At BRAVE CF 76 Indonesia, fight fans witnessed one of the greatest comebacks of the year in mixed martial arts - and one of the best in the history of BRAVE Combat Federation. In the fourth fight of the evening, we saw a Bantamweight collision take place between Randi Febian and Dewantoro. We expected to see an incredible brawl between the two men, and when push came to shove, that’s exactly what we got from both of these warriors. In the blink of an eye, Dewantoro made his power count as he dropped Febian almost immediately. However, things soon turned when they got to the ground, and Randi locked in a nasty submission hold that left him on the verge of breaking his opponent’s arm. Dewantoro managed to escape, and upon their return to the feet, it wasn’t long before he put Febian on the canvas for a second time. The referee took a close look at the action and appeared to be close to intervening, but an illegal knee saved the day for Febian and ensured that the bout would continue. This absolute war bled through into the second round, with Dewantoro once again looking like the aggressor and the more well-rounded striker of the two. However, in true Rocky fashion, Febian kept moving forward despite the pressure he was under and managed to drop Dewantoro with a short left hook. The follow-up shots rendered Dewantoro unable to continue, and in the words of the commentary team, Febian was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It’s the kind of comeback that will be talked about as part of the promotion’s journey to prominence for a long time, and many fighters can take great inspiration from seeing evidence of what we all know to be true - it’s not over until it’s over.

ONE Championship's weekly event series ONE Friday Fights rolls on this Friday, December 1, with ONE Friday Fights 43 The action-packed series has lit up Lumpinee Boxing Stadium throughout 2023, and the final chapter begins with an electric 12-bout lineup. In the main event, Pettonglor Sitluangpeenumfon battles Kongsuk Fairtex in a flyweight Muay Thai bout. Pettonglor has won his first two bouts at ONE Friday Fights and wants to extend his streak to three before the year's end. Flyweights also take centerstage in the co-main event of the evening. Kongthoranee Sor Sommai will welcome Parsa Aminipour to ONE as he tries to move his promotional record to 6-1. Kongthoranee last competed in October with a thrilling victory over Taiki Naito, moving him one step closer to the division's upper echelon. 20-year-old Aslamjon Ortikov returns to attempt to keep his professional record clean. The 16-0 rising star will take on Chatanan Sor Jor Joyprajin in a 129-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest, where the Thai will try to stop the fast-moving hype train and stake his own claim to fame. In addition to the nine Muay Thai bouts in Bangkok, Thailand, three MMA battles will commence. Dave "Kintas" Bangguigui shined on ONE Warrior Series before stepping into the ring at ONE Friday Fights 14. The 28-year-old Filipino wants to prove he can compete in the talent-rich strawweight division. Still, Ryosuke Honda steps onto the global stage to steal his thunder. All that action and more will go down live and free on Friday, December 1, at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST on ONE's YouTube channel . ONE Friday Fights 43 Full Card Kongsuk Fairtex vs. Pettonglor Sitluangpeenumfon Kongthoranee Sor Sommai vs. Parsa Aminipour Sibsan Nokkhao KorMor11 vs. Award Kazimba Bakashabaruhanga Chokdee Maxjandee vs. Yousif Qadir Koklai Chor Hapayak vs. Jomjai Naksugym BM Fairtex vs. Petnamkhong Mongkolpet Aslamjon Ortikov vs. Chatanan Sor Jor Joyprajin Chanajon PK Saenchai vs. Mustafa Al Tekreeti Rambong Sor Therapat vs. Jiduo Yibu Carlos Alvarez vs. Nachyn Sat Ryosuke Honda vs. Dave Bangguigui Faine Mesquita vs. Baktygul Kurmanbekova

With more than 60 events planned, ONE Championship is looking to make a massive impression on martial arts fans around the world when the ball drops in the new year. ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is setting the stage for a huge 2024 for the organization. In 2023, Muay Thai took centerstage. ONE held the vast majority of its events inside the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with only three events outside of the city. That will change in the calendar turns. “ONE Friday Fights and the Muay Thai product are very much on a firm footing now. We’ve laid the groundwork and feel very comfortable it’s running on autopilot, and now we’re able to scale up. We’ve firmly established we have the No 1 striking property on the planet. The focus will be sharply back onto mixed martial arts,” Sityodtong told South China Morning Post’s Nicolas Atkin. The focus on MMA will begin with already-announced plans for a ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship rematch between champion Jarred Brooks and former titleholder Jacio Pacio early in the new year. Also announced, Sityodtong stated ONE Lightweight and Welterweight MMA World Champion Christian Lee would return for a title defense in February. But Sityodtong is promising even more. “The next chapter of 2024 is going to be a record high number of events for us across all different martial arts, around the world in different locations. I think that will get fans and athletes super pumped. I’d rather not comment too early right now,” the ONE Chairman and CEO said. The Middle East will be one of many regions to see a ONE event next year. Sityodtong thanked stakeholders in Qatar ahead of the massive March 1 event in Doha. Japan will see ONE return for two events in 2024, according to Sityodtong. A press conference is scheduled for the end of the month in Tokyo, and there was a slight tease for the expected debut of Takeru Segawa. “I don’t think Takeru is training so hard for no reason,” Chatri said. “When I look at his Instagram, I think ‘my goodness this guy is a monster,’” Sityodtong said. ONE Championship 'Back In Full Force' For 2024, says Chatri Sityodtong Sityodtong concluded that ONE would embark on an event in Europe in 2024 as well.

The first kung fu film I saw was in 1973, Bruce Lee's The Big Boss (aka Fists of Fury ; 1971). Since then, I've accumulated 950+ martial arts movies from the '70s from 20 countries mostly on Betamax. Rather than list them from worst of the best to the best of the best, I preferred to present the films by the year they were made. There's good chance you haven't seen them all, yet they're out there somewhere. Happy hunting! Brothers Five (1970—Hong Kong): When the head of Flying Dragon Villa, Lung Zheng-feng (Tien Feng) wants his enemy's five children killed, a swordsman rescues them and sends the five to different places to be raised. Twenty years later, the Flying Dragon Villa has become more feared. Meanwhile, the swordsman's daughter, Yen (Cheng Pei Pei) sets out to find the brothers, end Lung's reign and make Flying Dragon Villa an honorable place again. After uniting the five brothers, she teaches them the Five Tigers with One Heart kung fu skill to give them a fighting chance against Lung. Seeing this technique will help you understand why the Chinese are known for those amazing balancing and people-pyramid acts. During the 1960s until retirement, Pei Pei was touted as the first queen of kung fu films and prior to a serious accident in Golden Swallow (1968) was known for doing her own stunts and fights. Yet after the injury, a male double was used if the director wouldn't allow her to do it herself. When Pei Pei fights Tien's stunt double, who's armed with a guan dao (massive blade on top of a long pole), they rock the screen with lengthy weapon exchanges captured within the same shot. To me, this is Pei Pei's best fight ever. She's relentless, smooth, and graceful, which is a difficult to do when fighting someone with a larger and heavier weapon. The Avenger (1972--Hong Kong): Based on the true story of Ma Yong-zhen (aka Boxer of Shantung), The Avenger , which opens with Shaft (1971) theme music, is a remake of Brave Girl Boxer in Shanghai (1972), as the exquisite Chia Ling debuts as Ma Yong-zhen's sister Ma Su-zhen, who travels from Shantung to Shanghai to find the gangsters that killed her brother. Chia enters the genre like a bat out of hell on a freakazoid chopper high on Meatloaf. In what must be the most men killed by any female star in a kung fu film, the final fight is as mesmerizing as it is relentless. For nine-and-a-half minutes, Chia is surrounded by knife-wielding warriors and hatchet men trying to feed-frenzy her into oblivion. Ultimately, it is the lady who axes the questions and when they try to lie and cheat her, she becomes the cheetah and makes them lie on the ground. Avenger uses 1960s fight choreography while shooting the action with tight angles that create a strained sense of pugilistic claustrophobia that makes us feel Su-zhen and Chia are both fighting for their lives. With a wee background in Chinese opera combat choreography and this being Chia's debut kung fu film, it was fitting to not disrupt Chia's expectations of what the fight might look and feel like. During the use of 1960s choreography where hooligans would form tight circles around the hero