'Street Fighter' star Andrew Koji says he drew on Kyokushin karate founder Choi Bae-dal to shape Ryu

〈Street Fighter〉 has revealed behind-the-scenes details about its characters.

The film 〈Street Fighter〉 released behind-the-scenes details about Ryu, as revealed by actor Andrew Koji, on Sept. 28. Based on the fighting game of the same name, 〈Street Fighter〉 follows destined rivals Ryu (Andrew Koji) and Ken Masters (Noah Centineo), who return to the fighting arena at Chun-Li's (Kalina Liang) urging for a life-or-death battle royale and a vast conspiracy surrounding them.

Andrew Koji said, “The person I drew on most while playing Ryu was Choi Bae-dal, the legendary real-life martial artist who founded Kyokushin karate.” Choi Bae-dal was a Korean-Japanese martial artist and the founder of Kyokushin karate, widely known among Koreans by the nickname “Fighter in the Wind.” Describing Choi Bae-dal as “someone who spent long periods alone in the mountains, undergoing grueling training and testing his limits,” Koji said he found inspiration in him. “Like Ryu, he never stayed in one place and wandered from place to place. He was, quite literally, a wanderer,” Koji said. He also described the character he played: “Fame, public attention and money don't matter. All Ryu wants is to keep becoming a better person through martial arts and fighting.”

Opening in theaters Oct. 14, 〈Street Fighter〉 will bring audiences full-throttle action with a diverse cast that includes Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Kalina Liang, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa'i, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Andrew Schulz, Vidyut Jammwal, Eric André, 50 Cent and Jason Momoa.