Problems with the player? Watch it on YouTube.

Chuck Norris is without a doubt one of the most influential figures in martial arts during the second half of the Twentieth Century. As a karate champion he was a trailblazer in introducing that sport to America. As an actor, his movies picked up where Bruce Lee's left off in popularizing Eastern martial arts in the Western world. And a film of his, The Octagon, is even suspected of being the inspiration for the UFC's Octagon.

Recently, during a break from filming a commercial for the Total Gym (full disclosure, the company that produces these is a client of mine) Chuck Norris was kind enough to take us into his personal dojo, where he not only gave us some fighting tips but also regaled us with some stories of his career in combat sports, acting in action films, the impact martial arts has had on his life, and his memories of Bruce Lee. Thankfully we recorded much of it. Here then, is our first video from that day with a second video to follow shortly.