For decades, audiences have been thrilled by the martial arts as portrayed in film. The action is so intense and stylish, with fighters appearing to fly from rooftop to rooftop like superheroes. And yet as fantastic as these films are to view, they seldom capture the essence of what it truly means to practice martial arts. For many people, "martial arts" means MMA and UFC, which are heavily focused on the spectacle of the fight, with very little attention given to tradition and discipline.
All this could change with the birth of Traditionz Entertainment, a company founded by the likes of world kickboxing champion and Bloodfist star Don “The Dragon” Wilson, his brother and producer James Wilson, the Lady Dragon herself, martial arts legend Cynthia Rothrock, Dr. Robert Goldman (holder of numerous strength records and listed in Guinness Book,), as well as Cheryl Wheeler Sanders (a kickboxing champion and seasoned stuntwoman). They plan to introduce a whole new generation to exactly what it means to be a martial artist.
Traditionz Entertainment currently has two completed films: Paying Mr. McGetty (about a man having the worst day ever who uses his martial arts training to stay positive) and The Martial Arts Kid (about a bullied teen who learns to believe in himself and the importance of family when he’s taught martial arts from his uncle). Both are directed by filmmaker Michael Baumgarten. Working with such a passionate and talented group of individuals, he quickly saw just how important it was to get their messages across and to uphold traditions, especially when it comes to the action.
As Baumgarten explains, “For The Martial Arts Kid, the basic idea of the fight scenes were discussed with James Wilson, Don 'The Dragon', Cynthia, and producer Cheryl Wheeler prior to filming. The idea was to keep it realistic and show real moves that people could use. No wires, no superhero-like 3-point landings from tall buildings. We brought in the amazing James Lew (former U.S. Karate Weapons Champion, Big Trouble in Little China, Luke Cage) to do his magic as a fight choreographer. He made us all look so good and made my job much easier.” Wheeler Sanders adds, “We wanted to showcase 'real martial arts moves' plus we wanted viewers and young people to realize that anyone can excel in this sport. You don't have to be a gymnast to be a good, effective martial artist.” Rothrock states, “I personally don’t like doing techniques that will not work in real life. I only use the scorpion kick because I have stunned people with it. If it was only a flashy technique, I would do it for a movie but not if I had a choice. We also didn’t want to create fight scenes where fighting looks like fun and excitement. Making it more realistic will do that for us.
“When we formed Traditionz Entertainment,” continues Rothrock, “we had hopes of creating and helping to create movies that would fill a void in martial arts entertainment. There are few martial arts movies that families can watch together, and we want to change that. Most classes are filled with young students and we want to give them something that carries a positive message.” Sanders adds, “Our movies will always have a good moral compass and good message. We want to lift up the martial arts community when we can, and go back to basics: good stories, good scripts, and good moviemaking.” James Wilson states, “We want to show the martial arts in a positive light, not the typical bloodshed and revenge fare we are used to seeing. We hope our films will bring in more teachers to help show we’re upholding the traditions. “
Martial Arts Kid: L-R: Cynthia Rothrock, Jansen Panettiere, and Don "The Dragon" Wilson.
In The Martial Arts Kid, three-time “Martial Art Masters Hall of Fame Inductee” T.J. Storm portrays an MMA instructor, one who recklessly teaches his fighters to destroy, losing sight of what it truly means to practice the martial arts. “MMA is a sport and there are some instructors who do not feel any obligation in teaching their students traditional martial arts values,” says Don Wilson. "This can produce some people who have less control over their anger, or worse, they’re eager to prove their fighting ability on the street.” James Wilson adds, “I don’t agree with the image that UFC portrays; it’s almost like a professional wrestling image. Even if MMA is a fighting sport, there’s a way to teach it without losing focus of respect and tradition.” Dr. Goldman states, “It’s an exciting sport and I really respect the athletes, but it’s drawn a tremendous amount of attention away from what’s important.”
One particular scene in The Martial Arts Kid was very important in getting their point across. With over two hundred extras (many of which were children), a handful of real-life martial arts all-stars like Glenn C. Wilson, Jeff W. Smith, Olando Rivera, Christine Bannon-Rodrigues, and many others appear to instill their wisdom upon the students. “We’re all pretty much martial artists at Traditionz Entertainment,” says Don, “and we feel if you’re going to have martial arts in a movie, why not use real-life masters? It’s really great to introduce the general public to many of these martial arts legends we slip into our films.” James adds, “We had masters and grandmasters from all over the country, all from different disciplines and styles. On the stage, we had celebrity masters standing there with Don. We were told it was impossible to shoot a scene like this and that we should call it off. We had a hundred kids out there, but as soon as the grandmasters would start sounding off, these kids stopped everything they were doing and followed their every word, just like a real martial arts class. It was really great to witness and we all love that scene.”
As a catalyst to show why traditional martial arts training is so important, The Martial Arts Kid tackles a very important issue. Bullying is at an all-time high whether it be in person or online. Many kids are faced with it every single day but have no real clue as to how they should deal with it. “We wanted people to know that being a bully is ugly,” says Rothrock, “that martial arts can help with not only self-defense, it can also help with one's entire life. We want people to know family is MOST important, and instructors are responsible for those they teach.” To drive the point home, Wheeler Sanders adds, “When you practice martial arts regularly, you cease to be a victim. You carry yourself differently, you become more aware of your surroundings, you walk more confidently, and you look sure of yourself. You become a warrior and think like a warrior; it exudes from your aura. Bullies are drawn towards weak targets or victims, because underneath all of their bullying ways, they’re fearful and cowardly. Martial arts and martial arts training can offset bullies and their bullying ways without even throwing a punch. If the bully is hard-headed and perseveres with a physical confrontation, then there’s no one better than a disciplined, trained martial artist to put the bully in their place, teaching them a much needed lesson without overdoing it.”
As Traditionz Entertainment continues to move forward, Baumgarten is on board with the direction they’re heading. He states, “Making positive entertainment with a martial arts theme is a great way to go. The goal of Traditionz has been to tell stories where martial arts training plays an important and positive role in characters overcoming obstacles. We’re aiming to make good entertainment for a diverse and broad demographic.” Dr. Goldman is just as enthusiastic about the venture and what they aim to accomplish. He adds, “The fact it was very strong and deep in the area of traditions and martial arts, respect of your teachers and elders, and passing this information down to your students and future generations was something that struck me. Our friendship, as well as our friendship with many people in the field, we felt this would be a great entity to grow, to show the martial arts is focused on helping others, and sharing your art, cultivating with a new generation.” James Wilson knows just how important it is for his company to uphold traditions, and his game plan is to help grow the community. He declares, “We want to show in our films that there’s more to martial arts than just fighting. We want to show the martial arts in a positive light and we hope our films will attract more teachers and their students along with the general public. We hope to create greater interest in people joining martial arts classes; with a good teacher, it’s beneficial for youngsters, especially when it comes to character development, control, discipline, and of course respect. It really can change someone’s life for the better.”
