Steven Seagal to give martial arts masterclass in Russia’s Far East

VLADIVOSTOK, September 2. /TASS/. Hollywood actor Steven Seagal will show his fighting skills during this week’s martial arts competition in Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East, local officials said on Wednesday. "We have sent an invitation to Steven Seagal for the Battle of Champions and he agreed with pleasure to take part in it and to perform," the head of a local department for physical culture and sport, Zhanna Kuznetsova, was quoted by the press service as saying. The American actor has Russian roots and his grandmother hailed from the Russian port city of Vladivostok. Seagal has never been to the Russian Far East before and said this was one of the places he would like to visit, according to the local administration. The international competition, the Battle of Champions 8, is due to be held in Russia’s Primorye region on September 4. The participants will compete in Thai boxing, kudo, jujutsu, sambo, kyokushin and wushu sanda. The major event will be the kickboxing fight for the title of the professional champion of the world. The audience will also see aikido performances. Seagal, 63, also a producer, screenwriter, film director, and musician, is best known for his films Under Siege, Above the Law, On Deadly Ground and The Patriot. Read more