Steven Seagal: Aikido Master and Action Star

Steven Seagal is one of the few martial artists who has become a famous actor. He introduced the world to aikido and showed how effective it can be in real combat. Steven Seagal was born April 10, 1952 in Lansing, Michigan. His mother worked as an administrator in a hospital. She was a foundling, her baby was found in a shoe box near the home of an American family. Therefore, her nationality is not exactly known, but formally she is considered Irish, since the family that sheltered her had Irish roots. His father was a school teacher, and his parents, according to documents, are Russian Jews who emigrated to America in the first half of the 20th century.

The name of the actor’s paternal grandparents before the move was Siegelman, after they changed it to Segal. It would seem that everything is clear, but Stephen clarifies. According to him, my grandfather was born in Buryatia, the city of Kyakhta, and was a Mongol by nationality. But my grandmother was Jewish, born in St. Petersburg. Stephen’s Asian facial features can serve as confirmation of Mongolian origin.

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Introduction to Martial Arts

When Stephen was five years old, the family moved to Fullerton, California. According to the mother, the move was due to the son’s poor health: he developed asthma. She hoped that in a different climate he would recover, and she was right: the boy stopped choking and got stronger. At the age of seven, Stephen began to study in the karate section of the then famous master Fumio Demura. At the age of 15, the young man got a job washing dishes in a restaurant, where he met a Japanese chef and aikido instructor Keshi Isisaki. Once he invited Stephen to training. The technique and philosophy of this martial art conquered the guy.

He abandoned karate without regret, and began to devote all his free time to aikido classes. This meeting, in fact, is a fateful moment in Stephen’s life. After all, it is aikido that will determine his next steps in life. And the first such step was a trip to Japan to continue studying the martial art. At that time he was 17 years old. Two years of intense training awaited Stephen, which allowed him to get the first dan. During this time, he also learned to speak Japanese fluently.

Living and Studying in Japan

In 1969, Segal came to Osaka and began to study with the master Koichi Tohei, who in turn once taught Keshi Isisaki. Thanks to this, he accepted Stephen as an “uchideshi” – a student who lives with a teacher. So the problem with housing and food was solved. In his free time, Stephen taught English, which allowed him to earn some extra money. Apart from aikido, Seagal began to study kendo, judo, acupuncture, herbal medicine. In 1974, he met his first wife, Japanese Miyako Fujitani. Her family owned the Tenshin Dojo (Aikido School “Heavenly Soul”) in Osaka. The lovers got married very quickly. When Stephen’s father-in-law retired in 1976, he appointed Segal as the manager of the dojo. This caused a storm of indignation in Japanese society. Stephen’s life in Japan flowed smoothly – he improved his skills in aikido both technically and spiritually.

He met and adopted the experience of the most famous and strongest masters of Japanese martial arts. But there is one entertaining story that clarifies some of the circumstances of his biography. Monks once arrived in Japan from Tibet. They visited monasteries. Some of them were sick, and they were advised to turn to Segal, who already had a serious knowledge of acupuncture and herbalism. In the process of treatment, he talked with them on religious topics, asked about their country. At that time in Tibet there was a struggle with the Chinese invaders. Seagal wanted to help. According to him, he did something in Tibet when there was a special operation of the CIA. Seagal did not disclose details, and it is worth noting that in the future, Stephen will repeatedly play the role of former CIA agents.

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Return to the US and acting career

In 1982 Stephen returned to the USA and opened his own aikido school. There he teaches a hard version of this martial art. Segal’s concept was that aikido could be used in a street fight. In the mid-80s, he was invited to teach Sean Connery his moves. The famous actor starred in the next Bond series Never Say Never, and spectacular fights were needed. But there was an embarrassment – Stephen, through negligence, broke the actor’s wrist. Connery was not offended and even stated that he himself was to some extent to blame – he looked down on Stephen and his fighting skills and was punished for impudence. As a result, they continued to film the fight scenes, and James Bond then famously dealt with the enemies with the help of aikido techniques. Mike Ovitz, the director of a recruitment agency for Hollywood, helped Seagal become an actor.

Stiven personally taught him aikido, and he was greatly impressed by his fighting ability. Ovitz made arrangements with Warner Brothers management to review teacher opportunities. Stephen showed them his skills. The management liked it. And in 1988, the film “Above the Law” was released – better known in Russia as “Niko”, which became a real hit. With a budget of $ 1 million, he raised 30 million. The success was resounding. The world saw aikido and was instantly captivated by it. Crowds of people who wanted to learn this spectacular martial art poured into Seagal’s school. The following films also performed well in terms of viewing and box office. Steven Seagal instantly became a movie star and a sought-after actor. The icing on the cake of fame was the famous film Under Siege, released in 1992. It is worth noting that Seagal has more than 50 films in his credit.

How good is Seagal in a real fight

There has always been a lot of controversy about Steven Seagal’s actual fighting skills. Aikido tournaments are not held, as this martial art is aimed at self-defense. No one saw real fights involving Stephen. In 2011, the UFC championship fight was held between Anderson Silva and Victor Belfort. In the first round, Silva knocked out Belfort with a kick. Seagal helped Anderson prepare for this fight, and then accompanied him on his way to the octagon. This was not the only time Seagal helped prepare MMA fighters. Steven was one of the specialists who prepared Lyoto Machida for the fight with Randy Couture. It is worth saying that Machida won a landslide victory in that battle. Steven Seagal entered his name in the history of martial arts, left a mark on world cinema and tries his hand at political activity.