Kuro Obi

I was waiting for this for a very long time: a traditional style of martial arts shown without any special effects, done by people who are not only actors but acknowledged masters of their style. Kuro Obi (Black Belt) manages to portrait Karate just like is what meant to be: an okinawan/japanese style of fighting that relies on specific training tools (like kata, a form of ”shadow boxing” against multiple opponents) and always tries to finish the fight with the first solid hit. A style where every block can be a painful impact and the ethical aspect is deeply connected to everything a fighter does. Kuro Obi goes beyond the quarrels between full-contact or “sports” Karate and the bad reputation of the style as not being realistic enough after a short hype in the 80s. Some of the characters and the plot of the movie are of  a little too clichè to be fully enjoyed but the fights are beautifully choreographed (or not choreographed at all!) and really show something of the spirit of Karate. If you are into Budo or martial arts movies you should definitely give it a try.

Trailer