Scenes to Watch

The newest The Karate Kid trailer has been released and though it bears some resemblance to its 1984 predecessor, it takes on a life of its own with a different location and a different martial art! The new Karate Kid is all about... kung fu. Instead of Pat Morita as the Okinawan Mr. Miyagi we have Jackie Chan as mentor and master. Instead of Los Angeles, California we have Beijing, China. Chan has told interviewers that film cast members have been referring to the movie as The Kung Fu Kid, and he believes the film will only be called Karate Kid in America, and Kung Fu Kid in Asia. The original Karate Kid film starring Ralph Macchio as “Daniel” helped popularize karate as a mainstream activity in the United States. The tale of a bullied youth learning to stand up for himself with the aid of a soft-hearted though ornery master inspired many and propelled Macchio to stardom. Through the teaching, Daniel-san not only learned a martial art to protect himself but important life lessons

The muay thai warrior will be back in theaters back throwing elbows and knees at all the bad guys who cross his path. Once again, Tony Jaa will light up the big screen as “Tien”, the naturally gifted martial arts fighter, in the one-against-many franchise of Ong Bak films. Ong Bak 2 , though well-awaited due to the success of the first film, did not enthuse watchers as much as the original Ong Bak film billed as Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior. As always, Tony Jaa highlights the films by doing all of his own stunts. This time around we learn he’s “lost all of his fighting skills”. He's also lost a beloved figure (his step-father) in a raid led by Jom Rachan. Jaa's character Tien is brought back to life with the help of several figures including the Kana Khone villagers. He devotedly learns meditation achieving a state of 'enlightenment' and then goes on to face his many rivals including old and new characters: the Golden-Armored King’s Guard

It can strike 5 percent faster than a snake, kick with more than a ton of force, and fly nearly 20 feet through the air. It’s the most complex weapon known to man — the human body. Fight Science brings together a team of technical engineers, physiologists and computer technicians to uncover the secrets behind some of the world’s most elite fighters. The series shifts its focus to martial artists in the February 4th episode "Fight Like an Animal". For centuries, martial artists have been inspired by the animal kingdom. But can a human strike as fast as a snake, be as nimble as a monkey or as powerful as a tiger? The Fight Science team tests whether kung fu experts stack up against their animal counterparts. High-speed video cameras compare the striking speeds of human fighter and rattlesnake. A martial artist

The movie trailer for the new live-action Tekken film may either galvanize fans of the popular fighting game series or alienate them. It flashes much too quickly through the fights for viewers to see the action but it does show plenty of flying fists and kicks. The film is set in year 2039. World Wars have destroyed much of civilization as we know it. The remaining territories are no longer run by governments, but by corporations, the mightiest of which is Tekken. Actor John Foo plays the lead character: Jin Kazama. Seeking revenge on the killer of his mother he reconnects with his grand-father, Heihachi Mishima, and pleads with him to train him in martial arts. Tekken sponsors the Iron Fist Tournament in which fighters compete to the death for ultimate glory.

Martial arts films are showing no signs of slowing down. The newest mega-budget production comes out of China and boasts an all-star cast including Donnie Yen and mixed martial arts star and kickboxer Cung Le. The action adventure is directed by Teddy Chan and revolves around a band of martial arts fighters who band together to protect political revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat-sen from an elaborate assassination attempt in the heart of Hong Kong. The thrilling story takes place at the turn of the 20th century. Donnie Yen is now the highest paid actor in China and has certainly earned the title of action star. The film targets both his acting and fighting skills as he and other fighting experts combat assassins using flying fists and myriad of weapons. The film even incorporates

On August 7, 2009, the eagerly-awaited live-action film G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra will hit the big screens. Set ten years in the future, the big-budget feature hopes to grab a wide audience of stunt-loving, good-versus-evil enthusiasts. From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. Joe team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to battle against the mysterious Cobra organization. Cobra is headed by a corrupt arms dealer called Destro. G.I. Joe is an acronym for the Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity and boasts top combat experts and military operatives. The G.I. Joe culture is no stranger to the world of martial

Merantau has been touted as the next big action film to come out of Southeast Asia and hit the international scene. The Indonesian martial arts feature follows the male protagonist, Yuda, through a journey of discovery. This is all due to an ancient rites-of-passage into adulthood called “Merantau” which all of the Minangkabau community's young men engage in at some point. This time around we take a behind-the-scenes look into some of the fight choreography used in the film. The production video below gives a glimpse of the process and just what goes into the making of some of the eye-catching fight scenes shown in Merantau.

