 His past as an aikido teacher is also incorporated into several films, for example "Above the Law" (which opens with a montage of real-life photos from Seagal's own past) or "Shadow Man", where he is seen giving an aikido demonstration.Several of his films also feature prominent political messages, most notably the environmentalism evident in "On Deadly Ground", which ends with a lengthy speech in which Seagal (playing ex-CIA firefighter Forrest Taft) accuses big business of rampant environmental degradation