and the non-attackers would excessively move to add motion and commotion to the fight, Chia was instructed to throw non-stop kicks and punches in all directions while spinning around like a female Olympic skater except to do it with knives and hatchets in hand. Everybody gets nailed by a sharp hatchet hammer or a pointed screwdriver knife…Su-zhen's tools of the trade. Fist of Fury (1972—Hong Kong): Bruce Lee rocketed into superstardom with Fist of Fury and overnight sparked feelings of global pride to Chinese folks and Asian Americans, single-handedly stirred a tidal wave of nationalism among the world's Chinese population by defeating the shadow of Japanese domination, and legitimized martial arts cinema. The Mandarin title Ching Wu Men means entering the gate of knowledge of the Ching Wu martial arts school, which was created by Shanghai martial arts legend Huo Yuen-jia. Set during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in 1901, after the Japanese deliver a plaque with the words Sick Men of Asia written in searing black ink and Huo's top student Chen Chen (Lee) endures ridicule from the Japanese delegation, we're minutes away from a very important moment in fight choreography history; Lee kicking eight different bullies in one unedited shot in a Japanese karate dojo then introducing the world to a nunchaku. Adding to the scene's steam, a reflection of Lee's disdain toward how the Japanese treated the Chinese during that era, he adds insult to injury by having some Japanese fighters wearing their hakama backwards and at the end of the nunchaku sequence, Lee defiantly poses in front of Gichin Funakoshi's (father of Japanese karate) portrait. Yet Lee's ultimate powerful pervasive message of Chinese not being sick people is brilliantly depicted when Lee defeats Japanese thugs in front of Shanghai Park by splintering a wooden sign that read, "No Dogs or Chinese Allowed" with a flying kick (it's a sign that never existed). The Black Tavern (1972—Hong Kong): They don't make films like this anymore. Black Tavern is the best whip movie in the history of whip-moviedom. My mouth was so agape watching this film that I swallowed a thousand flies. Whip master Zhang (Ku Feng) is like a flamethrower full of rocket fuel. It's on the list not for the story, but for the fight scenes that are cooler than liquid nitrogen freezing the Terminator, which includes the whacked out, Viking-helmeted, villain Hu terrorizing the Inn like an enraged bull in a ring filled of blind matadors who forgot their capes and swords. The story opens when after a drunk monk performs shu xiao ban (11th century Chinese rap music) to an inn full of vagabond, thieves, and a cryptic swordswoman that a treasure chest is heading to Black Tavern, all the rascals leave the inn with brains wrapped in greed. At the tavern, all hell breaks loose as the menagerie of Chekhovian pseudo-heroes, back-stabbing villains, zombie men, ghosts, leopard-skin lackeys, switched women and Hu partake in increasingly lethal and inventive death scenes. Ku's choreography goes far beyond simple whip twirling circles and figure eight motions that inject a whip crack or two. He's Quisp and Quake, and the continued use of cool sight gags stupefy our brains like how his whip uniquely beheads a woman, and when Hu attacks Ku with a pole, what follows is an outlandish kooky fight sequence featuring a wicked reverse-angle point-of-view shot of Hu holding onto his weapon for dear life while he's being lifted skyward, travels in an overhead semi-circle, lands on his back, while his face grimaces into camera the whole time, then ends up being whipped into a coffin and dragged across the ground toward several swords. The night fight in a snowstorm between the swords-woman and Zhang is a combo whip-in-a-whip-in-a-whip crescendo with a headless horse and carriage as a wayward rolling wheel tries to crush them. Chinese Iron Man (1973—Taiwan): Chinese Iron Man was Taiwan's answer to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury , where after Chinese chef Little Tiger Liang (Wen Jiang-long) sees Japanese karate students from Musashi Martial Club enter his restaurant, bully the Chinese patrons, and call them dogs, he breaks out his rolling pin and flattens every one of them. The Japanese dojo challenges the Chinese guan to a competition to draw Liang out of hiding. He complies and the dojo pays a dear price for their misplaced loss of face. Choreographer Lin You-chuan was known for creating relentless, fast-paced fights that didn't rely on perfect technique, posture, or real kung fu fighting. My hat goes off to Wen. In earlier films, he put his body on maniacal overdrive and just kicked and scrapped his way all over the screen, not caring about what other kung fu stars thought of him. When he takes on multiple attackers in this film, each shot is pure mayhem. He's as intense as he's fun to watch, regardless of the choreography's haphazard nature and the somewhat sloppy kung fu. The key to Lin's choreography was having Wen throw his leg in the direction of an attacker and the stuntman would react to his leg placement. As a result, Wen's not kicking at anyone, he's rapidly lifting his leg in many directions. It's flail-on-flail choreography with animalistic luster. Wen mimicking Lee's nunchaku dojo sequence with a piece of rope is so blatant that you've got to admire his audacity. Wen's rope has the same sound effect, Wen copies Lee's nunchaku movements and the fight is shot using the same camera angles. Wen kicks the karate dojo sign like the Shanghai Park sign and a brief Bruce Li moment is a sign of things to come. The Defensive Power of Aikido (1975—Japan): The Defensive Power of Aikido is Sonny Chiba's homage to the founder of aikido , Morihei Uyeshiba (1883-1969). The film follows the path of jujutsu expert Uyeshiba (Jiro Chiba) losing fights to karate expert Natori Shinbei (Sonny Chiba; Jiro's brother) and to the bokken -wielding sword master Okita. Uyeshiba thus learns karate from Soubei Honda. Armed with newfound skills, Uyeshiba revenge fight plans go awry causing Shinbei' brother to commit suicide setting up a superbly orchestrated fight between two real brothers, Chiba vs. Chiba, with a hard-style karate vs. soft-style aikido tuning fork. Though the fights are intensely riveting, it's the displays of true karate morality that is most memorable. When Honda presents Uyeshiba with a teacher's certificate and Uyeshiba declines it because he can't afford it, Honda replies, "I don't take money when I give lessons to a man I trust. Though I can sell my skills, I can't sell my marital heart." Honda returns all the money Uyeshiba paid him for lessons over the years. Jiro Chiba's portrayal of Uyeshiba's martial transformation is transcendently dynamic as to how he adjusts his martial movements from one teacher and fight scene to the next. His techniques subtly change and improve over the film's duration, which shows how Uyeshiba's aikido evolves from Japanese jujutsu to aikido's basic hand guard, fight-ready position that is modeled after the way a samurai holds his samurai sword during battle. The Fists of Vengeance (1973—Taiwan): If there's ever a film that rocks and rolls this is it. On the surface, the movie appears to be a run of the mill, topsy turvy, grittily and cheaply made early '70s Taiwanese kung fu flick; yet it balled me over. Imagine Led Zepplin meets Def Leppard ala Deep Purple wrapped into one group and their sole song's music is translated into the sensibility of the final fight scene. When Zhen Zheng (Jiang Bin) returns home, he's called a traitor, ostracized by his village and his girlfriend forsook him as his brother, a turncoat that mines red sand from a river for the Japanese, who use it to forge steel to make guns to kill Chinese. Though the early fights resemble out-of-control windmills, they're raw and you watch them to the point of mental fracking. They're filled with unabashed desperation and overblown fantastical facial expressions associated with silent-film stars. It's like female fans of Rod Stewart saying he's so ugly that he's cute, Jiang's fights are so sloppy that they're great. Just when you think Jiang can't get any worse the attack ante rises as Yasuaki Kurata skulks onto the screen as the nefarious nemesis from Nippon, who oozes the animalistic intensity that Sonny Chiba brought to his Street Fighter films, yet Kurata's hapkido kicks elevate the film's frays and makes Jiang look like a 20th degree black belt in everything. Midway through the finale, Zhen taps into his Buddha Prayer Fist, a cheesy and effective turning point in the fight as they begin battling on a fast-moving freight train with the frenzied intensity of Lee Marvin vs. Ernest Borgnine in Hitchcock's savage barreling train skirmish in Emperor of the North (1973). The emotional sacrifice of breathless intent behind the assault asphyxiates every moment of the fight for them and us. This was a rare accomplishment in Chinese kung fu films that also featured the bewitching soundtrack of Black Magic Woman by Santana. The Gallant (1972—Taiwan): In this ode to the age-old virtue of gallantry, Jimmy Wang Yu stars in a trilogy of short films playing three different characters