The Martial Arts Mania Podcast

New episode alert! This week, Gavin and I are discussing the best martial arts movie of the 21st century that you have probably never seen, Black Belt: Kuro-obi. Listen in as we discuss this truly fascinating, beautifully shot and executed picture, that not only has possibly the most authentic Karate ever displayed on screen, but also one of the finest examples of Bushido and finding your own uniq...

This week, we’re traveling to the land down under to examine one of the greatest straight to video action films ever made, ‘Under the Gun’. Starring the one and only Richard Norton and featuring such martial arts legends as Kathy Long and Sam Greco, this super fun, well-written and hard-hitting action flick delivers one hell of a kick-ass ride. Norton not only shines in the action department per u...

New episode alert! This time around, Gavin and I are discussing the bearded bad-ass himself, the Karate Cowboy, the Total Gym Titan, the man, the myth, the legend… MR. CHUCK NORRIS! Tune in as we deep dive into one of his early, underappreciated classics, ‘An Eye for an Eye’. A revenge thriller set in in the seedy world of drug dealing and corruption, with the beautiful San Francisco Bay as its ba...

We’re Back! This time around, I’m giving Gavin a break and sharing 5 of my personal favorite Kung Fu Comfort films! We’ve got entries from legends likr Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan, friends of the podcast such as Michael Worth and Richard Norton, as well as a few more! Listen in as I share why these films are so special to me, why I go back to them time and time again, and why I think you should all ch...

New episode alert! BUT FIRST, please follow the new official Instagram page for the podcast @martialartsmaniapodcast! We are switching over from our old page to try and increase the reach of the podcast, so make sure and follow and share! ANYWAY...This time around, Gavin and I have a fun Halloween themed episode as we review the absolutely BONKERS Hong Kong Fantasy Kung Fu comedy extravaganza- The...

New episode alert! This week, Gavin and I discuss one of the newest entries on the Hi-Yah! app, the Japanese Yakuza action picture ‘A Janitor’. Listen in as we discuss what we liked about the film, where it fell short and how it compares to the landscape of lower budget Japanese action picture from the past decade or so. We also discuss some exciting news about the podcast and our first live event...

New episode alert! This week, Gavin and I discuss the Angela Mao Kung Fu flick- ‘Broken Oath’! A remake of the Japanese cult classic, ‘Lady Snowblood’ (which was a major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill) this revenge picture features some stellar action sequences and phenomenal kicking displays thanks to both Angela Mao and her co-star Bruce Leung. Listen in as we discuss the overall...

New episode alert! Gavin and I are back! This time around, in honor of the passing of the legendary Coolio, we are reviewing his one foray into the world of martial arts cinema; co-starring in the underrated classic, ‘China Strike Force’. Directed by the brilliant Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx, Supercop) and starring superstars Aaron Kwok and Leeholm Wang, this martial arts extravaganza featur...

New episode alert! This time around, Gavin gives us a list of 5 of HIS favorite “Kung Fu Comfort Films”! Listen in as he breaks down why these entries are a few of his go to favorites when he wants some good ol’ Kung Fu escapism! You can listen to The Martial Arts Mania Podcast on Soundcloud, Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe, download and share with your friends! Thanks again f...

After an extended hiatus, Gavin and I are back and better than ever! This time around, we discuss one of the newest, old-school classics to drop on the Hi-Yah app- the “girls with guns” classic, ‘She Shoots Straight’. Starring Joyce Mina Godenzi, aka Miss Hong Kong 1984 aka Mrs. Sammo Hung, and directed by veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Cory Yuen, this hard-hitting female driven action picture delive...

New episode alert! This week, Gavin and I discuss the Jackie Chan starring, Sammo Hung directed, ‘Heart of Dragon.’ This atypical entry in the golden era of Hong Kong action cinema adapts a more serious tone, while simultaneously tackling the sensitive subject matter of adults with intellectual disabilities. A family drama, social commentary, and hard-boiled cop thriller all rolled into one, this...

We’re back! This time around, we’ve got an AWESOME list for you… our Top 5 Cynthia Rothrock films! This was no easy task, as we set ourselves a lot of caveats as to which films could qualify for our picks! Listen in as we discuss the storied career of “the Lady Dragon” herself, a pioneer in the world of Kung Fu cinema and one of the greatest martial arts stars of all time! Which ones made our list...

