Redbelt Quotes
A fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry. Though he refuses to participate in prize bouts, circumstances conspire to force him to consider entering such a competition.
[first lines]
Mike Terry: Tie him up.
[to class]
Mike Terry: The hands are not the issue. The fight is the issue. The battle is the issue. Who imposes the terms of the battle will impose the terms of the peace. Think he has a handicap? No. The other guy has a handicap if he cannot control himself. You control yourself, you control him.
[to student]
Mike Terry: Take him to court.
Mike Terry: Tie him up.
[to class]
Mike Terry: The hands are not the issue. The fight is the issue. The battle is the issue. Who imposes the terms of the battle will impose the terms of the peace. Think he has a handicap? No. The other guy has a handicap if he cannot control himself. You control yourself, you control him.
[to student]
Mike Terry: Take him to court.
Chet Frank: So what is Jiu-Jitsu? You use one fighter's strength against him?
Mike Terry: Yes, in a way. You let him use his strength, and you use your understanding.
Chet Frank: So it's a form of wrestling?
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Chet Frank: Like we see in the Mixed-Martial Arts competitions?
Mike Terry: Yeah, that's right.
Chet Frank: You compete?
Mike Terry: No.
Chet Frank: Because...?
Mike Terry: Competition is weakening.
Chet Frank: Because it's fixed. Two guys in a ring, people betting money...
Mike Terry: It may be fixed. Any one fight may be fixed.
Chet Frank: Ah, but you train people to fight.
Mike Terry: No, I train people to prevail. In the street, in the alley, in...in combat, the bodyguard, the cop, the soldiers. One rule - put the other guy down. And you have to train in order to do that. Any...any staged contest must have rules.
Chet Frank: Everything has rules. The problem is sticking to them.
Mike Terry: Yes, in a way. You let him use his strength, and you use your understanding.
Chet Frank: So it's a form of wrestling?
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Chet Frank: Like we see in the Mixed-Martial Arts competitions?
Mike Terry: Yeah, that's right.
Chet Frank: You compete?
Mike Terry: No.
Chet Frank: Because...?
Mike Terry: Competition is weakening.
Chet Frank: Because it's fixed. Two guys in a ring, people betting money...
Mike Terry: It may be fixed. Any one fight may be fixed.
Chet Frank: Ah, but you train people to fight.
Mike Terry: No, I train people to prevail. In the street, in the alley, in...in combat, the bodyguard, the cop, the soldiers. One rule - put the other guy down. And you have to train in order to do that. Any...any staged contest must have rules.
Chet Frank: Everything has rules. The problem is sticking to them.
Mike Terry: Conquer your fear and you'll conquer your opponent.
Laura Black: Yes, um...Mr. Terry, a man raped me. He held a knife to my throat, a man twice my size, and then he raped me.
Mike Terry: He held a knife to your throat?
Laura Black: Yes. Look, I appreciate what you've done, it's just that...I don't think there's anything I could learn here that would really...
Mike Terry: There is no situation that you could not escape from. There is no situation that you could not turn to your advantage.
Laura Black: Yes, um...Mr. Terry, a man raped me. He held a knife to my throat, a man twice my size, and then he raped me.
Mike Terry: He held a knife to your throat?
Laura Black: Yes. Look, I appreciate what you've done, it's just that...I don't think there's anything I could learn here that would really...
Mike Terry: There is no situation that you could not escape from. There is no situation that you could not turn to your advantage.
Augusto Silva: What do you want?
Mike Terry: You brought the old man up from Brazil for this bullshit?
Augusto Silva: You run your business, I run mine. Who I brought to where is of no concern to you.
Mike Terry: His life, his teachings...
Augusto Silva: What you know of his teachings? The hell do you know of his teachings? He's my family business, and it is a business, okay? What the hell did you think it is? There's still a vision out there. It's about to be big business. And no one has forgotten you, so cool down and sit down.
Marty Brown: None of the fighters know the fight is gaffed. You weren't supposed to know. You weren't supposed to know.
Mike Terry: I don't get it.
Marty Brown: We pick who gets the white marble. Here's what you're missing, here's what you invented. The thing - it's not a way to ensure the fight is fair. Any two guys fighting for money, no way the fight is fair. What you did is fix the fight without the fighters' knowledge.
Mike Terry: You stole my idea.