that challenges the unjust behavior of various black knights as he slays them to save three fair maidens. Overall, the fights in The Gallant are intense and well-choreographed, and Wang portrays each character and their fighting skills with dexterous prowess and violent acumen. In The Stranger , a trapped woman flees from an abusive Triad into the arms of a man (Wang) that's part James Bond and knight in shining armor. He doesn't use a gun or sword instead he's armed with flaming fists and combustible kicks, and fights with 10-tiger intensity soaked in an avalanche of bowling balls that uses up to 25 technique per shot to destroy the kingpin. The somber Stranger Attending the Tomb features Wang as a heavy-hearted prodigal son who while guarding his father's grave laments on his own sinful past, while his sister believes her brother is the last bastion of goodness in the world. When she's threatened by a gang of grave-robbing rebels that want to loot the father's grave, with snapping dragon fists, and a pitchfork and shovel, Wang goes more berserk than Billy Jack at an OK Corral spree that is filled with wretched revenge and insane disdain. In The Avenger , a man (Wang) returns home from prison after taking the rap for a treasure heist to protect two accomplices, his father-in-law, and the double-crossing Li San. While the man was away, San killed the father-in-law and heinously coveted the man's wife. With two daggers in hand, it's time to unleash a whirlwind of steel-slashing bewitchment upon San and his clan. Never say, "Cut it out," to a former inmate with blades. The Pacific Connection (1974—Philippines): Set in 1565, the film opens with a father and son Ben (Roland Dantes) practicing arnis as the father tells Ben about a legendary 100-year-old master who'll never rest until he finds and teaches a righteous hero to become his successor. However, when Ben and father use arnis to thrash two cowardly sons of the Philippines' first colonial governor Legazpi, and stop them from raping his mum, Legazpi retaliates by killing Ben's father, raping then killing his mum, and shipping Ben to Los Mananos to be executed. Desperate to escape the storm-ravaged sinking ship, when forced to kill the captain and conquistadors blocking his way, Ben is mortally wounded. Washing up on an unchartered island he stumbles upon the old, now blind master who teaches Ben and how to make arnis sticks that can withstand sword strikes, which he needs as he prepares to battle Legazpi, his two sons and Mori, their hired deadly samurai bodyguard. Though the muscle bound Dantes could have mimicked Lee's Enter the Dragon eskrima fights to become a Filipino Bruce Lee, he chose to using effective traditional stick fighting, applying simple disarming techniques, heaven-six double-stick maneuvers, and kali knife skills. The impressive aspect of the arnis, Spanish fencing and samurai sword action is that each fighter stuck to their respective arts. After Chief LapuLapu killed Magellan with a Filipino kampilan dagger in 1521, natives were forbidden to carry swords. The Moros and Visayanns peoples combined their sword with Spanish sword skills and applied them to ratan sticks to create arnis/eskrima. These historical homage moments are subliminally intertwined into the film. The Tongfather (1974—Taiwan): What would you get if Orson Welles directed Humphrey Bogart as the Man From U.N.C.L.E. in a Mickey Spillane black and white detective noir thriller disguised as a kung fu film? Director/lead actor Roc Tien's Tongfather , which is a magnificent film noir that's more electrifying than a hair dryer tossed into a bathtub of water. It's a brutal yarn about two Taiwanese undercover agents (Roc and Tian Hao) sent to Hong Kong to stop powerful Triads and Yakuza bosses peddling opium and other vices. It's also one of the most outstanding kung fu films I've ever seen, not because of the bizarrely effective and entertaining fight scenes, but because of two things that no other Taiwanese-made kung fu film has ever done. One, the film's most powerful scene is when Chinese boss (Chen Hung-lieh) proves his loyalty to the Yakuza boss by calmly breaking his own leg while chatting with him. When the Yakuza boss offer to see him home, the Triad boss, with hypnotic calm replies, "I'll manage it alone, thank you." He exits the room crawling on his stomach and drags his dangling leg over the rough surface. It's as gripping as a pair of rock-climbing shoes on flypaper. And if that that wasn't enough, it takes a minute to realize the English dubbing is excellent. Why? It's the beauty of shooting without sound. The Chinese actors were saying their lines in English, thus having true lip movement and then dubbing the lines later with English speakers. I did several scenes like this in Battle for the Republic of China (1980). Roc delivers his lines with a Humphrey Bogart-esque grunting lisp and glare and displays fighting savvy with the cool of Napoleon Solo. His strait-laced posture and swanky placement of look-away kicks (looks in the opposite direction a split second before making contact) are alive with voodoo magic.

Dr. Craig D. Reid, author of The Ultimate Guide to to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s, examines the Bruce Lee masterpiece from several vantage points: cinematic, martial and cultural. Read his findings here! Editor's Note: Enter the Dragon is the third film in our Bruce Lee Movies List . The following review originally appeared in The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s. Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon officially unites Hong Kong and Hollywood under the parasol of kung fu . In this $500,000-budgeted gasp of fresh air in Tinseltown, Bruce Lee plays secret agent Lee. He's sent by the British to break up a suspected drug ring organized by the inscrutable Han (Shiek Khan), who uses martial arts tournaments to recruit bodyguards and lackeys. The idea of the tournament is actually based on the ancient Chinese sport lei tai, which first appeared during the Song dynasty (960 to 1279). The tournament winner would either become the emperor's bodyguard or a martial arts instructor for the imperial army. You could make an argument that the film was politically correct 20 years before it was politically correct to do so. However, having a black, a white and an Oriental (or by today's PC terms, an African-American, a Caucasian and an Asian) hero working together was a way for Warner Bros. to appease the demographics and a tacit admission that an Asian lead still wasn't plausible. When the film came out, Westerners had no idea about the pedigree of the Hong Kong cast. Shiek Khan had done more than 400 films, and most of them were martial arts movies that featured him as the villain. And with 18 films under her hapkido black belt, Angela Mao Ying was attaining cult status as a kung fu heroine, so the fights she did in Enter the Dragon were a walk in the park for her and her Vietnamese karate champion co-star, Bolo Yeung, a veteran of 28 kung fu films. By 1973, Sammo Hung had fought in 42 kung fu films and had been the head martial arts instructor for 17 of them. It's impossible to deny that Enter the Dragon is a great film, but the fights are very Hollywood. Although I respect John Saxon, he did not possess the martial savvy to fight convincingly against Bolo Yeung. There are also problems with the choreography, such as the dungeon scene when Bruce Lee is flexing his back while trying to open the elevator doors. He suddenly steps, turns around and is accosted by a handful of attackers. Talk about close-up — you can't see what anyone is doing, and a bad guy falls in the opposite direction after Lee throws his last sweeping backfist. Also, Lee's handspring and flip after the film's beginning fight scene with Sammo Hung were not performed by Bruce Lee but by Lam Ching-ying, who found fame with his one-eyebrowed priest character in the Mr. Vampire films. Then there's the final Hollywood glitter mirror room fight between Han and Lee. It has always been funny to me that director Robert Clouse never re-shot the scene when Lee throws the coat stand into the mirrors and no mirror breaks. A person could argue it shows how tough the mirrors are, so when Lee breaks them with his hands and “feet" (a hand in the shoe on close-up), we can feel his power. However, it's an awkward-feeling moment, though it is quickly replaced when Lee does his patented hunchbacked creeping walk around the mirror set. Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, once told me that she remembers often looking at the spear from that final Shiek-a-bob shot resting in the corner of her home as a child. The irony about Bruce Lee's career and stardom in the West is that they came together at the wrong place at the wrong time. In 1972, the United States was in the middle of the Vietnam War, and anti-Asian sentiment had not been so high since World War II. Each week, racial tension was finding a new way to twist the psyche of a country floundering in gas lines and cold war. Traditionally, whenever the United States was at war, Hollywood would create characters and storylines based on the heroic efforts of the American soldier, trying to use films as a way to boost the country's morale and confidence that the troops were righteously defending the realm against the evils of the world. But during the Vietnam War, America was in no mood for war heroes. Furthermore, when you look at the five top-grossing films in descending order from 1972 — The Godfather; The Poseidon Adventure; What's Up, Doc?; Deliverance and Deep Throat, with the brunt of the Academy Awards going to The Godfather and Cabaret — it was evident that the definition of the American cinematic champion of justice was undergoing a huge transition away from the glory of riding off into the sunset. Additionally, keep in mind that back in those days, to most Americans, someone who used their feet during a fight was considered a sissy. So for all intents and purposes, it was not only the wrong time for any Asian actor to make a mark in Hollywood, but it was also the wrong time for the hero to win a fight by kicking. Yet Bruce Lee came along, and with his dynamic facial contortions, rapid-fire punches, greased-lightning kicks and high-pitched phoenix screeches, he single-handedly gave Chinese martial arts cinema legitimacy and the Chinese people an identity. Bruce Lee has done more for spreading the word of martial arts throughout the world than anyone else in history. He was also the first martial artist to make mainstream the concept of cross-training and combining the best attributes of many martial arts into one. One neat thing about watching Enter the Dragon (and in fact, all Bruce Lee movies) is being able to recognize many of the Chinese faces in the background — faces that are famous and recognizable to Chinese martial arts cinema fans. (Yep, Jackie Chan dies twice in the film.) I still don't know who the laughing guy was in the background after Lee kicks the same guy four times (similar to Bruce Lee kicking Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon) in the final disorganized courtyard brawl. How did that sneak by Robert Clouse, the director of photography and the editor? Enter the Dragon Movie Facts Director: Robert Clouse Starring: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Shiek Khan, Bolo Yeung, Peter Archer, Sammo Hung, Tony Liu Yung, Ahna Capri, Angela Mao Ying Titleography: Dragons and Tigers Fight; Iron Hand; Operation Dragon; Deadly Three; Blood and Steel; Han's Island. Translation of alternate titles: Dragons and Tigers Fight. "Dragons" refers to Lee and his men, and "Tigers" refers to Han and his men. Iron Hand refers to Han's iron hand and other attachments. Operation Dragon, Deadly Three (Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly), Blood and Steel, and Han's Island were all at one point considered as alternative titles, and it is easy to see how they were created. What's the point of even trying to rename this film? Our Bruce Lee Movies List 1969: Marlowe 1971: The Big Boss 1972: Fist of Fury 1972: Way of the Dragon 1973: Enter the Dragon 1978: The Game of Death

For several years now, Brazil has skirted its heritage with capoeira. It has been overlooked, disregarded and dismissed. Historians battled against bureaucratic red tape. To find the clearing, some gaps in history had to be filled in. A few years ago an 81-year-old Vicente Ferreira Pastinha— a Portuguese man and an eyewitness to the open gaps in history—told capoeira’s story. Descriptions aptly outlined by the old man attest to fast-moving arms and legs, battling against slave owners, and fighting the oppression only to be defeated. Capoeira had its most terrifying results in the slave uprisings against and owners who were in operation since the colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese. With each suppression came more restrictions until at last the insurgent African slaves were defeated. As the white populous worked on the ledgers of history, they erased the black marks of capoeira, pretending it never happened. Vicente Ferreira Pastinha remained alive and brought the reality of the past into full focus. Kept alive, the martial art continued to be taught. If movements were displayed, they were said to be a harmless native dance. This was the way capoeira survived the torture of time. Vicente Ferreira Pastinha revealed how the cultural aspects of capoeira seemed to vanish and how desperate students used its martial art techniques to break down the statutes that were placed in their way. That they used capoeira for damage and destruction without rhyme or reason is also part of the haggard history. Again and again, insurgent blacks were put down in one bloody encounter after another. Capoeira’s heritage seemed to vanish for good. Now, 81 years old and blind, destitute save for the income that has been secured from devoted followers of the art, Vicente Ferreira Pastinha is cared for by students who look at him with the same dedication that Japanese karate or judo students look toward their sensei. He still partakes in capoeira, although the years and the disregard have taken their toll on his prowess. But as Vicente Ferreira Pastinha has revealed the past, a 68-year-old instructor known only as “Master Bimba” is advancing it to the future with his instruction in the martial art. Five years ago, a group headed by Benjamin Muniz started to make a true and schematic study of the “kata” of capoeira, transferring what Vicente Ferreira Pastinha related into viable and teachable terms. Reluctantly, the nation began to recognize capoeira and accept it for what it was although they have staunchly refused to accept it as a national sport. Today, it has been “washed down” as a cultural, native dance. In this manner capoeira is, to the Brazilian hierarchy, “acceptable.” Capoeira’s International Prestige Benjamin Muniz and his group, the Olodum, are performing demonstrations wherever they can find an audience. Their efforts at folklore festivals have garnered them international prestige, despite the backhanded help given them by national officials. In 1968, the Olodum represented Brazil at the Third Latin American Folkloric Festival staged in Argentina and took second place after finding themselves winners of three gold medals and one silver. This year, they garnered a first place win at the Latin American Festival held in Peru. Their performance, supported by musical instruments, was so commanding that the Brazilian Ministry paid homage to the art by including capoeira demonstrations on its “official” schedule of national demonstrations. How strange it was for the heritage to start in Brazil and seemingly end there, because slaves were traded and deposited all over the world. Quite possibly, had there been instructors in the martial art in the United States, capoeira might have changed the face of history in North America. This is not a treatise on civil rights; it is a testimony to an austere and legitimate martial art that identifies with all of the traditions of the other martial arts forms. Just as the Okinawan populace sought an effective means of self-defense, slaves developed capoeira to fight against the tormentors of human dignity in Brazil. Quick Capoeira Body Movements Representatives of Brazil, those who wish to look with pleasure on the history of their nation, would like the demonstrations of the dance to continue and be treated as a dance. Indeed, capoeira—because of its potentially dangerous aspects—must be practiced as a dance, as a “kata,” but there cannot be a “kumite.” The practitioners know the law and are forced to accept it, but they earnestly believe that the art could be a dynamic sport if the reigns of government myopia were removed. Admittedly, there have been many practitioners of the art who are working out with no punches or kicks pulled. It has resulted in some damaging effects, and even they recognize that the unleashed power of the art must be tempered somewhat for a sport in which the nation could take pride. As Gichin Funakoshi tempered karate and Jigaro Kano tempered judo, the leaders of capoeira, perhaps Master Bimba, are looking for that combination of sport-art. Capoeira emphasizes is on muscular strength, joint flexibility and rapid movements. All of these are calculated to subdue, and subdue fast, any threat, any battle. Capoeira uses quick body movements as most of the martial arts do. But capoeira techniques place a greater emphasis on the power of the legs. A capoeira martial artists may meet a fighter face to face, but in a fraction of a second he can flip to the ground, shooting a strongly placed foot into a vital attacking area. It has been said that capoeira martial artists, trained with a punch-power in his foot, can effectively destroy a man! That it whets the interest of those who see it has been fairly well documented. In Los Angeles to attend a folklore festival, the members of Olodum were besieged with requests from students to demonstrate at local colleges and universities. At every demonstration, there was much interest in bringing the martial art instruction to the United States. Capoeira: Brazil’s Official Martial Art In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Waldemar Dos Santos is the man in charge of making capoeira popular. Waldemar Dos Santos, a short, strong man with scarred hands and forehead, learned