee’s story in his own words and actions, as well as through the eyes of the international stars from the worlds of film, television, music and sports.
Featuring original interviews with Ufc President Dana White, NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao,...
Price: $22.99
Click Here to buy the Blu-RayClick Here to buy the DVD
I Am Bruce Lee is the amazing story of one of the greatest icons ever to enter the public consciousness, the first film to truly tell Bruce Lee’s story in his own words and actions, as well as through the eyes of the international stars from the worlds of film, television, music and sports.
Featuring original interviews with Ufc President Dana White, NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao,...
- 1/15/2013
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
Pete McCormack’s documentary I Am Bruce Lee chronicles martial arts legend Bruce Lee life from a troubled youth spent street fighting in Hong Kong to his departure to the United States where he got his first taste of fame that grew in the years that followed. Through it all he devoted himself to martial arts as a form of self-expression, and in so doing he crossed the paths of many fighting legends like Chuck Norris and Gene LeBell and influenced countless others including Gina Carano, Manny Pacquiao, and more. As a documentary, I Am Bruce Lee benefits from numerous family, friends, and acquaintances with anecdotes to share, and frankly, it would have been a wholly enjoyable 94 minutes had it stuck to that. Unfortunately it also gives people like Dana White opportunities to say some really stupid things and features questionable editing and interview footage of people with very little to say.
- 1/11/2013
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
Welcome back to Straight Shoot. If you haven't already, catch up on this week's Raw with our weekly WWE Monday Night Raw Recaps. Then follow writer Aubrey Sitterson on Twitter and make sure to check back every Thursday afternoon for a new Straight Shoot.
Daniel Bryan is one of my favorite wrestlers. His in-ring work is unimpeachable, his wrestling style is totally different from anyone else currently in WWE, and courtesy of his new, constantly evolving gimmick, he's finally getting a chance to show everyone that he isn't the uncharismatic geek that the promotion seemed so intent on painting him as (check out an interview between Bryan and myself very, very early in his WWE run). Though it's been a slow, steady evolution, it's safe to say that Bryan is, as of this writing, a full-on heel, but watching the crafty, clever underdog character he's developed, the character he most...
Daniel Bryan is one of my favorite wrestlers. His in-ring work is unimpeachable, his wrestling style is totally different from anyone else currently in WWE, and courtesy of his new, constantly evolving gimmick, he's finally getting a chance to show everyone that he isn't the uncharismatic geek that the promotion seemed so intent on painting him as (check out an interview between Bryan and myself very, very early in his WWE run). Though it's been a slow, steady evolution, it's safe to say that Bryan is, as of this writing, a full-on heel, but watching the crafty, clever underdog character he's developed, the character he most...
- 2/9/2012
- UGO TV
Here's an awesome new trailer for a upcoming documentary called I Am Bruce Lee. There's already a good amount of Bruce Lee documentaries that have been made over the years, but this one looks pretty badass. The movie was directed by Pete McCormack, and includes a ton of footage of Lee as well as several interviews with different celebrities including Mickey Rourke, Ed O'Neill, Manny Pacquiao, Gina Carano, and Kobe Bryant. I'm a huge fan of Bruce Lee, and I already watch the same old docs about him over and over again, so it will be great to see a new one. The movie will get a limited theatrical release on February 9th, 2012. Check out the trailer for the film below and tell us what you think!
Synopsis:
‘I Am Bruce Lee’ tells the amazing story of one of the most iconic human beings ever to enter the public consciousness.
Synopsis:
‘I Am Bruce Lee’ tells the amazing story of one of the most iconic human beings ever to enter the public consciousness.
- 1/18/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
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