James Ryan

James Ryan initially made a splash in the film industry as a lean and agile martial arts hero through two low-budget, South African-financed martial arts movies, titled Karate Killer (1976) and its sequel, Kill and Kill Again (1981). Although these films were somewhat lacking in terms of production quality, being rather mechanical and shoddy, James Ryan's impressive acrobatic skills and physical prowess as a martial artist did manage to garner a certain level of appeal. The movies were filled with an abundance of kicks and punches, and featured notable martial arts experts, including Stan Schmidt, an 8th Dan Shotokan karate expert, and Norman Robinson, a fellow South African and 8th Dan in both Judo and karate, who are both members of the prestigious South African Martial Arts Hall of Fame.