Braden had nothing to do with the ninja attack on Cho's family at the beginning of the movie, and the director agrees

The fan theory that Braden was behind that attack makes no sense, since the ninjas were trying to kill Cho too, which would have ruined Braden's plan. I asked the director, Sam Firstenberg about it:

@MaximRecoil
4 months ago
@samfirstenberg3719 "The theory that Braden was behind the attack of the ninja clan on Cho's family is one interpretation"

Yeah, and that theory doesn't make any sense, since the ninjas were all clearly trying to kill Cho, and if they had succeeded, that would have ruined Braden's plan. If Braden had been behind it, it wouldn't make sense for him to have the ninjas stick around when Cho shows up and gang up on him. They would have left when or before Cho arrived on the scene.

"the other is that this was just a feud between two clans in the old country that forces Cho to move to a new country to escape the never-ending violence."

That's the one that makes sense and is also supported by the dialog in the movie where Cho says that his father and grandfather were both killed fighting on this land, which suggests a feud that far predates any possible involvement from Braden.

What was your own understanding of that scene when you were directing it? I've watched Revenge of the Ninja countless times since I was a kid in the 1980s and I've never thought that Braden had anything to do with the attack at the beginning, simply because it doesn't make sense from Braden's perspective.

@samfirstenberg3719
1 month ago
@MaximRecoil My understanding was just like you, that Braden was not part of it.