The Top 11 Training Montages in Martial Arts Movie History
Last year I put in the hard research and came up with the Top 7 Kicks in Martial Arts Movie History. That countdown was full of face crunching footwork, so I decided it was time for another list.
This time I’m upping the ante and listing not just the best kick, but the best martial arts training montages of all time. That’s no mean feat as there are some epic sequences to consider.
As I began my research this time around I decided to create a series of criteria upon which to grade each montage. This helped me in ranking them and deciding which ones would make the cut and which wouldn’t. Here is a quick description of each criteria I used (this works on a 5 star system, * as the poorest grade and ***** as the best):
- Training Intensity: How hard is the trainee working? 1 star means things aren’t too intense, 5 stars means I broke out in a sweat just watching.
- Campiness: Does the scene hit all the heartstrings that make montages a classic piece of cinema corniness? 1 star is not at all campy, 5 stars is deliciously so.
- Music Awesomeness: Part of a successful montage is epic music that makes you want to run out your door and do situps. 1 star is not too inspiring, 5 stars is chest poundingly awesome.
- Montage Purity: How closely does the scene follow montage format? A good montage will show many cutscenes of the protagonist first struggling, then growing, and finally demonstrating super skills. 1 star means it’s a montage (but not that pure), 5 stars is perfect montage gold.
Ready? Here we gooooo:
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11. Ninja Assassin – Raizo’s Routine
- Training Intensity: ***
- Campiness: *
- Music Awesomeness: ***
- Montage Purity: **
This montage is decidly low on camp, and doesn’t follow the strictest guidelines of montage purity. Nevertheless, the action is undeniably cool and has a unique style that makes it a pleasure to watch. Directly after the clip shown below, the movie takes us into Raizo’s past and shows us more of his development. That is why this movie makes the montage list in place of others like The Matrix, which have singular training scenes.
Pain Breeds Weakness
Take-away exercise to try: inverted pushups on nails.
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10. Kill Bill 2 – The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei
- Training Intensity: ***
- Campiness: ***
- Music Awesomeness: **
- Montage Purity: ***
This scene features one of the best characters in all of martial arts cinema: Pai Mei. Pai Mei is a “white browed” taskmaster that has appeared in some classic kung fu cinema, and indeed this whole training sequence honors the campiness of those old movies. It also features the talent progression in our hero that explains her highly refined skillset.
Take-away exercise to try: One inch punch. Or the five point palm exploding heart technique.
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9. Mulan – Let’s Hear it For the Ladies
- Training Intensity: **
- Campiness: **
- Music Awesomeness: ****
- Montage Purity: ****
You didn’t think I was too tough and hardcore to ignore this montage did you? I don’t remember many scenes out of Disney movies, but this one really sticks out. It hits all the great montage notes of a helpless hero, a band of doubters who are eventually won over, and a tough but honorable teacher. Throw into the mix a message about gender equality, and forget about it! It was a tough call between this and Kung Fu Panda, but the inspiring music put Mulan over the top.
Take-away exercise to try: Breaking concrete with your face.
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8. Ninja: The Final Duel – Water Spider Madness
- Training Intensity: ***
- Campiness: *****
- Music Awesomeness: **
- Montage Purity: **
I almost wanted to break my own rating scale and put 6 stars for campiness here. The ninja techniques demonstrated are exactly the kind of weird nonsense that makes old kung fu movies so fantastic. Sure, it perpetuates some bad stereotypes…but…you know. It’s fun. This clip would have ranked higher if it followed the montage format a bit more closely and had more mind blowing music.
Take-away exercise to try: Water spider assault.
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7. Batman Begins – The Will to Act
- Training Intensity: ***
- Campiness: *
- Music Awesomeness: ***
- Montage Purity: ***
Modern films don’t feature montages quite as much as they used to, and when they do it is often for comedic effect. Batman Begins is a serious affair and displays a well polished training scene. In a lot of ways, this clip rates lower than some of the previous entries. However, when you take into account the quality of the film and acting I believe this is the appropriate place for it.
The Will to Act
Take-away exercise to try: Dealing with emotions and stuff.
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6. Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow – Jackie’s Ring Work
- Training Intensity: **
- Campiness: *****
- Music Awesomeness: **
- Montage Purity: ****
This movie is one of the Grandaddies of Kung Fu Cinema, and the training sequences are just as influential. Movies like Kill Bill and The Matrix would not have been the same if it wasn’t for efforts like Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. Maxed out on campiness, this montage deserves it’s high placement.
Take-away exercise to try: Egg based workouts.
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5. 36th Chamber of the Shaolin – We Get It, You Train A Lot
- Training Intensity: ****
- Campiness: *****
- Music Awesomeness: **
- Montage Purity: ****
You wanna talk about training? How about a movie that’s filled with it. 36th Chamber revolves around the protagonist progressing through his Shaolin training. Every skill a monk needs is presented via a separate chamber. Has any premise been better setup for a progressive montage?
Take-away exercise to try: Bo circling with pointy, injurious consequences.
