First off… before you start salivating over this Brazilian Jujitsu movie… Let me warn you. Red Belt the movie is a drama!
What is the Movie Red Belt About?
Don’t expect a BJJ version of Die Hard.
There are plenty of BJJ fight scenes… in the gym, in a tournament and my personal favorite… on the street – against multiple attackers!
Arms get broken, and bad guys get choked out. Oorah!
But it’s a drama. It has dialog, a plot and a real story. That may not turn on a lot of rough-and-tumble Brazilian Jujitsu practitioners who rather see people getting slammed on the pavement.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. And I think you will too.
I am a little biased. I’m a big fan of the writer and director David Mamet (he wrote one of my all-time favorite plays/films — Glengarry Glen Ross). Also, I’m a big fan of Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays the lead in the movie.
Red Belt the Movie – A Brief Synopsis:
It’s about a BJJ instructor, Mike Terry (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor).
Mike wants to stick to the traditional ways of teaching and BEING Jujitsu. He’s a top fighter, one of the best around, but he doesn’t want to sell out.
He avoids the over-commercialization of the sport and doesn’t compete for big-time money.
In fact, his own school is struggling. He’s broke. But he’s at peace with that as long as he’s pure of heart.
The story gets a lot deeper, so watch it.
There’s Plenty of Eye Candy for Martial Artists and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Enthusiasts too
A lot of the minor and major roles are played by authentic Jujitsu, martial arts and MMA celebrities. For instance, you’ll see…
- Dan Inosanto (martial arts legend and one of Bruce Lee’s colleagues
- Randy Couture (MMA fighter)
- John Machado (MMA fighter)
- Enson Inoue (MMA fighter)
- Renato Magno (BJJ coach)
- Ricco Chipparelli (BJJ coach)
- Ed O’ Neil (actor – “Al Bundy” from married with children BUT a real-life BJJ black belt)
Plus, David Mamet, the writer-director of Red Belt, was a purple belt when this film was released. I’m surprised that Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddel and Royce Gracie were missing. If you want a good movie that has Jujitsu fight scenes in it, you’ll like Red Belt the movie.
