Throughout history there have been many warrior castes. Probably the most famous of these are the Samurai. There are many topics to discuss about the Samurai, but today we are just going to enjoy a beautiful performance by Japanese film and stage actor Taichi Saotome. This was in a special New Year performance of Dragon and Peony, Sword Dance and Shadowgraph, which was performed from the 2nd to the 5th of January 2011 at the Galaxy Theater Tokyo.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
What the Martial Arts Means to Me!
I wanted to, very briefly, share an interview with Bruce Lee. Probably one of the most respected, and well known martial artists of our time, and possibly of all time.
Bruce Lee is such an iconic figure and this interview touches on many of Bruce's philosophies. There are three parts to this interview. I will most likely come back to this segment, and other segments in future blog posts. For this post I wanted to touch on one quote. It can be heard from minute/second marker 2:35 to 3:27. Here is the interview, so you can hear it in the legends words himself.
"...martial arts has a very, very deep meaning for me as far as my life is concerned, because as an actor, as a martial artist, as a human being, all these I have learned from martial arts."
Although, I am not an actor, this embodies my passion for martial arts.
Please share a comment of what martial arts means to you.
Bruce Lee is such an iconic figure and this interview touches on many of Bruce's philosophies. There are three parts to this interview. I will most likely come back to this segment, and other segments in future blog posts. For this post I wanted to touch on one quote. It can be heard from minute/second marker 2:35 to 3:27. Here is the interview, so you can hear it in the legends words himself.
"...martial arts has a very, very deep meaning for me as far as my life is concerned, because as an actor, as a martial artist, as a human being, all these I have learned from martial arts."
Although, I am not an actor, this embodies my passion for martial arts.
Please share a comment of what martial arts means to you.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Review of the film Redbelt
My first blog post will be a review of the movie Redbelt.
This movie was written and directed by David Mamet. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an instructor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu named Mike Terry. I loved this movie. It is not well known, and even though I remember seeing the previews, it was the recommendation of a colleague that prompted me to see it on video.
This film is a drama that just happens to be about a martial arts instructor. The characters drive the story, not the action. While there are fight scenes, it does not feature a lot of crazy fights with dramatic techniques, and unbelievable stunts; adversaries and protagonists getting back up after receiving punishment that would normally put anyone in the hospital.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is charismatic and powerful as Mike Terry. He plays the role with a calm confidence that sells the character. This was the first film I had seen Chiwetel in, and it made the actor a favorite of mine. Chiwetel seems to have been noticed by more than just myself as he landed parts in the well publicized movies 2012 and Talk to Me, opposite John Cusack and Don Cheedle, respectively. Chiwetel is also reportedly on the short list to play Marvel super-hero Black Panther (T'Challa), in the proposed movie of the same name.
Chiwetel Ejiofor's character, Mike Terry, is forced to deal with several pivotal moments that shape his future, and change his life forever. As an instructor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mike Terry teaches that there is always an escape to any situation. This is in the context of a fight, but this is actually a metaphor for life, and in the movie specifically, Mike Terry's life and the curves that are thrown at him.
The action is believable. Decent acting by the main characters. A very well written story.
I recommend this one. If you've seen it, tell me what you thought of it. If you haven't seen it, then check it out, and come back to let me know your thoughts.
Check out the trailer on YouTube from Sony Pictures Classics
This movie was written and directed by David Mamet. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an instructor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu named Mike Terry. I loved this movie. It is not well known, and even though I remember seeing the previews, it was the recommendation of a colleague that prompted me to see it on video.
This film is a drama that just happens to be about a martial arts instructor. The characters drive the story, not the action. While there are fight scenes, it does not feature a lot of crazy fights with dramatic techniques, and unbelievable stunts; adversaries and protagonists getting back up after receiving punishment that would normally put anyone in the hospital.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is charismatic and powerful as Mike Terry. He plays the role with a calm confidence that sells the character. This was the first film I had seen Chiwetel in, and it made the actor a favorite of mine. Chiwetel seems to have been noticed by more than just myself as he landed parts in the well publicized movies 2012 and Talk to Me, opposite John Cusack and Don Cheedle, respectively. Chiwetel is also reportedly on the short list to play Marvel super-hero Black Panther (T'Challa), in the proposed movie of the same name.
Chiwetel Ejiofor's character, Mike Terry, is forced to deal with several pivotal moments that shape his future, and change his life forever. As an instructor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mike Terry teaches that there is always an escape to any situation. This is in the context of a fight, but this is actually a metaphor for life, and in the movie specifically, Mike Terry's life and the curves that are thrown at him.
The action is believable. Decent acting by the main characters. A very well written story.
I recommend this one. If you've seen it, tell me what you thought of it. If you haven't seen it, then check it out, and come back to let me know your thoughts.
Check out the trailer on YouTube from Sony Pictures Classics
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