A_Different_Drummer Have a friend who is a MA buff.He has strong views.He says that Chinese film makers often get confused between the pure fighting and the costume budget. Sometimes they emphasize one when they should emphasize the other.He is also harsh with the Japanese studios, saying that over the years they have given in to the exploitation market by doing films about hi--kicking karate girls, karate sisters, karate high school students, etc.So this one is a jewel. Amazingly pure to the original notion of what MA are supposed to be, a simple yet powerful script, great acting and direction.Almost the Asian equivalent of SHANE.

Shanger Gully *Contains Spoilers*The film started off promising. I didn't buy into the whole "real karate" stuff so I didn't mind if some of the fighting was unrealistic, in fact I quite enjoyed the whole one-strike-fatal-blow scenes. My problem was the whole "not attacking no matter what" principle that the main character was drilled into implementing into his life. I don't believe that there is any martial art that would prevent you from attacking when it is needed to defend yourself or another person from someone who has evil intentions.Giryu came across as very pathetic in trying to stay true to this philosophy, his initial refusal to help save the girl who contributed to saving his life was absurd. Especially considering that she was being kidnapped and was destined to be raped/prostituted yet the karate expert didn't want to attack because of some pseudo-philosophy from his dying sensei. I found this ridiculous. The movie was essentially trying to push an irrational message. Taikan's character irked me in some ways, it almost appeared that because he saw the logic in actually using his karate (not maliciously at first) that he was immoral and bound for a life of debauchery.The final fight scene seemed boring and overly dramatic, inconsistent with the earlier fight scenes which I think were pretty well done. Overall this film could be worth a watch if you want to see something a little different to other martial arts movies, but it does have some big flaws in the plot which in my opinion lets it down.

herbprof-739-348592 I do not have the language of a movie critic, just that of someone who appreciates the art. I have seen a lot of martial arts movies and I rate this one highly, not that it was real slick, but because of its simplicity and a nice feeling of time and place. I enjoyed the fight scenes because I have not seen many hard style films. So this was a treat to see actors who are Masters keep the fight scenes (with few exceptions), dynamic and strong. This movie captured my mind many times and gave me the immediacy of, "how would I react in similar situations?" And if I was up against a well trained fighter of this style, how would I do? Like many of the reviewers, I was also at first confused by the final words of the master. As the movie progressed my interpretation was to fight with no mind, "mushin no shin," fully aware, not fixed, no plan, no target, no thought, no emotion. With just the body and deep consciousness in-charge, ready to express the art spontaneously as the fight presented itself. If you are truly in the no mind state you are not striking, "it" is doing the striking (I have had that experience but not as much as I would like). I did not see this in the final fight. But I would think that even the best martial artists would have a difficult time with that expression of the art as an actor, far too dangerous.

foodi Disregard kobushi's review. His years of experience practicing karate have apparently clouded his judgment considerably. No one save perhaps himself and a handful of others cares a hoot about the true to life mechanics of real-world karate. Suffice to say his approach to the film is laughable in its narrow-mindedness.The film presents a deceptively simple and elegantly told martial arts fable, set against a backdrop of an increasingly militarized japan. The fight scenes , tho admirably staged and completely credible (and shocking in their immediacy), are merely the seasoning on a powerful tale of good vs. evil. The stylistic flourishes and acrobatic excesses which plague most other martial arts movies are completely absent, and that is a welcome and long overdue development. The script seamlessly fuses the protagonists' journeys of self-discovery with the setting in which the story unfolds. The director's calm, measured approach is refreshing in its economy, a rare thing in a martial arts film. There is a charming honesty about the whole project that makes it difficult to resist.. As the two protagonists wrestle with their own diametrically opposed natures and strive to discover the secret of their training, the inevitable standoff between them is subdued but satisfying, like the film itself. The supporting characters (and I'm thinking mainly of the evil army general), though two-dimensional, are well-written and performed. The acting is uniformly excellent, a laudable accomplishment since apparently many of the martial artists are non-actors..More than likely the film will be derided by the ADD generation, but i thought it was a welcome return to the style of old Japanese classic films (Reminiscent also of early Bruce Lee movies, in content as well as in spirit). It isn't pretentious or abstruse enough to be labelled an art film, and it shuns the spectacle of mainstream schlock. Kuro-Obi is a humble, poetic film both funny and moving.. and is adorned with a beautiful musical score. a resounding 8/10