Bob Svenson, the actor of the films Walking Tall, who competed at the 4th IJF Grand Masters World Championships in Miami, earned his shodan (first-degree black belt) at the famed and notoriously tough Kodokan in Japan, home dojo of the sport, in 1961 while stationed there in the U.S. Marines. After a long time no practicing the sport in 2009 he bought a new gi and came back to the mats.