capoeira on the streets. He is the foremost teacher in this city where judo and karate have reached a new high in interest and attendance. At 37, the man is determined to have capoeira become even more important than these other martial arts. “This is Brazilian,” he says with assuredness. “This fighting art is in the blood.” So pronounced is Waldemar Dos Santos about capoeira and its nationalistic ties that more than 100 students are studying with him. He learned the martial art in the beaten-earth clearings, which were to become “academies” for capoeira in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but having now returned to Sao Paulo, the young man is determined to make the art “official.” Waldemar Dos Santos has suffered from the oppression of red-tape authority. He has titled his “course” a Brazilian folklore movement. His students practice in what was once the parlor of a townhouse, its walls now smeared with dirty palms and feet. After six months of “dance” movements, which in reality is the “kata,” Waldemar Dos Santos instructs his students into the violent phase of the art. “I admit,” he says, not too proud of the statement, “that Brazilian capoeira is one of the dirtiest, formalized fighting styles known.” Cleaning Up Capoeira’s Muddy Past How dirty are capoeira’s techniques? The history books are not clear on this point, either. There are many legends surrounding the martial art and explaining how it was used by Brazilian sailors who picked it up and “adapted it” from the slaves before them. According to some sources who reluctantly admit it, the sailors used capoeira to “fight for keeps,” taping knives and razor blades to their bare feet and hands before entering a fight. Waldemar Dos Santos shrugs his shoulders on this facet. Perhaps that was how the art was “bastardized” by the Brazilian sailors, but he has enough confidence in “empty hand” and “empty foot” facets of the art to bypass that addition. Recent police records in Rio show what happens when capoeira gets out of hand. Military police tried to arrest a drunken capoeira fighter nicknamed “Master Satan.” Satan took on a 24-man platoon and fought them to a draw. Seven policemen were hospitalized, two with broken arms and two with split livers. When Satan still stood defiant after a battering by 24 billy clubs, police had to decide whether to shoot him or let him sleep it off. They decided to try the latter. “The feet are man’s most deadly weapons,” says Paulo Romero, a Rio capoeira practitioner. “The head is the weakest. Capoeira aims at bringing the strongest weapon to the point of weakness.” Master Bimba has defined the modern martial-sport and outlined 72 separate movements that have colorful names, similar to those given in tai chi chuan , such as “Daddy’s Scissors,” “Banana Plant” and “Tail of the Dragon Fish.” “Before World War II,” Master Bimba says, “capoeira was illegal.” Police were called wherever it was practiced. Now, at long last, it is being appreciated for the thing of physical beauty that it really is. Speed, agility and multiplication of force is the key. Master Bimba knows that this definition is in conflict with the view taken by the capoeira fighters. “Capoeira is as graceful as a ballet, but it was invented to kill,” he admits. “In a street fight in old colonial Brazil, capoeira was a fight to the finish. A knife, a razor, a broken bottle made a capoeira [fighter] the equal of 20 men.” Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, however, shirks the contempt against the martial art. Historically, it belongs to Brazil and it should be recognized, in his opinion. “As a Brazilian,” he says, “I am proud of this friendly country. The capoeira [martial artist] meeting his adversary has the possibility by means of lightness and quickness of the art to disarm any opponent, either taking the weapon from him or vanquishing him by throwing the armed adversary to the ground.” Vicente Ferreira Pastinha is still the prime authority on the art, and he has seen it develop to a point of respectability. Master Bimba is the foremost practitioner and teacher in Brazil, and his students are as enthusiastic over the martial arts techniques as students anywhere. There are some who are unhappy that it is locked into the demonstration aspect, colorful though it may be with its musical accompaniment and bright costumes, often times striped trousers that give off a garish and more “carnival” appearance than most. At least the art is being nurtured and someday perhaps, if it continues to live and gain in popularity, capoeira may grow into a full-fledged martial art and a national endeavor. Right now, one university accepts it as part of its curriculum within its folklore program. Moving it over to physical education may be a tricky accomplishment, but until that day does arrive, the followers of the art will continue to demonstrate it, allowing people to forget it is really an example of black power.

How Many Have You Seen? The ‘60s were an exploratory time for cinema and martial arts films were no different. Bringing us kung fu directing juggernauts like King Hu and Chang Cheh, this decade laid the groundwork for the stunning era of Bruce Lee cinema to follow. Here are 9 of the most notable and influential martial arts movies from that decade: 9. Dragon Inn (1967): Directed by King Hu. Set during the Ming Dynasty in China, the story follows a group of skilled warriors and spies who find themselves embroiled in a treacherous power struggle. The film showcases impressive swordplay and martial arts choreography, with its iconic fight scenes and atmospheric tension capturing the essence of wuxia cinema. "Dragon Inn" is known for its memorable characters, intricate plot twists, and visually striking cinematography. Watch kung fu classics for free on Black Belt+ . 8. Come Drink with Me (1966): Directed by King Hu, this wuxia film is widely regarded as a classic. It showcased Cheng Pei-pei as a skilled female martial artist, challenging traditional gender roles in martial arts cinema. 7. The One-Armed Boxer (1967): Directed by Jimmy Wang Yu, this film featured Wang Yu as a one-armed martial artist seeking revenge. It popularized the "one-armed" trope and influenced future martial arts movies. 6. The Sword of Doom (1966): Although a Japanese film, it had a significant impact on the martial arts genre. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto, it offered a dark and gritty portrayal of a skilled swordsman's descent into violence. 5. The Assassination (1969): Directed by Chang Cheh, this film showcased intricate fight choreography and introduced Ti Lung as a leading martial arts star, further popularizing the heroic bloodshed genre. 4. The Chinese Boxer (1969): Directed by Jimmy Wang Yu, this film is often credited as the first Hong Kong martial arts film to feature "bare-handed" fighting techniques. It influenced the subsequent wave of kung fu movies. 3. Golden Swallow (1968): Directed by Chang Cheh, it reunited Cheng Pei-pei and Jimmy Wang Yu from "Come Drink with Me." The film further solidified their status as martial arts icons and featured innovative fight scenes. 2. The Flying Dagger (1969): Directed by Chang Cheh, this film starred Jimmy Wang Yu and introduced the concept of throwing weapons in martial arts action, setting the stage for future weapon-centric movies. 1. One-Armed Swordsman (1967): Directed by Chang Cheh, this film introduced a new wave of heroic bloodshed genre, revolutionizing the portrayal of martial arts heroes with complex characters and intense action sequences. These movies played a crucial role in shaping martial arts cinema in the 1960s, leaving a lasting impact on the genre and inspiring future generations of filmmakers and martial artists. How many have you seen? Catch classic martial arts for free on Black Belt+ . Black Belt+ is the biggest martial arts digital platform in history. From its rich history spanning over 60 years, the platform includes thousands of remastered instructional videos, martial arts movies, documentaries, and, of course, digital issues and articles from the iconic Black Belt Magazine . The new app is available on iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets. Or download and subscribe directly from Black Belt at plus.blackbeltmag.com .

Courtesy of PFL Boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s Grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh is focused and ready to turn pro. Before continuing the Ali combat sports legacy, Ali Walsh was a 3-star football recruit coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas and went on to play college ball. After football Ali Walsh went down a path of partying, depression and lost focus in life. MMA refocused him and gave him new purpose and passion. Biaggio Ali Walsh will continue the combat sports legacy his grandfather began, as he prepares to compete at the 2023 PFL World Championships. Ali Walsh has stormed the PFL as an amateur winning his first four fights by knockout, and he aims to do the same during MMA’s richest night. Biaggio sat down with Black Belt’s Tony Parrish to talk about his amateur fights so far, path to turning pro, his grandfather (Muhammed Ali), and his faith.