Marty Brown: How about that. So look, who gets the pass tonight? You. Every fight tonight the other guy gets the handicap. You win, you go home with fifty grand, you settle your various debts. How about that. Make a name for yourself. I love a fighter. What the fuck.
Mike Terry: You brought the old man up from Brazil for this bullshit?
Augusto Silva: You run your business, I run mine. Who I brought to where is of no concern to you.
Mike Terry: His life, his teachings...
Augusto Silva: What you know of his teachings? The hell do you know of his teachings? He's my family business, and it is a business, okay? What the hell did you think it is? There's still a vision out there. It's about to be big business. And no one has forgotten you, so cool down and sit down.
Marty Brown: None of the fighters know the fight is gaffed. You weren't supposed to know. You weren't supposed to know.
Mike Terry: I don't get it.
Marty Brown: We pick who gets the white marble. Here's what you're missing, here's what you invented. The thing - it's not a way to ensure the fight is fair. Any two guys fighting for money, no way the fight is fair. What you did is fix the fight without the fighters' knowledge.
Mike Terry: You stole my idea.
Marty Brown: How about that. So look, who gets the pass tonight? You. Every fight tonight the other guy gets the handicap. You win, you go home with fifty grand, you settle your various debts. How about that. Make a name for yourself. I love a fighter. What the fuck.
Gini Collins: [to Mike] He didn't want to bring disgrace on you. I have no husband. I have no husband. I can't pay my bills, I can't pay my rent, and I don't even have his pension. For what? For what? For your stupid principles? You are a sick fool. How am I going to live? Who's going to pay these bills? Who's going to pay these bills? Are you? Are you?
Mike Terry: I got something for you.
[pulls out black belt]
Officer Joe Collins: No.
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Officer Joe Collins: [taking the belt] I don't deserve it.
Mike Terry: It's overdue.
Officer Joe Collins: I...
Mike Terry: The belt is just symbolic. The belt, as Snowflake says, is to just keep your pants up.
[pulls out black belt]
Officer Joe Collins: No.
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Officer Joe Collins: [taking the belt] I don't deserve it.
Mike Terry: It's overdue.
Officer Joe Collins: I...
Mike Terry: The belt is just symbolic. The belt, as Snowflake says, is to just keep your pants up.
Jean Jacques Machado: [on film set] Mike, what the fuck are you doing here?
Mike Terry: I don't know. Jerry Weiss?
Jean Jacques Machado: You coming on the show?
Mike Terry: No. He just got all wannabe.
Jean Jacques Machado: He ask you if you were in the military?
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Jean Jacques Machado: You tell him what you did?
Mike Terry: No. He didn't ask.
Mike Terry: I don't know. Jerry Weiss?
Jean Jacques Machado: You coming on the show?
Mike Terry: No. He just got all wannabe.
Jean Jacques Machado: He ask you if you were in the military?
Mike Terry: Yeah.
Jean Jacques Machado: You tell him what you did?
Mike Terry: No. He didn't ask.
Gini Collins: Joe still inside?
Mike Terry: No, he just left.
Gini Collins: Left?
Mike Terry: Yeah, maybe he went to the club.
Gini Collins: What happened to the window?
Mike Terry: Isn't he on at the club?
Gini Collins: Um, that's funny.
Mike Terry: Weren't you going to the mountains?
Gini Collins: Why would he go to the club?
Mike Terry: Isn't he working tonight?
Gini Collins: The club? No. No, no, no. He hasn't worked at the club in months. Listen, uh, I have to tell him something. Okay? Tell him.
Mike Terry: Why?
Gini Collins: Why what?
Mike Terry: Why hasn't he been working there?
Gini Collins: Yeah, I know. Listen, I gotta get home.
Mike Terry: No, he just left.
Gini Collins: Left?
Mike Terry: Yeah, maybe he went to the club.
Gini Collins: What happened to the window?
Mike Terry: Isn't he on at the club?
Gini Collins: Um, that's funny.
Mike Terry: Weren't you going to the mountains?
Gini Collins: Why would he go to the club?
Mike Terry: Isn't he working tonight?
Gini Collins: The club? No. No, no, no. He hasn't worked at the club in months. Listen, uh, I have to tell him something. Okay? Tell him.
Mike Terry: Why?
Gini Collins: Why what?
Mike Terry: Why hasn't he been working there?
