Karate for Life

1977 1h 31m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 16

Action

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The last of the Masutatsu Oyama trilogy. Oyama takes a job as a professional wrestler in Okinawa, but when he discovers that he is expected to take a dive, he quits in disgust. However, when a friend finds herself in desperate need of medical supplies, Oyama steps back in the ring to raise the money—but will he be able to follow the script this time?

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Sonny Chiba
Sensei Masutatsu Oyama
Hideo Murota
Masaru Shiga
Masashi Ishibashi
Yoko Natsuki
Hiroshi Nawa
Asao Uchida
Kōjirō Hongō

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Writers: Ikki Kajiwara, Masahiro Kakefuda
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Part of the "Masutatsu Oyama Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, shot by Yoshio Nakajima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Osamu Tanaka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sonny Chiba and Hideo Murota and Masaru Shiga carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0403524 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kazuhiko Yamaguchi directs. Yoshio Nakajima behind the camera. Osamu Tanaka cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Masutatsu Oyama Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, shot by Yoshio Nakajima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Osamu Tanaka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Sonny Chiba and Hideo Murota and Masaru Shiga carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0403524 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.