Whats your (love) for kung fu movies ALL about?

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

Interested in 'essays' on your thoughts of why you (love) kung fu movies.

Take it from there!

Blessings to you all.

GD Y-Y

[Jstn]

The first time i saw a kung fu movie was at the age of seven. It was the Saturday afternoon kung fu movie playing. I have no idea what movies they were at the time. All i know is, as soon as i watched a fight with those cool sound effects, I was hooked. I always loved the coordination of the punch/kick/weapons sound effects with good choreographed fighting moves.

To this day, that is what I love most about kung fu movies - crisp, accurate,well-choreographed fights and the cool sound effects that go along with it. Sometimes I think, the sound effects make the action...as long as the fighters are well trained and the pace is quick. My opinion

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I’m not much for essays. My writing skills could use some work:tongue: The best part is the fights. Most of the time the fights are about a billion times better than American movies. But there’s a lot more than just the fights. Standing up for the weak, honor, righteousness, badassness, craziness… Basically, I just get a good feeling watching kf movies. Hard for me to explain this fully.

[peringaten]

Uniquely, in the best overall respects they aren't remotely sanitised, but fresh & advanced as you like when it comes to raw cultivated human ability.

[Athena]

Despite this topic deservedly should have a thousand BLADE sharp Essays written concerning the answer ...

For me it can definitely be summed up in a single sentence or two : These movies ( even the modern ones ) are drenched in the WUXIA Spirit ...& That "alternative Martial Arts Universe " must be the most FACINATION place that ever ( didn't) exist ..!

I love it, Athena..♥

[Guest Markgway]

I just put it down to my repressed homosexuality.....

[John]

I was getting into movies about the time Jackie Chan became a popular name. For the first while, most of what I would see were dubbed Jackie films like Armour of God and Twin Dragons. I was mainly attracted to the inventive action, what with ladders being used as weapons and having to fight while being handcuffed to a chair and so on. There was also a cinematic style to the films that felt laid back and fun. Then Crouching Tiger came out; I thought it cool but impenetrable; and I got a copy of Enter the Dragon on that irritating double-sided DVD with the intro to the film everytime. It was quite a contrast; also largely a case of cool but impenetrable to me at the time. I was hearing occasionally about Jackie Chan's earlier films and that he'd been making them for quite some time, so one day in a Wal-Mart I come across The Young Master, dubbed and cropped on a VHS quality DVD. This movie mesemerized me. It was more of what I loved about Jackie and yet with these surprisingly magnetic characters. The convuluted story need not make sense; even as a collection of loosely related scenes, my marred Young Master was a revelation. I think a lot of this is owed to Hwang In Shik as well. I was sad to see him lose! What kicks! After that it kind of snowballed...and now I've got a shelf full of shaws.

[emeraldforest]

Despite this topic deservedly should have a thousand BLADE sharp Essays written concerning the answer ...

For me it can definitely be summed up in a single sentence or two : These movies ( even the modern ones ) are drenched in the WUXIA Spirit ...& That "alternative Martial Arts Universe " most be the most FACINATION place that ever ( didn't) exist ..!

I love it, Athena..♥

very well put Athena !

my love of Chinese martial arts grew from watching the old KUNG FU TV series with my Dad in the early 70's , even getting my yellow belt in judo at age 7.

years later ACTION KUNG FU THEATER every saturday on tv introduced me to the VENOMS with KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, such wonderful characters, atmosphere and mystery in these movies led me in turn, to train kung fu in Toronto for a couple of years.

sadly the school closed and years later (2003) i went to see KILL BILL at the theater,

opening with the Shaw Bros logo, sent a chill up my spine, then credits rolled with Gordon Liu and Sonny Chiba, i got up and yelled with excitement, seems no-one else in the theater even know who these people were, but when i got home i searched ebay for KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM , and picked up my first kung fu dvd, 7 years later i have well over 1,200 keepers

( selling the ones i wouldn't watch twice).

Went to China to emerse myself in the culture, met my wife, got married there in Xi'an and am now a Shifu in Chinese Gong Fu and Taijiquan.