Gini Collins: Yeah, I know. Listen, I gotta get home.
Announcer: Dylan here is explaining what the possible handicaps could be. What are they? Break them down for us.
Dylan Flynn: Well, they'll basically draw from the bowl a black or two white marbles. If you get a white marble, you're basically getting a pass. If you draw the black marble, you're either gonna have one arm tied to your body or potentially both arms tied to your body, or the application of a blindfold.
Announcer: Fighting with a blindfold.
Dylan Flynn: [smiling] Yeah, how's that sound?
Dylan Flynn: Well, they'll basically draw from the bowl a black or two white marbles. If you get a white marble, you're basically getting a pass. If you draw the black marble, you're either gonna have one arm tied to your body or potentially both arms tied to your body, or the application of a blindfold.
Announcer: Fighting with a blindfold.
Dylan Flynn: [smiling] Yeah, how's that sound?
Richie: Hey, who do you like in the Morisaki fight?
Mike Terry: I'm sure one of them's gonna win.
Richie: Little word from the little bird?
Mike Terry: Yeah, I don't play that.
Richie: Well if you did who would you like?
Mike Terry: I can't help you, Richie.
Richie: You sure? Because you help me, I'm gonna help you. As a word to the wise, this fight is sufficient to put some grocery money in your pocket. Who does it hurt, Mike?
Mike Terry: I can't help you, Richie. You know as much as me.
Richie: [walking away] I know as much as you.
Mike Terry: I'm sure one of them's gonna win.
Richie: Little word from the little bird?
Mike Terry: Yeah, I don't play that.
Richie: Well if you did who would you like?
Mike Terry: I can't help you, Richie.
Richie: You sure? Because you help me, I'm gonna help you. As a word to the wise, this fight is sufficient to put some grocery money in your pocket. Who does it hurt, Mike?
Mike Terry: I can't help you, Richie. You know as much as me.
Richie: [walking away] I know as much as you.
Mike Terry: A guy killed himself because the window got broke. How'd you know how the window got broke?
Jerry Weiss: Your wife sold you out.
Bruno Silva: Well, who'd you think you married? Hmmm? Brazilian princess married the soldier. Five years and the soldier's pumping gas. Smart girl's gotta move on.
Jerry Weiss: Your wife sold you out.
Bruno Silva: Well, who'd you think you married? Hmmm? Brazilian princess married the soldier. Five years and the soldier's pumping gas. Smart girl's gotta move on.
Sondra Terry: My father made money, my brothers make money, and you are somehow too pure. You're too pure to compete.
Mike Terry: It...
Sondra Terry: Weakens the fighter?
Mike Terry: That's right.
Sondra Terry: Because a competition is not a fight.
Mike Terry: That's correct.
Sondra Terry: And what about the fighter's family, Mike? What do they eat, while he's being so pure?
Mike Terry: It...
Sondra Terry: Weakens the fighter?
Mike Terry: That's right.
Sondra Terry: Because a competition is not a fight.
Mike Terry: That's correct.
Sondra Terry: And what about the fighter's family, Mike? What do they eat, while he's being so pure?
Guabayera Shirt Man: [referring to woman at bar] She's a friend of mine.
Chet Frank: I admire your taste.
Guabayera Shirt Man: What? I'm sorry, what did you say?
Chet Frank: I said I admire your taste.
Guabayera Shirt Man: Yeah, I heard what you said, I just don't know what it means.
Chet Frank: Alright.
Guabayera Shirt Man: What does it mean?
Chet Frank: Whatever you want it to mean. I've had a tough day.
Guabayera Shirt Man: And what the fuck is that to me? Fucking tough guy at the movies.
Chet Frank: Look...
Guabayera Shirt Man: Hey, where's your protection, tough guy?
Chet Frank: I didn't know you knew the woman.
Guabayera Shirt Man: Well, you insulted me, then you insulted the young woman. Don't you have a wife?
Chet Frank: I admire your taste.
Guabayera Shirt Man: What? I'm sorry, what did you say?
Chet Frank: I said I admire your taste.
Guabayera Shirt Man: Yeah, I heard what you said, I just don't know what it means.
Chet Frank: Alright.
Guabayera Shirt Man: What does it mean?
Chet Frank: Whatever you want it to mean. I've had a tough day.
