History Main / IKnowKarate

* In Season 4 of ''Series/StrangerThings'', as Joyce and Murray are being flown to Russia by LovableTraitor Yuri, Murray (a goofy ConspiracyTheorist and apparent NonActionGuy who serves primarily as comic relief) assures a doubtful Joyce that he has a black belt and can overpower Yuri. It's very clearly a setup for him to get his ass kicked... and then the fight starts, and [[spoiler: he really is a competent fighter, winning the fight fair and square and knocking Yuri out. Unfortunately, [[OhCrap they're still in the air at the time]], [[ThisIsGonnaSuck and neither Joyce nor Murray can fly a plane...]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'': "YouFool I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!" Followed by General Grievous using [[MultiArmedAndDangerous all four arms]] to [[DualWielding wield four lights at once]].

* ''Series/KungFu'' did this, of course.

* Generally averted by people who actually seriously practice martial arts, because you wish to defuse, not escalate the confrontation. Often the only training for official/licensed mastery, e.g. black belt, is how to ''avoid'' getting into fights. Also, telling anyone (namely more vicious bullies or thugs) that you know karate is answered by either a "Well you don't look so tough to me" taunt or an impromptu performance of their own martial arts (sometimes accompanied by FunnyBruceLeeNoises).

* Generally averted by people who actually seriously practice martial arts, because you wish to defuse, not escalate the confrontation. Often the only training for official/licensed mastery, e.g. black belt, is how to ''avoid'' getting into fights. Also, telling anyone that you know karate is answered by either a "Well you don't look so tough to me" taunt or an impromptu performance of FunnyBruceLeeNoises.

* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' references ''The Matrix'' above, the first time Chuck flashes after uploading the improved Intersect in the second season finale. After [[CurbStompBattle wiping the floor with a bunch of mooks]] who managed to kill [[spoiler: Bryce Larkin]], he turns in shock to an (equally) shocked Sarah and Casey and proclaims "Guys, I know kung fu!"

* ''Film/TheEigerSanction''. [[NumberTwoForBrains Pope]] brags that he has a black-belt in karate. Hemlock fakes a WhatTheFuAreYouDoing? reaction, then punches him in the face.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', Cindy Vortex is said (and shown) to know a few different types of martial arts, but mostly karate.

* WesternAnimation/KimPossible mentions knowing sixteen different styles of Kung Fu, and in another episode, she mentions that one of the styles she knows is Mantis-style kung fu...but it turns out she hasn't exactly "mastered" it.

* ''Film/DocSavage''. After Doc Savage wrestles his gun off him, Captain Seas wordlessly challenges our hero to hand-to-hand combat using various fighting styles, each introduced with InSceneTitleText. Doc proves his mastery in Sumo wrestling, Gung Fu, Tai Chichuan, Karate, Bo jijsu, and finally GoodOldFisticuffs.

* Generally averted by people who actually seriously practice martial arts, because you wish to defuse not escalate the confrontation. Often the only training for official/licensed mastery, e.g. black belt, is how to avoid getting into fights. Also telling anyone that you know karate is answered by either a "Well you don't look so tough to me" taunt or an impromptu performance of FunnyBruceLeeNoises.

** It's worth noting that in real life, Elvis was an 8th degree black belt in Kenpo Karate.

* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'': "YouFool! I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!" Followed by General Grievous using [[MultiArmedAndDangerous all four arms]] to [[DualWielding wield four lights at once]].

* In ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/RevengeOfTheSith'': "YouFool! I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!" Followed by General Grievous using [[MultiArmedAndDangerous all four arms]] to [[DualWielding wield four lights at once]].

** Villain Faora Hu-Ul knew ''Horu-Kanu,'' with which she was able to knock Superman around pretty effectively in "The Great Phantom Peril".

** ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} knows Klurkor in every main continuity. She has also been trained by Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}. In [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 "Who Is Superwoman?"]] she warns Reactron she is a Klurkor first level before proceeding to kick his butt.

* Franchise/{{Batman}} villain Scarecrow in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}''. No, really. It is, of course, crane style. Crane's combat style, at least per other comics from the 90's, was actually a self-taught and designed style, 'violent dancing', based around weaponizing his Crane's namesake crazy dancing from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, part of a popular trend of retconning a lot of Batman villains during those years to have studied hand to hand combat at some point, to explain how they could actually fistfight Batman and last longer than three seconds.

* Inverted in Franchise/{{Tintin}} album [[Recap/TintinTheBlackIsland "The Black Island"]]. Tintin is thrown to the floor by one of the bad guys, who tells him "That was jiu-jitsu!". Tintin KO's him with a kick in the chin from the floor, responding "And that's savate!" [[note]]Savate is both a French style of kickboxing and a word for shoe. You may now start groaning.[[/note]]

[[folder: Fanfic ]]

-->'''Bobbie:''' Listen skinny, before you start talking tough, I'd better warn you I've got a black belt in karate. So why don't you get out of here quietly, while you still got some teeth left in that ugly face?
-->''[Foxy knocks her down with a barstool]''
-->'''Foxy Brown:''' And I've got ''my'' black belt in barstools!

-->'''Cassandra:''' First, you have to get through me.
-->'''Kent:''' What do you know? Karate?
-->'''Cassandra:''' I know Dow.
-->'''Kent:''' Dow? What's Dow?
-->'''Cassandra:''' Dow is the chemical company that makes mace.
-->''[She pulls out a can of mace and sprays them.]''

---> '''Ji Han Jae''': As you gentlemen know, red means danger. Therefore I advice to you people, not to step into this warning arena. If you want to go on living, stop here, go back downstairs. Life is precious.

* In the 1996 remake of ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor'', Reggie Warrington, the InsultComic, attempts this on Buddy Love who [[PayEvilUntoEvil heckled him]] [[LaserGuidedKarma one too many times]], but Buddy anticipates his pathetic attempts to whip out his "streets skills" and {{Curb Stomp|Battle}}s him.

[[folder: Fan Fic ]]

You might be looking for SuddenlyAlwaysKnewThat, which [[Administrivia/TropeTransplant used to be called]] "I Know Kung Fu", or the UsefulNotes article about UsefulNotes/{{Karate}}.

* In [[Comicbook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths Pre-Crisis]] ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics, it was established that Krypton had martial arts. Faora of the Phantom Zone knew ''Horo-Kanu,'' with which she was able to knock Superman around pretty effectively. And Lois studied the art of ''Klurkor'' in the bottle city of Kandor, and got to use it from time to time.
* [[Characters/ClassicDisneyShorts José Carioca]] once tried to scare a bunch of criminals by claiming to be a good UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}} fighter, only to learn one of the criminals was a master of that art. He then claimed to know UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} and was told another criminal of the bunch was a black belt.
* Inverted in [[{{Tintin}} the Black Island]]. Tintin is thrown to the floor by one of the bad guys, who tells him "That was jiu-jitsu!". Tintin KO's him with a kick in the chin from the floor, responding "And that's savate!" [[note]]Savate is both a French style of kickboxing and a word for shoe. You may now start groaning.[[/note]]