We even went to Shaolin Temple for our honeymoon.

all from going to see Kill Bill in the theater, i owe Mr Tarrantino a great deal of thanks

[ShaOW!linDude]

My love for things Kung Fu began at the tender age of 2 or 3 when I was exposed to "The Green Hornet" TV show in the 60's (yes, actually in the 60's and my dad says I used to call the show "The Green Ho-Ho"). I didn't know who Bruce Lee was and yet he had kicked me in the face (so to speak).

Then in my preteens I saw my first KF movie. I couldn't believe it. There were films dedicated to this stuff? Sweet! It was like a first taste of opium. I zoned out and got all dreamy watching the fights. After that I was searching for the next hit (fun with puns). Sadly, I don't even remember what that first movie was but it compelled me to look for more. And I found them, boy, did I find them. The classic Bruce Lee's, the early Chuck Norris', the Gordon Liu's. It wasn't until I was in my early 20's that I learned about Jackie Chan and then through him about Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao in my 30's. In between that was a steady diet of Van Damme, Seagal, and Speakman. But they paled in comparison. (Who wants entrees when you can feast from the dessert cart?) And my passion continues to progress with the discovery of new talent such as Tony Jaa and Scott Adkins.

It has always irked me that people do not appreciate these films and view them as mindless. In large part, yes, they are. I mean let's face it, you can boil them down to their essential elements and the same thing appears every time: Evil terrorizes and good must triumph. People complain about the violence. Yes, they are violent, some of them graphically so. But what I tell them is that they don't realize the effort that goes into these films. To me, it has always been about the fight choreography. Essentially, it's a ballet of fists and feet and sometimes weapons. It's a dance that if performed incorrectly will get someone seriously hurt (and sometimes has).

I like impact in a fight and nobody does it better that Bruce Lee. There is precision, speed, and focus of power. I like movement especially the depiction of forms in the older movies of Chan and Lui. We don't get those anymore and I hate that. I like the inventiveness and adaptability and again that's Chan along with Sammo and Biao. And now along comes Jaa who has taken notice of all this and seeks to incorporate, to some degree, aspects of them all. (Can we please give him a little elbow room? {Again with the pun, 'cause you know he does muay thai......oh forget it.})

And lastly, there is a dichotomy to these films. They present the philosophy of the martial arts. Physical expressions of violence meant to defend and preserve life that are to be tempered with a sense of good will, compassion, and mercy for our fellow man. But as with anything there are those who would abuse their knowledge of such and seek to use it as a way to impose their will and empower themselves at the expense of their brothers and sisters. They dishonor themselves by striving to honor themselves. And so the humble and good man/woman must stand against them to battle for the oppressed victims, to avenge a life, to honor a loved one. They must uphold the banners of justice and righteousness and honor and give the arts the proper showcase they were meant to have. Yes, the martial arts are a means to an end and that end is empowerment. Not just physical empowerment but spiritual empowerment, at least to some degree. Unfortunately there are those who see them as nothing but a base tool to be used to achieve their desires to the detriment of others and they give the arts a bad name. And so these films enhance the basic 'good vs. evil' and right vs. might' scenarios. We want the right of the good to overcome the might of the evil. We need that and we need to see it and experience it on some level. It gives us a sense of comfort and assurance that adversity can be overcome and that the strength and resolve to succeed can be found. And thus we are inspired to persevere in the mundane skirmishes and epic battles of our own lives.

And it's fun just to watch someone get their head handed to them, too.

[Blood Sword]

Fight and plots are secondary...I watch them because superfunny chinese slapstick and nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing wannabesuperstar who cannot act at all in zerobudget kung-fu comedies grinning like retards.

[Space]

Taking up kung fu helped me get back into shape, and since then I've been collecting the movies for fun.

[Athena]

very well put Athena !

my love of Chinese martial arts grew from watching the old KUNG FU TV series with my Dad in the early 70's , even getting my yellow belt in judo at age 7.

years later ACTION KUNG FU THEATER every saturday on tv introduced me to the VENOMS with KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, such wonderful characters, atmosphere and mystery in these movies led me in turn, to train kung fu in Toronto for a couple of years.

sadly the school closed and years later (2003) i went to see KILL BILL at the theater,

opening with the Shaw Bros logo, sent a chill up my spine, then credits rolled with Gordon Liu and Sonny Chiba, i got up and yelled with excitement, seems no-one else in the theater even know who these people were, but when i got home i searched ebay for KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM , and picked up my first kung fu dvd, 7 years later i have well over 1,200 keepers

( selling the ones i wouldn't watch twice).

