Martial Arts Movies
A select list of Japanese samurai and Chinese martial arts movies

It may seem unusual to include a page about movies on an Aikido website, but Ueshiba O'Sensei himself was a fan of Samurai fiction and had his students read him stories for inspiration.

The best of these movies deal with real issues; they are not just about action or fighting. In fact often any fighting is incidental to the story. Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" is largely about the conflicts of personal interests versus service; "Sugata Sanshiro" follows the development of a young judoka from talented but somewhat egoistic, to a better man. The central character in "Twilight Samurai" is torn between personal preferences and responsibilty to family and community.

In the Star Wars series the battle between good and evil is played out both on the grand scale, and in the character of Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader.

This list of movies is an introduction, far from a complete listing. If you explore some of these movies you may find, along with entertainment, something to think about, and possibly inspiration for your own life and training.

Japanese and Samurai Movies

Akira Kurosawa, Director

The Seven Samurai

Film clip from The Seven Samurai. The swordsman attacking from the left disputed his defeat in a previous duel with wooden swords and insisted on this contest with live blades.

Trailer for The Seven Samurai

Sugata Sanshiro (1965/ 1943)
Aka Judo Saga, aka Sanshiro Sugata (USA)

Yojimbo

Sanjuro

Musashi Trilogy 

Twilight Samurai

The Last Samurai  

Chinese Martial Arts Movies

Iron Monkey

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Hero

Bruce Lee
Fists of Fury (1971)

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Starring Jason Scott Lee

Clip from another Bruce Lee movie.

East Meets West

Star Wars series
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guiness/ Ewan McGregor) is George Lucas's version of the Japanese sword master.

The Karate Kid
Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), our other favorite movie sensei, along with Alec Guiness's Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Fist Full of Dollars
Spaghetti western directed by Sergio Leone; starring Clint Eastwood. Based on Kurosawa's Yojimbo.

The Magnificent Seven
Based on Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai

Kurosawa himself borrowed material and inspiration from the west. Shakespeare's King Lear became Ran, and Macbeth, Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.

Jason Bourne series
The Bourne Identity (2002)
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Utah County Movie Resources

BYU International Cinema
Japanese films shown every semester at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. And they are free.

Orem, Utah Public Library
Excellent collection of international videos and DVD’s. Martial arts movies by Akira Kurosawa and other Japanese directors. 

Aikido Videos: video clips of Aikido Masters

Aikido DVDs