Favorite martial arts movie memory

[drunkencrane44]

what are some your favorite martial arts movie memory from your childhood teen years or adulthood 

i would love to hear your stories feel free to share

[sym8]

POLICE STORY.I started watching Kung fu movies(I’m from the UK)at the start of the video craze,early 80s i think.But for every one good Kung fu movie there were twenty that were complete shit so I started to loose interest I just kept picking the awful ones.Jackie then did the Protector which I saw and was so disappointed,not long after that Police story got released claiming to be the sequal to the Protector so I gave it a go.Put the movie on and because it was dubbed thought this is going to be an old film rereleased under a different title, about to turn it off in frustration but then the action started,now as we all know there’s no fist and feet to speak of at the opening action segment but one hell of a chase and stunt sequence and I thought that was different and incredible.When I saw the end I thought that was the most incredible fight/action sequence I’d ever seen and I was hooked.And till this day if I show somebody the best of Hong Kong cinema Police Story is my go to movie.👍👍

[JackieRome]

Without any doubt, the best films to make people understand action cinema and martial arts, there is always that extraordinary thing called Police Story (1 and 2). It's not a classic martial arts movie. it's amazing how people who don't appreciate martial arts cinema have trouble seeing, for example, classics like Shaw Brothers because the fights are often fake and slow. the only classic movies I could show to some of my friends without getting killed were Drunken Master and Snake. Actually, with the arrival of Jackie, Sammo etc., everything changed, and even those who are not familiar with these topics understand the power of these personalities. Jackie (Hong Kong's classic film buff, not America's career megalomaniac) was a true genius and pioneer. If he made many of his masterpieces on the skin of poor stuntmen and never thanked them enough, that can also be understood. 

[ShawAngela]

23 minutes ago, JackieRome said:

like Shaw Brothers because the fights are often fake and slow.

I'm not under the impression that the fights in the Shaws' movies were slow. In the Venoms' movies, or in movies such as The duel or Vengeance, they weren't slow, in my opinion.

Sure, they aren't at the same level as Sammo's ones or Jackie's or Jet's ones, but saying that they are slow, I politely doubt it...

And how would you qualify Bruce Lee's fights ? HE wasn't slow in his actions, but the fights weren't so fast, right ?

[sym8]

4 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

I'm not under the impression that the fights in the Shaws' movies were slow. In the Venoms' movies, or in movies such as The duel or Vengeance, they weren't slow, in my opinion.

Sure, they aren't at the same level as Sammo's ones or Jackie's or Jet's ones, but saying that they are slow, I politely doubt it...

And how would you qualify Bruce Lee's fights ? HE wasn't slow in his actions, but the fights weren't so fast, right ?

Agreed,they may have been different from the Shaw stable but slow they were not,My young auntie,five superfighters,challenge of the masters and anything from the venoms were proof of that

[JackieRome]

but yes, forgive me if I don't explain myself very well. the moons are mechanical, with repeated movements with outstretched arms (which I can't stand) with the blows that are given with the arms as if he has to hug you instead of giving you a straight punch (this I saw in some old Sammo movies). Some blows maybe didn't even seem to hit but it was very far away. In any case, they were as they were perceived by some people who don't understand the old martial arts movies with "classic" choreographies as realistic fighting. I personally love Liu Kar Liang's films and his choreography (maybe some slower or empty strikes were also seen in his films).  David Chiang, for example, not being a martial artist, moved almost always in a ridiculous way. However, if you can't easily show certain films to just anybody, but if you show him Jackie Chan's films and he likes to see them, there must be a reason. 

[sym8]

1 hour ago, JackieRome said:

but yes, forgive me if I don't explain myself very well. the moons are mechanical, with repeated movements with outstretched arms (which I can't stand) with the blows that are given with the arms as if he has to hug you instead of giving you a straight punch (this I saw in some old Sammo movies). Some blows maybe didn't even seem to hit but it was very far away. In any case, they were as they were perceived by some people who don't understand the old martial arts movies with "classic" choreographies as realistic fighting. I personally love Liu Kar Liang's films and his choreography (maybe some slower or empty strikes were also seen in his films).  David Chiang, for example, not being a martial artist, moved almost always in a ridiculous way. However, if you can't easily show certain films to just anybody, but if you show him Jackie Chan's films and he likes to see them, there must be a reason. 

I’ve been watching martial arts/action movies for forty years or more and I’ve yet to see one that can be called realistic,whether they be Jackie,Sammo,Lau Kar Leung or anybody but they had a skill set and that skill is choreography and I love the way they did there thing.I wish we had Lau Kar Leungs,Jackies and Sammos style now instead of the wire mess we get now days.Jackie and Sammo in there day where unsurpassed but none of it was realistic but god was it entertaining and for me that’s what I wanted and still want.I loved David Chang in many of his films not because he was a great martial artist because we know he wasn’t but he was a great performer especially when the choreographer is on point,what I’m trying to say is it’s just a film and shouldn’t be compared to realism it’s just entertainment.

[HyperDrive]

The slowest fight I've seen was the end fight of The Adventure (1972) (aka Iron Fist Adventure) with Jimmy Wang Yu. 

I've probably mentioned this before. When Iron Monkey got its run in US theaters, this dude sitting in front of me yelled "No!" after Wong Fei-Hung passed out from the poison.