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4. KickBoxer – A Tree’s Worst Enemy
- Training Intensity: ****
- Campiness: ****
- Music Awesomeness: ****
- Montage Purity: *****
If you didn’t know Jean-Claude was going to make this list then shame on you. JCVD has an almost supernatural talent for creating training montages, and Kickboxer is one of his finest masterpieces. Who knew coconuts and palm trees could be so nightmarish?
Kickboxer training (full video) by bRu7-eXeC
Take-away exercise to try: Just don’t kick trees.
3. The Karate Kid – Daniel’s Private Training
- Training Intensity: ***
- Campiness: ***
- Music Awesomeness: *****
- Montage Purity: *****
Here’s the thing – this isn’t even the best montage in this movie. That’s how insane the original Karate Kid is. As we all know, the tournament sequence at the end of the movie is one of the best montages of all time. However, that’s not really for training, and thus doesn’t make the cut here. But that doesn’t mean Daniel’s private training isn’t a fantastic moment. It gets such a ranking due to the scope and emotional charge of the movie. A real classic.
Daniel’s Training
Take-away exercise to try: I’d say the crane kick, but I’m not sure you can handle that yet.
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2. Rocky IV – U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.
- Training Intensity: *****
- Campiness: ***
- Music Awesomeness: *****
- Montage Purity: *****
Say the words “training montage”, and “Rocky” will be the first word uttered in response. I probably could have picked any of the Rocky movies for this, but I feel like IV is the most monumental. You might argue that boxing isn’t a pure martial art, and therefore Rocky should be disqualified from this list. That’s a tricky call, and since it’s so close (and Rocky is such a dominant montage force), I decided it was right to include it.
Cross-training
Take-away exercise to try: Draaagooooooooooooooooooo.
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1. Bloodsport – To Keep an Open Miiiind
- Training Intensity: ****
- Campiness: ****
- Music Awesomeness: *****
- Montage Purity: *****
In the purest sense, Rocky is a better montage. But since we are listing the best martial arts montages, Bloodsport rules as King. This sequence is the perfect collection of campy 80s music, training development of the protagonist, hardships endured, winning respect from the hard nosed teacher, and techniques just real enough that we want to try them. Surely Bloodsport holds a special place in the montage hall of fame.
Take-away exercise to try: Unnecessary splits. Blindfolded tea. Everything.
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That’s it! I hope you enjoyed this journey. I won’t keep you any longer because you probably want to go running through the woods, carrying giant rocks on your back while hitting yourself with sticks. I understand, I’m pumped up too.
Don’t forget to add your two cents in the comment section below. Do you think there are any other movies that should have broken the top 11? Do you think some of these movies should be swapped around in rank? Let me know!
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3 Teaching Strategies: Do You Dictate, W&S, or Nudge?
Imagine the most boring class you had in high school or college. The teacher’s droning probably made you itchy to escape the intellectual prison they called a classroom.
Now imagine the best class you had in high school or college. The impact of that instructor has probably lasted well beyond your school days.
Teaching a martial art is a rare gift and responsibility, one that has an amazing amount of freedom. In the public education system there are layers of governing boards and protocols to funnel what can be taught and how it can be transmitted. In the martial arts world, the possibilities are much more varied.
Sure, most martial art organizations have criteria for what it takes to advance in ranking…but are there guidelines for how that knowledge should be transmitted? Unlikely.
It’s possible of course to try and perfectly mimic your instructor’s style, but that’s rarely attainable (or even desirable). Personal experience, talent level, intellectual capacity, and philosophical beliefs will flavor everything you do in a unique way.
Therefore it’s wise to examine your own teaching methods and decide for yourself how you might best help your students. Consider the following three strategies for imparting a martial art:
DICTATE
Being a full-on dictator is bad…but sometimes dictating is good! Dictating refers to the act of instructing students in a very specific and structured manner. The teacher tells the student where to step, where to block, how to balance, what degree angle to turn, etc etc. Dictating is a powerful tool, especially in the early phases of a young martial artist’s career as he/she tries desperately to adjust to the rigors of training.
The weakness of dictation is a lack of creativity. Students are so busy trying to fit into the structure of class while avoiding technical mistakes that they rarely engage in critical thinking. Toying with technique, trial and error, and big-picture contemplation is not on the to-do checklist.
Of course, giving specific advice has been around since one caveman taught another how to sharpen a stick; there’s no question regarding the value of detail transmission. However, modern teaching has taken dictation to a high extreme, resulting in formalized classes filled with one-way information and strict regimentation. A lot of that can be attributed to military influence.
When military men first arrived in eastern countries and learned martial arts, they often integrated the material they learned with the military methods they had been molded in. They did so for purely practical reasons. The stakes were/are very high in military and law enforcement work. Following orders with precision saves lives while creating higher probability of success for an entire unit.
The west wasn’t alone in their military intentions; eastern countries like Japan and even Okinawa began teaching martial arts in larger group settings for the purpose of crafting young men into resilient, obedient soldiers. Strong dictation was a natural evolution of teaching style.
WAIT AND SEE
Perhaps the diametric opposite of dictating is the ‘wait and see’ approach. W&S involves demonstrating technique, kata, etc while offering no breakdown or explanation. The instructor performs and the students must watch and gather what they can. Discussion is not a big part of W&S.
