If your introduction to kung-fu fighting movies was via John Wick or Kill Bill, it’s time to dive into some of the classic, low budget, grindhouse, imports with bad dubbing but incredible displays of martial arts prowess – high kicks, flips, chops, jabs, blocks and the splintering of pottery all to the soundtrack of cracking bones, ripping shirts and the clang of metal weaponry.
A scene from Kill Bill, a tribute to classic kung fu movies:
How did they make those sounds? A team of sound designers bang pieces of wood, whip cloths and towels to make punching sounds. A sound designer might also bang his fists together in boxing gloves, while another loudly claps while wearing leather gloves.
The plots of classic chop-shocky kung-fu movies will probably be familiar to fans of Westerns as the ideas flowed back and forth between the Pacific Ocean especially after World War II when the East and West and exchanged each others cultures.
There is the good vs. evil, mistaken identities, politics, and the ideas of a disappearing era as the old ways are replace with new idea. The idea of master and student is prevelant as well as the idea of using one’s powers/skills for good rather than bad. Think Star Wars and “The Force”.
There is also the concepts of special skills that require devoted students to master over time, secret documents that hold special moves to defeat ones enemies, and both of these classic kung-fu movies feature segments which highlight the special training sequences required to master the martial arts.
Think Batman going off to Tibet to learn how to fight or The Karate Kid (1984);; learning to fend off bullies from the old Japanese gardener i.e. “wax on, wax off”.
So let’s dive into some classic Kung-Fu movies that display some of these features as well as a whole lot of amazing action squences.
A corrupt official frames a man for murder. The man studies a martial arts style that makes his body as strong as iron, so he can counter the official’s own incredible fighting skills.
Right in the begining of movie we are introduced to the concept of the “Invincible Armour” techique. Somehow being able to not only absorb the blows from your enemy but be able to release the power back at them.
Think about any of those superhero troupes where the monster gets stronger the more it is shot at – absorbing the power and then releasing it.
An expert in this Invincipal Armour technique undefeatable unless someone discovers one of their weak spots. Suppposely there are something like 186 weakspots for the Invincipal Armour expert to guard against.
Also, the Eagle Claw method is demonstrated with can be used to crush a man’s skull or bend metal weapons. It’s like concentrating all of one’s strength into the hand, formed into the shape of a claw.
On the opposite side there is the secret Iron Finger martial arts techique. Seemingly this involves a pointed finger that becomes a fist at the moment of impact. It’s used to probe the opponent for a weak spot, all to often this turns out to be the groin area which is hilariously highlighted with a cut away clip of two chicken eggs in hand getting squeezed.
The story of the falsily accused assassin on the run to find the true assassin. Along the way the story gets a bit confusing as one tries to tell the characters apart as more and more kung fu masters and tossed into the mix, an evil local town leader trying to wed a cute local girl who is the grand daugher of a the Iron Finger master, the brother of the evil master who started the entire coup take over and a bounty hunter who is more intent on finding the truth than following orders.
When Minister Cheng’s plot exposed, he offers Shen Yu to join him, which Shen Yu outright refuses. With no other choice left, he attacks Shen Yu, who is soon assisted by Chow and the old man’s two grandchildren. During the fight, Chow discovers that Cheng’s weak spot is his testicles and that Cheng is able to retract them into his body for protection. Through the group’s combined efforts, Chow is able to use his Iron Finger technique to cause Cheng to drop his testicles so Chow can crush them, killing Cheng.
Along the way there are plenty of changes for fighting including an array of weapontry including bamboo canes, pikes, a pole with a spear that becomes a chained weapon, swords and of course bare hands and feet.
If you think the score sounds like an old Western movie, you are right. The main theme for Tonino Valerii’s Spaghetti Western film Day of Anger, scored by Riz Ortolani is used multiple time throughout the film.
A young student named Liu Yu-de is drawn by his activist teacher into the local rebellion against represive government. The government officials, headed by the brutal General Tien Ta, however, quickly discover and suppress the uprising, liquidating the school and killing the students’ friends and family members. Yu-de decides to seek vengeance and liberation for the people, and heads for the Shaolin temple to learn kung fu.
If you are a fan of training monotages like perhaps in films such as:
Then you will love The 36th Chamber of Shaolin as it depicts a young student as he masters the various levels and skills of becoming a Shaolin monk.
This undisputed classic differs from many martial arts films of its era, which were regarded as lowbrow entertainment. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin elevated the genre through its philosophical and authentic Kung Fu. The 36th Chamber ofolin revolutionized Kung Fu cinema in Hong Kong shifting the focus from simple action sequences to a more profound exploration of character development and growth. The deeper themes of resistance against oppression and the thirst knowledge resonate far beyond its genre, making it a timeless story of empowerment.
This film was also released under the title “Master Killer”.
