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Nowadays, most celebrities are very conscious about their health and fitness. So what better way to keep the body in prime condition than to practice martial arts! An actor, for instance, must be trained in some form of martial arts to make his action scenes look authentic.
Many celebrities have taken to martial arts as a way of life. Some of them even go to lengths like spending months training with professional fighters and some of the best martial artists in the world.
There's another set of people who've adopted martial arts as a way of life even before achieving fame and success. American YouTube sensation Jake Paul is one such example.
A popular YouTuber, Paul is also a professional, undefeated boxer with two knockout victories under his belt. He is set to fight former UFC star Ben Askren in an exhibition boxing match on April 18.
These celebrities can fight if you ever put them inside a cage or a ring. Some of them might have even turned out to be world-beaters, given their stellar resumes.
Before we start, we must make a few honorable mentions of the true pioneers who popularised martial arts in various action sequences of Hollywood movies. The likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme are some of the names in this regard.
On that note, let's look at five celebrities who are well-trained in martial arts.
#1 Ashton Kutcher
This might come as a surprise to most people, as Ashton Kutcher doesn't feature in a lot of action movies. More renowned for his boy-next-door charm and penchant for comedy, Kutcher also happens to be a longtime practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ).
He is an avid fan of combat sports such as MMA and can often be spotted attending UFC events. Kutcher, who has been a wrestler, has wrestled UFC star Cub Swanson.
Ashton Kutcher trains BJJ under Rigan Machado and is a purple belt holder in the sport. Machado once claimed that Kutcher would beat former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor if they were to take on each other.
Since he doesn't usually play characters that require him to undergo martial arts training, Kutcher must have learnt BJJ because of his passion for the sport.
He has been regularly training for quite a few years now and could definitely turn a few heads if he participates in a BJJ competition.
#2 Guy Ritchie
Popular American movie producer and director Guy Ritchie had his first tryst with martial arts at the tender age of seven. From thereon, he went on to become a black belt in Karate as well as Judo. There are not many doubts about his ability to fight, given his enormous experience and pedigree in martial arts.
Ritchie later developed a passion for BJJ and trained under the legendary Renzo Gracie. Having extensively trained in other forms of martial arts, it didn't take him long to pick up the art of jiu-jitsu. He soon earned himself the most prestigious reward in the sport - a black belt.
A lot of UFC stars, including the likes of Conor McGregor, haven't been able to earn a black belt in BJJ yet. That speaks volumes about Ritchie's prowess as a martial artist.
#3 Michael Jai White
Michael Jai White has trained in eight different styles of martial arts, which include Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Taekwondo, Kobudo, Tang Soo Do, Wushu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kyokushin Karate. Just like Ritchie, White also started training in martial arts at the young age of seven.
While he never went pro, White did compete in martial arts tournaments, most of which were Karate ones.
White has frequently mentioned that he has sparred with some of the most talented fighters in the world, including the likes of Jon Jones and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
However, UFC welterweight Mike Perry isn't a fan of White's fighting skills and even challenged him to a fight, which the actor rejected. But White did say that if it ever got to that situation, he would beat the UFC fighter inside the cage.
#4 Henry Cavill
Renowned for portraying the role of the Man of Steel, Henry Cavill knows a thing or two about combat sports in reality as well.
Cavill wasn't born with superpowers like Superman and had to undergo rigorous training to fit into the big shoes of Kal-El.
To prepare for his role, Cavill started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Renzo Gracie jiu-jitsu academy. He has now become a regular practitioner of the sport. Cavill is often spotted training at the academy with the legendary Roger Gracie.
Therefore, messing with Superman, even in real life, may not be a great idea.
#5 Wesley Snipes
Apart from being a popular action hero and now a film producer, Wesley Snipes is also a highly-skilled martial artist.
At the age of 12, Snipes began training in martial arts. He now has a fifth-degree black belt in Shotokan karate and a second-degree black belt in Hapkido.
Snipes also has extensive knowledge and training in Capoeira, Kung Fu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing.