W&S has been the method of choice for centuries in many of the eastern koryu arts. Due to the influence of Confucianism, eastern philosophy enforces the idea of quiet obedience and attendance when being instructed. W&S does not require the instructor to hold a student’s hand through every detail.
The strength of W&S lies in it’s focus and range of possibilities. When learning in W&S style there is no spoon feeding of information, and going on mental ‘cruise control’ is a very quick way to fall behind and eventually wash out. Furthermore, interpretation of what a student sees an instructor do can be highly varied. Since there is no specific guidance, the student is left to his/her own experience and critical thinking in order to determine how to achieve the same skill level as the instructor. W&S also has the benefit of being able to transcend language barrier.
The weakness of W&S lies in it’s roadblocks and time frame. If a student gets stuck and lacks understanding, they can find themselves in ‘learning quicksand’. Even if they do eventually struggle their way through a problem, it may have taken years longer than was needed. A few pieces of wisdom from an experienced instructor could have reframed perspective and fixed a wayward path, but with W&S there can be a lack of active course correction.
Another weakness of W&S is organizational. When an instructor allows students to interpret the art for themselves, each student will naturally come to different conclusions. When the senior instructor is not present, or has passed away, the result is chaotic and often results in massive splintering among students.
NUDGE
Nudging is perhaps a middle ground of the previous two methods and involves monitoring a student’s progress noninvasively, interjecting from time to time in order to enhance growth and understanding.
A nudge is not as concrete as dictation; if the instructor fixes the angle of a student’s stance, that is a dictated correction. If on the other hand he/she asks the student why the angle of a stance might be better increased or decreased, that is a nudge toward understanding.
Nudging is a powerful tool, especially when instructing higher level students. Advanced martial artists can become stagnant and bored if they only receive dictated training year after year. That is why challenging them to draw their own conclusions and guiding them to their own level of higher understanding is so essential.
The problem with nudging is twofold: difficulty and structure. Students can become impatient and annoyed with a teacher who nudges all the time because they feel a simple straight answer would be a quicker solution to their needs. Furthermore, teaching in a nudge style can be extremely tricky. It’s very easy to fall into a ‘false philosopher’ mode where the instructor simply projects student’s questions back onto them without providing any real insight. For example:
“Sensei, what does this technique mean? I can’t put it to any good use.”
“My student, what do you think it means? Once you know that, you’ll have your answer.”
This exchange sounds wise and zen-like, but it doesn’t provide any nudging.
The other difficulty is in structure. Instructors must navigate the complicated tapestry of tradition and ego. In some ways, it is an instructor’s duty to pass along a style exactly as it was handed to him/her (best done through dictation). Meanwhile, the more students look exactly like the instructor, the better pleased the instructor will be due to subtle ego (since I know what I am doing, the students should look like me!). Thus, nudging requires a careful relaxing of those rules in order to let students find their own path to higher effectiveness.
How does an instructor maintain the integrity of a tradition while helping students explore their own path? That’s the difficulty in nudging.
A Proper Mixture
I don’t believe any one of the methods above is superior to the others. In fact, I think most good instructors find a mixture of all three with plenty of other tactics mixed in. A skilled instructor will observe what each individual needs on a case-by-case, day-by-day basis. In fact, teaching strategy can change in mid-class (or even mid-sentence).
The key, I think, is to recognize the tools available as a teacher and use them to their highest effect. Knowing when to take the reigns and when to loosen them is critical in helping students achieve that rare but essential goal of self actualization. Only then can a martial art start to grow into ikigai.
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Review: The Karate Code
Do you remember vinyl records? Scratch that, do you remember cds? On a cd or record you had a finite number of songs carefully constructed and placed just so. When done right, the cd represented a few separate works of art which came together to form a grander piece of art. While the actual number of songs was limited, they were worth revisited over and over again in order to explore the creator’s vision.
I feel that The Karate Code was built using this kind of “traditional” model.
Jesse Enkamp, author of KarateByJesse.com, set out many months ago to create something he felt was missing from the pantheon of martial texts. He knew there were plenty of books on technique, kata, self defense, etc etc, but didn’t think anyone was getting to the heart of karate. That’s why he went about contacting some of the most senior sensei in the world to ask them a simple question: what does karate mean to you…and why?
The result is an intriguing collection of thoughts by individuals such as Takayoshi Nagamine, Teruyuki Okazaki, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Yoshio Kuba, and more. They each express their beliefs in a succinct, creative way that leaves the reader with plenty to ponder.
Jut like the aforementioned record or cd, this book is a collection of thoughts that go by all too quickly. You can read the whole thing in one sitting. Despite that, the return value is significant and you’ll find yourself flipping through the pages to sneak another look at a line that won’t let go of your imagination.
If you’d like to check it out for yourself, click The Karate Code. If the price is a little spicy for you, try the Kindle Version.
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Discussing now…
(May 21, 2013 7:24 PM)
Thanks a lot for reading Kennedy. Obviously I can’t say for certain when
...(May 21, 2013 6:52 PM)
Very good article Matt, thanks for that. I am a martial arts enthusiast
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