[Fight Scene Friday] Shaolin Avengers | Martial Arts Action Film 少林英雄 (2025)

 Fight Scene Friday™ returns, and this week's scene is the latest short film from Martial Club! They've been hyping this one up for quite a while, and it's finally on YouTube! It's a martial arts comedy, with homages to Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa, and even Stephen Chow, among others! The fighting is fast and furious in this one! Check it out, you won't regret it!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] HOW TO DEFEAT THE NUN

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and we're down to our final Spooky Season fight scene! This week's scene has the Martial Club showing us how to defeat The Nun. You can bet I took some notes! Check it out!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] Kung Fool at School

 After having no internet for three weeks, Fight Scene Friday™ is back! This week's scene is a close-quarter fight scene from Martial Club and Shaun Charney. Very cool to see Martial Club and Shaun Charney back before they became big, again. Really cool stuff in this one! Check it out!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] FIST OF FURY (2020)

 This week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene is a short film from the Martial Club crew. Fist Of Fury (2020) is an homage to Fist Of Fury (1972) and to the character of Chen Zhen, most notably played by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan (New Fist Of Fury, 1976), Jet Li (Fist Of Legend, 1994), and Donnie Yen (Fist Of Fury TV show, 1995; and Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen, 2010). Andy Le plays Chen Zhen in this one, and he embodies the rage and fight for justice that Zhen is all about. Brian Le plays the General (from Fist Of Legend) as an impenetrable wall Chen Zhen must get through. The fights are fast and hard-hitting, and there is a lesson to be learned at the end. There are homages to the Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen versions of Chen Zhen throughout. Check it out!

Shadow Master (2022) - A Review

 

Shadow Master is a horror martial arts movie that you've got to see to believe.

Shadow Master (also known as Hanuman: Shadow Master) is a martial arts horror movie released in the United States in 2022 and stars D.Y. Sao, Craig Ng, Luciana Faulhaber, Eric Gay Jr., Anna Harr, Brian Le, Daniel Mah, Layton Matthews, Dominique Swain, and Pearry Reginald Teo. Shadow Master was written and directed by  Pearry Reginald Teo, with stunts and choreography by D.Y. Sao and Martial Club (Andy Le, Brian Le, and Daniel Mah).

D.Y. Sao as An Voaen. Sao has some major martial arts skills!

In Shadow Master, D.Y. Sao plays An Voaen, a mysterious man with a violent past looking for a job as a night watchman at a building that has many colorful characters. Boon-Nam (played by Craig Ng) is in charge (it seems) and tells An that children are being abducted from this building. An keeps an eye out for this, especially after he befriends Janett (played by Luciana Faulhaber) and her wheelchair-bound son, Benison (played by Eric Gay Jr.).

An encounters the group that has been kidnapping the children, and dies in a battle against them. He is resurrected by his newfound friends in the building, but when Benison is kidnapped, An makes the decision to give his body to Hanuman, the Monkey King God of Death (played by Pearry Reginald Teo), to gain the otherworldly power he needs to defeat Mephisto and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (yes, you read that right). Can An defeat them and get Benison back safe and sound, and prevent the end of the world?

Brian Le (left) as the most dangerous fighter of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Shadow Master is a dark, brooding, post-apocalyptic movie that combines horror and martial arts. The story is told in quite a nontraditional way, which seems to have confused a lot of people who have watched it. Well, all I can say about that is: this is the type of movie where you shouldn't look too deeply into the story. Just take everything at face value. To me, everything is explained well enough. An, after violent encounters in his past, wants to avoid using violence. Of course, he has to fight in order to protect the children in the building he lives in/works at. The mysterious group is kidnapping the children in the building to give themselves enough power to bring about the end of the world. Hanuman will give An the power to defeat them, but at the cost of his (An's) life. I liked the story, and how it combined several religious cultural icons, but some may find this nonsensical or even offensive. D.Y. Sao plays An as a very conflicted man trying not to succumb to his violent past, having to, to save the world.

The fights are the best part of Shadow Master!

The absolute best part of Shadow Master are the fight scenes. With D.Y. Sao and Martial Club in charge of the action, you know the fights will rule, and they do not disappoint. The fight choreography is a mix between Hong Kong style and Panna Rittikrai's Muay Thai-based style. So not only is there fluid, fast, and intricately choreographed moves, but there is also the hard-hitting strikes of Bokator (which D.Y. Sao is an expert of). The best fight is the final fight (obviously) between D.Y. Sao and Brian Le (of Martial Club). This fight is so fast and hard-hitting; it's worth the price of admission alone! The fights in this movie can get very violent and gory, so watch out for that!

