Which Presidents are the best when it comes to martial arts?

These days, when you think of presidents of the United States of America, the last thing you associate with them is being martial artists. They are often old, career politicians who are massively out of shape, and whilst they may be able to run their country, when it comes to physical combat they know very little.

However, you may be surprised to learn that there’s actually been a fine history of martial artist presidents that are able to kick butt and take names. It should be noted that this list isn’t in any particular order. As well, there have been quite a few presidents that have dabbled in wrestling down the years due to its popularity in the USA. Here’s a list of various presidents and their backgrounds in martial arts. Some may surprise you!

George Washington – Wrestling

Born in 1732, George Washington was born in a different era. These days, whilst wrestling is fairly regulated, he was competing in an era where there were very few rules compared to today. Instead, dirty tactics were the norm, and even though we think of modern wrestlers as tough guys, training back then meant you had to be even tougher…both mentally and physically.

Back then, you may even get the odd ‘accidental’ kick, punch, or headbutt during wrestling. So, he may have been a founding father of the USA – but he could also hold his own and was a skilled grappler when it came to self defense.

Abraham Lincoln

Step forward Abraham Lincoln, another president that liked to wrestle. What’s even more ridiculous about Lincoln is that he was 6’4 feet tall, back in the 1800s. That may be the equivalent of being about 6’8 now with a good base in wrestling. As if that wasn’t enough, Lincoln was also known for his street fights in his earlier days and had a rumored record of 300-1 in wrestling.

In all honesty, this record is probably blown up which sometimes happens as history likes to make things bigger than they actually were. However, could you imagine a street fighting president these days? His grappling heroics got him inducted into the wrestling hall of fame. There’s not much else that needs to be said about one of America’s most popular presidents ever.

Barack Obama

The inclusion of Barack Obama is a little controversial and less impressive compared to the others on this list. However, if you look at Obama’s martial arts skills through a modern lens, then it’s more acceptable. Remember, in recent times US presidents have included the likes of George W. Bush, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. These are all hardly pillars of great physical health.

So, in this sense, Obama is a worthy inclusion. Before he became president, Obama got a green belt in Taekwondo which means he’d trained for a couple of years and knew the martial art. He eventually got a token black belt from the president of South Korea, but nonetheless is probably a capable fighter. At over 6 feet tall with a habit of staying in very good physical shape, he’s not exactly a guy you’d want to mess with, especially within today’s standards.

William Taft

At the peak of his wrestling career, William Taft was a 200 pound wrestling champion. Obviously, this isn’t an easily achievable goal and shows how good he was at wrestling. Whilst he may have got fat during his role of president, it’s important to remember how good he was whilst he was younger. Just think about it, 200 pounds of wrestling ability trying to grapple you during a fight.

Dwight Eisenhower

As far as well rounded wrestlers go, Dwight Eisenhower has to be near the top. Not only did he do wrestling (surprise, surprise), he also did boxing and after a leg injury he eventually took up fencing. He may not have had championship status such as Taft, nor did he gain such a reputation as Lincoln, but nonetheless this shows someone who could fight in multiple disciplines.

Arguably, most modern day MMA fighters use a combination of wrestling, boxing, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As BJJ didn’t exist during Eisenhower’s regime, it’s fair to say that he had all the hallmarks of a solid MMA fighter who could grapple and use striking. When you throw in his fencing skills and knowledge of weapons, it’s clear that Eisenhower was no joke when it comes to combat and martial arts.

Theodore Roosevelt

Perhaps the most impressive martial artist on the list is Theodore Roosevelt who even puts Eisenhower’s multiple disciplines to shame. Roosevelt was a boxing champion, wrestler and achieved a Judo brown belt (the one before black belt). This means that he did have the profile of a modern day MMA fighter as he was even wary of submissions. During his younger days, Roosevelt took his health and physique very seriously and was pretty ripped as well. Unlike certain others, Roosevelt didn’t quit after becoming president either. He even got a detached retina whilst sparring boxing in the basement of the Whitehouse.

What’s even more interesting is how he was genuinely passionate about his martial arts training. He was known to write about martial arts in copious details on subjects such as ground game, grappling and how to integrate striking into these attacks. Sound familiar? He was an old-school MMA fighter before its time. Because of this, it’s quite clear that Theodore Roosevelt takes the prize for the best martial artist president.

Why did so many presidents love wrestling?

As you may have figured by now, presidents loved to wrestle. In fact, there’s even more that dabbled in wrestling that didn’t make the list. The reason for the love of wrestling is due to its popularity. Remember, this was the dominant sport before the likes of football, baseball and hockey came along. In other words, it was easily accessible for people of all classes to partake in. It didn’t matter if you were rich or poor, it was one of the oldest forms of sports and martial arts in the world. Therefore, it’s no surprise that in their youth, many presidents loved to wrestle.

Conclusion

Back in ancient Greek times, it was said that to be a good leader of the country, you had to excel in both physical and mental tasks. It seems that the guys listed above certainly did that. Sadly, this philosophy has disappeared in modern day and no longer takes place. In fact, looking at most world leaders, they are in physically poor shape. Ironically, politician John McCain actually lobbied to get MMA banned and even once referred to it as ‘human cockfighting’, which is a far cry from the likes of Theodore Roosevelt and others.

You could argue this isn’t relevant, but remember the Ancient Greeks knew their stuff when it came to running a successful empire. The idea here is that if you toughen your body with activities such as wrestling and martial arts, then your mind will become strong as a result and you will enjoy facing adversity. Although this list may be fun and interesting, it serves as a reminder that perhaps the old ways are better in some areas of life.