A lot of us who practise martial arts go through a solid mix of emotions when we watch action movies. This ranges from the guilty pleasure of the glorifying 80’s flicks a la ‘Bloodsport’, to the face palm inducing cringe-fest that is ‘Street Fighter’.

But back in the day, when we started training (and even before that) we were at first awestruck with how impressive our respective arts are. So. Much. Awesome.

The 20th century folk hero for martial artists everywhere

Then, as time passes and we gain more experience, we become aware of how some of these movies take ‘creative liberties’ – such as the Karate Kid reboot (you know, the one that takes place in Hong Kong with a kid learning Kung Fu from Jackie Chan? Yeah, that one…) and how others are just full of crap. Seriously full of crap. Watch the trailer for ‘American Samurai’ below if you don’t mind wasting 90 seconds of your life.

Personally, I think we tend to put these “elaborations” in our blind spot as the five-year-old within us desperately wants the fantastic abilities to be true. Deep down we all wish we could throw fireballs whilst swinging lightsabers against bad guys. After all, that damsel in distress won’t save herself!

However, take comfort in the fact that it is not all wishful fantasies. Have a look at the clip below, where Iaido swordsman Isao Machii cuts a BB gun pellet in half mid-shot. No special effects, no flashy camerawork, just a man with his sword and amazing skill. As they point out in the video – he had to initiate his cut before the bullet was shot, and foresee where he should cut. Think about that for a second.

Seems the old saying rings true; every legend has a grain of truth to it.

If you want to see more, check out the original article which showcases other people with incredible talents. Keep on training!

– Lobo