Jason Statham – Celebrity actor & lifetime martial artist

When it comes to celebrity martial artists, many claim to be trained in fighting, but very few actually are. Here, we shall look at the martial arts career of Jason Statham. For those wondering, Jason Statham is a British actor who is known for his tough guy roles in movies such as The Expendibles and The Transporter. He is also known to do his own stunts and has a background in martial arts. So, if you’re wondering just how legit he is in terms of fighting skills, then you’ll find out. Read on for more details on Jason Statham and his relationship with combat sports.

Is Jason Statham a real martial artist?

To answer this question, yes Jason Statham is a real martial artist. However, like all things life people’s definitions of ‘real’ may differ. In short, Jason Statham began training martial arts as a teenager and did kickboxing and karate for a few years. It should be pointed out, that Statham was only ever a hobbyist at this level and wasn’t a world champion or anything. Nonetheless, anyone with a couple of years of kickboxing or karate under their belt will be able to handle themselves in most self defense situations. The conditioning in karate alone may be one of the reasons for his great physique.

Interestingly though, in his earlier days Statham was actually a keen diver and took diving more seriously than martial arts. Here, he even represented England in the 1990 Commonwealth finals. Since his acting days though, he has returned to martial arts and these days can be found training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

What degree black belt is Jason Statham?

Contrary to popular belife, Jason Statham is NOT a black belt. Some websites are claiming that he is 10th degree in some arts, and even claim that he’s a 3rd degree in BJJ. This simply isn’t true. What is true, is that he’s certainly an accomplished martial artist. As said previously, he has trained since his teenage years and has done it on/off as an adult due to his busy work schedule. So, whilst Jason Statham is a skilled martial artist – he hasn’t devoted his life to martial arts, unlike Michael Jai White.

Was Jason Statham an MMA fighter?

Again, this is an internet rumor and Jason Statham has never fought in MMA. Firstly, Jason Statham was born in 1967 meaning that he’s too old to fight in MMA. Even the early pioneers in MMA were fighting in the early 90s. This means that Statham had a very small window during his early twenties to try and get in to the UFC or other promotions at the time.

During this period, Statham was trying to break into the film industry and was performing in music videos. As any actor will attest, it’s a busy period trying to get your first real jobs in the industry. This means that realistically, Statham was never going to be an MMA fighter.

Is Jason Statham tough in real life?

Firstly, Jason Statham’s tough guy image is an act for the most part, as that is his profession. In person, he is said to be a genuinely nice person though and it’s mean or rude. However, due to his martial arts back ground, it’s fair to say that he is skilled when it comes to fighting.

In terms of striking he can kick box and knows karate. In terms of grappling, he has also trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a few years – so he knows his stuff. In short, he’s not tough as in being a nasty person. However, he is tough in terms of being skilled at fighting. He is also in great physical shape, which would only make him harder to fight due to adding to his strength and conditioning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jason Statham genuinely knows how to fight. Especially for a man in his 50s, he is not to be messed with an has a good, rounded skillset. However, please do not pay attention to other websites that are claiming that he has black belts in several arts. Simply put, he’s better than most average people at martial arts and kickboxing is his speciality. However, he isn’t on the level of a professional martial artist or MMA fighter either. In fairness to Statham, he has never bragged about his training and is not a loud mouth. Most of these accolades come from gossip and are unfounded.

If you’re a fan of Jason Statham, then check out his biography here.