Scott Adkins Interview

PUBLISHED 5 OCT 2025

Scott Adkins on Ninja, The Expendables, and Staying Fight-Ready

In this exclusive archive interview, Inside Ninjutsu revisits a candid conversation with Scott Adkins — the British martial artist and actor who’s carved his name into Hollywood’s action elite. From his breakout roles in Ninja and Undisputed to trading blows with legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables 2, Adkins opens up about life on set, his passion for martial arts, and what it really takes to stay in fighting shape. Honest, driven, and fiercely dedicated to his craft, Adkins shares a glimpse into the mindset of a modern action hero.

Inside Ninjutsu (IN): Tell us about Ninja: Shadow of a Tear.

Scott Adkins (SA): It’s a full-on martial arts film. It’s a genre picture — if you don’t like martial arts films, give it a miss because that’s exactly what it is. If you do like martial arts and action, you’re probably not going to find anything better.

IN: You get to work with Kane Kosugi, who is obviously the son of 80s ninja legend Sho Kosugi. What was it like working with him?

SA: Kane is amazing. Obviously, I’m a big fan of his dad. Kane is probably the most humble guy you could ever meet. Even when I told him how humble he was, he said, “No, no, I’m not,” because he’s that humble, he couldn’t even admit it. He’s such a hardworking guy, looks great, is an incredible martial artist, a good actor — and of course, if you’re going to do a ninja film, who better than the son of Sho Kosugi? I’m sure Kane will be a legend in his own right one day.

IN: Did you get to meet his dad?

SA: I didn’t get to meet his dad.

IN: Isaac Florentine directed that movie. Is it better to have someone with a martial arts background, like Isaac, to work on a film like this?

SA: You don’t have to have a martial arts background, but you do need to understand martial arts cinema. Isaac is a very accomplished martial artist himself, so he understands martial arts — but understanding martial arts and understanding how to shoot martial arts are two completely different things.

Gareth Evans, the director of The Raid, I don’t believe he’s a martial artist, but he certainly enjoys martial arts and knows how to shoot it. That’s the key. Not many people do, and it’s very frustrating when you’re working with a director who doesn’t get that, because you get lots of injuries, bumps, and bruises doing these fight scenes — and if it’s not being shot properly, that’s pretty frustrating. That’s why I love working with Isaac Florentine, and why Ninja: Shadow of a Tear was our seventh film together.

IN: Yuri Boyka is a very popular character. Why do you think that is?

I think people love to see a character that doesn’t take any crap, and Boyka certainly doesn’t. He’s an antihero — not a nice guy — and people enjoy living vicariously through that.

IN: Do you prefer playing the bad guy or the good guy?

SA: I actually like playing the bad guy — or the bad good guy, the antihero. It’s more fun, to be honest.

IN: You were the villain in Expendables 2. What was it like working on that movie, with such a huge cast?

SA: For me, those are the guys that inspired me to do what I do now. In the 80s, when I was a kid, watching Stallone, Arnold, Bruce Willis, Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren — all of them — to be around them individually was amazing, but to be around all of them at the same time doing an action film? Unreal. Holding off Arnold and Stallone with my big M4 — a dream come true for a kid from Birmingham.

IN: Did the big guys give you any advice while you were on set?

SA: Jean-Claude gave me some advice about how to look at the camera. Arnold gave me some advice in the gym on how to train — I got to train with Arnold Schwarzenegger! Stallone didn’t really give advice, but we had great conversations about the business and stories from Rocky.

IN: What is Stallone like?

SA: When you’re working for him, make no mistake — on Expendables, he’s the boss. He’s intense, but there’s a reason. He’s passionate, driven, and wants the film to be the best it can be. You just fall in line and make him happy, and you know you’ll get a better film. That’s why he’s been on top since the 70s.

IN: Tell us about your training routine.

SA: I train about five times a week, Monday to Friday. If I’ve got a film coming up, that changes to every day. I train at an MMA place and mix up weight training with pad work and martial arts. I also go to classes with younger guys doing crazy tricks — makes me feel old seeing what they can do!

Diet-wise, I’m not too strict unless I’m filming. Then I’ll cut carbs after 4 p.m. to drop body fat. Otherwise, I eat what I want — my wife bakes a lot, and I’m happy to eat it as long as I can train it off the next day.

IN: Scott Adkins, thank you very much.