I've watched quite a few Kung Fu movies since I was a child and I've always enjoyed them. I think the one that marked me the most is The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), with Gordon Liu.
/!\ /!\ /!\
I highly recommend that you stop reading right n0w if you don't have already seen this m0vie cuz I don't want to sp0il you! This artikle iz animated gif heavy =^o^= Also keep in mind that I made these gifs & accelerated most of the sequences. Feel free to open them in a new tab to enlarge the images, have a g00d read!
/!\ /!\ /!\
I really enjoyed this initiatory journey where San De, taken in by a shaolin monastery, learns kung fu intensively in the temple's 35 chamberZ. Each chamber deliverz a special teaching relatives to the mastery of kung fu. So a big part of the m0vie is aktually training, and we follow the trials and tribulations of San De who's gonna have to learn a lot in order to survive!
He can't just go eating normally, oh no it would've been 2 eazy! He will first have to cross a pool by walking on a floating bundle of wood. And beware! because if your clothes are wet you're not allowed to eat with the other monks.
The obstacle course beginZ...!
So learning can begin... because of his frustration at not being able to eat his fill. But through perseverance... failing & failing & failing...
The bucket challenge aktually dates back to 1978, who would've thought?...........!
And after a few sleepless nightZ :
Kan it srsly get any k00ler than that?
Here iz a secret, the m0vie direktor iz als0 a martial arts choreographer : Lau Kar-leung (who iz also responsible for Drunken Master II (1994)). Each sequence is meticulously crafted for visual clarity and epicness, from someone who actually created the movements and has a special eye for it. The camera is dancing & fighting with the actors. The precise movements and talent of the kung-fu artists can then shine fully and let the viewer have a very good readability of each action. We can now project ourselves deeper into the characterZ, and be amazed by the actors special skiLLz sprinkled by a pinch of m0vie-magik! The choreographies form narratives in themselves, like a mini-movie inside the movie. I think a lot of them are aktually ancestors to plateform games, d0n't u think?
This year I've watched 3 Hong Kong kung fu moviez : Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978), The Young Master (1980) & Clan of the White Lotus (1980). And I have a g00d list to kontinue, oh j0y! Here iz s0me excerptz I really liked, first of Clan of the White Lotus which also featurez Gordon Liu and an eXcellent Kara Hui.
Pure force izn't necessarily the answer with a paper d0ll, too windy!
Kara Hui showing the gentle way, women's kung fu! Of course the d0ll iz just a metaph0r & a beautiful, creative learning t00L
Letz start the teachingZ! F4lling may be a part of it
A lot of kung fu movies are about crafting your very own combination of skillz to face adversity, so you have to eXperiment & learn new ways of d0ing thingz or thinking ab0ut thingz. I recently learned that kung fu, according to fr3nch wikipedia, aktually meanz this when you separate each word :
Kung means "mastery", "improvement", "possession of a craft" or an action in which a lot of time has been devoted. The term is to be compared from a semantic point of view to the notion of craftsman as it was used in Europe in the 19th century: a tradesman who through an apprenticeship with a master acquired cultures, techniques and know-how.
Fu means techniques as content, that is, the energy that has been invested in the acquisition of the most effective techniques for an increased possibility of fluidity.
This is also very close to the definition of how you became an artist during the Italian Renaissance. In itself, you could be a kung fu master in cooking, juggling or muzik, which was exactly the case when kung fu moviez helped inspire some artists to create their own skillz, and develop a new kind of muzik & movement : Hip Hop.
Finally, here iz some excerptz of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, which features Jackie Chan, but also the brilliant Yuen Siu-tien who plays the role of an old beggar secretly master of the Snake-style kung fu.
The bowl kung fu master, what a nice smile
Can y0ung Jackie take his bowl?
Kame Sennin even shared his pipe with the beggar master?!
These kung fu moviez inspired Akira Toriyama a lot for Dragon Ball, he notably made Kame Sennin's alias as Jackie Chun and put a lot of wacky workouts for Goku and Krillin to become stronger, which was one of my favorite part of the manga!
It was a real pleasure to talk ab0ut kung fu, I want to be an Art Kung Fu Master n0w!
See you s00n, sL33pw4lkerZ!