Top 10 Inspirational Movies about Fighting [Linwood’s Picks]

Since a few gyms are starting to open back up after the COVID-19 lockdown, I found this to be the perfect time to select a handful of films that have inspired me as a practitioner of martial arts and tactical self-defense. I’ve chosen movies that are tournament, sport, and journey based instead of action movies that simply involve fighting without a heartfelt motivational theme such as finding oneself, family, friendship, or survival. Some of these are very well known and others are either foreign or ’80s gems.

If there are any recommendations for me to check out, make sure to comment below and feel free to provide your own list of favorites!

10. WARRIOR (2011)

“The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he’s trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament – a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.”

9. FISTS OF LEGEND

“Three old friends and rivals get set to face off on a TV program billed as “The Greatest Fight Show on Earth”.”

8. THE FIGHTER

“Based on the story of Micky Ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness.”

7. FIGHTER IN THE WIND

“A young Korean man arrives in Japan near the end of World War II with hopes of being a fighter pilot, but ends up on the streets battling racism, organized crime, occupying American servicemen, and his own fear of failure as a martial artist.”

6. NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER

“Jason, a Bruce Lee fan, sees his karate instructor/dad beaten by martial art thugs. They move to Seattle where, after humiliations, he trains with Bruce Lee’s ghost so he can defend himself and others against thugs.”

5. CREED

“The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.”

4. UNDISPUTED 2

“Sequel to the 2002 film. This time, Heavyweight Champ George “Iceman” Chambers is sent to a Russian Jail on trumped-up drug charges.” [The entire franchise is recommended.]

3. LADY BLOODFIGHT

“Upon arriving in Hong Kong, an American woman is beaten up and mugged by thugs. She’s taken in by a martial arts master who trains her for a formidable fight competition known as the Kumite.”

2. MAN OF TAI CHI

“A young martial artist’s unparalleled Tai Chi skills land him in a highly lucrative underworld fight club.”

1. BORN TO DEFEND

[Spoiler Alert – Trailer for the movie is not available, This is a scene from the movie]
Jet, a young soldier at the end of the second World War must overcome some abusive Americans who are bullying him as well as the Chinese people.

Linwood Storm

Linwood Storm is an American musician, executive producer, filmmaker, director, actor, publisher, voice-over artist and comic book writer from Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is currently the host of the ‘Black Grindhouse’ podcast and founder of GameCargo.

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