Robert Downey Jr., despite his age, has maintained an impressive physique over the years. In his appearances as Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man, the star had to maintain his physique through rigorous regular training. But instead of killing it in the gym, like many of his co-stars, he maintained his mind and body through mixed martial arts.
During the start of his career, Downey was regularly in and out of jail thanks to his addiction and drug abuse. Since then, he began a journey of self-transformation through rigorous martial arts training.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Self Transformation Through Martial Arts
Robert Downey Jr. is now among the most popular actors of all time. Also counted among the highest-paid actors and top-grossing stars in the entire film industry, life wasn’t as easy for him. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the star was constantly in and out of jail, on probation, and parole violations. His constant drug abuse and severe addictions made it hard for him to even land a small role in major productions.
He then decided to focus on transforming his mind and body through a rigorous martial arts transformation. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, via MaArtial, the actor stated,
“I can’t even say how much [martial arts] have impacted my ability to stay well and focused. It’s a spiritual practice. It’s grounded me and its primary purpose is to promote a sense of spiritual warriordom, and to respect your society and to be prepared to defend yourself and your society if necessary.”
He then decided to focus on the famous Wing Chun technique that was even practiced by Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. It helped him stay relaxed, helping him train for his roles like Sherlock Holmes.
How Martial Arts Helped Robert Downey Jr. Train For Sherlock Holmes
Shooting Sherlock Holmes was not easy, for Robert Downey Jr. had to tone down a bit into a more realistic person. He had to have the appearance of a trained MMA fighter instead of a bulked-up superhero. At times like this, his martial arts training and Wing Chun helped him train and fight better.
In an interview with Joe Rogan, the actor stated,
“I got my as* kicked by a wooden dummy for about three years until I finally understood the principle of don’t fight force with force.”
The principle of using the bare minimum of force helped him in his fighting scenes in Sherlock Holmes. He also trained with Eric Oram, a celebrated American Wing Chun Master who also choreographed many of his fight scenes in the movie. Thus, Martial Arts was a huge help for him, reason why he continues to practice it even after 15 years since he first started. ‘
Sherlock Holmes can be streamed on Amazon Video.
Source: MaArtial and the Joe Rogan Podcast