New episode alert! Gavin and I are BACK! This time around, we talk about the epic, double Kung Fu screening we attended last week at the New Beverly Cinema! We got a double dose of hardcore, Japanese inspired, Hong Kong cinema. First up was the ‘Seven Samurai’ remake, aptly titled ‘Seven Warriors’, directed by Terry Tong & Sammo Hung (allegedly), featuring an ensemble cast including: Adam Cheng, T...

New episode alert! It’s been a little while, but Gavin and I are officially back! This week we talk about an underrated 90’s martial arts classic- The Quest! Directed by and starring the muscles from Brussels himself, Mr. Jean-Claude Van Damme! This Bloodsport inspired period piece checks off all the boxes for an entertaining, popcorn action flick! A cool international setting? Check. A diverse ca...

New episode alert!!!! We’re back, and this time around, we are discussing the debut picture of one of the biggest martial arts stars of all time! The notorious, bone-breaking, accent changing, aikido phenomenon himself- Steven Seagal! That’s right, this week we tackle the Andrew Davis directed, 1988 action classic- ABOVE THE LAW aka Nico. Listen in as we discuss our experiences with this film, our...

New episode alert! This week Gavin and I are back with a VERY special episode. This time around, we are talking about my favorite movie of all time… ENTER THE DRAGON! Listen in as we break down this Bruce Lee classic, why it is special to us, and more importantly, why it is so significant in the overall history and development of cinema. If you haven’t seen it before, do yourself and favor and go...

New episode alert! Gavin and I are back! This week, we catch you up on everything we’ve been up to recently! More specifically though, our trip to the New Beverly Cinema where we got to watch a double Kung Fu screening featuring two all-time classics, ‘Tai Chi Master’ and ‘Wing Chun’! A double feature of not only one of the greatest action stars of all time, Michelle Yeoh, but also one of the fine...

New episode alert! In honor of last week’s date of 2/22/22, we decided to go all in on the double trouble and review a classic piece of Hong Kong action cinema and one of Gavin’s all time favorites- ‘Twin Dragons’! Starring the one and only master of action comedy himself, Mr. Jackie Chan, this collaborative directorial effort between Hong Kong legends Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam is a real treat. Jam-...

New episode alert! This week, Gavin and I have a super fun episode to share. This time around, we are discussing the “Top Ten Henchman of Hong Kong Cinema”! Listen in as we go over our all time favorite baddy enforcers of Hong Kong action movies! Lots of evil doers, some incredible martial artists and some surprising choices make up our lists. Also, *SPOILER ALERT* we both picked a surprising #1 e...

New episode alert! Gavin and I are officially BACK! We apologize about the long absence, but worry no more! We are back and better than ever! For our first episode of 2022, we tackle one of my all time favorite Kung Fu movies, the 1981 kicking classic, ‘Hitman in the Hand of Buddha’. Directed by and starring the legendary Hwang Jang Lee, this rare example of the legendary ‘boot master’ playing a g...

New episode alert!!!! ‘Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story’- Biopic, Historical Fiction or Bruceploitation? This week, Gavin and I discuss the 1993 Rob Cohen directed film starring Jason Scott Lee (no relation) and Lauren Holly, which tries to tackle the monumental task of telling Bruce Lee’s story. Many had tried before it, many have tried since… and almost all have failed. Although ‘Dragon’ is about as...

New LOST episode alert!!! So, this is our very first “lost” episode- one which we recorded but thought we lost to technical errors/difficulties. I managed to find a backed up copy of it and so I present to you… our critique/ analysis of the 1979 Jackie Chan old-school Kung Fu fight fest… ‘Dragon Fist’! Directed by Lo Wei and co-starring the likes of Nora Miao, James Tien and Yen Shi Kwan, the film...

New episode alert! This week Gavin and I discuss one of our all-time favorite films, ‘Righting Wrongs’ aka ‘Above the Law’. Listen in as we deep dive into what sets this film apart from others of its’ era, why exactly it is so darn good, and the huge influence it had on us in a multitude of ways- including being one of my first introductions to my sensei Peter ‘Sugarfoot’ Cunningham! We break down...

We’re back! Gavin and I have been busy as can be, so we went the easy route and did another edition of “Kung Fu Comfort Films”! Listen in as we each pick 5 or our favorite go-to movies that we can watch over and over again! We’ve got entries from some of the all time greats, including: Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Jeff Wincott, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Li, Sammo Hung and many more! Listen in...

New episode alert! We’re back! FINALLY! We apologize about the long hiatus, but both Gavin and I had a ton of cool stuff going on the past few weeks (including hanging out together and training with our sensei Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham) which had us a little preoccupied. However, we have a special new episode where we catch you up on everything that’s been going on, including a New Beverly doub...