Remembering Richard Norton

I was very sad to hear the great Richard Norton has passed away. He was one of the very first names in the martial arts community I had a chance to interview, and he subsequently featured in my first Life of Action book, and gave a fantastic and insightful, generous interview. His passion for martial arts was infectious and inspiring. Talking to him about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was one of the catalysts for me starting my own journey, and of course he remained prolific in the sport, still teaching and training at the age of 75. 

He led an amazing life. He'll always be recognised for his world-class work in Hong Kong cinema with the likes of Jackie Chan (City Hunter) and Sammo Hung (Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars), or his popular American movies with Cynthia Rothrock (China O'Brien) and Chuck Norris (The Octagon). Even before this period, he worked security in clubs before starting a long career as a bodyguard and trainer to some of the biggest music artists in the world, including the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Linda Ronstadt and ABBA. 

In later years, he worked as a fight coordinator on huge productions like Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiousa and Suicide Squad. By all accounts, the stars loved working with him, and it's easy to see why. I imagine it was a natural extension to his teaching and coaching.

The course of Richard's life was driven by martial arts. With his warm and kind demeanour, I have no doubt he drew people all over the world to begin their own journeys, whether for health and lifestyle, or pursuing careers in movies and television. A class act, his legacy will certainly live on. Deepest condolences to Richard's friends and family.