Sometimes people tend to forget that even celebrities have more going for them than just a pretty face and some acting skills. Many of them have their own hobbies and loves outside of their job, and their jobs afford them the ability to engage in these things with ease and with regularity. Many celebrities are into more than what we think that they are into, which tends to be shopping and partying. Many are into martial arts, and not just because it allows them to maintain a trim and sleek physique. Many celebs are hardcore martial artists who love the practice because of what it provides for them, which is training, strength and peace of mind. Read on to find out which of your favorite celebrities hold a black belt in martial arts of varying degrees – some will surprise you to the fullest and others might sort of ring a bell as you read a little more. Either way, these are people many do not expect to see with black belts and a love of martial arts that they practice on a regular basis.
Steven Seagal
He’s an action movie hero, and a black belt in just about everything that is related to the martial arts. He’s got a 7th degree black belt in something called Aikido as well as black belts in just about everything else, including karate, kendo and judo. He’s very accomplished, and highly disciplined. To earn this many black belts, however, one has to be both. It’s not possible to excel like this without discipline and a love of what he does.
Willie Nelson
This country music superstar is someone you might not expect to have a black belt, but he does. He’s got a black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul. It’s a form of martial arts he’s been practicing for years, and it’s made him very good at what he does. It’s also helped to keep the superstar in shape, even if he has other issues in his life that aren’t keeping him so well-rounded. He’s someone who has surprised many with his passion for martial arts, not to mention his skill.
Albert II Prince of Monaco
He’s not someone who looks particularly physically fit or even all that athletic, but he really is. The prince has several sides to him that we are not all that familiar with, and he’s got several hobbies that many people are unaware of. One such hobby is his love of martial arts. He’s a black belt in Judo.
Ed O’Neill
He’s funny and he makes a fabulous television father, but that’s not all he’s good for. The man who made “Married…with Children,” famous and who makes us laugh every week on “Modern Family,” has a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. He’s been practicing much of his life, and he excels at this particular form of martial art. Perhaps it’s the characters he’s so famous for portraying on television that make him seem like such an unlikely candidate for a black belt, but it is what it is.
Gary Daniels
It might surprise some to see him on the list, and it might not surprise others. He’s the man from “The Expendables,” and he’s got a black belt. He’s a very athletic man who has a serious love of all things athletic, including things like kickboxing and several other forms of martial arts. His black belt, however, was acquired through his love and affection for Taekwondo. He’s been practicing for many years, and it really does show in his particular skill set.
Wesley Snipes
Is anyone surprised, at all, to see his name on the list? I’m not. He’s Wesley Snipes. His job is to attack the bad guys and be a totally hardcore man in just about every movie in which he’s ever been. And so it makes perfect sense he would adopt a black belt in Shotokan Karate. He also has a black belt in Hapkido. Don’t ask me to describe either, please; all I know is that they are not simple.
Elvis Presley
Did you know that the King of Rock and Roll was a black belt in karate? He was. He might have had some other issues in his life, but his physique and his training did not fall into that category. In fact, he was very disciplined when it came to practicing karate. The unfortunate news is that this other issues eventually got the best of him as he lived his life.
Forest Whitaker
He’s a pretty active man with a pretty nice physique, and he gets a lot of that from practicing Kenpo Karate, at which he has a black belt. He’s good at it, too, after practicing for so many years. He has serious skills in the department, and that makes him one of the best in his league. He’s very competitive, too, and that probably makes any sport more fun for those who do participate.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
It would make sense that Buffy the Vampire Slayer would have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, right? She does. She’s been practicing much of her life, and she loves it. She’s also very good at it, and often performed many of her own moves when she was filming her hit television show back in the day. Some people will not be even remotely surprised to see her on the list, but some will. After all, her Buffy character is just someone she played on television.
Guy Ritchie
He used to be married to Madonna, who is so physically fit it’s ridiculous. I suppose he had to find a way to keep up with her, so he turned to Judo. Over the years he became so accomplished at this art that he earned his black belt, which is no easy task. I’m not a black belt in this – nor have I ever practiced – but when the entire world calls it difficult, I tend to believe them.
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