
Released
As beautiful and sleek as it is deadly, 52 Blocks merits special conservation efforts as the United States' only existing native martial culture, as it is indeed, the jazz of the martial arts world. Across the African diaspora, there are manifestations of African-derived warrior-dances, capoeira in brazil, mani in Cuba, ladja in Martinique, pinge in Haiti- yet the US offshoot has remained esoteric, because it was suppressed throughout slavery, Reconstruction and Jim Crow and then obscured in the criminal justice system. The history, interviews and training of the martial arts style that created Breakdance and boxing greats like Mike Tyson.
Keywords
prison
new york city
martial arts
hip-hop
african
fighting
brooklyn, new york city
bronx, new york city
staten island, new york city
capoeira
jailhouse rock
jhr
stato
Casts
Kareem Ellington
himself
Daniel Marks
himself
Devine Knowledge
himself
Reno Morales
himself
King Saladin
himself
Hassan "Giant" Yasin
himself
Crews
Kamau Hunter
Director
Daniel Marks
Writer