5 Actors Who Learned Martial Arts for a Movie

Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes is one of the original actors whose martial arts training shone on-screen. While Snipes has previous martial arts training in Shotokan karate and Hapkido from his childhood, the number of disciplines he’s learned has increased dramatically over the years, thanks to his participation in movies. Snipes has shown off his skills in a number of films, but learned even more for films like To Wong Foo, U.S. Marshals, and the Blade franchise. His progressive training on action films has included things like capoeira, kung fu, and Brazilian jiu jitsu. As a result of all this training, Snipes has truly made a name for himself as one of the most talented actors with phenomenal martial arts skills.

Keanu Reeves

A veteran in the world of cinematic martial arts, Keanu Reeves has certainly earned his reputation as a Hollywood badass. First learning a variety of karate and kung-fu for The Matrix franchise, Reeves has continued his martial arts training over the years. Films that feature his skills include 47 Ronin, Constantine, and John Wick franchise. Considering the fact that Reeves is in his late-50s, you would think that perhaps his martial arts training would be slowing down, but the opposite is true. In 2019, when it was announced that both The Matrix.

Michael Jai White

Michael Jai White is an underrated actor/martial artist who is often overlooked for big names like Reeves and Jason Statham. White’s martial arts resume is astounding, mastering nine different styles of martial arts, sweeping away most of his competitors. This underrated actor has starred in dozens of action films, showcasing his prowess in his first major screen appearance in the HBO movie Tyson, playing the role of heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, and later starring in films like Coming Out of Wounds alongside Steven Segal. and made a name for himself in films such as Blood and Bones and Black Dynamite. White’s latest film, Welcome to Sudden Death, debuted on Netflix in 2020 to high praise. At the same age as Reeves, it’s clear that White is showing no signs of slowing down in his acting career or martial arts training.

10 Best Michael Jai White Movies According to IMDb

Jason Statham

Jason Statham made a household name for himself, starring in films such as Snatch and The Italian Job, as well as starring in The Transporter trilogy. While he fell for a short time, he saw a resurgence in his career after then starring in the Expendables franchise and then going on to play Deckard Shaw in many of the Fast and Furious films. These roles not only revived his acting personality, but he trained and perfected his martial arts skills, specializing in kickboxing and kung fu. Statham continues to release action films, which does not please his fans.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy Debuting in Black Hawk Down, Hardy continued to explore the silver screen, garnering a lot of attention with his performance in Inception. Before appearing in the post-apocalyptic Mad Max: Fury Road, Hardy discovered MMA in 2011 while training for Warrior. Since then, Hardy has continued to take on more physically demanding roles. Hardy continues to amaze audiences not only with his phenomenal acting but also with his MMA skills, with a focus on jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. Hardy’s latest film, Chaos, is expected to release later this year on Netflix.