Chun Kuk Do, usually translated as “the universal way,” is the martial art Chuck Norris founded in 1990. He built it on the Tang Soo Do he learned in South Korea while serving in the U.S. Air Force, then added techniques from karate, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, hapkido and other arts. In 2015 it was renamed the Chuck Norris System, and it is run by the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) in Las Vegas. Chun Kuk Do shares Korean roots with taekwondo, but it is a separate style, not a branch of taekwondo. Norris died on March 19, 2026, at age 86.
| Meaning | “The universal way” |
|---|---|
| Founder | Chuck Norris (1940–2026) |
| Founded | 1990, as Chun Kuk Do |
| Current name | Chuck Norris System (since 2015) |
| Main root | Tang Soo Do, learned at Osan Air Base, South Korea |
| Governing body | United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF), Las Vegas |
| Black belts | More than 3,300 awarded |
Meaning
What does Chun Kuk Do mean?
Chun Kuk Do is most often translated as “the universal way,” and sometimes as “the way of many lands.” The name fits the style: it is a hybrid system that takes techniques from many martial arts and organizes them around a Korean base. Like most Korean arts, it ends in “do,” meaning “the way.”
The name changed more than once. Norris’s system was known as the Chuck Norris System in the early 1980s, became Chun Kuk Do in December 1990, and returned to the name Chuck Norris System in 2015. Many people still search for it, and train in it, as Chun Kuk Do.
History
How Chuck Norris built Chun Kuk Do
- 1958: Norris, born in Ryan, Oklahoma, in 1940, joins the U.S. Air Force as an air policeman and is stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he starts training in Tang Soo Do.
- 1962: He leaves the Air Force and, while applying to join the police in Torrance, California, opens a martial arts studio there.
- 1966: He forms American Tang Soo Do, mixing Tang Soo Do with judo and Japanese karate.
- 1968: He wins the Professional Middleweight Karate Championship, a title he holds for six years.
- 1969: He wins karate’s Triple Crown for the most tournament wins of the year and is named Fighter of the Year by Black Belt magazine.
- 1972: He fights Bruce Lee on screen in The Way of the Dragon, one of the best-known roles of his film career.
- 1990: He formally founds Chun Kuk Do and starts Kickstart Kids, a martial arts program for schools.
- 2015: Chun Kuk Do is renamed the Chuck Norris System.
- March 19, 2026: Norris dies in Kauai, Hawaii, at age 86.
For the Korean arts behind the system, see Tang Soo Do vs. taekwondo, taekkyeon and the history of taekwondo.
Training
What Chun Kuk Do teaches
Striking
Kicks and punches
A Tang Soo Do and karate base of kicks, punches, blocks and stances, with the high kicks Norris was known for.
Forms
Hyung and kata
Set forms, most adapted from Tang Soo Do, taekwondo and Japanese and Korean karate, plus forms created for the system.
Grappling
Throws and ground work
Judo throws and Brazilian jiu-jitsu ground techniques, added as the system grew.
Weapons
Nunchaku, bo and sai
Weapon forms for the nunchaku, bo staff and sai are part of the curriculum.
Competition
Sparring
Point sparring and forms competition, including UFAF’s championship tournament each summer in Las Vegas.
Self-defense
Practical skills
Self-defense and fitness are core goals, alongside the code of honor.
The full list of arts in the system includes Shotokan, Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu karate, Kyokushin, Enshin, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, arnis, taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, hapkido and American Kenpo. Exact forms and belt requirements vary by school, so ask your instructor for the current UFAF syllabus. Compare the arts it borrows from: taekwondo vs. karate, hapkido vs. taekwondo and taekwondo vs. jiu-jitsu.
Code
The Chun Kuk Do code of honor
Students of the system commit to a ten-point code of honor:
- I will develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways.
- I will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements.
- I will continually work at developing love, happiness and loyalty in my family.
- I will look for the good in all people and make them feel worthwhile.
- If I have nothing good to say about a person, I will say nothing.
- I will always be as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
- I will maintain an attitude of open-mindedness.
- I will maintain respect for those in authority and demonstrate this respect at all times.
- I will always remain loyal to my God, my country, family and my friends.
- I will remain highly goal-oriented throughout my life because that positive attitude helps my family, my country and myself.
Taekwondo has a shorter list with the same purpose. See the five tenets of taekwondo.
Compare
Chun Kuk Do vs. taekwondo
| Chun Kuk Do | Taekwondo | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | United States, 1990 | South Korea, 1950s |
| Founder | Chuck Norris | Several kwans; name credited to Gen. Choi Hong Hi |
| Base | Tang Soo Do plus many other arts | Korean kicking arts and karate-based kwans |
| Focus | All-round: striking, grappling, weapons | Kicking, forms and Olympic-style sparring |
| Grappling | Yes: judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Very little |
| Weapons | Nunchaku, bo, sai | Not in the standard syllabus |
| Governing body | UFAF | World Taekwondo, Kukkiwon, ITF and others |
| Olympic sport | No | Yes, since 2000 |
For other comparisons, see the most popular types of martial arts and taekwondo styles.
Today
Chun Kuk Do today: the Chuck Norris System
The art is taught today as the Chuck Norris System under the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF), based in Las Vegas, which also oversees UFAF Krav Maga and UFAF Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Each summer UFAF holds a training conference and its championship tournament in Las Vegas, and its website has a school finder. More than 3,300 Chuck Norris System black belts have been awarded. Norris also held an 8th-degree black belt in taekwondo; see taekwondo black belt levels.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does Chun Kuk Do mean?
It is usually translated as “the universal way,” and sometimes as “the way of many lands,” a nod to the many martial arts it draws from.
Did Chuck Norris create Chun Kuk Do?
Yes. Norris formally founded Chun Kuk Do in 1990, building on the Tang Soo Do he learned in South Korea while in the U.S. Air Force.
Is Chun Kuk Do the same as taekwondo?
No. Both have Korean roots, but Chun Kuk Do is a hybrid system based on Tang Soo Do with grappling and weapons added. Taekwondo is a separate Korean art and an Olympic sport.
Is Chun Kuk Do still practiced?
Yes, under the name Chuck Norris System since 2015. The United Fighting Arts Federation runs it and holds a championship tournament in Las Vegas each summer.
What martial arts did Chuck Norris practice?
He started with Tang Soo Do in Korea and also held black belts in taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo and karate styles, and he founded Chun Kuk Do.
When did Chuck Norris die?
Chuck Norris died on March 19, 2026, in Kauai, Hawaii, at age 86.
The short version
Chun Kuk Do, “the universal way,” is the hybrid martial art Chuck Norris founded in 1990 on a Tang Soo Do base, with karate, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and weapons added. It has been called the Chuck Norris System since 2015 and is run by the United Fighting Arts Federation in Las Vegas. It shares Korean roots with taekwondo but is a separate style.