Went to China to emerse myself in the culture, met my wife, got married there in Xi'an and am now a Shifu in Chinese Gong Fu and Taijiquan.

We even went to Shaolin Temple for our honeymoon.

all from going to see Kill Bill in the theater, i owe Mr Tarrantino a great deal of thanks

Wow emeraldforest !

That is just like a perfect movie story ! With elements of Action ..True Love ..Exotic Travels..Living the dream ...Famous names( Or infamous some would say regarding Tarrantino..Hehe.. )..Overcoming obstacles & excelling as a master of rare arts ...!

I am IMPRESSED !! Oh , & don't forget you are now putting out movies (FuSubs) !!

Truly fantastic ,Athena ..♥

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

Thank you all.....very enjoyable reading...and Markgway as always the prankster.

Keep the stories coming please.

I will share my views when the thread dries out.

Blessings to all.

GD Y-Y:angel:.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

I just put it down to my repressed homosexuality.....

You rule brother!

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

For me it's definitely an escapism. The honor, respect, selflessness and fearlessness. these traits effervesce (just helping the english language evolve spiritual awareness in the world of manifestation. An added plus: the unbridaled violence while drinking whiskey is wicked cool entertainment!

[Iron Boat]

I didn't start collecting and actually learning about the stars, directors, producers, and companies until the turn of the century. What sparked it was a trip to blockbuster video in the late 90s where I saw a VHS of 5 Deadly Venoms and the mistitled Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms. I hadn't seen these style of Kung fu films in years but the cover art and characters looked familiar to me. To my surprise when I watched the films memories of each quickly came back to me.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed these films on the short lived black belt theater of the early 80s. What I enjoyed was piecing together my fragmented memories of these films and finding them, realizing they really do exist!

It was always a eureka moment when you watch a film and encounter a scene that recalls these childhood memories....

[Iron Boat]

Some of my early 80s memories and the films that went along with it, I was no more than 7 to 9 years old at the time....

I remembered a guy with iron skin being tortured, burned with hot metal and put in an iron maiden, 20 years later learned the film was 5 Deadly Venoms.

I recalled 5 heroes training in the wilderness alone, dressed in white walking on a secluded riverbank waiting to engage their enemies, I never forgot these where the 5 masters of death.

I remembered a guy trying to steal bullets from a baddie with a gun, I was scared for the little thief, discovered this years later as the Savage Five.

I recalled a young guy being trained in a pottery/antique room, master said train hard but can't break anything, rediscovered this as Billy Chong Super Power!

A guy jumping in a ditch with weights on his legs, was pleasantly surprised to see this again as Death Chambers.

I remembered a guy hanging from the ceiling another guy does a sumersault and kicks his head off!! When I saw that at the end of 10 Tigers of Kwangtung I was flabbergasted.

Will also never forget the death squad that used the frisbie head cutter, lol, the Flying Guillotine!

Also remember frequently wondering who the young silly guy was in many of the films, always thought he looked ethicnally different from the other characters, learned his name was Fu Sheng.

[The Dragon]

[hkpyanfar]

Here's what attracts me to Chinese action films:

Characters: They are real heroes, with honor, loyalty, etc. They never give up and are willing to sacrifice thier lives. They are someone to look up to.

Story/Genre: I have always loved sci-fi, fantasy and comic books. Wuxiapan gives me a whole new genre of fantasy to get into. Then there is the superhero aspect. I can see down-to-earth fighters with great skills, like Batman or Daredevil, or heroes with special powers in the wire-fu and wushia stories.

Action: This is probably not third in my reasons, I enjoy the over-the-top action of Bullet Ballet, which Hollywood is now trying to copy, but without the heart that goes into the HK productions. I like seeing skilled actors in hand-to-hand combat, with the long takes that contrast with constant cuts in Hollywood action. And I get to enjoy the violence because, unlike boxing for example, they aren't really trying to damage each other.

