MARTIAL LIFE

When it comes to Martial Arts movies, as fans, we get used to seeing a lot of spinning kicks, kimura locks, Dim Mak pressure point hits, roundhouse punches and various etc. But when it comes to Martial Arts Culture, the motivations, behaviors, and factors, behind perfecting kicks upside people's head rarely gets shown.

The question of how practicing Martial Arts makes way too many people think pony tails are cool, or how it affects personal relationships, when you spend more at your Martial Arts School than with your loved ones doesn't get much screen time. Perhaps you are, or know of, people who gets a certain type of spirituality that develops when exposed to Buddhist philosophy with a warriors edge, or how being involved in Martial Arts can affect your social or political views.

Here is a list of a few movies that not only do this but do it well.

FOOT FIST WAY

Foot Fist Way (which is the literal English translation of the Korean word Tae Kwon Do) is about Fred Simmons, ( aka the asshole you'll get to know if you hang around a Dojo or Martial Arts school long enough) a Tae Kwon Do instructor, whose marital, and home life problems result in very unhealthy and hilarious relationship with those around him. Danny Mcbride from Eastbound and Down and his cohorts show a truly dysfunctional bunch in a wonderfully comedic way. This portrait may a bit too familiar to martial artist. As a friend I know put it “It's funny cause its true.”

NUMB: A MIXED MARTIAL ARTS FILM

A short film, about a fighter training for an important fight while dealing with a not very ideal life. He is angry at his father who left him, now on his deathbed, making a reappearance in his life and trying to make amends. His son who's a bully who uses the techniques picked up from his dad to bully other kids. Constant arguing with his ex wife over child rearing and alimony all add to this mix, and threaten to derail his momentum going into the fight.

BUDDHA'S LOST CHILDREN

This Documentary has its main focus, Phra Khru Bah Neua Chai Kositto, a Buddhist Monk and former Muay Thai Boxer, with more Tattoos than Little Wayne. This Monk operates a Monastery/Orphanage in Thailand's Golden Triangle (the Opium producing Mountain Region that overlaps Thailand, Laos and other Southeast Asian countries.) The Ex Muay Thai Boxer turned Buddhist Monk is not Mary Poppins in his child care methods but the portrait of him and the children that emerges in this documentary is amazing.

THE SENSEI

Homophobia, Sexism in the Dojo, and Aids are topics that do not come up in your usual Martial Arts movie. However The Sensei does a good job of covering the distance between subjects that seem as far away from each other, as the distance between Philadelphia and Manila.

Though the movie has parts I found cheesy it more than makes up for it with Diane Lee Inosanto (director, chief creative force, also daughter of Dan Inosanto, a co-founder of Jeet Kune Do along with Bruce Lee) and the rest of the cast doing a overall great job.

Interesting touches (It's one of the few American movies I've seen with a interracial Asian family, in this case Filipino/Japanese) and one of the funniest and awkward pot buying scenes ever make this movie very entertaining and touching.

HONORABLE MENTION: BEST OF THE BEST

Eric Roberts and Philip Rhee have gorgeous Mullets in this movie about an American Tae Kwon Do Team, who do the bonding, and self discovery thing, as they prepare to face off against the Koreans at a Prestigious Tae Kwon Do Tournament.

James Earl Jones makes his appearance as a coach and Eric Roberts cries way too often and inappropriately, and if 80's cheese isn't your favorite type of Fromage youll get many a opportunity to practice eyerolling. But as one of the few that shows the realistic challenges and motivations for Pro Martial Artist its worth watching.

HONORABLE MENTION: TAI CHI MASTER

Tai Chi Master is a excellent Kung Fu Movie. One of the things that makes it stand out is how the main characters martial arts style is changed by him becoming a Taoist. In between the philosophical musings we're treated to some excellent Kung Fu scenes.