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Does Steven Seagal know karate?

38:05

Ben Brock Johnson
Paul Vaitkus

January 31, 2025

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 30: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) greets American actor, martial artist and Special Representative of Russian Foreign Minisrty on Cultural connections Steven Seagal (R), just awarded with the Order of Friendship, during an awarding ceremony at the Kremlin, on May 30, 2024 in Moscow, Russia. President Putin gave awards to many people, including participants of the military invsion of Ukriane, cosmonauts, artists and politicians. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)

There's a burning question that keeps coming up in internet communities, YouTube explainers, and interviews with stunt people from the film industry: does Steven Seagal actually know martial arts?

In our current news environment, where conspiracy theories abound and the truth can feel elusive, this somewhat silly question keeps getting asked. But as we explore the answer, we find that perhaps the confusion about Steven Seagal's own personal story has relevance for how we navigate the year of 2025, whether or not we're talking about Hollywood action heroes.