Fight Quest: Kung Fu/Wing Chun
2007; directed by Chuck Smith

Similar to the History Channel's series Human Weapon, Discovery's Fight Quest sends a pair of men to far-flung locales, where they take a few days to learn the basics of various fighting styles, and then put them to the test during a match. While the viewer isn't likely to gain any in-depth knowledge of the disciplines on display, the proceedings are still entertaining, especially if you are a fan of history and/or travel shows.

Fight Quest is hosted by two semi-pro MMA fighters, Doug Anderson and Jimmy Smith. Neither comes off as your typical "tough guy", which gives the show a better vibe than the "bro" atmosphere espoused by the somewhat douchebaggy hosts from Human Weapon. Rather than just concentrating of the moves, a lot of time is given to the philosophy of the martial arts Doug and Jimmy are learning, such as when Doug devotes a day of his kung fu training trying to be able to focus his chi by breaking bricks. The end result are fights that aren't as exciting as those on Human Weapon, but it feels like a much more well-rounded presentation.

In doing a bit of research for this review, I came across quite a few negative comments about this series, most notably how it doesn't present the "real" martial arts styles. I must admit my knowledge in this regard is lacking, and even I was able to pick up on some errors, such as in the Wing Chun episode, where the hosts say the style was developed for modern street fighting, which totally disregards the pre-1900 history of the form. Also, during the end fights, the nebulous rules really limit what the combatants can do, and considering many of the bouts end in a tie, it felt like it might have been better just to show a match between two masters of the art, rather than seemingly pandering to the western audience by taking it easy and producing something on the level of a curtain-jerking WWE match.

Despite the bland and set-up feelings the show sometimes brings forth -- which are really par for the course for a lot of "reality" TV, and a reason I don't watch much of it -- Fight Quest (at least based on these two episodes) offers up some good fun and excitement for the most part, and you just might end up learning a thing or two. As of the writing of this review in August 2010, the first season (which contains these episodes) is available for viewing on Instant Netflix. If you're looking for something to kill some time during a hot and humid late summer afternoon, you could do a lot worse than sitting down and checking out an episode or two of Fight Quest.

RATING: 7.5