Above the Law

Above the Law, also released abroad under the title Nico, is a 1988 American action thriller directed by Andrew Davis and produced by the studio Warner Bros. Pictures. It was the acting debut of Steven Seagal, who is also the film's producer and the author of its story. The main character, Nico Toscani, is a martial arts expert who was recruited by the CIA during the war in Vietnam. Years later he works as a detective in Chicago, investigates drug dealers and comes across C-4 explosive that is connected to his past. Toscani's fight scenes are based on aikido, an art that Seagal himself practises. In the credits Seagal is listed not only for the lead role but also as the aikido choreographer. According to Wikipedia, Above the Law is regarded as the first American film to show aikido in its fight scenes. Seagal was invited to make the film by his former aikido student, the agent Michael Ovitz, who financed a successful screen test at Warner Bros. Filming took place in Chicago for roughly 60 days, from 27 April to 26 June 1987. The American premiere was held on 8 April 1988.

Martial arts in this work

Fight choreography

Steven Seagal is credited in the film as the aikido choreographer and also plays the lead role, so Nico Toscani's fight scenes were designed and performed by the same person. Seagal moved to Japan in October 1974 and, according to Wikipedia, ran the dojo of the family of his first wife, Miyako Fujitani, in Osaka, whose father was an aikido master. Wikipedia credits him with a 7th dan and the title of shihan in Aikikai, but we have not been able to find primary evidence of the grade being awarded in the sources. During preparation and filming of the final fight, Henry Silva, who plays Kurt Zagon, accidentally broke Seagal's nose. Filming nevertheless continued.

People and martial arts

• Andrew DavisDirector
• Steven SeagalFight choreographer· Aikido (real practitioner)
• Steven SeagalActor — as Det. Sgt. Nicolo "Nico" Toscani· Aikido (real practitioner)