As the title states, many Hong Kong martial arts movies, particularly those by Chang Cheh and Lau Kar-leung, depict or allude to the destruction of the (Southern) Shaolin Temple by Qing forces, resulting in the dispersal of its disciples and the foundation of various schools of martial arts. However, I also read that there is no evidence substantiating either this temple or the sack ever existing. But the English language sources on this topic that I see on Google are non-academic. So I'm wondering if there's any scholarly examinations on where this myth of the Shaolin Temple came from? What role it played in the development of Chinese martial arts? Why it became so prominent in martial arts movies?
Hi! I have a background in philology, strong enough to know that complex ideas are difficult to translate from one language to another, and that while I know a lot about what I know about, I know nearly nothing about Chinese languages. So, pardon me if this is a novice question, but I am geniunely curious.
Iβve noticed that the full formal names of some martial arts include βKuenβ or βChuanβ to mean βfistβ as a metonym for a martial style, e.g., βVing Tsun Kuenβ or βTβai Chi Chuanβ, and others use βZhangβ, βpalm,β as a metonym for a martial style, e.g., βBaguazhang.β
Ving Tsun has both closed fist and open palm techniques, as does Baguazhang, yet, one is named for a fist and one for a palm. I can see a case for the names describing the essential hand technique for the discipline, Ving Tsun having everything derived from the punches and Baguazhang having everything originate from the Palms, but I am curious if there is more to it than that.
Does anyone here know more about the distinctions in these naming practices? Are there ethnocultural dimensions to it, or, perhaps, religious?
Thanks to all for such a lovely forum, I hope we enjoy the conversation.
Some clarification on what it means to be an advanced level:
- Your Sifu acknowledges that you are deep enough into the system to where you would be considered an advanced level student rather than intermediate.
- You are very comfortable demonstrating the principles and techniques of your art against a non-resisting opponent and in terms of movement demonstration (forms, techniques, etc).
I think being able to use your art against a resisting opponent is also key, but I'm going to leave that out for now and save it for later discussions, all of which are ultimately aimed at getting a better feel for the type of people on this sub.
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Typical brother conflict, one is good (GB), and has a family of his own. One is bad (BB), I could remember two scenes with this guy. First, is the one where he had his hands stung my various venomous animals to apparently gain the ability to inflict venom whenever he attacks. The second one, is the part where the good brother rips the plate of armour off his skin.
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GB's wife was eventually assassinated, him, and his child to bury her.
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After the death of the wife, GB, and his son became homeless. GB seemingly succumbing to a mental illness and losing the ability to use wushu in combat again.
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GB's son buys a hot potato from a vendor, eats some of it and notices his dad eyeing his food. The son gives it to him to have a bite, but GB begins gorging on it with every intent of finishing it.
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Near the ending, some conflict occurs which puts GB's child in danger (???) This kicks his instincts into action and suddenly begins using wushu to protect his son, and himself.
I saw it in the 2010s. I vaguely remember an roller skate chase scene, an arcade scene, aliens(?), two brothers were the main characters. It sounds insane but I swear itβs out there I just canβt remember the full title to save my life. They also got lost in the woods on a family trip and turned up at a monastery where they learned martial arts I think.
So I've made the observation that chinese martial arts often emphasize the pushing component in punches. And I'm just wondering why that is so? What's the context?
Is it because of different fighting strategy? Is it a consequence of training methodology (push hands?)? Does it have something to do with some old competition rules? Or is it just emphasized in training but not application?
Okay so the movie is chinese, and the story take place in the 1500s i would say.
In a village of farmers, there are two robbers who are threatening the butcher but the protagonist kills them by luck. (He slips, a wall falls on a dude etc)
An inspector arrives and discovers step by step that the farmer killed them on purpose but he managed to disguise his moves in lucky ones and that he is not a farmer since he's really strong in martial arts.
It is then revealed that the farmer is the son of the leader of a sort of mafia, or an assembly of thieves, and he proceeds to fight against his father because his father wants him to join the group, while the farmer just want a peaceful life with his wife and kids.
