Surprising Actors Who Have Impressive Martial Arts Skills

Actors generally have to possess a lot of skills to make it big. It isn't enough to simply turn up and say the lines and cash the paycheck. Some of the most on-demand stars have multiple bows to their string, helping them stand out from everyone else trying to land a coveted role. Just look at all the actors who are good singers or those that can show off on the dance floor with impressive dance moves.

Another vital talent is the ability to get down and dirty in fight scenes. Many of the most popular movies contain their fair share of exciting action sequences where characters are forced to battle. It shouldn't be a major shock to learn that many actors, such as Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone, have backgrounds in martial arts.

Yet, there are plenty of actors out there who also have a love for martial arts that might be more of a surprise, especially when they are people who aren't usually associated with action movies or fighting.

Keanu Reeves is one of his generation's premiere movie stars, with lead roles in a wide array of classic films. His greatest hits include 1989's time travel comedy "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," Gus Van Sant's mind-bending, heartbreaking 1991 Shakespeare adaptation "My Own Private Idaho," and of course, several action genre staples like 1991's "Point Break," 1994's "Speed," and most recently, both the "John Wick" and "Matrix" franchises. 

Reeves' entry into the world of martial arts came as he was preparing to shoot "The Matrix" in 1999. He and the rest of the main cast went through months of training in various forms of martial arts under the tutelage of expert Woo-Ping Yuen. Some of the disciplines included jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga, and kung fu, with Reeves taking his training so seriously that he continued to practice while in a neck brace and on off days.

His experience on "The Matrix" and its sequels seems to have left a lasting impression on the actor. For his role in the "John Wick" franchise, Reeves has continued to train and learn new styles. He worked with the Machado family, showed how proficient he is with various weapons, and even earned an honorary black belt in judo from Nomura Tadahiro. With director Chad Stahelski, Reeves even helped popularize the gun fu martial art depicted in the "John Wick" movies. The fact that Reeves is a skilled martial artist is not that surprising, but it is shocking to see how widespread his knowledge is and how dedicated he is to his training.

Jessica Alba became a household name in 2000 when she was cast in the lead role of the Fox action series "Dark Angel." Almost immediately after the conclusion of the show, she began to land prominent film roles and starred in the likes of "Fantastic Four," "Little Fockers," and "Sin City." Her role in the 2005 Robert Rodriguez movie was the first of a collaboration with the director; Alba went on to appear in other Rodriguez films "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" and "Machete."

As a regular in action films, Alba has never been afraid to show her physical side. What helps is the fact that she is proficient in Taekwondo, the Korean martial art that primarily involves various types of kicks and has shared videos of her workouts on social media. She has also trained in Krav Maga in preparation for the film "Mechanic: Resurrection" and became pretty good by her own account. "I could hurt you," she told USA Today. "But I'm not lethal. I'd probably just stun you."

Taylor Lautner will be familiar to anyone who is a fan of the "Twilight" series of films, as the actor portrayed the werewolf known as Jacob Black. But long before he pursued a career in acting, Lautner had a passion for karate. He was just 6 years old when he began studying the martial art and was almost instantly successful. While still under the age of 10, he won a number of tournaments and then began training under actor and stuntman Michael Chaturantabut. Lautner climbed through the ranks and earned a black belt in the sport in addition to becoming a world champion. Choosing a career in acting, Lautner largely gave up on his martial arts career to concentrate on his clearly more lucrative television and film work. Considering his background in martial arts, the fact that he's been doing projects like the miserably reviewed 2022 Kevin James football comedy "Home Team" instead of action movies is pretty strange.

Ashton Kutcher is another actor that most people don't associate with martial arts. The television and film star is mainly known for his roles in comedies and romance films, meaning that he rarely has any need for fighting skills or high-octane action. Nevertheless, the actor seemingly began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the early 2010s and by 2014 had achieved a blue belt. He is even reported to have traveled to Brazil to learn from tutors in the country, although he has also trained under Rigan Machado and earned a purple belt in 2014 before being awarded a brown belt — just one step below the coveted black belt — in 2019. In a video posted to Instagram, grappling expert Craig Jones can be seen sparring with Kutcher.

Apparently, the onetime "That '70s Show" star is one of the many folks who practice martial arts as a hobby. Martial arts disciplines, after all, can be good for the mind and body, and don't necessarily require practical application in the real world. In fact, most martial artists will say they would prefer not to be beating people up on a regular basis in their everyday lives. 

A teen star in the early 1980s, John Cusack was known for roles in comedies like "Better Off Dead" and "Say Anything..." before he started landing more serious leading-man gigs during his adult years. Despite his comparative lack of action roles — with the exception of 1997's essential "Con Air," of course – Cusack has been a fan of martial arts for many years and trained with kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez for more than two decades. He is so experienced and proficient in the discipline that he has earned a level six black belt. This came in handy when he appeared in "Dragon Blade" with Jackie Chan and was able to put his skills to use during fight scenes with the famous action star. Despite a language barrier existing with Chan's team, Cusack was able to adjust, telling the Straits Times, "I've been doing martial arts for so long, I understood the body rhythms even if I didn't understand the commands."

Among the surprising actors who have impressive martial arts skills is Jon Foo, a relative unknown to the industry. However, thanks to his abilities, he's landed roles in a range of movies and television series over the years, including "Batman Begins" and "Street Fighter: Legacy." These roles have usually involved uncredited parts where Foo also acted as a stunt performer. His big break came when he played Jin Kazama in the live-action video game adaptation "Tekken" in 2010. In 2016, he took on the role of Jackie Chan's character alongside Justin Hires in the CBS television series "Rush Hour."

The actor's interest in martial arts began from an early age. Both of his parents had studied different disciplines, including judo and karate. Exposed to these martial arts and inspired by Jackie Chan, Foo took up training in Wushu as well as Shaolin kung fu when he was just 8 years old. By the age of 15, he was skilled enough to join the London Chinese Acrobat Circus. Foo has since trained in China and worked with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team.