Pop
Michael Jackson was a secret karate expert
Late pop superstar Michael Jackson had a secret obsession with Bruce Lee films and earned a black belt in karate.
Michael Jackson was obsessed with Bruce Lee films and had a black belt in karate.
The late King of Pop started studying martial arts as a child because his dad Joseph Jackson was keen for all his sons to learn how to defend themselves and the singer's former bodyguard Matt Fiddes - who runs his own martial arts schools - has explained Michael's obsession is obvious when looking back at his signature dance moves.
Speaking on the Stripping Off podcast, Matt revealed: “[Illusionist Uri Geller] introduced me to Michael Jackson as we became friends and he got to trust me. Michael was already a black belt.
"Joseph Jackson made all the Jackson Five study martial arts. He wanted to proceed with his training to Second Dan. He was damn good.
"Not just him, though. [Michael's brothers] Tito, Jermain, all of them did it, all the Jacksons. Joseph made sure they wanted to make sure they could take care of themselves. Joseph was a boxer, their dad.
“Look back at Michael Jackson's dancing he puts all the kicks and punches and blocks in his dancing, it's all in there.”
Matt - who is an expert in Taekwondo - went on to reveal Michael was fascinated by late martial arts legend Bruce Lee and he studied his films in a bid to pick up his fighting style.
He added: "He was a Bruce Lee fanatic. You sit down with Michael and watch a movie, he would annoy you because he would know every single word to Enter The Dragon, The Way of the Dragon, The Big Boss. No matter how many times he just watched the movies over and over again.
"He wanted to meet his only surviving child, his daughter Shannon Lee and Linda Lee, Bruce Lee's ex-wife. I had connections to Shannon Lee and Linda Lee.
"That's what Michael did. He studied the greats and wanted to know how they stay relevant. So he was obsessed about what made Bruce Lee so relevant all these years on. "
Matt is adamant Michael referenced his love of martial arts in his dance routines but he explained the King of Pop also took inspiration from other sources including music legend James Brown, film star Charlie Chaplin and actor/dancer Fred Astaire.
He added: "[Michael] studied James Brown, Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire and he would take bits from them and put them into his own dance and his thinking. He would read four or five non-fiction books a week."
