@martialartsmythbreakers: The aikido community has had questions about Steven Seagal's rank for decades — and the answers are more political than most people realize. His 7th dan wasn't issued through the Aikikai Foundation's direct recognition process, his confrontation with Gene LeBell became one of martial arts' most disputed stories, and multiple senior practitioners have gone on record suggesting his rank reflected political value more than verified technical mastery. This isn't about whether aikido works. This is about how rank gets issued inside traditional Japanese martial arts organizations — and what happens when a celebrity becomes more valuable than the truth. They gave him the rank because he was useful. Not because he earned it the way you were told he did. Steven Seagal's aikido credentials have been disputed inside Japan's own martial arts organizations — quietly, carefully, and for a very long time. The Gene LeBell story didn't come out of nowhere. Senior practitioners who trained in Japan during the same era have raised questions that never got mainstream answers. The official story was built for Western audiences. The real one is more complicated — and a lot more political. #aikido #stevenseagal #martialarts #blackbelt #japanese

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Tuesday 23 June 2026 16:58:50 GMT