Great martial arts shows are hard to come by. People before my time may remember David Carradine as the traveling Shaolin Monk from the seventies martial arts western drama, Kung Fu. Other popular martial arts shows that made a name for themselves include the AMC series, Into the Badlands, or even the anime series, Dragonball Z. It’s unfortunate that martial arts shows like these are like gold dust, but wind the clock back in April, and we were presented with a martial arts show unlike any other. This new series is only known as Warrior, starring the rather fairly unknown Andrew Koji. The series’ first season debuted on April fifth, and ended on June seventh, giving us two months of some killer action scenes, and a cast of captivating characters that have their own unique part in the story. Now what makes this martial arts show standout from the others? Well, because martial arts legend, Bruce Lee, developed the concept himself back in the early seventies, about a martial artist in the American Old West, but had difficulty pitching it. As a result, his concept was heavily altered and the show, Kung Fu, was the result. However, several decades later after Lee’s death, the persistence of his daughter, Shannon Lee, and director Justin Lin’s ambition, finally made Bruce Lee’s concept become a reality. The results were more than satisfying and Cinemax has renewed series has been renewed for a second season. Thankfully the show has a lot more to offer than just cool action scenes and it’s these elements that should get us pumped for the next season.
1. It Depicts A Violent Time In American History
When we watch martial arts shows, we typically don’t expect to get a history lesson out of it. That’s why the setting of Warrior gives us a different kind of perspective. Set in San Francisco in the late 1870s, it was a violent time to live in that town, especially for the thousands of desperate Chinese immigrants coming to America to seek contentment. Warrior’s main protagonist, Ah Sahm, is one of those immigrants, and although he does not come for the same reasons as the other immigrants, he stands out among them by being a martial arts prodigy. This earns him a place as an enforcer for one of the city’s most ruthless Tongs. A Tong is defined as a Chinese association or secret society that is associated with underworld criminal activity. In other words, Ah Sahm gets involved in the Chinese gang wars that were occurring in San Francisco at the time, also known as the Tong Wars. In the real Old West, these were a chain of violent squabbles that lasted from the 1800s to the early 1930s, stretching from Chicago to New York. However, San Francisco is where the violence was the thickest, with many Chinese crime families quarreling over territory, prostitution, and opium. This was a dark time for America, and Warrior portrays that accurately. Ah Sahm immediately begins his journey fighting rival Tongs, visiting brothels, and even being singled out for being a Chinese immigrant that can speak English, something that was very rare at the time. This was a time in our history that isn’t explored enough in film or television, but thanks to Warrior, we can maybe learn a thing or two.
2. Racism And Hypocrisy Play A Crucial Role
For show to take place in America when immigration was prevalent, you can bet that racism will be prominent. In Ah Sahm’s first scene, he gets into a scuffle with racist immigration officers, attracting the attention of a black market arms dealer, who later introduces him to the Hop Wei Tong. This was a unique kind of launching off point for a protagonist and it didn’t stop there. Ah Sahm was surrounded by racist Americans, even becoming a victim of police brutality because of his race. This aspect is explored even further when he discovers that some Tong members were former coolies, or unskilled immigrant laborers, who joined the Tongs so they can escape the brutal life of working on the railroads. History yet again shows us another lesson when fictional Irish gang leader, Dan Leary, instigates violent acts towards the Chinese, because he believes they are taking away jobs meant for the Irish. Discrimination is one of Ah Sahm’s many obstacles, but one of the standout scenes came from his lover in the show, Penelope Blake. In this scene, she calls out the racism and hypocrisy the American government indulges in, pointing out the mass genocide of Native Americans committed by them and yet expecting the Chinese immigrants to do their dirty work, only to rebuke them when it’s all done. This was a great scene to watch, as it accurately reveals how racism and the corruption of the American government helps move the story forward for Ah Sahm, and it’s something he’ll probably face in future seasons.
3. It Pays Homage To Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do Philosophy
When Bruce Lee pitched the idea of Warrior back in the seventies, he did so with the hopes of portraying Ah Sahm. Thankfully, Andrew Koji fills in the role greatly, resembling Bruce Lee in almost every way that we remember him. His fighting style, mannerisms, and character development represent everything Bruce Lee emphasized when he wrote The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, and its best depicted in the season finale. After losing an important duel and retreating to the working class, Ah Sahm is reminded of a philosophy Bruce Lee emphasized, “Warriors have two paths, get killed or get better.” As a martial artist, Bruce Lee believed that failure was only another step to success and that it was necessary to fail in order to find success. At that point on, Ah Sahm decides to stop moping in self-pity and become a better warrior. By the time the finale ends, it is largely hinted that he will adapt further and become an even more skilled fighter than he was before, something we can all look forward to next season.
4. It Continues Bruce Lee’s Legacy
As an actor, one of Bruce Lee’s objectives was to change the way Asians were portrayed in American cinema. He disliked the way Asians were shown, so he decided to try and change that as best he could. As an actor who almost always took on lead roles, he showed American audiences that an Asian character didn’t have to be the violent thug, and instead played the heroic martial artist who fought the violent thugs. This growing influence paved the way for other Asian-Americans to be presented in a more positive light, and heavily influenced martial arts films to be a more prominent genre for the rest of the world. The character Ah Sahm, resembles this legacy, as he slowly becomes more of an anti-hero figure as the season progresses. He adapts, he learns, and along the way, becomes a stronger man. Even his ability to speak English makes him unique, something he picked up from his American grandfather, similar to Bruce Lee’s own lineage. Ah Sahm’s growing character development from gruff wanderer to brave anti-hero, influences other characters around him, reflecting the influence Bruce Lee had on his fellow Asian actors in real life. By the time the second season comes, we can only expect more layers to be explored as Ah Sahm’s journey continues.
5. It Depicts Martial Arts In A More Realistic Way
If we take a minute and look at the very few martial arts shows that have been shown recently, they all seem to have something in common, and that’s their over the top presentation of martial arts. Into the Badlands, Iron Fist, even Power Rangers have shown ludicrously insane Kung Fu that really no martial artist can pull off. While it can be fun to watch, it helps to see something that is a realistic representation of the arts, because that’s exactly what it is. It’s a real thing that deserves to be shown in its true form, and Warrior does that perfectly. Ah Sahm’s skill set represents Bruce Lee’s first martial art that he practiced, which is Wing Chun Kung Fu. We get to see Ah Sahm get into a plethora of amazing fights, where he executes techniques from this martial art, as well as flashy kicks and counters from other styles as well. The more he explores, the more he meets different kinds of fighters, including fellow Chinese immigrants who show the same kind of skill he does, but better. We also get to see him go toe to toe with Leary, who is a proficient boxer, and they both fight to a standstill. Ah Sahm needs no sword, no iron fist, and no special suit. He is only equipped with his fighting ability and knowledge of martial arts. This gives us a special kind of martial arts show that doesn’t rely on excessive wirework or special effects, but instead chooses to show as much proper technique as authentic as possible. That not only attracts more martial arts fans, but will also inspire a road to more realistic martial arts shows. Only time will tell if the show will live up to that expectation.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully these reasons will get others to come onboard, since it seems the show’s popularity isn’t as prevalent as it should be. There is no concrete release date for its second season debut, but if these reasons aren’t enough to get you hyped, then the best suggestion would be to look into it and see for yourself. What are your thoughts? Check out the show and enjoy!
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