Out In 8

China has opened up a crack; a dual heritage fighter kicks through to open it some more.

Fighting for validation in the conformist society of a little-known Chinese island, where kung fu is king, dual-heritage boy and now thief Ray Zhang must dig deep inside for acceptance through martial arts competitions. Hong Chen, the current charismatic and hilariously mischievous champion, backed by the Confucian conceit of the established powers, which will by all means hold on to their purity, makes it clear that Ray is not their choice of representative. More trouble and some help are on the way. China's economic miracle has brought a team of travelling angels from the mixed martial arts world, and Ray has just stolen the heavyweight's glove. All actions that will bring fresh tremors to the war-marked, typhoon-battered island, strewn with economic flotsam, despite its captivating beauty and character.

Set at a time of economic boom and opening up on an as-yet-overlooked island microcosm of Chinese society between Hong Kong and Macau, Ray Zhang has the talent, but does he have the self-belief? The child of divorced British and Chinese parents, Ray is an unpopular Wing Chun practitioner and sees winning the Jade Dragon Trophy as his ticket to establishing himself as a true part of the society he grew up in. He will, however, have to overcome Hong Chen, the current, charming and popular champion, with his formidable expertise and backing of the overarching martial arts establishment, with their hegemony and conformity, which will resort to treachery to prevent loss of pride. Most of all, however, Ray Zhang will have to overcome his own demons.