So, do I recommend watching Shadow Master? I would say, yes! The story is dark and foreboding, the characters are interesting, and the action is top notch. D.Y. Sao has a promising career ahead of him, hopefully he will be given more chances in Hollywood and beyond. It is really unfortunate that director Pearry Reginald Teo passed away this year (2023), as I think he could have gone on to make more cult classics and mainstream hit movies. Shadow Master isn't the best movie ever made, but it really is entertaining!

Reviewed by David Williams

The Paper Tigers (2020) - A Review

 

Trust me when I say, this movie is great!

The Paper Tigers is a martial arts comedy movie released in the United States in 2020 and stars Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Yoshi Sudarso, Peter Adrian Sudarso, Gui DaSilva-Greene, Matthew Page, Jae Suh Park, Joziah Lagonoy, Andy Le, Brian Le, Ken Quitugua, Roger Yuan, and Yuji Okumoto. It was written and directed by Tran Quoc Bao, with action directed by Ken Quitugua.

From left: Hing, Danny, and Jim; the Three Tigers.

In Paper Tigers, Alain Uy plays Danny, a middle aged father dealing with a high-pressure job, his young son Ed (played by Joziah Lagonoy), and his ex wife Caryn (played by Jae Suh Park). On the day he has custody of his son, he finds out his former kung fu master (played by Roger Yuan) has died. Danny meets up with an old friend he hasn't seen in years, Hing (played by Ron Yuan), who has gained weight and has a bum knee. When Danny, Hing and their friend Jim (played by Mykel Shannon Jenkins) were younger, they were the best of friends, and they all studied kung fu together under Sifu Cheung, their master. They were the best fighters in the city, beating other martial arts challengers with ease. Danny was the best of the three fighters, and their sifu chose him to carry on the legacy of his style. One cocky challenger, Carter (played by Matthew Page) kept being defeated and made a fool of by Danny. Thirty years later, Danny, Hing, and Jim are older and haven't kept up practicing kung fu (Jim is now a mixed martial arts coach and is the only one still in fighting shape).

Danny and Hing find out from Carter that their sifu was murdered. Carter gives them some leads on finding people who may know who killed their sifu. They get Jim involved, even though Danny had a falling out with him years back. The three friends have a reputation, and they have to live up to it against some younger martial artists. We then find out why the friends became distant from each other and from their sifu. Danny has to deal with his ex-wife and being a good father and role model for his son. We also learn that the person who killed their sifu has a reputation of his own, and Danny has to be the one that faces him to avenge their master's death...

The Three Tigers face off against Martial Club?!?

I first heard about The Paper Tigers from a Martial Club post on social media saying they had roles in the movie. From then on, it has been on my radar. I did see it being sold in stores, but I was (and still am) broke, so I couldn't buy it and watch it. I randomly found it on Tubi, and I finally watched it. Did it live up to my expectations? It more than lived up to my expectations! I love this movie, as a matter of fact!

The Paper Tigers is a drama with a lot of comedy in it. The movie mainly focuses on Danny and how he deals with his daily obligations as a middle-aged man, and how he left martial arts behind. Danny, along with Hing and Jim, not only left kung fu behind, but they dishonored their master as well. This dishonor is basically what causes everything that happens in this movie. The character of Carter does bring a lot of the comedy, along with Hing, and it is very funny and not mean-spirited. There is a lot of heart in the story and in the characters; you root for the three tigers to overcome their obstacles and honor their master. The performances of the actors are excellent and very natural and believable. This is just a very well-made, enjoyable, and fun to watch movie.

The action in The Paper Tigers is excellent!

Though The Paper Tigers is a modern day kung fu movie, there are more styles displayed in the fight scenes. Andy Le and Brian Le (of the Martial Club stunt crew and Everything Everywhere All At Once stars) use more of a high-flying, acrobatic, yet powerful fighting style. It's always great to see them unleash in a movie! Since Jim (played by  Mykel Shannon Jenkins) is an MMA coach (and practitioner, I would guess) he uses more wrestling and Brazilian jiu jitsu type of moves. Hing is out of shape with an injured knee, so he can't fight to his greatest ability (but he is still pretty good). Danny, the best of the three tigers, is just out of fighting shape and has seemingly lost his fighting spirit. Trust me, though, he still has the skills deep within him. Carter (played by Matthew Page) is their childhood rival and is still in fighting shape. He is really good! If you ever wanted to see Master Ken (yes, that Master Ken) in a Hong Kong style fight, here is your chance! The final boss, played by Ken Quitugua (and the fight choreographer of the movie), is a martial arts killer and seemingly unstoppable. The fight scenes are very Hong Kong style, exciting, with a little comedy in them. The action is great in this one!