Culture: I get to pick up bits of Chinese culture, history and values.

In short, I really, really like HK movies.

[Sheng]

Went to see PEKING OPERA BLUES, think in early 1987, and was completely blown away. Tumbled out of the cinema, grabbed a mug of coffee, bought another ticket and went straight back in for the next screening. Been hooked on HK cinema ever since.

[thedirtytiger]

Could write a lot but will keep it brief. For me, I got interested because in my life I have aways been an underdog and kung fu cinema has always been cinema of the underdog, showing that through hard work and dedication you can do better than the other guy. I was always bullied at school and watching kung fu revenge stories was sort of cathartic, living vicariously through the on screen teachings of Jackie Chan and Shaw Brothers kung fu classics. I am the man I am today largely due to the teachings I learnt from watching these movies. Also got bored of the usual Hollywood 'beautiful people' and was nice to see that ugly sods could be kung fu stars as the beauty was in their movements, not in their faces. We can all learn a lot from Asian action cinema if you are prepared to listen.

[Delirious]

just like how some of us grew up with Star Trek, or Star Wars. I was born and raised in a different culture that enbraced shaws, charlie chaplin, and alan delon. Kung fu movies represent my past, they define my individuality. And it's a contagious virus, unridden.

Also to Athena, I thought you could do better with the image. '95 version with Louis Koo is the best

[Wing Kong]

I think for me growing up in the southern US, it was an escape for me to go to a place/land where people were different and they had these almost super powers. I also feel that some of the ethics rubbed off (honor, truth, dignity) that I still feel today as a Martial Artist at 45. Of course not all the movies characters were so honorable, but there is almost always a "good vs. evil" situation or plot. So basically I'd say it was and still is a great escape.

[Drunken Monk]

I began watching the more slapstick kung fu films and then slowly progressed to watch more and more. The reason why I love kung fu films? They're all encompassing. If you want to laugh, you can delve into the collection and find a raucous comedy, if you want a romance, take your pick and if you want all out action...well, that's a no-brainer.

The genre just has everything for me, whether it's drama, strong characters, laughs...whatever. And throughout the films we have a thread of some of the most amazing fights to ever hit the screen. It's the combination of the wonderful pick-n-mix on display and the awe-inspiring choreography that has me returning every time.

I think it's more than that too. It's the nostalgia, the love of the craft; the craft of composing one of these films. "We need to get from fight a to fight b" becomes not just a thinly veiled plot but a journey in its own right. Sure, there are those films where the fight to fight links are very weak but there are those that are intricately plotted, wonderful paced and genuinely cleverly put together.

I can kick back with the action driven "Stroke of Death" and indulge in the mind-blowing fights on display or I can absorb myself in the almost noir feel of "Five Venoms" and feast upon its edginess and, of course, wild fights.

Kung fu just has everything for me. It always has, ever since, as a child, I put in "Drunken Master" and was encapsulated by what unfolded on my tv.

[kungfuandcoffee]

For me, it began first with what I recall as vague memories of Kung Fu movies on television. This was back when local television still showed movies. Sadly, those days are gone for ever. "Enter the Dragon" followed when I was a teenager. Then all the Shaws . . .

The films that are set in an older era which was totally alien to my eyes, it was a different kind of escapism. I'm not sure I'd want to live in the real Qing dynasty. But I would LOVE to live in the cinema's version of it. Now, as an adult, I can verbalize what appealed to me as a kid. I like the straightforward nature of most of these plots which rarely deviate from strongly-held notions of right and wrong. When it comes to getting revenge or righting injustice, there's no bickering. I appreciate the idea of taking action immediately without deliberation. If you train hard enough, you can leap 20 feet straight into the air, and more importantly, take back what was taken from you.

Bruce Lee is still an inspiration to me in the area of self-improvement.

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"Kung Fu And Coffee" - Humorous Reviews of Mostly "Not-Classics" - Always Free / Never Decaf - http://www.youtube.com/user/kungfuandcoffee / Recently Posted: "Seven Steps of Kung Fu" / Talk to me on Twitter / Facebook / Email