The Deadly Art of Survival (1979)

Real-life kung fu master Nathan Ingram stars in this gritty, low-budget martial arts epic as a local karate school owner who clashes with a gang of drug traffickers posing as the owners of a rival dojo. Director Charlie Ahearn (who helmed the landmark hip-hop film Wild Style) used the housing projects next to his New York Lower East Side apartment as his central location in this 1979 classic, shot on a vintage Super 8 camera.

Released Jan. 1, 1979 77 min None+

Genres: Action, Drama, Music

Keywords: imdb.low-budget-film, imdb.dojang, imdb.no-wave, imdb.super-8mm, imdb.street-fight, imdb.new-york-city, imdb.martial-arts + 25 more, imdb.karate, imdb.martial-arts-action, tmdb.new-york-city, tmdb.martial-arts, tmdb.hip-hop, tmdb.drug-dealer, tmdb.ghetto, tmdb.gang-war, tmdb.karate, tmdb.revenge, tmdb.dojo, tmdb.karate-kick, tmdb.disco, tmdb.brooklyn-bridge, tmdb.housing-project, tmdb.street-fight, tmdb.downtown, tmdb.ninjas, tmdb.african-american, tmdb.old-school, tmdb.lower-east-side, tmdb.jumped, tmdb.low-budget, tmdb.east-river, tmdb.puerto-rican