The Foot Fist Way

A new hero of martial arts rises from a North Carolina strip mall in this independent comedy. Fred Simmons is one of the world’s most gifted practitioners of the Korean fighting style known as Tae Kwan Do — or at least that’s what he likes to tell people. Despite his supposed skills, Fred teaches students out of a shabby dojo, where for the most part, he browbeats kids into learning the aggressive points of the martial arts without having much understanding of the philosophy or reasoning behind it. Not that most folks care — in the small town where he teaches, Fred is considered to be the real deal, and his talent as a fighter earns him plenty of respect. But Fred’s reputation (and ego) takes a serious blow when he learns his wife, Suzie (Mary Jane Bostwick), has been fooling around with another man and Fred challenges him to a fight that doesn’t go well. Falling into an emotional tailspin, Fred goes on a pilgrimage to meet his hero and role model, martial arts celebrity Chuck “The Truck” Wallace (Ben Best). The Foot Fist Way was the first feature film from writer and director Jody Hill.