Dr. Craig's Martial Arts Movie Lounge The first kung fu film I saw was in 1973, Bruce Lee's The Big Boss (aka Fists of Fury ; 1971). Since then, I've accumulated 950+ martial arts movies from the '70s from 20 countries mostly on Betamax. Rather than list them from worst of the best to the best of the best, I preferred to present the films by the year they were made. There's good chance you haven't seen them all, yet they're out there somewhere. Happy hunting! Brothers Five (1970—Hong Kong): When the head of Flying Dragon Villa, Lung Zheng-feng (Tien Feng) wants his enemy's five children killed, a swordsman rescues them and sends the five to different places to be raised. Twenty years later, the Flying Dragon Villa has become more feared. Meanwhile, the swordsman's daughter, Yen (Cheng Pei Pei) sets out to find the brothers, end Lung's reign and make Flying Dragon Villa an honorable place again. After uniting the five brothers, she teaches them the Five Tigers with One Heart kung fu skill to give them a fighting chance against Lung. Seeing this technique will help you understand why the Chinese are known for those amazing balancing and people-pyramid acts. During the 1960s until retirement, Pei Pei was touted as the first queen of kung fu films and prior to a serious accident in Golden Swallow (1968) was known for doing her own stunts and fights. Yet after the injury, a male double was used if the director wouldn't allow her to do it herself. When Pei Pei fights Tien's stunt double, who's armed with a guan dao (massive blade on top of a long pole), they rock the screen with lengthy weapon exchanges captured within the same shot. To me, this is Pei Pei's best fight ever. She's relentless, smooth, and graceful, which is a difficult to do when fighting someone with a larger and heavier weapon. The Avenger (1972--Hong Kong): Based on the true story of Ma Yong-zhen (aka Boxer of Shantung), The Avenger , which opens with Shaft (1971) theme music, is a remake of Brave Girl Boxer in Shanghai (1972), as the exquisite Chia Ling debuts as Ma Yong-zhen's sister Ma Su-zhen, who travels from Shantung to Shanghai to find the gangsters that killed her brother. Chia enters the genre like a bat out of hell on a freakazoid chopper high on Meatloaf. In what must be the most men killed by any female star in a kung fu film, the final fight is as mesmerizing as it is relentless. For nine-and-a-half minutes, Chia is surrounded by knife-wielding warriors and hatchet men trying to feed-frenzy her into oblivion. Ultimately, it is the lady who axes the questions and when they try to lie and cheat her, she becomes the cheetah and makes them lie on the ground. Avenger uses 1960s fight choreography while shooting the action with tight angles that create a strained sense of pugilistic claustrophobia that makes us feel Su-zhen and Chia are both fighting for their lives. With a wee background in Chinese opera combat choreography and this being Chia's debut kung fu film, it was fitting to not disrupt Chia's expectations of what the fight might look and feel like. During the use of 1960s choreography where hooligans would form tight circles around the hero and the non-attackers would excessively move to add motion and commotion to the fight, Chia was instructed to throw non-stop kicks and punches in all directions while spinning around like a female Olympic skater except to do it with knives and hatchets in hand. Everybody gets nailed by a sharp hatchet hammer or a pointed screwdriver knife…Su-zhen's tools of the trade. Fist of Fury (1972—Hong Kong): Bruce Lee rocketed into superstardom with Fist of Fury and overnight sparked feelings of global pride to Chinese folks and Asian Americans, single-handedly stirred a tidal wave of nationalism among the world's Chinese population by defeating the shadow of Japanese domination, and legitimized martial arts cinema. The Mandarin title Ching Wu Men means entering the gate of knowledge of the Ching Wu martial arts school, which was created by Shanghai martial arts legend Huo Yuen-jia. Set during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in 1901, after the Japanese deliver a plaque with the words Sick Men of Asia written in searing black ink and Huo's top student Chen Chen (Lee) endures ridicule from the Japanese delegation, we're minutes away from a very important moment in fight choreography history; Lee kicking eight different bullies in one unedited shot in a Japanese karate dojo then introducing the world to a nunchaku. Adding to the scene's steam, a reflection of Lee's disdain toward how the Japanese treated the Chinese during that era, he adds insult to injury by having some Japanese fighters wearing their hakama backwards and at the end of the nunchaku sequence, Lee defiantly poses in front of Gichin Funakoshi's (father of Japanese karate) portrait. Yet Lee's ultimate powerful pervasive message of Chinese not being sick people is brilliantly depicted when Lee defeats Japanese thugs in front of Shanghai Park by splintering a wooden sign that read, "No Dogs or Chinese Allowed" with a flying kick (it's a sign that never existed). The Black Tavern (1972—Hong Kong): They don't make films like this anymore. Black Tavern is the best whip movie in the history of whip-moviedom. My mouth was so agape watching this film that I swallowed a thousand flies. Whip master Zhang (Ku Feng) is like a flamethrower full of rocket fuel. It's on the list not for the story, but for the fight scenes that are cooler than liquid nitrogen freezing the Terminator, which includes the whacked out, Viking-helmeted, villain Hu terrorizing the Inn like an enraged bull in a ring filled of blind matadors who forgot their capes and swords. The story opens when after a drunk monk performs shu xiao ban (11th century Chinese rap music) to an inn full of vagabond, thieves, and a cryptic swordswoman that a treasure chest is heading to Black Tavern, all the rascals leave the inn with brains wrapped in greed. At the tavern, all hell breaks loose as the menagerie of Chekhovian pseudo-heroes, back-stabbing villains, zombie men, ghosts, leopard-skin lackeys, switched women and Hu partake in increasingly lethal and inventive death scenes. Ku's choreography goes far beyond simple whip twirling circles and figure eight motions that inject a whip crack or two. He's Quisp and Quake, and the continued use of cool sight gags stupefy our brains like how his whip uniquely beheads a woman, and when Hu attacks Ku with a pole, what follows is an outlandish kooky fight sequence featuring a wicked reverse-angle point-of-view shot of Hu holding onto his weapon for dear life while he's being lifted skyward, travels in an overhead semi-circle, lands on his back, while his face grimaces into camera the whole time, then ends up being whipped into a coffin and dragged across the ground toward several swords. The night fight in a snowstorm between the swords-woman and Zhang is a combo whip-in-a-whip-in-a-whip crescendo with a headless horse and carriage as a wayward rolling wheel tries to crush them. Chinese Iron Man (1973—Taiwan): Chinese Iron Man was Taiwan's answer to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury , where after Chinese chef Little Tiger Liang (Wen Jiang-long) sees Japanese karate students from Musashi Martial Club enter his restaurant, bully the Chinese patrons, and call them dogs, he breaks out his rolling pin and flattens every one of them. The Japanese dojo challenges the Chinese guan to a competition to draw Liang out of hiding. He complies and the dojo pays a dear price for their misplaced loss of face. Choreographer Lin You-chuan was known for creating relentless, fast-paced fights that didn't rely on perfect technique, posture, or real kung fu fighting. My hat goes off to Wen. In earlier films, he put his body on maniacal overdrive and just kicked and scrapped his way all over the screen, not caring about what other kung fu stars thought of him. When he takes on multiple attackers in this film, each shot is pure mayhem. He's as intense as he's fun to watch, regardless of the choreography's haphazard nature and the somewhat sloppy kung fu. The key to Lin's choreography was having Wen throw his leg in the direction of an attacker and the stuntman would react to his leg placement. As a result, Wen's not kicking at anyone, he's rapidly lifting his leg in many directions. It's flail-on-flail choreography with animalistic luster. Wen mimicking Lee's nunchaku dojo sequence with a piece of rope is so blatant that you've got to admire his audacity. Wen's rope has the same sound effect, Wen copies Lee's nunchaku movements and the fight is shot using the same camera angles. Wen kicks the karate dojo sign like the Shanghai Park sign and a brief Bruce Li moment is a sign of things to come. The Defensive Power of Aikido (1975—Japan): The Defensive Power of Aikido is Sonny Chiba's homage to the founder of aikido , Morihei Uyeshiba (1883-1969). The film follows the path of jujutsu expert Uyeshiba (Jiro Chiba) losing fights to karate expert Natori Shinbei (Sonny Chiba; Jiro's brother) and to the bokken -wielding sword master Okita. Uyeshiba thus learns karate from Soubei Honda. Armed with newfound