Pawan Kalyan awarded ‘Tiger of Martial Arts’ title; first Indian inducted into Kenjutsu Samurai tradition outside Japan

Actor turned politician and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has achieved a rare honour as ‘They Call Him OG’ star has been formally inducted into Kenjutsu, which is the ancient Japanese art of swordsmanship. With this, he becomes one of the very few Indians to enter the Samurai martial arts tradition outside Japan.

Pawan Kalyan’s interest in samurai traditions

Pawan Kalyan, in his early days in Chennai, trained seriously in karate and related disciplines. A video of his journey was shared online on the X (formerly Twitter), by the Pawan Kalyan Creative Works handle.

International recognition and titles

Pawan Kalyan received several international honours. He was awarded the prestigious Fifth Dan (5th Dan) by the Sogo Budo Kanri Kai. This made him the first Indian celebrity to receive this honour. He was also inducted into the Takeda Shingen Clan under Soke Muramatsu Sensei. He became the first Telugu-speaking person, and one of the very few non-Japanese, to enter this Samurai lineage.

The ‘Tiger of Martial Arts’ title

Another major honour followed. The Golden Dragons organisation conferred on him the title “Tiger of Martial Arts.” This title shows courage, discipline, and mastery.

A key role in this journey was played by Hanshi Professor Dr. Siddiq Mahmoodi. Under his guidance, Pawan Kalyan trained in Kendo and Budo philosophy.



His martial training also reflected in his films. From ‘Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi’ to ‘Thammudu’, ‘Khushi’, ‘Annavaram’, and ‘They Call Me OG’, his action scenes felt real.

On the current workfront, Pawan Kalyan was last seen in ‘They Call Him OG’, where he played the role of a powerful gangster and who is also a master of martial arts. He is seen performing skills with a katana sword in the film.

Speaking of his upcoming project, he will be seen in the upcoming cop action drama film, ‘Ustaad Bhagat Singh’ directed by Harish Shankar.