Here’s a feature documentary that we’ve been following for a good 3 or so years now, as it traveled the film festival as well as screening series circuit, and is now, finally, on home video for the many who have yet to see it!

Meet kungfu’s black pioneers and heroes who flourished at the junction of African American and Asian cultures. The Black Kungfu Experience traces the rise of black kungfu 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 kungfu.

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 kungfu 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 Kungfu Experience is produced and directed by Martha Burr and Mei-Juin Chen.

As noted, it is now available for purchase on DVD for about $23, with several extra features binge on.

Pick up your copy HERE.

Check out a preview of the film, as well as the DVD cover art below: