Shō Kosugi

Shō Kosugi ( Japanese シ ョ ー ・ コ ス ギ ; born June 17, 1948 in Minato , Tokyo , as Shōichi Kosugi ( 小 杉 正 一 , Kosugi Shōichi )) is a Japanese actor and was known worldwide as a ninja actor in the 1980s .

biography

At the age of 5 Kosugi started his karate and martial arts training. Sho was the only son of a fisherman and the youngest of three children. At the age of 6 he attended an acting school in Tokyo, which he left prematurely because the teacher saw no talent in him. Against the wishes of his parents, Kosugi began to train ninjutsu after school with a neighbor of the family . After five years of training, the neighbor suddenly mysteriously disappeared. Sho never heard from him again.

Sho consistently pursued his martial arts training. During his time in junior high school he trained in judo and kendo , later in high school (where he also played baseball ) Iaido and Kobudo . At the age of 18, Sho became the Japanese karate master at the All Japan Championships . A year later, he failed an exam that would have given him entry to college. Sho suffered from depression as a result and even had suicidal thoughts. He made the decision to emigrate to the USA to attend a college in California . The first time he set foot on American soil, at Los Angeles airport , he wanted to take the bus to Little Tokyo, but because he did not speak English, he got on the wrong bus and ended up in a ghetto instead . There he had to deal with a gang, but was able to prevail due to his martial arts. Sho reported to a police station where he spent the rest of the day. Such experiences, which he made on the very first day of his stay in the USA, are reflected in his ninja films ( Revenge of the Ninja , Pray for Death ).

He studied English in a language school, where he met his Chinese wife Shook, with whom he has two sons, Kane and Shane, and a daughter named Ayeesha. After language school, he attended Pasadena City College and later moved to California State University , where he earned a degree in economics. Sho stayed true to martial arts and trained with the Kobudo master Fumio Demura . Kosugi took part in martial arts tournaments in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 1974 alone he won 663 trophies, including the Los Angeles Open 1972–1974.

Now Sho tried to gain a foothold in the film. He even made a brief appearance in The Godfather II . Otherwise he worked in second-rate martial arts films. But his breakthrough came in the early 80s under the up-and-coming production company Cannon Films , which shaped the B-action landscape in that decade. In their ninja trilogy ( Enter the Ninja , Revenge of the Ninja , Ninja III - The Domination ) he acted as the main actor. Along with the American ninja films with Michael Dudikoff , which were also produced by Cannon, these films are among the most important contributions in the ninja genre. Another ninja film made by Kosugi was Pray for Death . This film wasn't a Cannon film, however. Kosugi's sons also played in some films, where Kane, then 8 years old, was allowed to prove his martial arts. Sho Kosugi achieved a high level of recognition worldwide with the television series Ninja-Master alongside Lee Van Cleef .

Kosugi founded his own company in Hollywood , the Sho Kosugi Institute , to promote young talent. There they can take classes in acting, gymnastics, martial arts and singing.

Filmography (selection)

• 1981: Enter the Ninja ( Ninja, the Killer Machine )
• 1983: Revenge of the Ninja
• 1984: The Master Ninja
• 1984: The Dominion of the Ninja (Ninja III - The Domination)
• 1985: Nine Deaths of the Ninja
• 1985: The 1000 Eyes of the Ninja (Pray for Death)
• 1986: Top Fighter (Rage of Honor)
• 1988: Red Eagle (Black Eagle)
• 1989: Blind Fury (Blind Fury)
• 1992: Shogun Mayeda
• 2009: Ninja Assassin

Web links

• Sho Kosugi in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Sho Kosugi's website