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Posted by Satori Iaido on

Do Fighting Movies Really Make Children Violent?

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You grab your bowl of popcorn and get comfortable on the couch to enjoy your favorite fighting movie. Whether you’re watching Kill Bill or Enter the Dragon, you’ve realized by now that the thrilling, bone-crunching fight scenes are your favorite guilty pleasure. But if you’re a parent, have you thought about the effect your favorite fighting movies could have on your children? Do you allow them to watch or wait until they’re asleep to indulge in a film?

According to the Office of Child Development at the University of Pittsburgh, exposure to violence, even on the television, is potentially harmful to children. A magnitude of research has been conducted on the connection between violent TV and aggressive behavior, particularly in youth. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institute of Mental Health have all found a connection, giving parents something to think about.

“There’s no one single factor that can make a non-violent person act violent,” stated Caroline Knorr, the Parenting Editor at Common Sense Media. “But prolonged exposure to violence in media is a risk factor. And it’s kids who have multiple risk factors who are likeliest to behave aggressively.”

Research has shown that once a child is seven or eight-years-old, according to experts, they’ve reached “the age of reason.” Essentially meaning that at that age, children are better able to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

Additionally, research has also shown that there are things parents can do to help ensure exposure to violence doesn’t have a negative effect on their child. Obviously, a parent can control the types of programs their child is exposed to or how much time they’re spending watching those programs. But perhaps the most important and effective tactic a parent can use is communication. Talk to your child about what they see and even if it’s not a film you approve of, talk about it. It’s important to have a discussion with your child about how violence compares to their own values as well as the consequences they would face if they took part in a similar kind of violence. As enjoyable as a fighting movie may be for you, it can easily turn into a learning experience for your child.

As with most issues in parenting and raising children, it comes down to following what you know and feel to be right. No child is the same, which is why it’s up to you to pay attention to how your child reacts to specific situations and keep an open discussion with them. No one wants to raise a violent child but you can’t keep your child under wraps forever either. It is possible to share your hobby with your kids as long as you go about it the right way.

Posted by Satori Iaido on

Best Fighting Movie Stars of All Time

Sure, directing, producing, cinematography, and the like all play a huge role in the success of a film. But is there truly anything more important, particularly in a fighting movie, than the star in front of the camera? Whether you’ve actually seen the movies they star in or not, there’s a good chance you’re at least familiar with their rugged, handsome faces. We were brave enough to comprise a list of our favorite fighting movie stars, but we want to hear how you think we did. Are we missing someone? Is there someone on our list who you don’t think should be? Check out the list and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

1. Sylvester Stallone


Sylvester Stallone is likely best known for his role as Rocky Balboa in the Rocky franchise. After all, that’s the main reason he made our list. With the body of a dancer from a Sydney Hens Night, Rocky was inducted into the National Film Registry and its props were put in the Smithsonian Museum. In other words, his starring role was in an iconic film! Stalone was even voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the non-participant category on December 7, 2010! Incredibly, he didn’t receive a Golden Globe Award until after he reprised his role as Rocky Balboa for the 2015 movie Creed.

2. Jackie Chan

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Jackie Chan is an incredibly talented entertainer known for his acrobatic fighting style, comedic acting, creative stunts, and use of random, improvised weapons. He’s received stars on both the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Chan has appeared in more than 150 films, proving that not only is he a force to be reckoned with, but he will be for a long time.

3. Bruce Lee

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As if starring in iconic fighting films isn’t enough, Bruce Lee is considered by a wide majority of media and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists in history. He’s also considered a pop culture icon of the 20th century. It can be said that Bruce Lee changed the way Asians are perceived and represented in movies. He’s so incredibly talented in martial arts that he was able to create his own form, which he named Jeet Kune Do.

4. Harrison Ford

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Harrison Ford gained worldwide attention for his role as Han Solo in the Star Wars series as well as the title character in Indiana Jones. Star Wars became one of the most successful movies of all time. He was ranked Empire’s number one “Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” and as of 2016 he was the highest-grossing U.S. domestic box-office star.

5. Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a martial artist and Belgian actor best known for his roles in a martial arts action films. His breakout role was in Bloodsport in 1988. Universal Soldier was Van Damme’s highest-grossing film of his career. While he continues to work, it’s his roles from decades ago that continue to give him the title of one of the best fighting movie stars of all time.

Posted by Satori Iaido on

Top 5 Fighting Movies of the Century

As with just about every debate over the best anything, you’d be hard-pressed to find the same answers no matter who you talk to. With so many options out there, the idea of selecting just five of the best fighting movies of the last 100 years is nothing if not intimidating. While we’re bound to offend a handful of people no matter what movies end up on our list, we wanted to share the five we thought deserved to be named the best. In no specific order, take a look at the list below and tell us just how much you agree or disagree with our selections.

 

Fight Club (1999)

The talented Edward Norton and equally talented, pretty boy Brad Pitt came together to star in Fight Club, a movie that, despite the title, isn’t as much of a traditional fighting movie as the others on our list. While the film itself is more about a pathetic man’s delusions, the realistic, bloody and violent scenes displaying the world of underground fighting deemed themselves worthy of notice. The bare-knuckle fighting scenes viewers witness in Fight Club are enough to stir up something inside of you, which is exactly what a fight movie is supposed to do. If you’re in the mood for a bit more of a psychological thriller with some great fight scenes thrown in, Fight Club is the way to go.

 

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Can you really talk about fight movies without mentioning the one man who left a permanent impression: Bruce Lee? Over at “Crave” they named Enter the Dragon their number one fight movie and labeled the film Bruce Lee’s magnum opus. The fight scenes may be shorter than you’d prefer but rumor has it they had to slow down some fight scenes because Lee moves too fast for viewers to keep up. You’ll likely have a hard time remembering it’s just a movie because this film is just that good!

 

Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

When it comes to good movies, it’s quite rare that a sequel is good enough to beat the original. But in the case of the Undisputed films, it’s the third movie in the series that takes home the prize. Avid movie-goers may argue that in terms of story line, the first or second films were better than Redemption, but for those wanting a good fighting movie, third is best. This American-made film has all the bone-crunching violence required to make it on our list.

 

Rocky (1976)

Similar to Enter the Dragon, it would practically be a sin to talk about fight movies without mentioning Rocky. The intense boxing scenes and inspirational story not only earned this movie recognition as one of the best fighting movies of all time, but landed it among some of the best movies ever made. It can be argued that Sylvester Stallone wouldn’t be who he is today without this franchise. It’s no surprise several fight scenes from the film are still consistently talked about today.

 

Never Back Down (2008)

Although this movie follows teenagers, there’s no shortage of action for any fight movie-loving viewer, no matter their age. The following was so great in fact, that they filmed a sequel. There are certainly enough bloody fights to satisfy your need if that’s what you’re looking for. With familiar faces like Sean Faris, Amber Heard, and Cam Gigandet, it’s a great movie for those looking to get into the fight movie scene, but be forewarned: once you’re in, you’re in!