Steven Seagal insists video of him flooring two opponents in martial arts show is legitimate

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Steven Seagal has insisted a video of him flooring two opponents during a martial arts master class is real.

The veteran actor, 63, was filmed throwing two opponents to the floor during an appearance at the All-Russian Sambo Tournament in Saratov earlier this year.

Seagal reportedly practices Aikido, a Japanese marital art, and is a seventh dan black belt.

His opponents appeared to be falling without much of a fight, prompting speculation they were surrendering on purpose. But when asked if the video was legitimate by TMZ, Seagal appeared hurt by the suggestion it could be anything but.

"I'm gonna try not to be insulted man,” he said. “I've been doing martial arts all my life. How could it be fake?”

Explaining their perceived willingness to surrender, he added: “What happens when you are about to break someone’s arm or wrist, usually, they like to go with it so it doesn’t snap.”

Seagal famously has a good relationship with the Russian President Vladimir Putin and has visited the country for several sporting events.

Putin even reportedly suggested Seagal as an intermediary between Russia and the US as tensions between the two countries grew, a scenario that was subsequently rejected.