Kenji Kazama is a Japanese (martial artist). He played the henchman Spider who fought Fred Williamson in the 1973 action film That Man Bolt and he played Yokohama a mean and brutal Japanese official who fought Jhoon Rhee in the 1973 martial arts classic When Taekwondo Strikes. In 1974 he played the part of Senkaku Kan in the Sonny Chiba cult classic The Street Fighter.
Kenji Kazama | |
|---|---|
| Born | Minoru Tsutsui 1943 Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Other names | Ken Kazama, Kenji Kazuma, Ken Kazuma, Kazuma Kenji, Fung Gaan Kin |
| Occupation(s) | Film actor, fight director |
Background edit
Ken Kazama was born Minoru Tsutsui in Aichi Prefecture, Japan in 1943. He won the Karate Championship in 1961 and won a Shorinji Kempo Championship in 1963. During the mid-1960s, he established at Shorinji Kempo Nagoya Chuo-doin school. He also established Shorinji Kempo Clubs at the Aichi Gakuin University and the Chukyo Joshi Tanki University. In the late 1960s, he won a middleweight kickboxing championship in South Korea. Also with Shinichi Chiba he founded the Japan Action Club (JAC).[1]
Career edit
In When Taekwondo Strikes, a 1973 martial arts film that featured Jhoon Rhee, Angela Mao Ying, Carter Wong, Anne Winton and Sammo Hung, Kazama was cast as Yokohama.[2][3] He had one of climactic fights with the hero's taking him on.[4][5][6] Kazama's role of Spider in That Man Bolt was that of a long time adversary to the main character, Bolt (Played by Fred Williamson) who takes him on in a fight.[7][8] Following his role in the 1973 film, he was appearing the following year in Sonny Chiba's film, The Street Fighter.[9] He also had another role in the film as action director.[10][11] In the sequel to the film, Return of the Street Fighter, he was credited as kick boxing director.[12] In 1976 he had the lead role in a film called Karate From Shaolin Temple which also featured Henry Yu Yung, Fung Ngai, Henry Yu Yung and Bill Lake.[13][14]
Also in the 70s, Kazama recorded a song, "Forever Bruce Lee" and released on a 45 RPM single, Tam YT-1081.[15][16]
Film Work edit
| Title | Role | Director | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gangster Cop aka Yakuza deka |
Kazamaki | Yukio Noda | 1970 | as Ken Kazama |
| When Taekwondo Strikes aka Tai quan zhen jiu zhou |
Yokohama | Feng Huang | 1973 | as Kenji Kazama |
| That Man Bolt | Spider | David Lowell Rich, Henry Levin | 1974 | as Ken Kazama |
| The Street Fighter aka Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken |
Senkaku Kan | Shigehiro Ozawa | 1974 | as Ken Kazama |
| Karate from Shaolin Temple aka Shorinji Kempo: Musashi Hong Kong ni arawaru (少林寺拳法 ムサシ香港に現わる) |
Musashi Yamanaka | Hideo Nanbu | 1976 | Lead role as Ken Kazama |
| Angel Guts aka Jokôsei: tenshi no harawata |
Yakuza | Chûsei Sone | 1978 | as Ken Kazama |
| Sûpâ gun redei Wani Bunsho | Shimokawa | Chûsei Sone | 1979 | as Ken Kazama |
| Station akaEki |
Yasuo Furuhata | 1981 | as Ken Kazama | |
| Kill Devil | Yuichi Onuma | 2004 | as Ken Kazama |
| Title | Episode | Role | Director | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daitokai - Tatakai no hibi | "Episode #2.52" | Jun Iwasaki | 1978 |
| Title | Role | Director | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Streetfighter | Kickboxing direction | Shigehiro Ozawa | 1974 | |
| Return of the Street Fighter | Kickboxing direction | Shigehiro Ozawa | 1974 | |
| The Real Miyagi | Himself | Kevin Derek | 2015 | [17] |
References edit
- ^ Japan-Africa Economic and Culture Association - KIREN BUSHINDO Pages 1 and 2
- ^ Letterboxd - When Taekwondo Strikes 1973 ‘跆拳震九州’ Directed by Wong Fung
- ^ British Film Institute - WHEN TAEKWONDO STRIKES (1973), Cast & Credits
- ^ Movieo.me - When Taekwondo Strikes
- ^ Kung Fu Movie Guide, July 23, 2016 - When Taekwondo Strikes (1973) by Ben Johnson
- ^ Letterboxd - When Taekwondo Strikes 1973 ‘跆拳震九州’ Directed by Wong Fung
- ^ Black action films: Plots, Critiques, Casts and Credits for 235 Theatrical and made-for-Television Releases, By James Robert Parish, George H. Hill - Page 304
- ^ Classic Movie Fight Scenes: 75 Years of Bare Knuckle Brawls, 1914-1989, By Gene Freese - Page 225 FRED WILLIAMSON vs. KEN KAZAMA in That Man Bolt (1973)
- ^ Blaxploitation Films, By Mikel J Koven - That Man Bolt (1973), Background Information
- ^ Far East Films, June 15, 2015 - The Street Fighter, ACTION
- ^ Kung Fu Movie Guide, January 22, 2013 - The Street Fighter (1974) by Ben Johnson
- ^ WorldCat - Return of the Street Fighter = Satsujin ken 2 Details, All Authors / Contributors:
- ^ HKMDB - Karate from Shaolin Temple (1976)
- ^ Letterboxd - Karate from Shaolin Temple 1976 ‘少林寺拳法 ムサシ香港に現わる’ Directed by Hideo Nanbu
- ^ Discogs - Ken Kazama* – Forever Bruce Lee
- ^ 45Cat - Ken Kazama - Discography
- ^ Imdb - Ken Kazama