skills, Uyeshiba revenge fight plans go awry causing Shinbei' brother to commit suicide setting up a superbly orchestrated fight between two real brothers, Chiba vs. Chiba, with a hard-style karate vs. soft-style aikido tuning fork. Though the fights are intensely riveting, it's the displays of true karate morality that is most memorable. When Honda presents Uyeshiba with a teacher's certificate and Uyeshiba declines it because he can't afford it, Honda replies, "I don't take money when I give lessons to a man I trust. Though I can sell my skills, I can't sell my marital heart." Honda returns all the money Uyeshiba paid him for lessons over the years. Jiro Chiba's portrayal of Uyeshiba's martial transformation is transcendently dynamic as to how he adjusts his martial movements from one teacher and fight scene to the next. His techniques subtly change and improve over the film's duration, which shows how Uyeshiba's aikido evolves from Japanese jujutsu to aikido's basic hand guard, fight-ready position that is modeled after the way a samurai holds his samurai sword during battle. The Fists of Vengeance (1973—Taiwan): If there's ever a film that rocks and rolls this is it. On the surface, the movie appears to be a run of the mill, topsy turvy, grittily and cheaply made early '70s Taiwanese kung fu flick; yet it balled me over. Imagine Led Zepplin meets Def Leppard ala Deep Purple wrapped into one group and their sole song's music is translated into the sensibility of the final fight scene. When Zhen Zheng (Jiang Bin) returns home, he's called a traitor, ostracized by his village and his girlfriend forsook him as his brother, a turncoat that mines red sand from a river for the Japanese, who use it to forge steel to make guns to kill Chinese. Though the early fights resemble out-of-control windmills, they're raw and you watch them to the point of mental fracking. They're filled with unabashed desperation and overblown fantastical facial expressions associated with silent-film stars. It's like female fans of Rod Stewart saying he's so ugly that he's cute, Jiang's fights are so sloppy that they're great. Just when you think Jiang can't get any worse the attack ante rises as Yasuaki Kurata skulks onto the screen as the nefarious nemesis from Nippon, who oozes the animalistic intensity that Sonny Chiba brought to his Street Fighter films, yet Kurata's hapkido kicks elevate the film's frays and makes Jiang look like a 20th degree black belt in everything. Midway through the finale, Zhen taps into his Buddha Prayer Fist, a cheesy and effective turning point in the fight as they begin battling on a fast-moving freight train with the frenzied intensity of Lee Marvin vs. Ernest Borgnine in Hitchcock's savage barreling train skirmish in Emperor of the North (1973). The emotional sacrifice of breathless intent behind the assault asphyxiates every moment of the fight for them and us. This was a rare accomplishment in Chinese kung fu films that also featured the bewitching soundtrack of Black Magic Woman by Santana. The Gallant (1972—Taiwan): In this ode to the age-old virtue of gallantry, Jimmy Wang Yu stars in a trilogy of short films playing three different characters that challenges the unjust behavior of various black knights as he slays them to save three fair maidens. Overall, the fights in TheGallant are intense and well-choreographed, and Wang portrays each character and their fighting skills with dexterous prowess and violent acumen. In The Stranger , a trapped woman flees from an abusive Triad into the arms of a man (Wang) that's part James Bond and knight in shining armor. He doesn't use a gun or sword instead he's armed with flaming fists and combustible kicks, and fights with 10-tiger intensity soaked in an avalanche of bowling balls that uses up to 25 technique per shot to destroy the kingpin. The somber Stranger Attending the Tomb features Wang as a heavy-hearted prodigal son who while guarding his father's grave laments on his own sinful past, while his sister believes her brother is the last bastion of goodness in the world. When she's threatened by a gang of grave-robbing rebels that want to loot the father's grave, with snapping dragon fists, and a pitchfork and shovel, Wang goes more berserk than Billy Jack at an OK Corral spree that is filled with wretched revenge and insane disdain. In The Avenger , a man (Wang) returns home from prison after taking the rap for a treasure heist to protect two accomplices, his father-in-law, and the double-crossing Li San. While the man was away, San killed the father-in-law and heinously coveted the man's wife. With two daggers in hand, it's time to unleash a whirlwind of steel-slashing bewitchment upon San and his clan. Never say, "Cut it out," to a former inmate with blades. The Pacific Connection (1974—Philippines): Set in 1565, the film opens with a father and son Ben (Roland Dantes) practicing arnis as the father tells Ben about a legendary 100-year-old master who'll never rest until he finds and teaches a righteous hero to become his successor. However, when Ben and father use arnis to thrash two cowardly sons of the Philippines' first colonial governor Legazpi, and stop them from raping his mum, Legazpi retaliates by killing Ben's father, raping then killing his mum, and shipping Ben to Los Mananos to be executed. Desperate to escape the storm-ravaged sinking ship, when forced to kill the captain and conquistadors blocking his way, Ben is mortally wounded. Washing up on an unchartered island he stumbles upon the old, now blind master who teaches Ben and how to make arnis sticks that can withstand sword strikes, which he needs as he prepares to battle Legazpi, his two sons and Mori, their hired deadly samurai bodyguard. Though the muscle bound Dantes could have mimicked Lee's Enter the Dragon eskrima fights to become a Filipino Bruce Lee, he chose to using effective traditional stick fighting, applying simple disarming techniques, heaven-six double-stick maneuvers, and kali knife skills. The impressive aspect of the arnis, Spanish fencing and samurai sword action is that each fighter stuck to their respective arts. After Chief LapuLapu killed Magellan with a Filipino kampilan dagger in 1521, natives were forbidden to carry swords. The Moros and Visayanns peoples combined their sword with Spanish sword skills and applied them to ratan sticks to create arnis/eskrima. These historical homage moments are subliminally intertwined into the film. The Tongfather (1974—Taiwan): What would you get if Orson Welles directed Humphrey Bogart as the Man From U.N.C.L.E. in a Mickey Spillane black and white detective noir thriller disguised as a kung fu film? Director/lead actor Roc Tien's Tongfather , whichis a magnificent film noir that's more electrifying than a hair dryer tossed into a bathtub of water. It's a brutal yarn about two Taiwanese undercover agents (Roc and Tian Hao) sent to Hong Kong to stop powerful Triads and Yakuza bosses peddling opium and other vices. It's also one of the most outstanding kung fu films I've ever seen, not because of the bizarrely effective and entertaining fight scenes, but because of two things that no other Taiwanese-made kung fu film has ever done. One, the film's most powerful scene is when Chinese boss (Chen Hung-lieh) proves his loyalty to the Yakuza boss by calmly breaking his own leg while chatting with him. When the Yakuza boss offer to see him home, the Triad boss, with hypnotic calm replies, "I'll manage it alone, thank you." He exits the room crawling on his stomach and drags his dangling leg over the rough surface. It's as gripping as a pair of rock-climbing shoes on flypaper. And if that that wasn't enough, it takes a minute to realize the English dubbing is excellent. Why? It's the beauty of shooting without sound. The Chinese actors were saying their lines in English, thus having true lip movement and then dubbing the lines later with English speakers. I did several scenes like this in Battle for the Republic of China (1980). Roc delivers his lines with a Humphrey Bogart-esque grunting lisp and glare and displays fighting savvy with the cool of Napoleon Solo. His strait-laced posture and swanky placement of look-away kicks (looks in the opposite direction a split second before making contact) are alive with voodoo magic.

Black Belt Magazine is proud to announce our Wellness & Performance Store powered by iHerb , the store will focus on helping you achieve balance and get into fighting shape! With our unique martial arts audience in mind, the store has been intentionally curated by top experts in the field of medicine, health, and fitness along with key insights from former professional athletes and martial arts champions. Martial artists require specific training and skills different from any other athletes and the products are specially intended to optimize performance, endurance, strength, speed, and above all mental focus. Powered by i-Herb, products will be available via the online store and can be shipped to 180 countries. The partnership guarantees our martial arts community the highest quality product and customer service. Visit the Black Belt Wellness & Performance Store today.

