The Last Dragon: A Martial Arts Cult Classic with a Motown Twist
- Black Belt Team
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
If you’re a martial artist and you haven’t seen The Last Dragon (1985), stop what you’re doing and fix that immediately.
Directed by Michael Schultz and produced by Berry Gordy of Motown fame, this film isn’t just a quirky ‘80s throwback—it’s one of the earliest mainstream martial arts movies in the U.S. to feature a Black protagonist, real martial arts choreography, and an unapologetic love for Bruce Lee.
Our hero, Leroy Green—better known as “Bruce Leroy”—is on a classic martial arts journey: seeking not just physical skill but spiritual enlightenment. He trains under a traditional master, lives by the tenets of humility and discipline, and literally chases “The Glow,” a metaphor for achieving harmony between mind, body, and spirit.
For any martial artist, that’s the eternal pursuit.