What martial arts does Ethan Hunt use in the Mission Impossible movies?

Ethan Hunt is the star of the Mission Impossible movies and is known as a spy who lives dangerously. As a result of his daring missions, Hunt often takes place in fist fights and uses weapons for his survival. Because of this, it’s fair to assume that he’s trained in martial arts. You would certainly hope so with him being a spy after all! Played by Tom Cruise in the movies, he has shown off his martial arts skills in over a decade of fights which portray him as a well-rounded fighter.

Remember, this should be taken with a pinch of salt as it’s only a movie so these martial arts aren’t written in stone. However, they are seen during various fight scenes that take place within the Mission Impossible movie franchise so it’s not made up either. If you want to get really specific though, Tom Cruise uses the Keysi method in Mission Impossible. This is a form of choreography that is designed to look like stylish fighting on the big screen. Read on for more information.

Ethan Hunt knows Wrestling

In a few of the Mission Impossible movies, Ethan Hunt successfully hits a few double leg takedowns. Arguably, these are the most successful wrestling takedowns that someone can learn. Often, Hunt would hit these by almost spearing his opponents into the air. In wrestling terms, he has a fantastic blast double takedown that literally lifts opponents off their feet and into the air.

In these scenes, his technique looks very crisp and hints that Hunt has done wrestling during his childhood and teenage years. For obvious reasons, the double leg is a great technique to be able to do, as it puts you in such an advantageous position, whilst starting in a neutral one. At times, he has also done ankle pick variations but usually favors the double leg as his main takedown.

Ethan Hunt knows Krav Maga

Throughout the movies, Ethan Hunt also shows his Krav Maga skills at times. In one scene, he is caught in a tight rear naked choke but defends this by doing a backward headbutt into the nose of his opponent. He is also good at grappling guns out of the hands of his enemies which means if he gets in close, your pistol may get reversed. For the most part, Hunt uses his Krav Maga skills for defensive purposes rather than offensive ones.

This makes sense, as Hunt is an American spy, so there’s every chance that he’s trained Krav Maga or some kind of variation such as MCMAP at some point. Therefore, it’s fair to say that his grappling and wrist control is very good, although he could still work on other forms of grappling such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is barely displayed in the Mission Impossible films.

Ethan Hunt knows Boxing

Boxing is often used as a staple of fighting and it’s commonly used by Ethan Hunt too. Often, he will stand and box if possible. One thing to note is that his foot and head work is actually quite sloppy at times. However, in these fight scenes, he still manages to beat his attackers by outpunching them. This is done by landing big uppercuts and hooks, rather than relying on the jab.

Although this may not be the most realistic approach, it still makes for exciting fight scenes. If you’re going to analyze it further, you could also say that Hunt prioritizes power over speed when boxing and doesn’t land too many blows, but when he does they’re pretty hard. In fact, a good description of Hunt’s boxing could be described as a brawler rather than a real technician.

Ethan Hunt knows Capoeira

Perhaps Ethan Hunts most stylish form of fighting is his use of Capoeira. In some of his fights, he’s not shy in using this very flamboyant method and knows an array of spinning and jumping kicks. Capoeira is rarely used in fights such as MMA and also involves dancing, so it’s arguably the perfect martial art to integrate into a movie fight sequence. As for where Ethan Hunt is concerned, if you give him enough room and don’t engage with him, he will punish you by performing a spinning kick with a blow to the head.

If done correctly, this could instantly end a fight and end in a knockout. He sometimes combines Capoeira with a few Taekwondo kicks too, such as spinning roundhouse kicks. As it happens, in Mission Impossible 3, Tom Cruise worked with Andy Norman who is a known Capoeira practitioner so it’s not surprising to see this utilized in that particular film. However, it was even used before MI3 was made as well.

Conclusion

Looking closely at Ethan Hunt’s martial arts, it’s fair to say that he has quite a mixed fighting style. This includes some highly effective wrestling takedowns, brutal boxing punches, defensive Krav Maga, and fancy Capoeira kicks. It should also be mentioned that he’s also well versed in the discipline of tactical shooting. It’s often debated as to whether tactical shooting is actually a martial art or whether it’s just a practical skill. Remember, Hunt is also in good physical shape which again isn’t a martial art in itself, but being strong and athletic certainly helps when it comes to combat.

Regardless, the fact is that this is still a very important fighting method for someone like Ethan Hunt to be involved with. For obvious reasons, he’s often surrounded by firearms and so it’s important to utilize these skills and be able to shoot around corners, find angles, and generally stay safe in a gunfight.

In conclusion, it’s safe to say that Ethan Hunt knows a few different martial arts and is a fairly well rounded martial artist. He may not be the best martial artist ever and has quite an unorthodox style. Nonetheless, he often gets the job done and in that sense is a very practical fighter who always finds a way.

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