As you can imagine, I highly recommend The Paper Tigers! It has drama, it has comedy, it has awesome action, and it has heart. What more could you want in a movie? I loved every minute of it, and I hope you will, too. The film makers and actors in this movie should be really proud of the work they created. It is really good. I hope these guys all team up again one day, I need more of their movie magic in my life!

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] "A KUNG FU VAMPIRE STORY" | ACTION HORROR COMEDY

 It's the final Spooky Season© Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene is another great tribute to classic Hong Kong cinema by the Martial Club crew! This short film is an homage to the horror martial arts comedies of the 80s, like Encounter Of The Spooky Kind and Mr. Vampire. It is also a tribute to the jiangshi, which is the Chinese vampire (if you didn't know, the vampire myth originated in China; the gothic/European vampire came later). There are other references in there, like music from Drunken Master II, the classic zooming in and out from The Young Master, and I think Brian Le is dressed similar to Sammo Hung's character in Pedicab Driver, among many others. Anyways, check it out!

Check out the behind the scenes footage:

 

Shadow Master (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Shadow Master, a martial arts horror film directed by Pearry Reginald Teo and starring D.Y. Sao, Brian Le, Layton Matthews, Anna Harr, and Craig Ng. The Martial Club crew does the choreography for this movie! Here is the synopsis:

 Slain during a ferocious fight and reborn with supernatural powers, one man stands between demonic forces bent on hastening the Apocalypse and a ragtag group of apartment dwellers protecting their children from certain peril.

Shadow Master comes out November 4, 2022 in select theaters and on November 8, 2022 for On Demand and digital services. This movie looks AMAZING, and I really want to see it!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] ANNABELLE COMES HOME PARODY - IF THE DOLL KNEW KUNG FU

We're still in Spooky Season©, so this week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene is an Annabelle parody from the Martial Club crew! This is what happens if Annabelle knows kung fu! Lots of homages in this one, from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen to The Exorcist! Check it out!

[Fight Scene Friday] IT CHAPTER TWO PARODY - IF PENNYWISE KNEW KUNG FU - ACTION COMEDY

 We're still in Spooky Season©, so this week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene is a parody of the recent IT movies, done by the Martial Club crew! I haven't seen the "new" IT movies (but my friend loved the old one, so I'm interested in seeing that one at least), so I can't tell how accurate it is to the movies, but it doesn't matter! The action rocks and it's funny! Check it out!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] CRAZIEST JACKIE CHAN STUNT

 Check out this fight scene, on Fight Scene Friday™, featuring the Martial Club crew and Andy Long working together! This scene is a tribute to Jackie Chan, and there are many homages to Jackie's movies and fight scenes! I like how the music from Jackie's Hong Kong movies are used throughout this as well. What do you think was the craziest stunt in a Jackie Chan movie?

 

[Fight Scene Friday] SHANG CHI X EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE MULTIVERSE PARODY

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week we have a parody of Shang Chi and Everything Everywhere All At Once done by the Martial Club crew! This scene is in tribute to Michelle Yeoh as well, who they worked with on both movies. This scene is wild, it's wacky, it's Martial Club!

[Fight Scene Friday] JACKIE CHAN STYLE FIGHT - SUPREME ART OF WAR 孫子兵法

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene is a short film by the Martial Club crew! Martial Club are really moving up in the world, with Andy Le playing Death Dealer in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and both Andy Le and Brian Le having roles in Everything Everywhere All At Once, as well as choreographing the fight scenes in it!

This is one of my favorite short films from them. Andy Le (red hair) plays the hero, Brian Le plays the buff henchman, and Daniel Mah plays the big boss. Andy Le and Kevin Le wrote and directed this film. Enjoy the insanity! 

 

Twisting Tiger (2022): First 5 Minutes - Teaser

 Check out the first five minutes of Twisting Tiger, the latest short film from Team Red Pro! It is directed by Joseph Le, and the Martial Club guys are involved with the action design as well. This looks very promising! I can't wait to watch the whole thing!

The official synopsis: After committing to a life of zen, a Black Shaolin Disciple with PTSD must break his vow of nonviolence and save his students from a bloodthirsty Asian gang.

(Language warning!) 

 

Everything Everywhere All At Once - Official Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, with action choreography by the Martial Club crew! This looks very intriguing! Kind of reminds me of the Jet Li movie, The One. Not sure if this is a straight up action movie, but it stars Michelle Yeoh, so I have to see it!