Ron Van Clief

Birth : 1943-01-25, Brooklyn, New York, USA

History

Ron "The Black Dragon" Van Clief is a martial arts legend. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1943, he started martial arts training in his early teens. At 5 feet 10 inches and 190 pounds, Van Clief was fast, powerful, and tough. He won 10 New York State Full-Contact Karate Championships. He won multiple Karate Point-Fighting Titles. By the early 1970s he had earned his 10th Degree Black Belt. His karate record was reported to be 110-8. In 1994 at age 51, he launched a comeback on December 16, 1994 fighting former World JuJitsu Lightheavyweight and Ultimate Fighting World Champion Royce Gracie. The Black Dragon landed one good punch, but was taken to the canvas where after a valiant battle was choked into submission, thus ending one of the greatest fighting careers in martial arts history.

Movies

Snow Black
Jerrod Camden
Sarah Camden, a special operations soldier with PTSD, returns home to bury her mother. She realizes that she has to rid her hometown of gangs, drugs and crooked politicians. Sarah calls in her special ops buddies to clean up the town.
The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief
Producer
The astonishing true story of Ron Van Clief, the first black martial arts movie star, known as "The Black Dragon". His determination to win — despite horrific odds — exacts a heavy toll and his life becomes a roller coaster ride with spectacular highs, devastating lows, and more than a few cliff-hangers.
The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief
Self
The astonishing true story of Ron Van Clief, the first black martial arts movie star, known as "The Black Dragon". His determination to win — despite horrific odds — exacts a heavy toll and his life becomes a roller coaster ride with spectacular highs, devastating lows, and more than a few cliff-hangers.
That's Brucesploitation! Making Fist of Fear, Touch of Death
This retrospective featurette includes words from filmmaker Jim Markovic, producer Terry Levene, screenwriter Ron Harvey, director Matthew Mallinson, and actors Ron Van Clief and Fred Williamson. Topics include the sordid history of Aquarius Releasing and their other Bruce Lee knock-offs, assembling the film from lukewarm leftovers, shooting new scenes, filming at Madison Square Garden, the "guest stars", script re-writes, Adolph Caesar, creating a fake news station, and more. (Blu-ray.com)
Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks
Self
The fantastic story of how an ancient martial art, Chinese kung fu, conquered the world through the hundreds of films that were produced in Hong Kong over the decades, transformed Western action cinema and inspired the birth of cultural movements such as blaxploitation, hip hop music, parkour and Wakaliwood cinema.
Hot Lead Hard Fury
Solomon Link
1977: Industrial ghetto "Steel City" is under siege from organized crime, corruption, and a new synthetic drug called "Voodoo Blue". When news of a drug sting leaks to the wrong people, Detective Cal Beefer becomes a casualty - despite the protection of veteran cop Solomon Link (Ron Van Clief, "Way of the Black Dragon", "Death of Bruce Lee") When big brother Chuck Beefer comes to town, he wants answers! Chuck -once a cop himself- seeks to find the source of the leak and apprehend the killer and leading dealer of voodoo blue, a man named Afro Steele. Beefer delves deep into the seedy underworld of Steel City where he encounters Karate hit men, torturous drug lords, and a team of lovely yet lethal ladies known as the "Sisters of Sin".
Blazin'
Davis
The daughter of a druglord and the son of the chief of police fall in love in this Romeo & Juliet-esque street drama.
Colorz of Rage
Diciple
Writer-director Dale Resteghini's indie drama follows a young interracial couple (Resteghini and Nicki Richards) whose recent move to New York from the Boston suburbs lands them in an environment of bigotry and hatred that they're ill-equipped to handle. Hip-hop artist turned actor Redman also stars in this thought-provoking tale.
UFC 7: The Brawl In Buffalo
Other
UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 8, 1995, at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.
Top Fighter
Himself
Welcome to the world of the martial arts. A voyage for the times of the martial arts cinema, from the beginning in China in the 6th Century A.C. by a Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, until the actual time and the influence in the world, with interviews to actors and historians, and a review to the most important movies of all times and to the most famous action movies actors. A magnificent jewel of this genre what nobody wouldn't lose.
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors
Himself
UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.
Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee
Himself
Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee exposes the truth behind Lee's death and the cover-up that ensued.
Fist of Fear, Touch of Death
The Boxer / Ron Van Clief
A television reporter interviews fighters and promoters about Bruce Lee in preparation for a tournament to claim the title of “Successor to the Bruce Lee legacy”. Footage from Bruce Lee's films and interviews are repurposed in pseudo-documentary style.
Kung Fu Fever
Black Dragon
A training manual supposed used by Bruce Lee himself has mysteriously disappeared and is highly sought after by good and evil alike.
Way of the Black Dragon
Bill Eaton
Allison Wong gets abducted by a gang of drug smugglers with a nasty sideline business involving white slavery and prostitution. Interpol agent Bill Eaton, honest worker Chen, and Allison's brother join forces to take out the nefarious crime syndicate.
The Squeeze
Duke
A retired safe cracker is recruited by a young conman to return to the "business" for a million dollar heist.
The Super Weapon
Himself
A 1970s documentary that highlights various martial arts fighting styles and features African American martial arts master Ron Van Clief aka "Black Dragon."
Bamboo Trap
The boldest man-trap ever to be set up!
Black Dragon's Revenge
Black Dragon
Three rival gangs embark on a search for Bruce Lee's handwritten "finger fighting " manual.
The Black Dragon
The Black Dragon
Decent, simple, honest Chinese farmhand and ace martial artist Tai-Lin goes to the Philippines to seek his fortune. He befriends scruffy petty street hoodlum Siao-Mao and gets a job as a dock worker. When Tai-Lin discovers that the people he works for are involved in a crime syndicate that specializes in smuggling opium, he quits his job and joins forces with two fellow martial artists against the evil organization.