Michael Dudikoff
How about the American Ninja series from the 1980s while we’re talking about movie ninjas? In the film series of the same name, Michael Dudikoff portrayed the American ninja who holds the title. Michael was trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a martial art that was less well-known in the United States at the time the American Ninja movies were filmed but was familiar with striking martial arts when he was cast in the part.
Michael Dudikoff
Steven Seagal
At 64 years old, Steven Seagal is still going strong and has a well-deserved reputation in Hollywood as an authentic ass-kicker. Although it’s well known that Seagal has run-ins with many people, he still maintains positive working connections with everyone in the industry that helped him become well-known in the 1980s and 1990s. A 7th Dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal was formerly employed as an Aikido instructor before stepping in front of the camera. He started his career in Japan, then established the first American Aikido dojo before relocating to Los Angeles in an effort to maybe make money with his skill set.
Steven Seagal
