Arm Bar (2016)

A young, aspiring MMA fighter, visits her local boxing gym to settle a dispute with the owner.

"Arm Bar" on the blog. Check out The Making of.

Director Statement

The idea for "Arm Bar" originated after reading an article about the life of Ronda Rousey, and how her mother would teach her how to defend herself by executing the move on her at an early age. I thought of how that visually would have been a great opening scene to a film, both visceral and empowering. Although that wasn't the actual story I wanted to tell, it gave me inspiration to explore a strong and complex woman who would seek to thrive in a world that's dominated by men.

The reason why I chose boxing and mixed martial arts opposed to any other sport is because I grew up watching matches on HBO and films like Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, The Fighter, Girl Fight, etc. I was never into many sports as kid, but I took a keen interest in boxing in particular that carried over into MMA when the UFC began. I personally felt compelled to tell this type of story because I can relate with its subject matter. At its core, the film is about a young woman who is forced to grow up too fast due to conflicts in her home life.

Cast

Starring:
Latresa Baker

Featuring:
Ryan Barger & Victoria Wallace

Behind the Scenes