Of all the characters to grace the silver screen, few have the legacy of strength and swagger embodied by James Bond. Whether foiling international plots, taking on individual fistfights, or spending some time with beautiful women, Bond is a genius in practically everything he does. Of course, a lot of this is simply down to movie magic, but not all elements of Bond’s persona are entirely relegated to the world of fantasy.
By investigating some of Bond’s most achievable skills, we aim to discover how you might integrate elements of his brilliance into your own. These skills might not guarantee you a rocket-car to take home but, at the very least, they can have real appreciable advantages within your daily life.
Casino Knowledge
Of all the skills in Bond’s extensive repertoire, few are as approachable and achievable as those of knowledge of casino and gambling games. Outwardly it might seem that these games are just entertainment, but beneath the surface, knowledge of the included concepts can offer surprisingly broad advantages.
To get started, consider the games available from online casino services. Services like this cover practically everything available in brick and mortar casinos, with far greater convenience for learning at home. So how could these skills be applied?
In a basic sense, an understanding of how casino games operate means some degree of mastery over probability, statistics, keeping your cool, and logical reasoning. Extrapolating even further, such knowledge within the business sphere could be used to impress, relate to colleagues, and even build friendly relationships back to your daily life.
Driving Ability
For driving enthusiasts, Bond can largely be about his cars. From the Aston Martin DBS to the Jaguar CX-75, Bond’s range of tax-payer funded vehicles are the things dreams are made of. That said, a car is only as good as its driver, which gives rise to the idea of advanced driving courses.
We’re going to assume that most of our readers already possess basic driving skills but, since we don’t work for MI6, this is generally where our training ends. By going a step further and taking something like stunt- or race-driving courses, you can elevate your motoring game to the next level.
Such skills aren’t just for hypothetical uses either, as the mastery and greater appreciation of physics which are born from courses like this can easily improve your all-around driving game. Then, should you ever come into a situation where you need to pull off a hasty J-turn or escape a nefarious group of international terrorists, you’ll be much better equipped to handle the task.
“1964 Aston Martin DB5 James Bond” (CC BY 2.0) by rvandermaar
Martial Arts
Mostly coming around in the Daniel Craig iteration of Bond, skill in martial arts is easily one of the most desirable traits that 007 possesses. As with many other aspects of the character, this is a trait that can be learned by people of all ages, with some hard work. According to the fans, Bond’s knowledge incorporates martial arts like Aikido, Judo, Brazilian Jiujitsu, Krav Maga, and more.
Most people probably don’t need to go this wide, but an understanding of any one of these martial arts can be hugely beneficial in many avenues of our personal and even professional lives. Most obviously, this advantage can come in the understanding of self-defense, and the ability to protect the people you love. Just as importantly, martial arts can affect us on a deeper psychological level, giving us higher levels of confidence born from strength and enhanced physical fitness.
When looking at the above skills, or anything else you wish to adopt from James Bond, know that, even for the character, nothing comes without effort. Talking the talk is one thing, but unless you put in the time, you’ll never be able to walk the walk. Remember that skill is hard-fought and forged from the fires of inevitable setbacks and disappointments. Take it slow, learn at your own pace, and you’ll be much more likely to come out the other end as an improved you.
