Before watching The Last Kumite by Ross W. Clarkson, I didn’t have any prior knowledge about kumite, but as I got to know about it, it seemed very interesting. Just to give you an idea, it’s a kind of karate technique. The story revolves around a father-daughter duo who are forcibly trapped in the world of Kumite by a vile person named Ron Hall. The father, Michael Rivers, is a renowned fighter, and to get him into the kumite game, Ron Hall literally abducted his daughter, Bree Rivers, so he had to participate in the tournament. But as he went there, he realized he was not alone. There are many others who suffered the same fate as Michael and have been prey to Ron’s tactics. And it’s not a joke; they are really going to be prey to none other than Dracko, the all-time champion, because there is a chance he might kill them. It’s a difficult battle where not only family members but also one million dollars is at stake. So, will they all survive? Let’s find out from The Last Kumite‘s explainer.
Spoilers Ahead
Why did Michael have to go to the tournament?
Michael Rivers was a single father to his daughter, Bree. Since his wife died, it’s been just the two of them. They are both fighting enthusiasts, winning championship after championship. One of these was the New York State Open Karate Championship, where Michael participated and won. Everyone was happy, and Bree was really proud of her dad. To celebrate, they went to a club. While there, a man who had been watching them came over to talk to Michael, saying he had a business proposal. Michael was shocked; he didn’t know this guy, but here he was all of a sudden talking about business. It was a bit strange! But anyway, Michael told Bree to go home and went to meet the man in the VIP lounge. This man, Ron Hall, was incredibly rich and loved to manipulate people with his money. He proposed something out of the ordinary: he wanted Michael to participate in an upcoming kumite tournament in Eastern Europe. It was a fight-or-die kind of game. There was a chance Michael might die, but he could win one million dollars, which would be a huge help in raising his daughter. Michael thought it over, but he said no. After all, he had a daughter to look after. He couldn’t risk his life for money because Bree had no one else in her life except him. He knew that, so he rejected Ron’s offer. But Ron Hall wasn’t a man who would take no for an answer. He sent his men after Bree and abducted her to show Michael that this wasn’t really an offer. He had to participate in the tournament, or his daughter’s life was at risk. Being a father, Michael knew he had to sacrifice his life for his daughter if necessary. He got on a plane and went to the tournament without delaying anymore. He had no interest in the one million dollars; he just wanted his daughter to be safe and sound.
What did Michael find out in the tournament?
As Michael reached the location, he realized he was not alone. Many others were there to participate in the deadliest kumite. Some came willingly, while others were forced, as their sisters, daughters, or wives had been abducted to threaten them into coming. According to Ron Hall, it was one of the biggest tournaments of all. There were rules about giving up their phones; there was no internet connection, and they could only contact local people. This place was intimidating. People were being beaten to death by Ron Hall’s subordinates for questioning him. After all, he was an underground mafia boss of fighters. Even the police were not willing to help them get their families back because Ron had threatened the police as well. With rich and influential men under Ron Hall’s control, everyone was dominated by him. There was no escape—they could only fight. Dracko, the champion of the game, would be their opponent. He had the ability to literally kill them. Michael realized he had to find some loophole and make new friends, not only to save their families but also to fight and eventually defeat Ron Hall.
Who was helping Michael win?
Michael knew that defeating Dracko would be incredibly tough, so he sought help from a senior fighter named Loren. Loren was a former opponent of Ron Hall in a past tournament. In that tournament, Loren saw the true nature of the competition—Ron Hall was there to win at any cost and had literally killed all the participants. He was a cruel monster who even killed Loren’s wife and took his daughter away. Loren had a lot of pent-up anger against Ron and was eager to help Michael as soon as possible. There was also a woman named Julie Jackson, a former fighter and Dracko’s coach. Dracko hadn’t always been a monstrous fighter, but Ron Hall’s influence of power and money had won him over, turning him into a killer in the tournaments. Loren and Julie knew all the secrets of how to defeat Ron and Dracko. With their help, Michael started his intense training sessions to defeat the famous champion and bring down Ron Hall’s ego and power. Along the way, he found two allies, Lea Martin and Damon Spears. Together, they worked to fight off Ron Hall and his men, aiming to save their loved ones and put an end to the deadly kumite.
What happened at the tournament?
In the end, the tournament began, and we saw Dracko defeating one opponent after another. Even though Damon and Lea got hurt and were out of the tournament, they survived. They went to the dungeon, where all the family members were trapped. Together, they defeated the guards and rescued their loved ones. At last, it was Dracko vs. Michael. Michael was taking brutal punches from Dracko, and he thought he was about to lose his life. But then his daughter, now free, came running to him, telling him she believed in him and was proud of him. This gave him strength and made him realize that everything he was doing was for her. Fueled by this, he fought back and managed to defeat Dracko, winning the fight and bringing an end to Ron Hall’s evil game.
So, is this the end of the deadly kumite? We can certainly hope so. In the end, the police arrived to arrest Ron Hall. Loren had a lot of hatred and was about to take revenge for his wife and his daughter by killing Ron. But thankfully, he calmed down, and the police arrested Ron. In the end, Loren finally reunited with his long-lost daughter. Everyone got back together with their family members. Risking their lives for the sake of saving their loved ones was ultimately successful.