I believe that the title is kinda realted to IP man, but i'm not entirely sure
Sorry for bad english, and thanks in advance
It doesn't necessarily have to be Chinese either, I just want really cool action martial arts movies with lots of fantasy elements and creatures.
I watched a Chinese film in English when I was young. I canβt find it anywhere though.
It was about a fugitive on the run, he always carried a comb and would comb his hair and snap it when he got serious.
The Japanese came to China to steal their herbs, I think there was a plague and they needed it for the cure?.
There was a Chinese traitor called Chen-sang. The main Japanese karate master had long hair and wore a face mask.
He beats them all at the end and dies.
Thereβs also a scene where uses coins and flings them to beat the Japanese.
Chinese martial arts is probably the subsection of unarmed combat Iβm the least educated on, partly because it seems like such a deep and convoluted rabbithole to go down with almost as many styles as there are actual practitioners. And also partly because of the lack of sparring/pressure testing there seems to be in the community is putting me off. So in which styles (apart from the obvious Sanda and Shuai Jiao) are you most likely to run into gyms/coaches/practitioners that actually spars? Iβm asking out of curiosity and because it may influence what styles I would be willing to either read more up on or even try out myself in the future.
This is super vague but I was thinking of a game I used to play in 2015-2016 but had deleted off my old laptop (argh) some time ago. It might have been on Steam too but my download history only goes up to 2017.
Some clues I have:
- Itβs not Swordsman Online or Age of Wushu. It does involve the jianghu tho.
- The graphics were fairly realistic (the abv two have slightly more cartoonish looks)
- Detailed character customization
- I specifically remember bumping into NPCβs in a town and them actually reacting to it (falling forward and protesting)
- One of the early quests involve going into/falling into an underground cave with water in it to read inscriptions off the wall (?)
- You βfree roamedβ around your sect grounds when you went off line (as cultivation)
And thatβs all I have :( Any help would be appreciated.
So I keep seeing recurring parts of the Korean and Chinese webtoons I like to read. They're set in the past, governments are separate entities from martial arts sects, and various families and clans are vying for power with little thought to retaliation from officials, yet this is presented as normal not a society on the brink of collapse or civil war.
Do these reference a particular historical period, or are these just genre tropes?
Stumbled across this looking for something specific:
ζ¦εη§η±εδΊ«οΌ967ζ¬δΈε½δΌ η»ζ¦ε PDF η΅εδΉ¦ε θ΄ΉδΈθ½½
This must be a good chunk of related content published in China over the last 20 years of so; sadly most seem to be scans (ζ«εη) making it much harder to look up characters than the text οΌζεη) pdfs.
The couple of links I've tried worked; can't guarantee they all do.
I don't recall the entirety of the plot but I do remember a scene where a blonde guy in a restaurant was introduced. Gangsters starts surrounding him while he was eating. He pulled out his nunchucks and proceeds to beat the shit out of them. And no its not a Bruce Lee film.
Hello,
About 20 years ago I lived in the PRC, and remember seeing part of a martial arts film on TV that appeared to be black and white. The characters were dressed "modern" early 20th century Chinese-style clothes and at least some wore fedoras or brimmed hats as well. The plot seemed to center on someone standing up to bad guys who wanted to bust up a railroad strike or sth. The strikers might have been organized by Communists. I know it sounds a bitlike Drunken Master 2, but I don't think it was that film. It seemed like it might have had a "revolutionary" plot (ie CCCP propaganda) to it, but not certain about that.
The weird thing is, I remember it being in black and white. But the thing is, the station was a super-local station in a fairly "small" town by Chinese standards. Broadcast was over cable, but quality overall was poor. So possibly it wasn't really black and white?
This has made me wonder if any Chinese martial art films have survived from the black and white era? I know there was an old Fang Sai-Yuk film from the fifties, but it seems to be lost forever. A lot of older films from the 30s and 40s have been lost due to fires and other mishaps related to WWII or other turmoil. But are there any pre-1960s films that have survived?
Odd question, but Google seems to mostly return clickbait or crappy ranked list blog posts when I tried to search for realated terms.
Thanks for your input!
Just finished watching the Grandmaster
