11 Celebrities Who Have Been Training in Martial Arts for Years

From the red carpet to the dojo, many celebrities take their love of fitness to another level by training in martial arts. Whether for an action role, personal discipline, or lifelong passion, these stars dedicate themselves to everything from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to boxing and beyond. Let’s take a look at 11 celebrities who train hard.

Henry Cavill

Known for his physically intense role as Superman, Henry Cavill‘s dedication to martial arts training shines behind the scenes. In a 2018 interview with Men’s Journal, he said, “I’ve done a little bit of boxing, but for me the martial art I do the most is Jiu-Jitsu,” as reported by Men’s Journal.

Wiz Khalifa

The rapper isn’t just about catchy beats, Wiz Khalifa is a committed MMA enthusiast. When asked in an interview in 2018 with Bleacher Report about how he got into MMA, he stated, “The first person I went to go see was Rigan Machado. I did jiu-jitsu with him for like a month or two, which was cool. Then I started going to Unbreakable, which is a gym in L.A. That’s where I became a Muay Thai fighter.”

Dave Bautista

Best known for dominating both wrestling rings and the silver screen, Dave Bautista draws on his martial arts background to shape his action roles. Around the time he left professional wrestling, Bautista picked up Brazilian jiu-jitsu and went on to win his lone professional MMA bout by first-round TKO in 2012, according to Jits Magazine.

Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher is more than a comedic fixture, he’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu enthusiast. He has trained in jiu-jitsu for well over a decade and, after spending roughly six years as a brown belt, was ultimately promoted all the way to black belt in 2025, per MMA Mania.

Tom Hardy

Intense and imposing, Tom Hardy channels real-life martial arts training into every one of his gritty roles. Hardy studies Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing, lending authentic power to his roles on screen, per ESPN. He also won gold in both the gi and no-gi divisions of the REORG Open jiu-jitsu tournament as a blue belt, according to the outlet.

Idris Elba

Often cited as one of the coolest men in Hollywood, Idris Elba is also a professional kickboxer. At 44, Elba made his professional kickboxing debut at a London fight night, a journey chronicled in the documentary series Idris Elba: Fighter, as reported by Vice.

Jessica Biel

Athletic and versatile, Jessica Biel turns to martial arts and intense physical training for many of her action roles. In an interview with ESPN, she said that to prepare for her role in 2004’s Blade: Trinity, she was “on a crazy workout schedule where I was learning martial arts and learning to shoot a crossbow.”

Robert Downey Jr.

In 2003, Robert Downey Jr. began training in the Wing Chun martial art popularized by Bruce Lee and has practiced it daily ever since, per Men’s Journal.

Ed O’Neill

Ed O’Neill may be best known for his comedic work, but the Modern Family star is a seasoned Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. In 2007, after approximately 16 years of dedicated practice, O’Neill was awarded his black belt, according to Digitsu.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato is not only an icon in music and television, but they’ve also excelled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, earning a blue belt. Lovato announced the blue belt promotion in August 2017, revealing in an Instagram post that “I fell in love with #BJJover a year ago and have been training several times a week ever since, according to Billboard.

Kevin James

Comedic actor Kevin James is trained in MMA and incorporates his skills into on-screen fight scenes. To prepare for his MMA-fighter role in Here Comes the Boom, he worked alongside UFC fighters and trained under renowned coaches Mark DellaGrotte and Joe Lauzon, according to MY MMA News.