Director Prachya Pinkaew helped launched Tony Jaa as an international screenfighter with Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior and The Protector. Now the Thai director's newest film looks to up the ante with another muay thai blockbuster. The film, called Chocolate, has been creating a considerable buzz over the action scenes and recently arrived (officially) in the States. As with many martial arts films, Chocolate is short on storyline but long on action. In this case, it's worth seeing the film for its fast-paced and wire-free fight sequences and stunts. Additionally, Chocolate offers a twist

The first domestic teaser trailer for the new Street Fighter film (based on the popular video game series) has been released. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li revolves around female fighter Chun-Li embarking on a personal journey for justice. Robin Shou, of Mortal Kombat fame, plays Gen - the sage kung-fu master and Chun Li’s mentor. For fans of the game series, script-writer Justin Marks has said in an interview to Joblo.com, "There are many nods to signature moves. Fans won't be disappointed, because we talked about fighting styles

The infamous Shaolin Temple in China is known as the birthplace of kung fu and home to Zen Buddhism. Over centuries of turbulent history, the temple has been destroyed and reconstructed, with varying degrees of success. While it has survived a range of challenges, the temple has never lost sight of its true essence: mastering martial arts and honoring deep-rooted traditions. Now the hardest battle of all remains: maintaining tradition in the 21st century. National Geographic Channel's (NGC) Secrets of the Kung Fu Temple will take viewers inside the 1,500-year-old monastery known for training

The Forbidden Kingdom hits theaters this Friday, April 18, 2008. Watch the behind the scenes featurette which takes a look at Jackie Chan and Jet Li, working with Yuen Woo-Ping (Matrix, Kung Fu Hustle, Kill Bill) on the choreography for the fight scenes. The two stars had no problem filming fight scenes together and in fact, found a natural groove. “I just let him know my rhythm,” said Jackie Chan. “Mostly, when I fight with people

Building on the success and popularity of the original, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) has created new episodes of Fight Science. National Geographic continues to examine the measurable impact and inner workings of the art of physical combat in the new series. The first episodes focused on traditional martial arts. This time around, in Fight Science: Mixed Martial Arts, NGC takes a close look at mixed martial arts (MMA) to unlock the mechanics of the increasingly brutal punches

The 40-part television series depicting the life of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and being produced by China's national broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), had incited a great deal of discussion about whether it will live up to the high expectations of portraying Lee and his extraordinary abilities on screen. Finally, we have a glimpse into what The Legend of Bruce Lee

Discovery Channel has taken the elements of “Survivor” and fused them with the essentials of “Ultimate Fighting” to produce a revealing look into full contact fighting and the ancient arts - reality show style. The new 12-part series called Last One Standing will chronicle six athletes – three American and three British - as they are immersed in some of the most remote tribal cultures of the world.

Vengence is the ultimate weapon. Jet Li is back. And so is Jason Statham. The two pair up on screen as adversaries in a full-throttle, martial arts action-thriller called WAR based on revenge and intrigue. Jet Li (Fearless, Unleashed, Hero) is still showing off his lightening-speed screen-fighting

Chris Tucker returns to the big screen as he reunites with the all-star team of co-star Jackie Chan, director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2 , X-Men: The Last Stand, Hannibal), and writer Jeff Nathanson (Rush Hour 2, Catch Me If You Can) to deliver the third installment of the blockbuster Rush Hour franchise.

300 hits theaters today on both regular and IMAX screens. In the film, 300 men fight to defend their freedom against a massive army of nearly one million soldiers. It isn’t the most unusual story, until you realize it’s actually based on history. In 481-480 B.C., King Xerxes of Persia raised forces in Asia and Africa and invaded Greece

Our new favorite past-time is checking out Matflix to see if any new martial arts videos have been posted. Addictive? Perhaps. But Matflix seems to have figured out the right formula for martial artists and the people who love them.

If you enjoyed Hero and House of Flying Daggers, you may just need some room in your list of favorites for Zhang Yimou’s latest big-budget martial arts epic: Curse of the Golden Flower. It seems the talented director

If you think finding one Bruce Lee look-a-like is difficult, try finding 100. In late July, a score of hopefuls applied for a casting call which specified a few simple requirements: be Asian, male, not a member of the