Michael and Martin McNamara

[AlbertV]

You may have not heard of Michael and Martin McNamara. The reason is perhaps they only made two films. They are identical twins who are trained in martial arts and they would be known in their native Canada not so much for their films, but their work as martial arts instructors and kickboxing promoters.

Born in 1949 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Martin and Michael McNamara moved to Canada at a young age. The duo, who only stand at 5'5", felt karate might not be good for them. Instead, they studied Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut. They opened up their own martial arts school in 1972, entitled Twin Dragons Kung Fu Club. After opening eight locations over the next fourteen years, in the boom of martial arts films, the duo set up their own production company, titled....you guessed it, Twin Dragons Productions.

Their film debut, Twin Dragon Encounter, was a typical Canuxploitation (Canadian B-movie) in which the duo pretty much play themselves on an adventure from hell when they must rescue their girlfriends from a mercenary and his group, who have taken over the island (it was actually shot on Pointe au Baril in Ontario).

Continuing their teaching, the brothers waited four years before making an official sequel to that film, in which the film was called Dragon Hunt, made in 1990.

After Dragon Hunt, the brothers soon began a new career aside from teaching: promoting. They would become kickboxing promoters and were very successful until the Ontario Athletic Commission attempted to consider sports such as kickboxing and MMA as not suitable. Despite a win in court in 2009, the Twin Dragons were forced into retirement in 2012 and as a result, after 40 years, they closed down their flagship schools.

They did do a third film, originally titled Right to Fight, but later re-titled as The Real Twin Dragons. It had a premiere in 2003, but not much has heard except a trailer:

However, in the midst of all the chaos, in 2003, they were invited personally by the Belfast government and a local kickboxing promoter named (yes, let the jokes start) Bill Murray and the brothers returned to their birthplace where they held a major kickboxing event. Michael's wife Chantal was a kickboxing champion who competed in the Belfast event.

The Twin Dragons legacy still lives on as two schools run by their former students still operate.

http://www.twin-dragon.com

2009 interview with Martin McNamara on the major issue with MMA and kickboxing in Ontario

 

[AlbertV]

One of the Twin Dragons appeared at the Laser Blast Film Society in 2016 doing a Q&A after the screening of Dragon Hunt