Ron Van Clief

Biography

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 & TV Shows

1. Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks (2019) — Self
2. Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (1980) — The Boxer
3. Death by Misadventure: The Mysterious Life of Bruce Lee (1993) — Self
4. Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023) — Self
5. Top Fighter (1995) — Self
6. Kung Fu Fever (1979) — Black Dragon
7. The Squeeze (1978) — Duke
8. UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors (1994) — Self
9. The Black Dragon (1974) — The Black Dragon
10. Black Dragon's Revenge (1975) — Black Dragon
11. Way of the Black Dragon (1978) — Bill Eaton
12. Blazin' (2001) — Davis
13. Bamboo Trap (1975)
14. The Super Weapon (1976) — Himself
15. Colorz of Rage (1999) — Diciple
16. The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief (2020) — Self
17. The Black Kung Fu Experience (2012) — Self
18. Hot Lead Hard Fury (2018) — Solomon Link
19. Snow Black (2021) — Jerrod Camden
20. The Hanged Man: The Story of Ron Van Clief (2023) — Himself
21. That's Brucesploitation! Making Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (2020)
22. UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors (1994)