Steven Seagal, who 'trained' Lyoto Machida, opens aikido center in Moscow to help train Russian soldiers

Hollywood action icon Steven Seagal is well known for his love of martial arts. The 70-year-old is a seventh-dan black belt in the Japanese martial art of aikido.

The actor has even been seen 'training' the likes of former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former light heavyweight kingpin Lyoto Machida.

Watch Steven Seagal train Lyoto Machida below:

Seagal has now opened an aikido center in Moscow to help train Russian soldiers. He became a Russian citizen in 2016 and has been serving as the chief martial arts instructor of the Russian Federation since 2018.

Speaking to Russia's TASS news agency about the rationale behind opening the center, Seagal said:

"The young people I saw today have a very big potential. We need to open more such centers to develop that potential. It is important that the development of aikido progresses at a faster pace." [Transcripts via MARCA]

The effectiveness of aikido as a martial art has been a topic of debate for a long time. During an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, host and UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggested that although Seagal possesses legitimate skills, aikido is not a very reliable martial art:

"He is a legitimate aikido black belt. In fact, he was the very first instructor, one of the very first Americans to teach at a dojo in Japan, but the martial art is the questionable thing... A f*****g NCAA wrestler would shoot a double on him and take him down faster than you can possibly imagine."

Catch Joe Rogan's comments on Steven Seagal and aikido below:

The actor has been a long-time supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin, whom he thinks to be the greatest leader alive today. Seagal is among the few who have publicly spoken in favor of the Russian annexation of Crimea.

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When Steven Seagal spoke his mind about the UFC and MMA

Steven Seagal thinks that the popularity of the UFC is a double-edged sword for martial arts.

During an interview with Ariel Helwani at UFC 126, the Hollywood action star stated that although the UFC has brought more eyeballs to martial arts, the promotion's popularity has also compromised the sacred nature of passing on knowledge:

"Well, I mean it's a double-edged sword, you know. On one hand... we have lost a lot of the sacred nature of... passing on things that wouldn't be disseminated in the public and you know these traditions that are really not to be... bought and sold and played out in public like this. On the other hand, it has helped people hone techniques what really works in the real world and it has brought attention to the martial arts, which is a great thing."

Catch Steven Seagal's comments below:

However, the 70-year-old lauds the UFC for producing many spectacular moments and giving rise to numerous skilled martial artists.