Art of Eight Limbs revolves around this man, Scott, a secret service analyst who gets sent on his first field mission to Myanmar. His job is to stop the illegal trade of dangerous poisonous gases to foreign countries, run by arms dealer Thiha, who operates under the cover of his martial arts academy, the Golden Tiger. Scott’s got a personal stake in this mission—his father used to be a secret agent too. But Scott has no interest in all this; he is actually more interested in fighting, boxing, and martial arts. Maybe that’s why sending him as an agent in this tournament in the guise of a fighter might be a good idea. But Scott is young and inexperienced in the field. Can he succeed in stopping Thiha’s operation and live up to his father’s legacy? Let’s find out from this Art of Eight Limbs explainer.
Spoilers Ahead
Why did Thiha start suspecting Scott?
The movie Art of Eight Limbs revolves around a gripping plot set in 2013, following a deadly chemical gas attack ordered by the Syrian president on his own people. After that attack, chemical gases like VX nerve gas were made illegal worldwide. However, a Myanmar arms dealer and mafia boss named Thiha, also known as “General” to his men, somehow managed to get hold of four cylinders of this lethal gas. One of Thiha’s trusted men, Cho, was secretly working as a CIA agent. Cho, who was also a martial arts trainer in Thiha’s Golden Tiger academy, tipped the CIA off that Thiha planned to sell the gas to other countries soon. Knowing they had to act fast, the CIA prepared to stop Thiha’s operation by sending in Scott, a martial artist with a family legacy in the agency—his father had been a legendary agent. Even though Scott wasn’t the most experienced field agent, the CIA believed he was the perfect man for the job, especially since Thiha held martial arts tournaments at his academy, the Golden Tiger, as a front for his illegal activities. The plan was to have Scott pose as a participant in the tournament so he could blend in without raising suspicions.
Cho and another CIA agent, Nick, would be there to help guide him. Although Scott was physically fit and skilled in martial arts, he had never been involved in such a high-stakes mission before. He always dreamed of becoming a full-time fighter, but this role as an agent was something he hadn’t prepared for. Before being sent to Myanmar, Scott was given all the necessary equipment—tools to detect traces of chemical weapons, IMS, trackers, and more. Cho set up Scott’s cover as a fighter from the US, and when Thiha accepted him into the tournament, the CIA knew it was time to send Scott in. Once in Myanmar, Scott quickly realized that the Golden Tiger Academy was under heavy security, with Thiha’s eyes everywhere. Despite their careful planning, things started to go wrong. After passing the security check, Scott fell asleep from jet lag and missed his scheduled meeting with Cho. Sensing something was off, Cho had to come and find him. Cho instructed Scott to wander through the academy and discreetly search for traces of the chemical gas without drawing attention. But Thiha’s men noticed Scott’s unusual behavior, even though he tried to act casual. Thiha’s men knew something was up and became highly suspicious. They decided to take action and planned to confront Cho for answers, aware that he might be trying to sabotage their operation.
Was Scott successful in his operation?
The Golden Tiger Tournament of Eight Limbs began, but behind the scenes, things were tense. Thiha’s men had started to suspect Scott even more, especially after they found out that Scott had visited Mae’s bar—Mae being Cho’s daughter—and met up with Nick, a former CIA agent. They decided to question Cho, and soon after, Thiha’s men captured him. At the same time, the chemical gas cylinders were being moved for sale. Thiha was all about the money, planning to sell two of the deadly gas cylinders for $2.5 million each. While his men were transporting the cylinders to their buyers, Mae and Nick noticed them and followed. Mae was already worried because her father, Cho, hadn’t come home, and now Nick was in trouble too. Unfortunately, Thiha’s men realized they were being followed, so they kidnapped Nick. Mae knew she had to act fast, not just for her father but also for Nick.
On the other hand, Scott had been captured by Thiha’s men as well. Thiha planned to kill both Scott and Cho by injecting them with a deadly substance. Thankfully, Mae tracked them down just in time. She managed to save Scott, but it was too late for Nick—he had already been injected with the poison and didn’t survive. After disguising themselves, Mae and Scott escaped. But Thiha’s men soon discovered what happened and figured out where Cho might be held. They knew he must be at the same location where Thiha planned to sell the chemical cylinders. When they arrived, their suspicions were correct—Cho was trapped in a glass container, about to be killed by the chemical gas as a demonstration for the buyers. Scott realized he had to act fast to save Cho. He pleaded with Thiha and asked them to complete the tournament and let him fight Thiha’s best fighter, Zeya. Scott proposed that if he won, they would have to release Cho. Confident in his martial arts skills, Scott believed he could defeat Zeya and complete the mission.Â
Scott knew exactly what he was doing, and his IMS watch was all he needed to send signals back to CIA headquarters. They arrived just in time with their hazmat team. While the CIA handled the situation, Scott managed to rescue Cho from the glass container. In a quick move, he locked Thiha inside instead. Ironically, Thiha ended up becoming the victim of his own deadly gas, killed by the very weapon he had planned to sell. The rest of his operation was taken down, and the remaining criminals were arrested. For a first-time agent, Scott had successfully completed the mission. He proved that he truly was his father’s son. After this, it’s clear that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Scott as a field agent rather than just an analyst at the CIA.
