Wesley Snipes martial arts prowess has arguably been the foundation of his action movie career. Although dramatic roles in early films such as New Jack City and White Men Can’t Jump did not require Snipes to display his formidable skills, it is interesting to note that many of his later roles involved a great deal of action fighting.
What is even more amazing is that in his best-known action role as Blade, the day-walking vampire hunter, Snipes acted as both producer and fight choreographer on the first two films in the series. Obviously, this is a man who loves his fighting arts.
Wesley Snipes martial arts training and background is impressive. A fifth degree black belt, with high ranks in Shotokan karate and extensive training in capoeira, he is an accomplished martial artist. Snipes first started training at the young age of 12, and credits his training for helping him overcome adversity. In an interview with the Calgary Sun, Snipes talked about how his early karate training taught him valuable life-skills:
“They are what taught me how to deal with adversity in my life. You have to endure and overcome so much physical pain to learn these moves that you can apply the same principles to life experiences. I was a small child. I matured late. It made growing up in a tough world even tougher. I started out using martial arts training to defend myself, so my style is traditional martial arts mixed with Bronx street fighting.”
Snipes seems evasive when asked directly what fighting arts he uses most in his films. Yet he never hesitates to give credit to his early training in traditional fighting styles, nor his ongoing passion for the Afro-Brazilian art of capoeira, which he studies under Mestre Jelon Vieira. However, he readily admits that he draws on several martial styles for his fight scenes, and it’s easy to see influences in his choreography from tae kwon do, hapkido, kenpo karate, and Filipino weapon arts.
No matter what style Wesley Snipes practices, there is no doubt that he is one of the most entertaining and engaging action film stars to hit the silver screen. If you’d like to check out some of his work on DVD, the following is a recommended list of the all-time best Wesley Snipes martial arts action flicks to watch:
- Passenger 57
- Boiling Point
- Rising Sun
- Blade
- U.S. Marshals
- The Art of War
- Blade II: Bloodhunt
- Blade: Trinity
About the Author: Michael D. Massie has been teaching the martial arts for over twenty years, and is a well-known and outspoken advocate on the topic of ethical martial arts school management. He resides in Austin, Texas and runs a website for people who are new to martial arts covering all types of martial arts, StartingMartialArts.com