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Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently featured in training scenes and other sequences in addition to fights. Martial arts films commonly include hand-to-hand combat along with other types of action, such as stuntwork, chases, and gunfights. Sub-genres of martial arts films include kung fu films, wuxia, karate films, and martial arts action comedy films, while related genres include gun fu, jidaigeki and samurai films.
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate school at the age of ten, which led Van Damme to hold the rank of 2nd-dan black belt in karate, and compete in several karate and kickboxing competitions. As a teenager, he won the middleweight championship of the European Professional Karate Association in 1979 and the Mr. Belgium bodybuilding title in 1978. With the desire of becoming an actor in Hollywood, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).
No Retreat, No Surrender is a 1985 martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen in his American film directorial debut. It is the first title in the No Retreat, No Surrender franchise, whose plot lines and characters are mostly unrelated. It stars Kurt McKinney, with a supporting cast of Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W. Fails, Kathie Sileno, and Kim Tai-chung. The film was released in Italy on October 20, 1985, and in the United States on May 2, 1986. McKinney performs as Jason Stillwell, an American teenager who learns martial arts from the spirit of Bruce Lee. Stillwell uses these lessons to defend his martial arts dojo against Soviet martial artist Ivan Kraschinsky.
Cynthia Rothrock is an American martial artist and actress best known for her martial arts films. She holds black belt rankings in seven styles of martial arts and was a high-level competitor in martial arts before becoming an actress. In 2014, she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016, Martial Arts History Museum bestowed Rothrock the official title of The Queen Of Martial Arts.
Yeung Sze, better known as Bolo Yeung, is a Hong Kong former competitive bodybuilder, martial artist, and actor. Primarily known for playing villains in action and martial arts films, he is regarded as one of the most influential actors in martial arts cinema.
The King of the Kickboxers is a 1990 martial arts film directed by Lucas Lowe and starring Loren Avedon as Jake Donahue and Billy Blanks as Khan.
No Retreat, No Surrender 2 is a 1987 Hong Kong-American martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen, and starring Loren Avedon, Matthias Hues, Max Thayer and Cynthia Rothrock. Despite its title, it does not have any narrative or character connection to No Retreat, No Surrender, as it plots an independent story. The film was originally released as Raging Thunder in the Philippines. It is the second film in the No Retreat, No Surrender franchise.
Gary Edward Daniels is an English actor, producer, martial artist, fight coordinator and former world light heavyweight kickboxing champion. Born and raised in London, England, Daniels started to take martial arts lessons at the age of eight. By his late teens, he became a competitive kickboxer. In 1980, Daniels moved to the United States to continue the sport. In 1990, he won the WKBA California State Light Heavyweight Championship and the PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship.
Serhat Arvas is a Turkish action movie film director and head of a martial arts stunt team.
Bloodfist is a 1989 American martial arts film directed by Terence H. Winkless, starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Rob Kaman, Billy Blanks and Cris Aguilar. The plot sees an American former kickboxer travel to Manila, where he re-enters competition to avenge the murder of his brother and fellow fighter.
Keith Vitali * is an American karate master, former number one ranked full-contact fight champion, martial artist, actor, producer, author and child activist, best known for films such as Revenge of the Ninja, Wheels on Meals, No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers, and American Kickboxer.
Casanova Wong is a South Korean actor and martial artist.
Jalal Merhi is a Brazilian-born Lebanese-Canadian martial artist, actor and filmmaker. As a competitor, he was a regular on the tournament scene in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. As a film and television producer, he owns the Film One company, and previously owned a studio located at the Donlands Theatre in Toronto.
Roy Horan III was an American actor and martial artist best known for his Hong Kong martial arts films. Horan played Lewis in the 1981 martial arts film Game of Death II, and Priest/Russian in the 1978 martial arts film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, opposite Jackie Chan. He was a student of Hwang Jang-lee, who appeared with Horan in several films.
No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers is a 1990 American action film directed by Lucas Lowe and starring Loren Avedon and Keith Vitali. While financed by Seasonal Entertainment, it does not have any narrative or character connection to No Retreat, No Surrender or the sequel, both directed by Corey Yuen.
Darren Majian Shahlavi was an English actor, martial artist and stuntman.
John D'Andrea is an American television composer, arranger and music writer.
Redemption: Kickboxer 5 is a 1995 American direct-to-video martial arts film starring Mark Dacascos and directed by Kristine Peterson. The film is the fifth entry in the Kickboxer film series and the first to have a plot that does not revolve around a member of the Sloane family. It instead revolves around a character named Matt Reeves, said in dialogue to be a friend of the Sloane family.
Michel Qissi is a Moroccan Belgian actor, filmmaker, and martial artist best known for his action films. Qissi is the co-founder of The World Cinema Combat Federation (WCCF), an organization he formed with Grand Master Beom Jhoo Lee which teaches fight choreography in filmmaking.
Carter Wong is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist, who is mainly known for roles in Kung Fu action movies. The biggest movies he was featured in are Big Trouble in Little China (1986), and Yong zheng ming zhang Shao Lin men (1977). As an actor, he contributed to more than seventy martial arts films. He also worked as a stuntman in films, and was the fighting instructor for the movie Rambo III. Wong is still active in martial arts.
References
- ↑ "Exclusive: Interview with Loren Avedon | cityonfire.com".
- ↑ The Art of Action - Loren Avedon - Episode 6 , retrieved June 21, 2023
- ↑ LOREN AVEDON from King of Kickboxers - "The Dojo was like church!" | PODCAST #16 , retrieved June 21, 2023
- ↑ Loren Avedon tells you how he broke into films by showing up Pt. 1 Ep. 2 , retrieved June 21, 2023
