What Fighting Style Does Jason Statham Use In His Movies?

Despite having many incredible skills and fighting abilities, actor Jason Statham seems to prefer to use one particular fighting style in his flashy, action-packed films. Among the elite actors who dare to perform their own stunts and death-defying feats, such as Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan and Keanu Reeves, is Statham, who brings his own unique set of skills to the genre. The authenticity of his action films makes him a bankable action star, with dozens of box-office films in the genre earning millions of dollars and crowds of fans. However, despite his talent as an actor, Statham mostly sticks to one fighting style in his films.

Jason Statham’s Primary Fighting Style Is Kickboxing

According to Distractify, kickboxing is known to be Statham’s favorite fighting style and heavily influences the fight scenes and stunts he performs in his films. Although Statham hasn’t spoken much (if ever) about his kickboxing training to the public, some entertainment and martial arts sources list kickboxing as his specialty. However, the highly effective hybrid of martial arts and boxing style of fighting is easily observed in many of Statham’s best action films and film fight scenes. On top of that, Statham is said to be an avid kickboxing fan and was

most recently seen having fun at the 2024 GLORY Grand Prix International Kickboxing Tournament. In an interview with GLORY, Statham expressed sympathy and admiration for the fighters, identifying with the pain that this style of fighting brings, but also enthusiastically praised the resilience of their opponents. From subtle references to his own experiences to his impressions of the fighters, it’s clear that Statham has great respect for the sport of combat and a fighting style close to his heart.

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Other Martial Arts Styles Jason Statham Has Practiced

Statham has always been a high-level athlete, starting as a youngster with the British national diving team and then competing at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. However, his athleticism was not limited to diving and brief training in football, but grew into a full commitment to not one, but several types of martial arts. Statham’s pursuit of other athletic endeavors led him to begin training in martial arts styles such as Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

It is not entirely clear when in his career his training took place or what his certifications are in the relevant disciplines. However, the actor’s skill level is never in doubt as it is evident in his stellar performances in action films, impressive personal training videos and critical knowledge of combat. Armed with his unique set of skills, Statham is able to perform most of his own stunts, and that’s what truly brings the magic to the actor’s crowd-pleasing, thrilling action films.

Jason Statham Performs Most Of His Own Action Stunts In His Movies

Statham’s martial arts training not only contributed to his tough and skilled action image, but also made him a cult classic in the genre of cinema. Whether he’s playing a professional thief, an assassin, a cage fighter or a bodyguard, Statham’s characters never seem fake because every crazy stunt or shocking stunt is performed by him alone. His extensive experience in martial arts allows his characters to look natural and authentic on the big screen, even in the most outlandish scenes.

Moreover, the actor’s knowledge of various forms of martial arts means that his action characters can master a wide range of martial arts techniques without the audience questioning their authenticity. Sometimes action films lean toward almost impossible circumstances that make for great movie moments when they’re executed flawlessly, but fail badly when they’re not. Luckily, Jason Statham will always have an edge as his background in martial arts will always contribute to the creation of authentic and exciting characters and action sequences.