Paulo Tocha
Paulo Tocha Bruce Stallion ( born December 12, 1955 in South Africa ) is an American martial artist, actor and fight choreographer.
Life
Born in Africa Tocha has Portuguese and Italian roots. He grew up in Mozambique and Johannesburg, and later went to Thailand because he wanted to learn real Muay Thai boxing. He was one of the first foreign fighters who have been accepted in Thailand. Tocha was formed in the early 1980s at a prestigious Muay Thai fighting school, Sor Thanikul in Bangkok. From Thailand from Tocha traveled to China, where he was the first foreigner again, who successfully fought and won.
Tocha also worked as an actor in Asia and had major roles in several ninja films, such as in Ninja Dragon ( 1985) with Richard Harrison. In Final Fight ( 1986), Jet Li's only directorial effort, he played the U.S. Navy and boxer Bailey, one of the antagonists of the protagonists played by Jet Li. In Bloodsport (1988 ), he plays the Muay Thai fighter Paco, who succumbed during the illegal martial arts competition against the part played by Jean -Claude Van Damme Frank Dux.
He then went to Los Angeles, California, where he continued his acting career and a teacher of Muay Thai was. He withdrew from the Muay Thai back in February 2001.
Tocha is Senior Vice President of the United States Muay Thai Association ( USMTA ), judge and referee of the World Muay Thai Council ( WMC), World Boxing Council (WBC ) as well as the referee Muay Thai Las Vegas ( NSAC ) Mixed Martial Arts ( MMA).
Tocha has worked as a technical advisor in Hollywood for major studios in film, television, and in many independent film companies. Among his best known films include Bloodsport, Death Warrant, Stone Cold - Stone Cold and In Hell. He was nominated for the U.S. National Actor's Award, International Actor's Award and a U.S. judge and referee of the year 1999. In 2007, he was the face of Cingular Networks in its national and international television advertising campaign.
Tocha is currently the executive producer for a new TV series titled Strong Spirit.