Enter Talón Footwear As any seasoned martial artist knows, the most serious self-defense situations in life typically happen in public settings. In these unexpected and unfortunate situations, the combatants are almost always wearing shoes. This is where Talón Footwear’s rubber literally meets the road! Traditional martial arts Grandmaster Joël Castillo, who grew up in San Francisco’s Chinatown, not only had an affinity for Gung Fu, but also dancing in night clubs in his early twenties. The club’s bouncers became his students and eventually his best friends. Only drinking water and keeping a watchful eye over them at the door from the dance floor, Grandmaster Joël Castillo was involved in hundreds of real street altercations over the years. Throughout these experiences, he has completely understood what footwear works and doesn’t work in real-life street fighting situations! NASA Technology! Grandmaster Joël Castillo was introduced to Alexander Gross, a former NASA rocket scientist who was responsible for designing the space suit for the Apollo 11 lunar landing. He designed many iconic athletic shoes for the biggest brands in the world and even for world champion boxer Mike Tyson! Joel knew he was the man to design the ultimate martial art shoe for daily use. Alexander Gross took the challenge and they formed TALÓN FOOTWEAR - “In Honor of Dedicated Martial Artists!” This is our company’s mantra. We are confident our new “PHÉONIX TALÓN STEALTH ATTACK” model is the best all-around shoe for martial artists available anywhere in the world! Exquisite Footwear for Self-Defense We at Talón believe the first rule of self-defense is to not be the aggressor. However, sometimes we must respond! Our marque Talón (Spanish for “heel”) represents stability. Stability is vital in any self-defense situation. Our bespoke "Ground Zero" outsole sheds water like a winter tire for non-slippage. It can also change direction quickly thanks to three specially designed pivot disks on the outsole. The kicking ability and toe protection is truly unparalleled! The truth is we all need to be stable on our feet, so Talón Footwear is for everyone. Our customers love our super-light, comfortable design. Our classic styles are appropriate in casual settings, going out at night, fitness and training, and even daily work. Try a pair and you won't regret it! Cynthia Rothrock Signature Line! In keeping with our mantra, Talón Footwear is honored that our first collaboration is with the eighth degree black belt and action movie star-- Grandmaster Cynthia Rothrock. Cynthia created her very own signature line! Enter the “Lady Dragon’s” TALÓN FIRE STORM coming 2024!!! #inhonorofdedidicatedmartialartists Committed To Quality Former NASA engineer Alexander Gross & Grandmaster Joël Castillo were in absolute agreement designing the Talón Footwear brand. No matter how functional the shoe might be, quality and durability should never be compromised. They really want you to enjoy your shoes for years to come. Joël Castillo Bio Grandmaster Joël Castillo has been training the traditional Chinese martial & healing arts for over 36 years. He is the founder of White Phéonix Gung Fu academies worldwide. As a teacher of various styles for over 28 years and a former coach of the United States National Martial Art Team, he has dedicated most of his life to the study and furtherance of martial arts. Grandmaster Joël Castillo remains undefeated in international matches and was awarded a gold medal for fighting at the 1999 U.S. Open. He was subsequently inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2007 as "Kung Fu Grandmaster of the year.” Alexander Gross Bio Space Materials Program: Lead Engineer Systems Design Group Apollo Spacesuit Program, Johnson Space Center Lead Design Engineer Apollo Spacesuit Program/Skylab/ASTP, Manufacturing Facility Sports Footwear Industry: Alexander Gross has designed athletic footwear for Nike, Converse, Adidas, Asics, Avia, Lowell, Timberland, The North Face, Bata, Rugged Shark, Teva, LaCrosse, Artic Trail, Yukon, Airwalk, and Morrow. Technical Apparel for the USMC, USA Olympic Team winter sports footwear, the Army of India winter footwear, & Wilson Sports footwear.

Crikey! Did you see that, mate?! It looks like a toxic person! They’re known to infect the environment they’re in. Get this: though it’s not the typical space people think of them inhabiting, sometimes they even find their way into the martial art school as students or, heaven seriously forbid, teachers! Ok, we’ll pause the mockumentary and meditate on this thought a bit differently. As martial artists, we often hope to find a martial art studio with an environment conducive to growth in our preferred ways, be it for self-defense, personal development, or overall skill acquisition. The unfortunate truth is, sometimes we are surrounded by people–or worse, a whole community–that actually does more harm than help. There are signs that you can recognize if you listen to your gut. It can be an uneasiness that arises when you partner with a person, it can be your hesitation to work with a teacher, or it can even be the frustration that fills the room when that person walks into the facility. Before you disregard that feeling and write yourself off as certifiably crazy, read on below. I'm willing to bet that you'll find a personality type you've encountered in the dojo, whether to hilarious results or more serious ones. The Abuser The squint of the eyes, the unimpressed body language, the barrage of words enlightening you to how many synonyms there are for the phrase “do better”. If you've been in the martial arts for any amount of time, it's likely that you've experienced or at least heard of a stern teacher who could make an entire adult dodgeball league wince with just a glance. Let me start by saying this: a strict teacher is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, for many people it can be exactly what they need. There is a reason why military training is the way it is and how it creates lasting bonds. With that being said, correction and candor is always best when rooted in kindness, whether it is on display in the interaction or not. Words should be shared and actions should be taken primarily because of investment in your progress–regardless of how blunt the way they express it may be. Unfortunately, the type of instructors we are talking about here are the ones that actually don’t give a rat’s ass about their students–or at least, they care more about themself, their reputation, and their dang ego than the students in their care. They hurt their students during demonstrations and then have very little regard or empathy for the damage done afterwards. They abuse their place in the dojo in disgusting ways. Afterall, you should just “suck it up”, “be stronger”, or “listen to your teacher!”. No bueno . Martial arts is the place where many go to when they want to feel empowered, where kids go to learn bully prevention tactics and adults go to learn real-world self-defense. It is not the place where serious physical or emotional damage should be done, especially when it is simply to stroke a weak ego. The Abuser doesn’t just abuse their students in harmful ways. They abuse the power they wield in the dojo and bastardize the gift of being a teacher. The Arrogant Psssh! Advice is for people who need it–”obviously” this person knows all that they need to know in life. The Arrogant students are those you work alongside with who purport to know how to do everything they've been shown after just the second or third time...and likely even the things they haven't yet been shown. Heaven forbid you try to offer help as a fellow student. Ego is a funny thing because it can be shown in small ways and in big ones. The extreme of this archetype is that of someone who stubbornly refuses help because they feel they know better, however the bit of ego inside of all of us can sometimes add resistance to new knowledge as well. Meditate on this. Don’t let this person be the one who looks back at you in the mirror. The Lazy This is the archetype that so many of us imagine when we think of a person running a bad martial art school. This is the old dude teaching at the strip mall Karate Studio who can barely tie his black belt all the way around his beer belly. It's probably been a long time since he's actually taken a class or put in time working on his own technique, however he certainly believes he can teach like he is God's gift to white belts across the world. Riiiight... As the students keep doing their techniques in the air, the teacher largely neglects any attention to detail (because he doesn’t know them, nor care about them) and instead chooses to just spout obnoxiously weak motivation at random. Yes, there is a distinction between being an able coach and a capable martial artist, however this guy can't walk the walk or talk the talk. Sometimes, a martial artist gets complacent in their knowledge and stops trying, stops working, and sadly stops acting like a martial artist entirely. Though they may not be the ideal coach, they do provide an important lesson: don’t let any amount of success breed complacency. The Apathetic I'll be honest...this person probably doesn't want to be in class. This is the teenager whose mom is forcing her to take class so that she can protect herself or the adult who thought that martial arts would be a fun place to make new friends and didn't think about all of the hard work that would actually need to be put in. Everybody has different motivations for joining a school, however it is important that they don’t let that motivation deplete and become an energy drain on the people they are around. There is no sense of urgency in this person’s actions and no clear motivation that can be distinguished from their speech. Occasionally, this archetype will surprise you and actually just be a very low-energy individual by nature. With that being said, who you choose to partner with during drills has a large impact on how well the embed lessons will assimilate into you. If you have a partner who keeps half-assing their work, it would do you well to find somebody new to work with. The “Real Deal” Sunglasses? Check. Motorcycle? Check. Ego and preconceived notions? Definitely check. This is the individual who disregards anything in martial arts that they don’t feel works. Problem is, they believe most everything is BS. Sure, they’ll play along with you and your buddies as you punch and kick the air in your cute lil’ Karate pajamas, but they “ know ” that it's just fun exercise. I mean, obviously any tactic that doesn’t prioritize immediately attacking with a pocket knife or Glock is just ridiculous. Even though they've never been in a fight, a high stress drill or sparring round, or even studied the psychology of violence, they sure do know “exactly what it takes to win one”. Just, uh, shoot three shots to the head. It doesn’t matter if it is a drunk uncle, a fight in a crowded club, or an attempted abduction. Hmmm... The question of “would this work with live movement and resistance?” is absolutely an important one to ask, however that should aptly be followed up with a pressure test before being completely disregarded. Context matters. The movements you train in your martial arts are likely to have an important meaning and application. If you throw everything in the trash before inspection, you will never find any treasure worth keeping however. ~~~ Ok. Time for some real talk. Each of these character types likely started off on the right path, they just either took a wrong turn or traveled too far. The presented personalities stand as extremes with which we can contrast our own behavior against. Check in with your habitual behavior and attitude before you become overly confident like the Arrogant or close minded like the “Real Deal”. Have the self awareness to see when you allow excuses to invade your mind like the Lazy or start going through the motions without intention like the Apathetic. We are constantly given opportunities to refine our mindset. Strive to be a positive personality that inspires those you meet on and off of the mat to be better.