Great Movies That Feature Jiu-Jitsu

By Nolan Barias


If you love the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and spend your free time practicing techniques and training, you might also want to spend some of your downtime enjoying movies that feature Jiu-Jitsu prominently. Not only is it great entertainment, it can inspire you in regards to your own training.

The film "Warrior," is not just a movie with some intense martial arts scenes, it is also an interesting look at a dysfunctional family headed by an ex-alcoholic patriarch (Nick Nolte). His two sons, both estranged and martial arts experts, take part in a mixed martial arts event with a purse of five million dollars. One brother is trying to raise money to help a fellow marine's family after he was killed in the line of duty. The other brother is struggling financially and facing foreclosure, so he needs the money to take care of his children and wife. One of the brother's is an expert in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so it is featured prominently throughout the film.

When one thinks about David Mamet, you might not think about action movies; however he is the genius behind the movie "Ronin." If you enjoyed "Ronin," and love Jiu-Jitsu, consider his martial arts offering, "Redbelt." This film addresses the issue between those that enjoy Jiu-Jitsu for competition and those that view it purely as an art and way of life. The main character, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, holds the latter position, stating that competition weakens the fighter. However, in the end, he is faced with having to compete in order to save his Jiu-Jitsu school among other things. In addition to Ejiofor, the film stars Max Martini and includes scenes with Randy Couture and Enson Inoue.

For many Americans, their first look at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, whether they knew it or not, came about while watching the blockbuster movie "Lethal Weapon". During the final fight scene, Riggs (Mel Gibson) defeats Joshua (played by Gary Busey) using a very effective triangle choke. Gibson's Jiu-Jitsu skills were taught to him by none other than Rorion Gracie, who worked on the film prior to opening the first Gracie Barra school and prior to developing the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

If you can struggle through the futile attempts at acting and weak plot, take a look at the movie, "Brazilian Brawl." For all of its many, many shortcomings, this film does feature some amazing fight scenes. The film was choreographed by Carlos Machado, who stars in the film as do his four famous brothers. In addition to this movie, Machado is the expert behind many fight scenes of the Chuck Norris' classic, "Walker, Texas Ranger."

Alright, this last entry is not technically a showcase of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, but it features some pretty cool martial arts scenes. "The Matrix," is considered one of the top movies for visually affecting fight scenes. The main character, Neo, does learn Jiu-Jitsu, and presumably, in just a few hours. He never actually shows us these skills, but he does a pretty good job with Kung Fu, so if you have already watched "Warrior," "Redbelt," and the other aforementioned films, "The Matrix," is certainly watching.




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