John Wick is a 2014 action/thriller movie starring Keanu Reeves as the film’s protagonist. The film was very well received by audiences and critics alike, especially considering that most action films are despised by critics for some reason. It received an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and is certified fresh.

Most martial arts and action films are way over the top and while that can be fun sometimes it’s just not realistic. A big reason why the film was so well-received is that the fight scenes and various action sequences are actually believable. That’s because a lot went into the choreography and Keanu Reeves underwent extensive training in not only martial arts, but shooting tactics (which could be considered a martial art on its own as well) and stunt driving.

According to producers David Leitch and Basil Iwanyk “Keanu went through extensive training, probably four solid months. And I don’t mean like an hour every day doing push ups and sit ups. I mean five days a week, eight hours a day. Gun training, martial arts training, driving training.”

Unlike most primadonna actors who you hear about having meltdowns on set due to minor issues it’s actually quite refreshing to hear about a big time actor who just shows up and works hard and that is a very admirable quality in anyone, not just an actor. The films director, Chad Stahelski, sang his praises: “He was always first man there, last man to leave and when it’s time to hit the gym or hit a specific skill set he’s always there, he’s always been incredibly involved and he wants to be there.”

In this YouTube footage we see Keanu covered in a sweat, in a gi (excellent), working on some throws and he looks pretty good and all that hard work comes across when you watch the film.