Did You Know Willie Nelson Has a Fifth-Degree Black Belt?

We all know that Willie Nelson has accomplished quite a bit in his 91 years on Earth. Though, people often do him a bit of a disservice when they assume his accomplishments just pertain to music. Outside of music, Nelson has worn many hats, including that of an actor, activist, entrepreneur, and most impressively, a holder of a fifth-degree black belt. Yep, that’s right, the man who seemingly couldn’t hurt a fly has the ability to hurt you.

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However, Nelson being the kind guy he appears to be would never do such a thing. Rather, Nelson’s dedication to the practice revolves around physical and mental health, spirituality, and also, just having a hobby. Many times Nelson thanked karate for adding value to his life, but he did so in-depth with an interview he did with AARP.

Willie Nelson’s Martial Arts Journey

Nelson’s interest in martial arts dates back to when he was a kid in Abbott, Texas. He said, “I grew up in Abbott, Texas, where we didn’t have much except comic books. We had Charles Atlas and Bruce Lee, judo and jujitsu.” Thus, it seems Nelson’s first interaction with the age-old Asian practice was with contemporary American culture.

However, that wasn’t the only thing that spiked his curiosity. He also stated, “In Abbott, we had a saying that all we know how to do down there is fight, f— and throw rocks. I grew up fighting one thing or another.” Hence, karate wasn’t just an aesthetic interest, rather, it seemed to hold some real practical relevancy Nelson could have used growing up.

Despite the pragmatic resources Nelson could have used early on, he didn’t start taking the sport seriously until he moved to Nashville. It was in Tennessee where Nelson started training specifically in Kungfu. However, after years and years of training, on April 28, 2014, Nelson received his fifth-degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul. (A Korean form of martial arts founded in 1996).

How It Provides For Him

Even though Nelson seemingly felt a great deal of accomplishment from his years of training and his fifth-degree black belt reception. To him, martial arts isn’t about the accolades, instead, it’s about what it does for his mind and body. “Mainly it gives you enough confidence where you don’t have to jump out there and get into trouble” and “I don’t really think I’m afraid of anything,” he told AARP.

In all, it seems the practice is just a way Willie Nelson can stay healthy amidst the stressful and crowded lifestyle he has lived for all these years. Also, despite his age, nobody would advise you to try and throw hands with one of the greatest musicians of all time. He just might surprise you.

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