Chuck Norris is the reason Nhlanhla Ndlovu went from being a hard-nosed thug and drug addict to becoming a taekwondo world champion.

<p><a href="http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/other/2011/08/14/ballito-bully-beats-booze-wins-world-title"><br /><br /></a>Ndlovu was once considered a "menace" by residents in Ballito on KwaZulu-Natal's North Coast. But last month he kicked and punched his way to a Global Taekwondo Federation world championship title in Scotland.<br /><br />Just three years ago he was addicted to cocaine and marijuana.<br /><br />"I also took ecstasy ... my life was pretty messed up and a lot of people didn't trust me," he said.<br /><br />Tales of his fights with taxi bosses in the coastal town are still legendary in certain areas of Ballito.<br /><br />But he said his life changed after he was accused of stealing R30000.<br /><br />During a subsequent court case he spent two months in jail before being acquitted.<br /><br />Shortly after his release Ndlovu joined a local church, the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ, and landed a job as a security guard.<br /><br />He befriended Timur Kurmanov, an international taekwondo instructor, and became one of his students. He has since participated in several international tournaments.<br /><br />Taekwondo, a self-defence sport, is based on continuous kicking and parrying.<br /><br />At a taekwondo tournament in Kazakhstan last year Ndlovu scooped two bronze medals.<br /><br />Last month he was awarded top honours at the tournament in Scotland where he won gold in the "hyper-heavyweight" category.<br /><br />He said he became interested in martial arts in the 1990s after watching movies featuring US martial art exponent and actor Chuck Norris.<br /><br />"I was bitten by the martial arts bug from the time I was in primary school," he said.<br /><br />Ndlovu said that after every movie he would imitate Norris's moves. In 1999, after his mother died, Ndlovu was forced to drop out of school in grade 11 and work as a gardener.<br /><br />"It was during that time that I became hooked on drugs and alcohol.<br /><br />"I became quite a menace. I became short-tempered and beat up people at the slightest provocation," he said.<br /><br />He described his life as having spiralled out of control.<br /><br />"But it's all a distant memory now," he said.<br /><br />Ndlovu is preparing for the Taekwondo World Cup in Canada next year.<br /><br />Said his mentor Kurmanov: "(Ndlovu) is very disciplined ... he can achieve a lot."</p>

Chuck Norris is the reason Nhlanhla Ndlovu went from being a hard-nosed thug and drug addict to becoming a taekwondo world champion.

Ndlovu was once considered a "menace" by residents in Ballito on KwaZulu-Natal's North Coast. But last month he kicked and pun...

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