How Soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic uses Taekwondo on the pitch

When it comes to the world of soccer, very few players venture out of their comfort zones. Whether this be their lavish life of luxury, or through other exercise methods. However, the story of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a very different one. Hailed as one of the greatest to ever grace the turf, he is also a Taekwondo black belt. This is a strange lifestyle choice for a professional footballer, as its often viewed as too dangerous whilst also training soccer and in some cases, soccer players are banned from training martial arts.

So, what does this mean for Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Firstly, at just under 6’4 in height, it’s fair to say that Ibrahimovic has the legs for Taekwondo and can use his height and leg length to devastating effect. The reach of his kicks alone is incredibly long. Secondly, his Taekwondo training has made him very athletic. As a player, he is known for jumping through the air and moves quickly, like a man half of his size. The image below shows a good example of how the two sports crossover, and how he uses his TKD training on the field. This helps him score some unusual goals, which many players are simply too unflexible to even think about attempting.

As seen, he is literally leaping through the air and has a fantastic jump on him.

What degree black belt is Zlatan?

This is a commonly asked question. He got his promotion to black belt after about 3 years of training in 2010. At the time, he was playing for AC Milan in Italy. It is not known if he still trains, or to what intensity. However, since his promotion there hasn’t been too much press coverage in terms of recent training. As a result, we don’t know what degree he is these days.

As mentioned earlier though, his TKD training certainly had a positive effect. This goal in particular highlights the flexibility, power, athleticism and timing that the Swede possesses. All of these qualities are important not just for soccer, but also for Taekwondo, of course. In summary, you could say that Ibrahimovic is a good example of how training martial arts can improve your professional life. The benefits are quite literal in his case.