[Music]
welcome to watch mojo
and today we're counting down our picks
for the top 10 martial arts tv shows
for this list we'll be ranking the most
influential popular or formative
american television series with martial
arts as a central focus
we're going to be focusing on fictional
characters and stories here meaning that
mixed martial arts or professional
wrestling won't be included
we're also not going to be counting
anime here as that genre deserves a list
of its own
here's to kicking it on the small screen
let us know which of your favorites we
missed in the comments below
if you like what you're hearing be sure
to check out the full song at the link
[Music]
below
[Music]
number 10 warrior this relatively recent
series from cinemax proves that even in
the modern day the influence of bruce
lee continues to be felt throughout the
martial arts world
warrior is actually based upon an
original treatment and idea from lee
co-produced with his daughter
shannon the series possesses no shortage
of action and feels indebted to kung fu
and spaghetti western cinema from the
1960s and 70s
while simultaneously possessing a
contemporary execution
warrior may take place during 1870s san
francisco but the choreography and style
on display
feel totally timeless
number nine black dynamite the original
black dynamite film from 2009 may have
been a fun
and kitschy homage to classic
blaxploitation cinema from the 1970s
but the updated adult swim continuation
of that franchise clearly had
bolder intentions in mind
sure the show still captured the film's
outrageousness and funky humor
what are you doing just staying behind
you sucker
but the martial arts action here is less
dolomite and more
enter the dragon
black dynamite's action sequences are
fun but exquisitely animated
while the actual plots possess tons of
biting satire and social commentary
that makes this almost like a more
violent and extreme companion piece to
something like the boondocks
did you take some karate glasses
[Applause]
number eight into the badlands
sure the amc network may be best known
for its hit zombie series the walking
dead
but we gotta give it up for into the
badlands for delivering some incredible
martial arts action for three seasons
the idea of a post-apocalyptic world
full of swordplay and full-contact ass
kicking
held on to a devoted cult fan base
thanks to some stellar choreography and
a strong ensemble cast
[Music]
into the badlands is a whole lot of
stylish fun from a network that was able
to take some chances
thanks to bankrolling all of that zombie
money
number seven cobra kai the idea of
continuing the tale of daniel larusso
and johnny lawrence from the karate kid
franchise
could have been a losing proposition but
thankfully kobrakai doesn't just bank on
nostalgia
it builds something new from that base
[Music]
the series balances a comedic and
dramatic tone with themes of personal
accountability revenge
and redemption not to mention how the
past can sometimes hold us prisoner to
our memories
i i don't i don't need the paint i'm
sorry i'll just take the gum here and
uh put that guy's beer on my tab
looks like he's had a rough day beyond
this the martial arts on cobra kai
are honestly superior to its source
material taking the innocence of the og
karate kid
and mixing it with pathos and production
values for a modern audience
it's not lame ass karate
it's cobra kai number six daredevil
we're all used to the big budget
spectacle of superhero blockbusters at
this point
not to mention the wealth of comic book
adaptations on television
netflix's daredevil was something a bit
different however a show that took one
of marvel's most beloved and unique
characters and gave him a look that was
grounded and approachable
although we did enjoy the martial arts
on display with the channel's ill-fated
depiction of iron fist
their daredevil series was even more
successful at bridging fantastic comic
book stories with gritty inner city
living and
matt murdock's deadly fighting abilities
one need only look at the incredible
hallway sequence from season 1 to be a
true believer that daredevil
was the real deal
number five samurai jack the martial
arts doesn't always translate well to
the animated medium but thankfully there
are also shows like
samurai jack that are clearly placed in
the proper hands
the series is poetic in its visuals
showcasing an animation style that was
groundbreaking for the time
and made the show popular with fans of
all ages
there's a wealth of heritage behind the
themes and stylistic choices of samurai
jack
from the episodic long-form storytelling
influenced by the 70s kung fu series
to the cinema of japanese filmmakers
like akira kurosawa
at the same time its ability to
transcend these influences with its own
heart and passion
make samurai jack one of the finest
animated martial arts programs of all
time
number four mighty morphin power rangers
[Music]
what do you get when you hijack giant
monster battles from a long-running
japanese program
and intercut it with fresh-faced
teenagers and their hokie hijinks
with attitudes you get one of the most
popular and enduring franchises of the
1990s
the martial arts sequences on the mighty
morphin power rangers program were
surprisingly decent
especially for a weekday afternoon
program and provided for many their
first taste of japanese kaiju action
from the super sentai series
the ass-kicking credibility of the
rangers also received a boost when
real-life mixed martial artist jason
david frank joined the cast as the green
ranger
ensuring that this kid's hit wasn't just
a flash in the pan
number three teenage mutant ninja
turtles
okay so it's established right from the
get-go that the teenage mutant ninja
turtles have been taught their superior
skills
by master splinter
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but what the original animated show also
did well was depicting how their sensei
was a moral compass
the family structure has always been
central to the turtles universe and this
show held on to that
while at the same time showing off
plenty of action
and fun don't deny your destiny
join me does the phrase go suck a lemon
hold any meaning for you
and this has honestly been the case
throughout most of the turtle's
appearances in the media
a tightly knit group of brothers who
know that the martial arts is a
philosophy of the body
and mind come on chrome dome hit me with
your best shot you bet i will
[Music]
number two avatar the last airbender
speaking of philosophy the next tv show
on our list also brings with it plenty
of heady moral lessons and emotional
weight
we are talking about avatar the last
airbender possibly one of the most
beloved animated programs of all time
despite
only running for about three years all
right team avatar is back
air water earth
fire fan and sword the show made tons of
impact in that time however
telling great stories and creating
memorable characters right alongside
some amazing animated set pieces
this is perhaps where avatar as well as
its sequel the legend of korra
truly stands out its ability to elevate
a martial arts story way above the
physical element
by providing just as much drama with its
words i offer you this wisdom
only justice will bring peace as it does
the action
before we name our number one pick here
are a few honorable mentions
woo assassins because wu tang is for the
children
and for s-kick and television
hong kong for that lovable nostalgia
oh come on fellas those guys must have
taken the same course i did
walker texas ranger because chuck norris
would kick us really hard if he wasn't
on this list
highlander the series because who said
there can be only one
[Music]
[Applause]
kung fu panda legends of awesomeness for
that feel-good tv take on a big screen
franchise
i gotta make them remember me or i'm
gonna lose my friends forever
where did i put that stroll nope grocery
list nope
nope spicy broth noodle recipe focus po
focus
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[Music]
number one kung fu we gotta give respect
for an og with our number one pick
for many the 1970s kung fu series was
their first
taste of the martial arts in any form
never mind on network television
today the idea of david carradine's
grasshopper kwai chang kane has been
parodied to death
but the show's philosophical nature and
dreamy slow motion cinematography made
it a huge hit with fans
master do you not know the poems in that
book by memory
yes grasshopper but can any man afford
such
arrogance kane's search for his
half-brother continually placed him as a
defender of the innocent and oppressed
despite the grasshopper's resistance to
violence leading kung fu to run for
three original seasons
the show would eventually spin off into
a number of television movies
as well as a sequel in the 90s titled
kung fu the legend continues
do you agree with our picks let us know
in the comments and hey
if you're a fan of the song playing
right now be sure to check out the music
video for it
right here