Willie Nelson released his Shotgun Willie album in 1973, but the title is more than just a clever name. Nelson earned the nickname Shotgun Willie because he became a protective father to his daughter Lana, when she was trying to escape her abusive husband, Steve.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"I ran for my truck and drove to the place where Steve and Lana lived and slapped Steve around," Willie recalls (via Texas Hill Country).
Not surprisingly, that wasn't the end of the story. An angry Steve soon arrived at Willie's home, which was in Tennessee at the time. Steve began firing at Willie, with one of the bullets hitting the wood only two feet from where Nelson was standing in his barn doorway. Undeterred, Willie began firing back with his M-1 rifle.
Willie returned to check on his daughter, discovering that Steve had taken the couple's young son, Nelson Ray, with him. Determined to settle it once and for all, Willie returned home and hid in his truck with both a shotgun and an M-1. When Steve predictably drove by, Willie emerged from the car.
"That's when I shot his car and shot out his tire," Willie says. Fortunately, the country music hitmaker was never prosecuted, since he told police that Steve likely just ran over a bullet.
Why No One Should Mess With Willie Nelson
Willie's good aim - and lack of trepidation about shooting, even at other people - is just part of why no one should mess with him. The 92-year-old is also a fifth-degree black belt in GongKwon Yusul, meaning he knows how to fight, should the need arise. Even better, Willie became a fifth-degree black belt right before his 80th birthday.
GongKwon Yusul is a form of modern martial art with Korean roots. It was founded in 1996 by Kang Jun.
"It's just good for you physically," Willie tells KVUE. "For your lungs. The more you're breathing, exercising, the better you're going to feel."
Willie credits his rural upbringing with his fascination with martial arts, which he still practices today.
"I grew up in Abbott, Texas, where we didn't have much except comic books," Willie tells AARP. "We had Charles Atlas and Bruce Lee, judo and jujitsu."
