Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in this martial arts action drama directed by Newt Arnold. Frank Dux (Van Damme) is a US Army captain and martial arts expert determined to pay tribute to his sensei Senzo Tanaka (Roy Chiao) by competing in a brutal and secret martial arts tournament called the Kumite. Going absent without leave, Dux travels to Hong Kong where he takes on a series of formidable opponents in the ring, despite the risk of paying the ultimate price should he lose. The cast also includes Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres and Forest Whitaker.