Those famous HK rooftop fights

[gnugear]

I just got the DVD "Bruce Lee: A warriors Journey" and it had some interesting footage of a Hong Kong rooftop fight.

I had always heard about how these guys went out and tested there stuff, but they honestly just looked like really young punk kids whacking each other.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't impressive in the least. Not nearly as "legendary" as I imagined.

Has anyone else seen this stuff? Any comments? I'm thinking that I could get in a few of these scraps and claim myself an undefeated master.

[John Weiland]

Originally posted by gnugear
I just got the DVD "Bruce Lee: A warriors Journey" and it had some interesting footage of a Hong Kong rooftop fight.

I had always heard about how these guys went out and tested there stuff, but they honestly just looked like really young punk kids whacking each other.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't impressive in the least. Not nearly as "legendary" as I imagined.

Has anyone else seen this stuff? Any comments? I'm thinking that I could get in a few of these scraps and claim myself an undefeated master.
Why risk your reputation by actually fighting? :)

[yuanfen]

Not all fights were on rooftops. Some other very serious fights by others were in agreed upon rooms. schools and other locations. Less publicized and certainly not filmed. Reality is not the last thing you hear or see.

[John Weiland]

Originally posted by yuanfen
Not all fights were on rooftops. Some other very serious fights by others were in agreed upon rooms. schools and other locations. Less publicized and certainly not filmed. Reality is not the last thing you hear or see.
Hi Joy,

While I cannot claim your background or knowledge, what you say makes sense. Certainly, in a culture that advocates peacefulness, the less public scrutiny, the better for the participants. Certainly, word of mouth regarding the outcome would be sufficient, at least until one of the participants dies, as in the case of St. Bruce and Wong Jack Man's little to-do.

One acquaintance of mine, growing up in Hong Kong in the fifties and sixties, would take his Kung Fu into other schools, challenge the master, beat him, and take the school sign for proof. He only stopped this habit when he came to the U.S. and met Ken Chung. :) But he's still got some great stories.

The problem of revisionist versions of history is a separate one and a reflection of the honesty or lack thereof of the historians. Vague allusions to time and place and numbers of encounters don't do much to gain credibility in my eyes. Even the great Wong Shun Leung soberly reflected that the fights he won were not against opponents whose skills were worthy of his.

As for Hong Kong history, movie cameras were probably rare, and any movies probably not for general consumption.

Regards,

[Shaolindynasty]

I saw the same footage from the documentary, it seemed to be some kind of home camera. What style was the WC guy fighting against? That guy sucked. He was waving his hands around and hoping then threw a kick and fell(afew times). I was also disappointed somehow:confused:

[gnugear]

Originally posted by Shaolindynasty
I saw the same footage from the documentary, it seemed to be some kind of home camera. What style was the WC guy fighting against? That guy sucked. He was waving his hands around and hoping then threw a kick and fell(afew times). I was also disappointed somehow:confused:

They were both flapping thier arms, but the guy falling down looked like he was doing choy lay fut.

[rubthebuddha]

many of the wc vs. ____ fights back in hong kong were against clf practitioners. for some reason, there seemed to be a constant need to rumble with the other family.

anyone know what that reason may be? did chan heung accidentally bump into leung jan in a tea house, spilling his beverage?

[yuanfen]

rub the buddha- not necessarily...though clf certainly was
involved. There was one very serious beimo between a wc person and a bak mei person too with the former spendinga long time in the hospital.

[Tristan]

Maybe in those days these rooftop fights weren´t that spectacular and should they in fact be regarded as legends indeed.

Just thinking.

T.

[Shaolindynasty]

He wasn't doing CLF.

[urban tea]

There were also many fights between wing chun people and southern mantis. Many of them were Ip Shui's guys against Leung Sheungs.

[rubthebuddha]

yuanfen,

agreed. it's just that i usually hear more often of the clf vs. wc ones because of long-standing rivalry.

sadly, wc apparently got tired of its rivalry with clf and turned inward. :(