Guabayera Shirt Man: And what the fuck is that to me? Fucking tough guy at the movies.
Chet Frank: Look...
Guabayera Shirt Man: Hey, where's your protection, tough guy?
Chet Frank: I didn't know you knew the woman.
Guabayera Shirt Man: Well, you insulted me, then you insulted the young woman. Don't you have a wife?
Bruno Silva: The golden-ivory studded belt is worth one quarter of a million dollars. It was presented to Taketa Morisaki by the emporer of Japan. Is he on the level?
Marty Brown: The belt's a fucking national treasure. It's worth a quarter of a mil.
Bruno Silva: He's going to give it to Ricardo if he loses?
Marty Brown: It's publicity. It's publicity. It's something to tell the papers. It's a story. "I am a Samurai, should this guy defeat me, I shall surrender my fucking belt".
Bruno Silva: And will he?
Marty Brown: Look, we're not selling tickets. Sell the tickets, sell the show, and we'll figure that out on the way to the bank. The point is, you gotta sell the show.
Bruno Silva: Ricardo's the biggest thing in Brazil.
Marty Brown: Read the street signs. We're in America. Morisaki's doing his part, you've gotta do yours, Ricardo's gotta do his. Where the fuck is he? Pay-per-view is pulling back on the promotion. We need a gimmick, one more time. Ricardo brings the old man up from Brazil. He fights for the honor of his mentor. Morisaki brings the belt, he fights for the emporer. What do you got? A grudge match. It's back to the thirties. Black against white, Irish against Jew...a racial grudge match. Get me some velocity, eh? Velocity, or else it's just two monkeys in a ring.
Marty Brown: The belt's a fucking national treasure. It's worth a quarter of a mil.
Bruno Silva: He's going to give it to Ricardo if he loses?
Marty Brown: It's publicity. It's publicity. It's something to tell the papers. It's a story. "I am a Samurai, should this guy defeat me, I shall surrender my fucking belt".
Bruno Silva: And will he?
Marty Brown: Look, we're not selling tickets. Sell the tickets, sell the show, and we'll figure that out on the way to the bank. The point is, you gotta sell the show.
Bruno Silva: Ricardo's the biggest thing in Brazil.
Marty Brown: Read the street signs. We're in America. Morisaki's doing his part, you've gotta do yours, Ricardo's gotta do his. Where the fuck is he? Pay-per-view is pulling back on the promotion. We need a gimmick, one more time. Ricardo brings the old man up from Brazil. He fights for the honor of his mentor. Morisaki brings the belt, he fights for the emporer. What do you got? A grudge match. It's back to the thirties. Black against white, Irish against Jew...a racial grudge match. Get me some velocity, eh? Velocity, or else it's just two monkeys in a ring.
Laura Black: You work with the police?
Mike Terry: [nodding] I've trained the police.
Laura Black: And what do all the belts mean?
Mike Terry: The white belt is someone who walks in off the street. Black belt is someone that the teacher recognizes as fit to instruct. In between we have blue, purple, and brown.
Laura Black: What do you have to do to get a red belt?
Mike Terry: There's only one.
Mike Terry: [nodding] I've trained the police.
Laura Black: And what do all the belts mean?
Mike Terry: The white belt is someone who walks in off the street. Black belt is someone that the teacher recognizes as fit to instruct. In between we have blue, purple, and brown.
Laura Black: What do you have to do to get a red belt?
Mike Terry: There's only one.
Mike Terry: The fighters before a fight...
Sondra Terry: Three marbles.
Mike Terry: Each fighter has a two-in-three odds of chosing a white marble. White marble's a pass.
Jerry Weiss: White marble's a pass. What if he picks the black marble?
Mike Terry: Black marble is a handicap.
Jerry Weiss: What does that mean, a handicap?
Mike Terry: Well, you lose the use of an arm or...
Jerry Weiss: Because?
Mike Terry: Because you never know when you may be disabled.
Sondra Terry: Three marbles.
Mike Terry: Each fighter has a two-in-three odds of chosing a white marble. White marble's a pass.
Jerry Weiss: White marble's a pass. What if he picks the black marble?
Mike Terry: Black marble is a handicap.
Jerry Weiss: What does that mean, a handicap?
Mike Terry: Well, you lose the use of an arm or...
Jerry Weiss: Because?
Mike Terry: Because you never know when you may be disabled.
