Millennials might not know him, but to some ‘80s and ‘90s kids, Chuck Norris was the ultimate badass ranger that inspired most of us to take up karate lessons. In the five years he served in the U.S armed forces, Norris took up an interest in self-defense and earned his first black belt while still in the army. After serving, his Taekwondo skills earned him the middleweight karate championship and eventually opened Hollywood doors as the martial arts successor to Bruce Lee.