The Foot Fist Way - Movie Review

by Nathaniel Rhine

I had the opportunity to watch another martial arts movie on television tonight, and I must admit, I was very disappointed. Firstly, the movie was about a so-called Taekwondo instructor who misused and abused his authority.

The main actor, the Taekwondo instructor, made sexual advances towards one of his teen aged female students. Yes, unfortunately, there are a few "instructors" who may have misbehaved, however, should that be the message the director of the movie wanted to protray?

The instructor used very abusive language with his students who were children. One may scold their students from time to time and when necessary, however, using abusive and vulgar language is absolutely not acceptable.

Martial arts is to instill discipline and respect in the students, but with the character of the instructor in the movie, how is it possible that a man who lacked discipline and respect of self be in the position to teach it to his students? If anything, the students feared him more than respected him.

The greatest means of teaching children, and adults for that matter, is by setting a good example. The instructor in the movie set many examples, but none of them were good. He took his students to a party were alcohol was consumed, vulgar language was used and violence encouraged.

I could write more about this horrible example of a martial arts movie, but I won't. I would like to encourage martial artists and those who love the martial arts to speak out about movies such as this one. Martial arts are beautiful forms of art. The movie portrayed martial arts in general and Taekwondo in specific, that it has no value, no substance. On the contrary, martial arts, has taught millions of people throughout the world the importance of respect, discipline, hard work, perseverance, integrity, brotherhood and the list goes on.

Movie producers, actors, actresses and even those who call yourselves martial arts who want to have any involvement in such horrible movies, please think twice. You are doing the martial arts a great disservice.

I am a product of Taekwondo and proud to say that. The creation of this blog site is to promote and defend Taekwondo and the martial arts. I have done that from the very first time I stepped into a dojang (training center), and I will continue to do that has long as I have breath.

Thank you and long live the martial arts.