This week we are taking a look at a Hong Kong action classic- Eastern Condors! Directed by and starring the legendary Sammo Hung, this wartime, martial arts thriller is one of the most unique and technically well executed entries in Hung’s extensive filmography. With some phenomenal cinematography, an overall visually stunning aesthetic, and absolutely mind-blowing martial arts sequences, this film has a little bit of something for everyone. Listen in as we break down why you should watch this film, what we love so much about it, and surprisingly enough… what we DON’T like about it! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This week Gavin and I are discussing our EPIC weekend we just had, which included multiple film screenings, some GREAT food (and not so great 😆) and of course…. DRAGONFEST! Listen in as we break down our Zatoichi screening, our fun-filled day hanging out with some awesome folks at Dragonfest, and finally, the INCREDIBLE ‘A Better Tomorrow’ triple screening with a special introduction by the legend himself- John Woo! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This time around we are taking a look at the newest entry in the John Wick Franchise, 'Ballerina'! We recorded this episode about two months ago, so we apologize about the delay, but hopefully you still enjoy this deep dive we take on the latest offering from the absolutely INSANbE world of John Wick! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We’re back! And this time around, we are taking a look at one of the most eccentric straight-to-video martial arts entries of the 1990’s- Bloodmatch! Directed by the one and only Albert Pyun, the mastermind behind such genre classics as Cyborg and Nemesis, this slightly erratic neo-noir martial arts mystery is an ambitious entry in a stream of sometimes narratively derivative films of the era. With some an incredible martial arts scenes, unique visuals, and an overall dreamlike aesthetic, ‘Bloodmatch’ is an ambitious endeavor that tries its best to create a surreal action mystery for viewers. Does it succeed? You’ll have to check out the episode to find out! ALSO- we’ve got some big news for you guys about a certain event we will be attending next month!!!! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This week, we are tackling the newest entry in the long-running Karate Kid franchise- ‘Karate Kid: Legends’. It’s two worlds colliding, as the long-established “Miyagi” universe crosses over with Jackie Chan’s “Mr. Han” universe, in a collaboration that has some major hits, but some major misses as well. Listen in as we break down what we liked about this entry, what left us wanting more, and our thoughts on the possible future of the Karate Kid franchise! You can listen to The Martial Arts Mania Podcast on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeart Podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This week we are taking a look at ‘The Prosecutor’- a Hong Kong legal thriller with a Kung Fu twist! Starring AND directed by martial arts maestro Donnie Yen, this action extravaganza has a little bit of something for everyone. Great performances from a strong cast? Check✅ A compelling story of good overcoming equal? Check✅ And most importantly of all… a bunch of KICK-ASS fight scenes?! Double Check✅ ✅ Listen in as we break down this extremely fun film, what we loved so much about it, and why it leaves us excited for the future of Donnie Yen! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

New episode alert! This week, Gavin and I have another great entry in our fan favorite ‘Kung Fu Comfort Films’ series! Per usual, we are looking at films we go back to time and time again! Whether it is for nostalgia, background noise, or we just straight up need a Kung Fu fix, these movies always deliver in the best kind of way! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This week we are taking a look at the Japanese action extravaganza ‘Re:Born’! Starring genre favorite Tak Sakaguchi, this psychological martial arts thriller delivers nonstop martial arts action! A combination of Tak’s unique “wave” style, along with some insanely hard-hitting kicks and punches, ‘Re:Born’ delivers on all fronts, including having a 45 minute long action finale! Listen in as we breakdown what makes this film so entertaining, what sets it apart from other films in Tak’s filmography, and what we hope to see from him in the future! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This time around, we are taking a look at one of our favorite straight to video films, ‘City of Fear’! Starring martial arts legend and kicking maestro Gary Daniels, this early 2000’s action flick is a step above the rest! With stellar Hong Kong style fight scenes, and a Neo-noir plot ripped straight out of classic Hollywood cinema, this entry into the vast world of straight to video action cinema delivers in all of the right ways! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This time around, we are taking a look at the brand new Netflix film ‘Havoc’! From the genius mind of Gareth Evans comes another incredible entry into the world of hard-hitting, balls to the wall action cinema! Listen in as we break down this absolutely insane adrenaline rush, what we liked so much about it, and why it desperately needs to get SOME sort of theatrical release! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We’re back and we’ve got a brand new episode for you, hot off the press! Listen in as we break down another epic double Kung Fu screening at the New Beverly Cinema, this time featuring dynamic super kicker John Liu! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We are back with a short and sweet episode this week, with a very special guest, our very own sensei, Peter ‘Sugarfoot’ Cunningham! This time around, we are paying tribute to our dear friend and a man sensei considered a brother, Richard Norton. Listen in as sensei talks about how they first met, the special relationship the two had, and some of his fondest memories with his dear friend “Richie”. Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This week, Gavin and I have another great entry in our fan favorite ‘Kung Fu Comfort Films’ series! Per usual, we are looking at films we go back to time and time again! Whether it is for nostalgia, background noise, or we just straight up need a Kung Fu fix, these movies always deliver in the best kind of way! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

