Famous People Who Practice Aikido

If you ever looked up a list of famous and well-known aikido practitioners on Wikipedia, you’ll see a variety of individuals who live both interesting and common lives. Among the names, you’ll see those who studied under Morihei Ueshiba, Aikido’s founder. His teachings continue to live on to this day through his students and his own children. You’ll also find actors, writers, professors, and so much more. For today’s blog post, we will list a few famous aikidoka whose lives have become enriched with the practice of Aikido. If you’d like to enrich your own life, then join Aikido of El Paso.

Sean Connery

The original James Bond himself, Sean Connery, told Jay Leno in 1996 that he was a Nidan in Aikido. During this Tonight Show interview, Connery went on to say that he actually broke his wrist while practicing aikido with fellow aikidoka Steven Segal. This may sound counterintuitive (since Aikido relates more to self-defense than other martial art forms) but it’s something that could actually happen. Perhaps Connery might’ve been a bit too aggressive against Segal who, then, used this aggression against Connery thus breaking his wrist. Aikido is often seen as nothing more than self-defense training but practitioners can easily injure their opponents. Hopefully this spar with Segal didn’t cause Connery to give up the martial art. Although Mr. Connery is 88 years old, he can very well still be practicing aikido, albeit without Steven Segal!

Jerry Seinfeld

When you look at Jerry Seinfeld, you possibly don’t see an aikido practitioner. Sure, maybe you can imagine an episode of Seinfeld where Kramer gets obsessed with Aikido and hilarity ensues but, in reality, Seinfeld himself considers aikido a “wonderful subject.” In an interview with Parade Magazine, the comedian is quoted as saying “I studied that for a while, the martial art. I love that. That’s a wonderful subject. Very good in marriage. I would suggest Aikido training for anyone thinking of getting married” Clearly, this is Seinfeld being funny but there’s a lot of truth to his statement. Aikido is the way of the spirit of harmony. What one learns when practicing aikido can be used for mental and physical self-defense. You’ll learn how to traverse through difficult situations, many of which can crop up within a marriage.

Joan Baez

The seminal folk-singer, Joan Baez, is a black belt in Aikido. Much like Seinfeld, Baez understands the benefits Aikido has had in her life. She’s quoted as saying, “Aikido is carrying over into my life. A few years ago I would have been waking up at night. Not now.”

Join Aikido of El Paso, Today!

Aikido may not be the most popular martial art form but it does play an incredibly positive role in the lives of those who partake in it. If you’re ready to enrich your life, then join Aikido of El Paso!