Shootfighter - Hawk vs Ruben

Penultimate fight scene from the 1992 film "Shootfighter". What intrigues me about this fight over the others in the film is that the character of Hawk (played by the actor known only as "Thunderwolf") seems to show genuine emotion at his potential impending death. His facial expressions as he faces off with Ruben seem to say "Look dude, the truth is I have nothing against you, but in a few minutes one of us is going to have to kill the other. I don't want to kill you, but I don't want you to kill me even more, so, you know..."
Normally in martial arts films like this, the "bad guy" fighters that the protagonists defeat are just generic meatheads, violent thugs with no personality. But somehow Thunderwolf makes his character seem much more human than that. There's real fear as Ruben holds the sword to his throat. Sure, he talked tough earlier (see my other video from this film "I hope you bought your bodybag"), but now we see he's suddenly facing the reality of his situation.
His actual death is kind of confusing, too. He seems to deliberately throw himself on Ruben's sword. Did he do it because he would rather die by Ruben's hand, a fellow fighter, than just being shot or similarly dispatched by the fight organiser? Or maybe he wasn't trying to die at all, maybe he was making one last lunge at Ruben to try and turn the fight around, or maybe even to just get away. That last look on his face is not of hate or anger, it's just fear and pain. I can't help feeling there's a back story to the Hawk character that the movie doesn't even touch on, and frankly I wish the movie had been about him instead. Regardless, this one scene has always stood out in my mind as being not just your average action/martial arts movie fight scene. What do you think?
*EDIT 07/02/08*
I have contacted the actor himself, Thunderwolf, and he had this to say about his part in the movie:
"When I was given the role and since it was one of those "B" movies, the director didn't give me too much instruction, I had to bring it myself. I had a little acting experience but not too much, I just played it the way I felt. By the way, Hawk didn't deliberately impale himself; he didn't know that the blade was pointing toward him."

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• shootfighter
• hawk
• ruben
• thunderwolf
• william
• zabka

[radruekachaz]

is that guy black?

[OzWatcher]

I think he's Native American, or possibly a mixture of cultures.

[trustobey1016]

put him in a bodybag johnny

[OzWatcher]

I hope he *brought* his bodybag!

Hmm... Now why does that sound familiar?

;)

[shadowdude8466]

the karate kid

[OzWatcher]

Heh, no, I was actually referring to the other clip I've put up from this same movie, where Hawk (Thunderwolf) tells Ruben "I hope you bought your bodybag!". But you're right, they say that in TKK too. Maybe Zabka has a clause in his contract that says all movies he appears in must include one reference to a bodybag?

[icemanisdangerous]

Fucking hell John Crease never leaves Johnny Lewrence alone. Cobra Kai forever.

[utterbullspit]

Well what's Thunderwolf's real name?

[stopper12racesims]

well once i saw this movie and i remember there was a part where a guy got is throat squeezed so much that you could see all the shit from the inside coming to the outside... which scene is it?

[bartsomething]

harley and track pants...

[mohicanrebel]

@OzWatcher he looks part samoan. you can tell by his hair

[darkwhitedirewolf]

Finish him! Has he ever used that line before? grin

[final4hawks]

#LOL

[blueoval]

I agree. Seemed too coincidental

[DeadAimX]

That's the same guy who got his ass kicked by Daniel in The Karate Kid! He's a really good martial artist in this movie.