Sonny Chiba was the anti Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was all about precision with his martial arts. He moved like a butterfly and stung like bees. Sonny Chiba, as Takuma Taksurugi in The Street Fighter films in America, was a waspangry man who was eager to fight and enjoyed the blood and broken bones.
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Sonny Chiba was more than just a Street Fighter character. He played many roles over the course of his 60-year career, including scientists, assassins and samurai. He was a star in many comic adaptations, including Golgo 13 (1977) and Storm Riders (1998), which were based on WingShings manhwa. He also appeared in many films set in the West, including
The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift and Sushi Girl, Iron Eagle III and the role he is most well-known for in the U.S.A: Hattori Hanzo. Hattori Hanzo was the legendary swordmaker who arm Uma Thurmans Beatrix as Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Born Sadaho Maeda on 1938 in Fukuoka (Japan), Sonny Chiba was a celebrity even though he wasn't on television or film screens. Six black belts have been awarded to him in six martial arts: kendo and judo as well as ninjutsu . He founded the Japan Action Club, a martial arts school for actors and stunt people in 1970. He was the choreographer of martial arts for many TV and film projects. Only a few of these he starred. Chiba was also a director and producer. He was also an actor in theater, including in a play in Biohazard's videogame series.
Chiba, who was also a victim of Covid-19, died tragically. Oricon reports that Chiba had been fighting the disease for some time. He was in Chiba's prefecture hospital being treated for pneumonia. He died earlier today. His three children are his survivors, and the cinematic legacy that he left behind will not be forgotten.
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