Member Shosetsu Posted February 4, 2019 Member Share Posted February 4, 2019 Just as I do with my thread on Japanese-Swords, so do I introduce one on Chinese swords. Both history and film so I'll cover not only films but also sword-collecting. At first I was going to start off with sword collecting but just recently I saw a film where I caught a mistake which apparently the director failed to catch. It's in the film War of the Shaolin Temple. Approximately 57 minutes into the film is where the mistake occurs. The two main protagonists, both dressed totally in white outfits, attempt to rescue a fellow monk who has been confined in a cage. Excellent sword fighting but at one point in the ensuing melee, I could clearly see one hero strike the other hero with a sword slash. It can be clearly seen because the recipient of the slash physically and noticeably reacts. But he continues to fight as though nothing had happened. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 5, 2019 Member Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) 15 hours ago, Shosetsu said: Just as I do with my thread on Japanese-Swords, so do I introduce one on Chinese swords. Both history and film so I'll cover not only films but also sword-collecting. Enyoy reading your thread on Japanese swords @Shosetsu, looking forward to seeing this thread grow too. A friend of my Dad's, got to visit Japan, through his job in the printing industry. He was amazed to see, a genuine set of Samurai armour, with a sword, in a glass case at the side of the road. It took some time, for their tour guide, to convince him it was genuine. Only becuase, if such a thing was done in Britain, some desperate thiefs would have stolen it. I cant recall the location, but it was out in the countryside, when they were being taken to one of the old Samurai related castles. Edited February 5, 2019 by DragonClaws 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member NoKUNGFUforYU Posted February 5, 2019 Member Share Posted February 5, 2019 https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_a/advanced/aa_2_2.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 5, 2019 Member Share Posted February 5, 2019 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted February 5, 2019 Member Share Posted February 5, 2019 Is there a general consensus as to which film features the all time best (Chinese) swordplay? It seems that it's rather easy to generate a top ten list when it comes to classic shapes or modern kickboxing, but I've never seen one for swordplay movies. I'm assuming they'd all my wuxia. The Sword? Duel to the Death? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member NoKUNGFUforYU Posted February 6, 2019 Member Share Posted February 6, 2019 My understanding from an essay on Chinese history was that dueling was not typically a way someone proved their worth in most of Chinese history. A lot more was based on income and status you could always pay for some guy to beat somebody else up. That is actually a plot page of Disciples of Shaolin. The rich guy pays for protection from his men. When 2 Shang dies he simply says I guess he wasn't so good after all. And that was his guy. A good example of this is if you go to museums in China they will have a really nice broadsword that was supposedly used against the Japanese during early World War II. The reality is they were given very cheap crappy swords to fight with as the military was hogging all the aid money they got from the US and other countries. The soldiers themselves were very tough however and feared by the Japanese. There are many articles about how the Chinese government suppress martial arts throughout the centuries here and there because they feared people that were into physical fitness. Much easier to unite, so to speak, a weak populace. Then the issue becomes how do you defend yourself after you've basically neutered population when Invaders come. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted February 9, 2019 Author Member Share Posted February 9, 2019 On 2/5/2019 at 4:27 AM, DragonClaws said: Enyoy reading your thread on Japanese swords @Shosetsu, looking forward to seeing this thread grow too. A friend of my Dad's, got to visit Japan, through his job in the printing industry. He was amazed to see, a genuine set of Samurai armour, with a sword, in a glass case at the side of the road. It took some time, for their tour guide, to convince him it was genuine. Only becuase, if such a thing was done in Britain, some desperate thiefs would have stolen it. I cant recall the location, but it was out in the countryside, when they were being taken to one of the old Samurai related castles. Thanks @DragonClaws for the thumbs up. Let me also reciprocate to you by giving you the high-five for the excellent thread of yours--The Women of Martial Arts. Lots of Women I never knew about until I ran across your thread, DragonClaws. Interesting about that samurai armor you mentioned. It reminded me of that obscure tv series Fuefuki Doji (Magic Flute Warrior). The hero was Kiku-Maru who carried a Magic Flute. I don't remember what magical effects the flute could do but I remember one episode where they encountered a magical armor and helmet. Although the helmet and armor were both empty, they attacked Kikumaru and his friends. I used to watch that TV series during the 1970s. But to my knowledge the series has never been released on dvd. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 10, 2019 Member Share Posted February 10, 2019 20 hours ago, Shosetsu said: Thanks @DragonClaws for the thumbs up. Let me also reciprocate to you by giving you the high-five for the excellent thread of yours--The Women of Martial Arts. Lots of Women I never knew about until I ran across your thread, DragonClaws. Thanks dude, it's a celebration of all the ladies of Martial Arts/Action cinema, past and present. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted February 18, 2019 Author Member Share Posted February 18, 2019 Marvel Comics introducing Chinese-superheroes: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2145602/chinese-superheroes-sword-master-and-aero-join-fight-against-evil 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 18, 2019 Member Share Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Shosetsu said: Marvel Comics introducing Chinese-superheroes: Well theyve got all the American Box-Office dollar's, now they want all the Chinese dollar's too. Hope they don't take any public domian characters, from Chinese history, and give them the Disney copyright treatment. Thanks to @TheKungFuRobber for the head's up on this video. Edited February 18, 2019 by DragonClaws 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted February 25, 2019 Author Member Share Posted February 25, 2019 What's notable about the Chinese film The Darkest Sword is that the introductory sequence shows the actual process of smithing, sword making. Surprising because it's usually Japan which is known for its sword smithing. Yet here I saw it in a Chinese film. The best one I've seen where the film concentrates on the blade itself is the version of Nemuri Kyoshiro starring Kataoka Takao. In that one, the notorious Muramasa blade possesses the mind and body of whoever owns the sword. But Nemuri's sword is the Muso Masamune which is the opposite counterpart of the Muramasa. This film expands on the Shinto belief of animism (supernatural spirits). In the case of the Nemuri film, a deceased departed spirit resides in the Muramasa blade. When Nemuri clashes with the Muramasa, the departed spirit appears as a ghostly-apparition outfitted in samurai armor. In comparison in the Chinese-film, the hero has to find the so-called Golden blade to counter the Dark Sword. Again, noteworthy for the smithing aspect. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 25, 2019 Member Share Posted February 25, 2019 13 hours ago, Shosetsu said: What's notable about the Chinese film The Darkest Sword is that the introductory sequence shows the actual process of smithing, sword making. Surprising because it's usually Japan which is known for its sword smithing. Yet here I saw it in a Chinese film. Tsui Hark's One Armed Swordmen re-make, The Blade(1995), opens with a similar sequence, though how authentic the scene is?, I cant say. From my pint of view, it looks more like a homage to the filsof Chang Cheh. than a genuine attmept to re-create the process of making a sword. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted February 28, 2019 Author Member Share Posted February 28, 2019 While we're at it about about smithing, didn't Makai Tensho include a smithing segment? Because Jubei needed a Sword that could kill demons. And only the smith Muramasa could make such a blade. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted February 28, 2019 Member Share Posted February 28, 2019 6 minutes ago, Shosetsu said: While we're at it about about smithing, didn't Makai Tensho include a smithing segment? Because Jubei needed a Sword that could kill demons. And only the smith Muramasa could make such a blade. I cant comment on that one, but Jackie Chan's character in The Hand of Death is a blacksmith, and he restores one of the characters blades. These scene become part of the montage, which plays just befre the finale. Wth Martial Arts training, being intercut, with Chan restoring the sword. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted February 28, 2019 Member Share Posted February 28, 2019 Doesn't Duel to the Death feature a smithing scene? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted March 5, 2019 Author Member Share Posted March 5, 2019 On 2/28/2019 at 11:44 AM, Drunken Monk said: Doesn't Duel to the Death feature a smithing scene? Not sure about that one. Besides,I sometimes get confused between Duel to the Death and Duel with the Samurai. Because both movies had swordfights between Chinese and Samurai. At that point, it raises the question as to how many movies have sword-fights between Chinese and Samurai. The most well-known ones are Five Element Ninja and Heroes of the East. But I'm sure there are quite a number of others. I have a hunch that Drunken Monk might know of some others because he remembered Duel to the Death. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted March 15, 2019 Author Member Share Posted March 15, 2019 (edited) While we are at it about Japanese-Chinese combinations, let me analyze the movie Shaolin Versus Ninja. In one scene is a decent attempt at showing Buddhism. Although to a viewer who is unfamiliar about Buddhism at all, it would look cryptic because the two monks verbalize questions instead of answers. To make it seem even more confusing, when the Japanese Monk asks a question, the Chinese Monk answers it with another question. Examples of questions from that movie is(1) What is clean? And the Chinese monk answers "Nobody can contaminate you." (2) Then the Japanese asks "What is Eternity?" To which the Chinese monk answers "Who can decide your fate?" In Zen Buddhism this practice or exercise is known as Ko-an. Ko-an is a spiritual exercise that uses paradoxical statements or questions. The most famous Ko-an is the paradoxical question "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" The purpose of Ko-an is to teach disciples that scientific logic cannot be used in the area of emotions and spirituality. So I found it surprising and refreshing to see at least some attempt to introduce actual Buddhist lessons in the framework of a movie. Edited March 15, 2019 by Shosetsu 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted March 17, 2019 Member Share Posted March 17, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted March 27, 2019 Member Share Posted March 27, 2019 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Member Shosetsu Posted May 5, 2019 Author Member Share Posted May 5, 2019 On 3/17/2019 at 1:03 PM, DragonClaws said: Excellent video, Dragon Claws. As you know, Smithing is of great interest to me, both Japanese and Chinese. Most people think of just the sword fighter but actually the Smith is just as important. DC, you made my day! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted May 5, 2019 Member Share Posted May 5, 2019 4 hours ago, Shosetsu said: Excellent video, Dragon Claws. As you know, Smithing is of great interest to me, both Japanese and Chinese. Most people think of just the sword fighter but actually the Smith is just as important. DC, you made my day! No problem, I wasn't sure if there was much online you hadnt already viewed on the subject?. You clearly know a lot of stuff when it comes to Asian weapon's. You remind me of fellow forum member @DrNgor, in that respect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member DragonClaws Posted May 22, 2019 Member Share Posted May 22, 2019 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shosetsu Posted June 1, 2019 Author Member Share Posted June 1, 2019 On 5/5/2019 at 10:05 AM, DragonClaws said: No problem, I wasn't sure if there was much online you hadnt already viewed on the subject?. You clearly know a lot of stuff when it comes to Asian weapon's. You remind me of fellow forum member @DrNgor, in that respect. Well, I had already known of the Longquan school, but your link was the first time I saw an actual Video of them in the process of smithing. Why it's not the Chinese but instead the Japanese swords that get the most attention and most value is because the Chinese people as a whole place only a small value on antique swords. A classic example of that can be seen in the case of a farmer, Yi Shouxiang, who discovered a very old antique sword in the dirt. Not thinking of its cultural value at all, Shouxiang began using it as a Kitchen-knife. By the time somebody else had let Shouxiang know about its great value as an ancient artifact, it was already too late because too much damage had been done to the blade by his use of it as a kitchen knife. He could have made a tremendous amount of money by selling it but by that time the damage had devalued it too much. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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