The world works in awfully strange ways sometimes. We had been having a blast recording our episodes on the Lucky Stars series, and we were looking forward to discussing the final film of the initial trilogy, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars, for a multitude of reasons. Amongst those, are the stellar action scenes found throughout the film, particularly the finale, in which a trio of deadly assassins take on our lovable bunch of misfits in an epic throwdown! One of the most memorable aspects of this extremely hard-hitting and kinetic sequence is the battle between the legendary Sammo Hung and martial arts maestro Richard Norton. We were scheduled to record on Saturday, but work related events postponed our recording by a couple of days. Little did we know, that within that time frame, our mate Richard would suddenly pass away. Shocked, devastated, and utterly confused by the news, we initially decided to postpone our episode until a later point in time. Upon much reflection though, we ultimately came to the conclusion that we should move forward with the episode. Listen in as we breakdown why we enjoy this film so much, the similarities and differences between it and its predecessors, and our future plans for paying tribute to the wonderful human being that was Richard Norton. Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy.

This week, we are taking a look at the second film in the Lucky Stars series, appropriately titled, ‘My Lucky Stars’! An early example of what can be considered a “requel”, this film acts primarily as a reboot of the series, taking an almost identical formula from the first one, with most of the same cast returning, an ups the stakes with even crazier action, international locales, and zany comedy scenarios that are definitely not as family friendly as the first film’s! Listen in as we break down this action classic, that cranks the martial arts mayhem up to an 11, while simultaneously taking the humor in a whole new, and far less innocent direction. Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

This time around, Gavin and I are starting our deep dive into the Lucky Stars series, with its very first entry- ‘Winners and Sinners’! Listen in as we break down one of our all-time favorite Hong Kong comedies, that just so happens to also have some stellar martial arts action! The first in the long running Lucky Stars series, this first entry is an often underrated and forgotten gem that might actually be the strongest standalone film of the entire series! Balancing that fine line between local and universal in terms of the comedy, as well as being a groundbreaking piece in terms of contemporary fight choreography in Hong Kong martial arts cinema, ‘Winners and Sinners’ is an absolute must for anyone that is a fan of the genre! Listen in as we break down what makes this film so iconic, where it succeeded where other entries in the series failed, and why the comedy is so relatable even to this day! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We’re back! And this time around, in celebration of Chuck Norris’ 85th birthday, we are reviewing one of his most martial arts centric films in his extensive library of work- ‘Forced Vengeance’! Listen in as we break down this 80’s classic about a high kicking American cowboy out for vengeance against the seedy underworld of Hong Kong! Part martial arts flick, part Neo-noir, and all out action, this one has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy (including a stellar cameo from our friend Richard Norton)! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We are back, and this time around, we are talking about one of my all time favorite martial arts documentaries, the 1976 Karate epic ‘Fighting Black Kings’ aka ‘The Strongest Karate’! A documentary focusing on the very first Kyokushin Karate world open tournament, it is an epically cool time capsule of the 1970’s martial arts scene! In a true display of courage, grit, and determination, we see fighters from all over the world put it all on the line for a chance at glory! The insane abilities and fighting prowess of the Karateka involved show just how far ahead of their time they were in terms of full-contact fighting application! Listen in as we break down what we like about this documentary, how well executed it is, and why it is definitely one of the best comfort films out there! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We’re finally back! This time around, we are sharing our experience at the New Beverly Cinema’s most recent Kung Fu screening, a double dose of Cynthia Khan in ‘Queen’s High’ and ‘Angel on Fire’! Listen in as we break down these two VASTLY different films, one which we LOVED, and another which took away 90 minutes from our life that we will never get back! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! We’re finally back on track, so keep an eye out for another episode coming soon! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!

We are back with our New Year special! Listen in as we recap our awesome 2024, go over our favorite experiences and films of the year, and do an epic gift exchange! Thank you to all of our special guests and cohosts this year, including Max Huang, Topher Mowry, and Randel Davis! Don’t forget to subscribe, download, like, and share with your friends! We’ve got a lot of big things coming in 2025 so keep an eye out! Thanks again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy!