Chinese kung fu fans

The era of the extreme and real gung fu was about 1975 to 1985, give or take a few years. Of course, the time period could probably include the time period of 1985 to 1995, because that is when those movies hit the all night movie channels. And, of course, chop sockies forever, because we can now get them on the internet, though we should make sure it is a clean copy and that we have a good DVD player.

One could make argument that Bruce Lee provided the first kung fu flick with Enter the Dragon, and they wouldn’t be wrong, for his movies started the flood of kung fu flicks in America. The first real chop sockie kung fu flick, however, would have to be Five Fingers of Death, with the amazing and inspiring Lo Lieh. Lo Lieh, who thrust his broken fingers into cauldrons of red hot stones until he could inflict a terrible revenge.

The main chop sockie movie maker, though there were hundreds of movie makers during those years, would be the Shaw Brothers. They churned out thousands of these flicks, and they convinced the world that if you had an idea and believed in yourself, you could learn real Shaolin gung fu. The main man of Shaw Brothers productions was a young star name of Gordon Liu.

Gordon Liu knew real hung gar gung fu, and rumor has it he was adopted into a family of movie maker kung fu-ists. One brother was the director of his magnificent masterworks, and the other brother was involved with the stunt work in those movies. I think that was the way they worked their magic.

Among his masterpieces, and I will name three here, was The Master Killer, also known as Thirty Six Chambers of Death. Mr. Liu always played endearing fools, tilting at windmills, who, through Kung Fu, came out on top. The Master Killer was his entry into the field, and it shoved him right to the top.

One of his early works was Return to the 36th Chamber, where he plays, surprise of surprises, an endearing fool. The plot is nonsensical, the acting is silly, but the idea that one can learn kung fu from the common tasks of life is incredible. And, when our bumbling fool returns to his hometown, entirely disillusioned, only to find out what those dastardly monks have done to him…well, the phrase ‘I Do Know Kung Fu’ becomes a clarion call and inspiration to all kung fu students everywhere.

My favorite of Gordon Liu’s movies is called Fists of the White Lotus. Our endearing fool is betrayed, practices for ten years so he can have revenge, only to find out that the bad guy has also had ten years to practice. This movie inspired Bak Mei of Kill Bill fame (played by Gordon Liu) and far outshadows such well meaning epics as Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger and that ilk.

The original movies, you see, provide innocence and inspiration that are undeniable. You want to learn the real stuff of gung fu? Go find these movies, be inspired, and live life the way real heroes live it.

The era of the extreme and real gung fu was about 1975 to 1985, give or take a few years. Of course, the time period could probably include the time period of 1985 to 1995, because that is when those movies hit the all night movie channels. And, of course, chop sockies forever, because we can now get them on the internet, though we should make sure it is a clean copy and that we have a good DVD player.

One could make argument that Bruce Lee provided the first kung fu flick with Enter the Dragon, and they wouldn’t be wrong, for his movies started the flood of kung fu flicks in America. The first real chop sockie kung fu flick, however, would have to be Five Fingers of Death, with the amazing and inspiring Lo Lieh. Lo Lieh, who thrust his broken fingers into cauldrons of red hot stones until he could inflict a terrible revenge.

The main chop sockie movie maker, though there were hundreds of movie makers during those years, would be the Shaw Brothers. They churned out thousands of these flicks, and they convinced the world that if you had an idea and believed in yourself, you could learn real Shaolin gung fu. The main man of Shaw Brothers productions was a young star name of Gordon Liu.

Gordon Liu knew real hung gar gung fu, and rumor has it he was adopted into a family of movie maker kung fu-ists. One brother was the director of his magnificent masterworks, and the other brother was involved with the stunt work in those movies. I think that was the way they worked their magic.

Among his masterpieces, and I will name three here, was The Master Killer, also known as Thirty Six Chambers of Death. Mr. Liu always played endearing fools, tilting at windmills, who, through Kung Fu, came out on top. The Master Killer was his entry into the field, and it shoved him right to the top.

One of his early works was Return to the 36th Chamber, where he plays, surprise of surprises, an endearing fool. The plot is nonsensical, the acting is silly, but the idea that one can learn kung fu from the common tasks of life is incredible. And, when our bumbling fool returns to his hometown, entirely disillusioned, only to find out what those dastardly monks have done to him…well, the phrase ‘I Do Know Kung Fu’ becomes a clarion call and inspiration to all kung fu students everywhere.

My favorite of Gordon Liu’s movies is called Fists of the White Lotus. Our endearing fool is betrayed, practices for ten years so he can have revenge, only to find out that the bad guy has also had ten years to practice. This movie inspired Bak Mei of Kill Bill fame (played by Gordon Liu) and far outshadows such well meaning epics as Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger and that ilk.

The original movies, you see, provide innocence and inspiration that are undeniable. You want to learn the real stuff of gung fu? Go find these movies, be inspired, and live life the way real heroes live it.