Meet kung fu’s black pioneers and heroes who flourished at the junction of African American and Asian cultures.
The Black Kung fu Experience traces the rise of black kung fu in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, and through to the contemporary martial arts scene in Washington D.C, Los Angeles, The Virgin Islands, Jamaica, and Hong Kong.
Chinese and African American experiences evolve differently yet converge in unexpected ways; they challenge political and social persecution - from shadows of the Qing government’s oppressive rule in China, and British colonialism in Hong Kong, to entrenched American racism - via the unique vehicle of kung fu.
The film focuses on a group of African American pioneers who became respected masters in a sub-culture dominated by Chinese and white men. Their stories illustrate how kung fu was - and still is - a unique crucible of the black experience, which is less about flash and style, kicks and punches, than it is about community, identity, and cross-cultural bridges.
A co-production of Lotus Films International and ITVS, The Black Kung fu Experience is produced and directed by Martha Burr and Mei-Juin Chen.
This is a copy. Not the original.