[JackieRome]

11 hours ago, sym8 said:

I’ve been watching martial arts/action movies for forty years or more and I’ve yet to see one that can be called realistic,whether they be Jackie,Sammo,Lau Kar Leung or anybody but they had a skill set and that skill is choreography and I love the way they did there thing.I wish we had Lau Kar Leungs,Jackies and Sammos style now instead of the wire mess we get now days.Jackie and Sammo in there day where unsurpassed but none of it was realistic but god was it entertaining and for me that’s what I wanted and still want.I loved David Chang in many of his films not because he was a great martial artist because we know he wasn’t but he was a great performer especially when the choreographer is on point,what I’m trying to say is it’s just a film and shouldn’t be compared to realism it’s just entertainment.

yesterday for example I saw Heand of Death (which I had never seen) at the first scene when Sammo with dentures pulls the first shots are slow and someone doesn't even seem to hit the opponent, like many other choreographies of the film that remains enjoyable but does not shine for the fight scenes. the only one worthy of note is Jackie with the stick and a few blows in the final fight (some, not all, even there many blows are slow). if we talk about realism, I just mean "how the blows seem to touch a face" that's all, not if in real life you can implement certain choreographies; and in this sense Jackie and company always give this feeling. Unfortunately when you choose James Tien as your main enemy, the result is what it is. on a martial level it's very rigid and ridiculous. In general a certain realism also depends on the style of the shooting, as I said before also for Hand of Death, despite there is Sammo, he too shot or choreographed in a different way seems slow and unrealistic (unrealistic in hitting the opponent). Warriors Two, for example, hailed as a masterpiece, also has some scenes where the shots don't arrive, they are with outstretched arms almost as if they are about to embrace, or just slow and cadenced (I understand that they have to show the style of kung fu, but personally speaking, I prefer a certain speed and a certain rhythm) depends on the shooting and the interpreter if he is more or less capable. Fortunately, he resumes fortunately in the finale where they try harder even with some idea "out of realism" as the villain who does the style of the mantis and floats in the air (ahahaha)

[sym8]

9 hours ago, HyperDrive said:

The slowest fight I've seen was the end fight of The Adventure (1972) (aka Iron Fist Adventure) with Jimmy Wang Yu. 

 

Have this on an old vhs somewhere,never scene it is it worth watching or is it a miss?

[HyperDrive]

10 hours ago, sym8 said:

Have this on an old vhs somewhere,never scene it is it worth watching or is it a miss?

It's worth one watch. There's nothing really fantastic or horrible about it. 

[SMK]

This conversation of "slow" kung fu, reminds me of a video I made back in 2017. 
 

 

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

I only started watching as adult, and these movies had such impact on me. I can't even imagine how it must have been to be introduced to the genre in childhood! 

[Tex Killer]

Probably when got hold of UK vhs of "five deadly venoms" to paws. was aware of flick long time before and hoped to see it. It did not turn out to be that great(expectations were sky high) but..

Ok, take those back, best was when got shaw martial arts collected(ivl/deltamac/united/r1), some friendly member sold remaining titles from this forum including very elusive lady of steel...when held parcel at post office that was best moment..

But strictly on viewing side has to be "master with cracked fingers" before that had seen only norris, ninja and karate kid.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Tex Killer

[whitesnake]

One early great memory - Sitting in the theater in 1973, watching the start of 7 Blows of the Dragon and just realizing the story was from All Men Are Brothers.  I'd already bought and read a used hardback of the Pearl Buck translation. 

[DrNgor]

I was 21 and I rented No Retreat, No Surrender with a friend for a nice Saturday afternoon. After watching and enjoying the film, we got on my computer and looked it up on the IMDB. We looked the film up and browsed through the user reviews. There was one review where  the fellow talked about how this movie helped him get through the hard times in my life. My friend and I simply laughed until we cried.

[Shosetsu]

In the beginning, the Japanese chambara I saw during the 1960's were mostly fantasy such as Toei Studio's The Magic Serpent, so the martial arts was only secondary to the magic.

So I had to wait until the 1970s at which time I saw the version of Nemuri Kyoshiro starring Takao Kataoka.  To tell you the truth, I prefer this version with Kataoka rather than Ichikawa Raizo.  The Raizo version was much too ruthless for me but the Kataoka version is shown as compassionate.  If the Kataoka version was using actual adaptations from the books by Shibata Renzaburo, then I don't know how to account for the abrupt change in Nemuri's character, because I have not read the Shibata books as they remain Untranslated. 

In comparison, the Ichikawa Raizo version seems more akin to Bohachi Bushido starring Tetsuro Tamba whose character's debauchery befits him because he plays the role of a bodyguard to a brothel.

Admittedly, though, the Kataoka version is no celibate either-- because in one instance where he got poisoned by an enemy, he sought refuge in a brothel.  In this instance the prostitute is shown as having a heart of gold.  And that's nice to see.

In fact there is even an empathetic approach shown to a prostitute in the Nemuri version by Tamura Masakazu.  In that version, Tamura shows his compassion toward the prostitute by redeeming her when he finds she is dying from tuberculosis.  "Let her live her final days in dignity."

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Shosetsu

[Cognoscente]

Watching The Victim on Bravo is my favourite memory.

I had already seen a few old school movies, but I was never really a fan of the traditional style...yet I still watched them when I could out of curiosity and amusement. As soon as the film got serious with the wedding flashback, my interest increased. The gear shift in tone was stark but welcome. By the time that I got to the final graveyard scene, I was stunned.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Cognoscente