Batou had served in a military special forces unit and often states that he was a Ranger-trained soldier with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) before entering Section 9. Despite the fact that his prosthetic body has little to gain from exercise, Batou often lifts weights and jogs. He is shown to have an affinity for martial arts and is widely regarded as nearly the best hand-to-hand combatant in Section 9, second only to the Major. He once idolized a famous boxer, Zaitsev, with whom he later spars while on an undercover mission.