Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltán Báthory Builds Community Through Music and Judo

Five Finger Death Punch’s 20th anniversary arrives with a new album, Legacy, and a world tour that began its North American run in July. For founder, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter Zoltán Báthory, the milestone matters less as a measure of the band’s longevity than as proof of the bond it has built with its audience.

“It was always the people’s band,” he said. The Las Vegas group first gained attention during the MySpace era, when some magazine writers doubted it would last. Báthory says the band kept its focus on the music, and its listeners stuck around. “We just kept pushing and the people stayed with us.”

A fan base rooted in service and training

Five Finger Death Punch’s songs aren’t for everyone, Báthory acknowledges. But fans have told him that tracks such as “Under and Over It” and “Wash it All Away” power their workouts or helped them through difficult stretches. He takes pride in those connections. He trains at Flex Lewis’ Dragon Lair gym in Las Vegas and sees himself as part of the same fitness community as the band’s hard rock audience. “I’m proud of that because these are my people.”

The band also has a strong following among military personnel and first responders. Its support for those communities includes donations to the Call of Duty Endowment, fundraising through music and Báthory’s service on boards for organizations such as the Home Deployment Project.

One account from a service member has stayed with him: “It’s difficult to be in a war zone. But I got up every day and listened to you guys, and it not just got me ready for the day, it got me through the day.” For Báthory, hearing that the music helped someone endure a deployment gives the band’s work a purpose and keeps the group going.

Judo as discipline—and a mission

Music and training share Báthory’s attention with judo, which he began studying at age nine in Hungary. The sport was more popular there than in North America, and he was competing in tournaments before his teens. He credits judo’s philosophy with shaping how he approaches challenges and success.

“I can say and I can claim that that philosophy of judo was one of the key elements of me becoming successful,” he said. “It rewires your mind, and you start to think very differently.”

He still trains and competes, and has also taken up jiujitsu. He says he holds black belts in both disciplines. His involvement extends beyond his own practice: Báthory wants to raise judo’s profile in the United States and help American athletes pursue Olympic competition at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“I’ve worked with USA Judo and IJF (International Judo Federation). It’s one of my missions to make judo more visible in America, for more people to practice it.” He’s backing that effort financially, too. A portion of tickets from the tour will go to USA Judo to help cover athletes’ participation in training camps.

“I want the American team to do really well in judo,” he said.

What carries the band forward

Two decades in, Five Finger Death Punch continues to draw fans, with tickets selling quickly for its shows. The band has weathered internal growing pains and criticism, but Báthory points to the pleasure of making and performing music—and to the loyalty of its audience—as reasons to keep going.

That loyalty connects the band to a range of communities, from the military and first responders to athletes and martial artists. Báthory says the group intends to keep making music and supporting the people who have supported it. He sees a shared impulse among those listeners: “What is the common denominator between these people? They all help other people.”

Learn more about 5FDP, its tour and Legacy on the band’s website, and subscribe to its YouTube channel.

Follow Báthory on Instagram at @zoltanbathory and @zoltanbjj.