Willie Hugh Nelson (/wɪli nɛlsən/; born April 29, 1933) is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. While you certainly know some of Willie Nelson's songs, you may not know the legendary singer-songwriter is a formidable opponent when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. 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.
Nelson is now around two weeks away from his 90th birthday, but the “On The Road Again” singer shows no signs of slowing down and prefers to stay busy. So how is Willie Nelson still doing it all? For Nelson, that includes staying healthy and active. "I think martial arts is one of the best exercises you can do. Mentally, spiritually, physically, everything. I'm sure that's helped," Nelson told the BBC about his impressive staying power.
Willie Nelson loves to stay active, and that includes playing golf. While an injury kept him from swinging clubs during lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept up with martial arts. According to his friend and neighbor in Hawaii, Woody Harrelson, keeping busy with fun hobbies is one of Nelson's secrets to longevity. "He's always playing - he hasn't lost his kid juice.
Nelson's Early Interest in Martial Arts
Nelson’s interest in martial arts dates back to when he was a kid in Abbott, Texas. Nelson first became interested when he was a boy, ordering self-defense books that he saw advertised in the "Batman" and "Superman" comic books he used to read. 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.
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.
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"Since I had to fight a lot - and I liked it - I wanted to be good at it. I got all the books on jujitsu and judo, which were the main martial arts of the time," Nelson wrote in "Willie: An Autobiography." When he grew older, Nelson signed up for "Kung Fu classes where I learned how to let things slide instead of trying to act macho. Kung Fu taught me about patience. I learned I didn't need to jump to get in fights."
Martial Arts Training and Achievements
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. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. He was one of the main figures of outlaw country, a subgenre of country music that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound.
Nelson has long been a fan of physical combat sports, having also boxed and wrestled in the past. During a 2014 ceremony in Austin, Texas, Willie Nelson received a fifth-degree black belt in martial arts. His specialty is a Korean version called Gongkwon Yusul, which Nelson practiced for more than 20 years - a number impressive to both Nelson and his instructor Sam Um.
Um remembered thinking Nelson was too old to practice, as the singer wanted to start training when he was about 60 years old. As for Nelson, he "never thought about anything beyond second-degree black belt," and yet on the week of his 81st birthday, he earned his fifth-degree honor, per the BBC. At the ceremony, Um admitted that Nelson impressively "has more stamina than I do."
In addition to Gongkwon Yusul, Nelson also trained in Taekwondo while he lived in Nashville, Tennessee. When he was 78 years old, he earned his second-degree black belt in the Olympic sport, Nelson told The Telegraph. Singer Willie Nelson has a 5th degree black belt in the Korean martial art Gongkwon Yusul, which is sometimes reported in the press as being taekwondo. Nelson has also studied taekwondo, for which he holds a 2nd degree black belt.
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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.
The Benefits of Martial Arts for Willie Nelson
Nelson seemed to have no intention of quitting martial arts after receiving his black belts. "I still do it as much as I ever did," he told Slate in 2020. "One thing it gives you is a little confidence, that you don't have to worry a lot because you're capable of handling any situation that comes up.
“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.
It was wild. Before taking a roundhouse kick to the face, it's important to examine Nelson's impressive résumé. He released his 72nd studio album, "A Beautiful Time," in 2022 featuring a mix of original jams and covers of classic artists like the Beatles and Leonard Cohen, per New Releases Now. Only one year earlier, Nelson dropped two other albums plus an album of Frank Sinatra covers called "That's Life," which earned him a Grammy nomination. On top of that, he celebrated his 89th birthday on April 29, per Rolling Stone. Nelson is also an author, publishing his memoir called "Me and Paul" in October. He wrote about his many passions and explained, "I'm at the age when I've long stopped fussing around and started focusing on the stuff that matters" (via the Los Angeles Times).
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