I’ve
recently heard about the tragic death of Soon-Tek Oh, one of my
favorite actors and a person who definitely deserves honoring on this
page. Oh was an acclaimed Hollywood performer whose work spanned
genres and mediums, and while he wasn’t generally labeled a “karate
guy,” it’d be an oversight if nobody mentioned his involvement
with the action genre in memoriam. A practitioner of taekwondo and
kendo, Oh brought an authenticity to his fighting roles that wasn’t
lost on his fans, and he thus made an impression even when performing
alongside established martial arts stars. Indeed, his last fight
scene (in The President’s Man
[2000])
featured
the 68-year-old Oh leading
a
furious
climactic showdown
against Chuck Norris.
Though his involvement with
my U.S. video niche
was limited, his memory deserves the lasting respect of anyone who
enjoys the martial arts subgenre as a whole. With
regard to his towering
portfolio of dramatic work, I’ll
always remember him as a deceptively
skilled
fighter who brought much class to every production he was involved
with. I’m
going to miss him very much.
Below
are some clips of his fight scenes.
Vs.
Lee Van Cleef – The Master
(1984)
Vs.
Adrian Paul – Highlander
(1992)
Vs.
Chuck Norris – The President’s Man
(2000)
B-Movie Dragons 