The wait is over for the first trailer for The Martial Arts Kid. The film brings together the talents of veteran action stars and martial arts champions Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock along with T.J. Storm and Jansen Panetierre as the titular, um, martial arts kid.
The issue of childhood bullying, which has drawn an increasing degree of attention in recent years, is pivotal to the film, which can clearly be seen from the official synopsis of the film:
When troubled teen Robbie moves to Cocoa Beach, Florida from Detroit after his grandmother has had enough of his antics, he soon realizes that everywhere he goes there is somebody who doesn’t want him to be happy… and in Cocoa Beach, that somebody is Bo Whitelaw, the toughest and most popular guy at the high school.
From the moment Bo gives Robbie a beat-down in front of Rina (the prettiest girl in school), we know Robbie’s chances of living in a happy neighborhood are just not realistic. To help Robbie stand a chance of survival in a dangerous teen world, his estranged Aunt Cindy and Uncle Glen (played by action legends Cynthia “Lady Dragon” Rothrock and Don “The Dragon” Wilson) are there to coach and train Robbie. Along the way, Robbie learns defensive skills that will give him a chance to defend himself… But will that be enough to protect himself from Bo in an all-out epic battle? And will Robbie ever be ‘the man’ in Rina’s eyes? Find out when everything comes to a head in a final showdown that pits legends of traditional martial arts against MMA fighters in a battle you will have to see to believe.
Just for the names attached to the film, “The Martial Arts Kid” should be on the radar of any martial arts fan. However, as corny as it sounds, bullying is something all too many kids endure on a nearly daily basis around the globe. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 160,000 kids skip school every day out of fear of being bullied. If part of the mandate of a major martial arts film is to seriously tackle the subject of bullying and draw attention to just how widespread a problem it really is, that’s most certainly a step in the right direction!
“The Martial Arts Kid” is set to debut sometime in 2015. For more information, be sure to follow the film on Facebook and Twitter.