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Thread: 'Cat calls' & Bruce Lee

  1. #1
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    Question 'Cat calls' & Bruce Lee

    I was flicking thru one off the innumerable Bruce Lee books at my local bookshop the other day and I read that Bruce Lee studied some Hung Ga.
    It occurred to me that that's where he might have got his 'cat calls' from as they sound similar to some of the emotion sounds in Hung Ga.
    This is pure speculation, I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions or knowledge of the origin of his 'cat calls'.

  2. #2
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    I don't know what inspired Burce to use the 'cat calls' he did in his films, however I have heard from reliable sources that he never used them when really fighting.

  3. #3
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    Awesome topic!

    I have been wondering about this since I was a small child. That Hung Ga theory makes a lot of sense. You know, my brother told me when I was a kid that he read a book that explained that Bruce was imitating the 5 animals when he did those noises. I thought my brother was just talking out his arse. (he usually is) But maybe there is something to that. All in all, I still think he only did it for entertainment value. If you watch the Green Hornet, Marlowe, and his screen test demonstration, you will notice that he doesn't do those "cat calls". From what I've read, he actually started doing his trademark gestures, cat calls, and poses on the set of Chinese Connection when he wanted to show the choreographer Han Ying Cheh how he felt his fight scenes should look. Makes sense. If you notice in the Big Boss he doesn't do any of his trademark mannerisms. The Big Boss was choreographed by Han Ying Cheh as well. However, he and Bruce didn't agree on the set of Chinese Connection so Bruce choreographed his fight scenes himself.
    "We'll show him.....Chinese Boxing!"

  4. #4
    Thought it was somewhat like a "war cry" type of thing.
    maybe I'm wrong.

    Ryu
    "No judo! NO NO!"




    "One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage."

    Attain your highest ability, and continue past it. Emotion becomes movement. Express that which makes you; which guides you. Movement and Mind without hesitation. Physical spirituality...
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  5. #5
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    hello ..

    Yes ,


    I think you all are right. Bruce in his movie is doing crane calls/tiger growls trying to capture the essence and spirit of the five animals in his movies.

    Sometimes he would use some animal technique in his movies for show .

    Alex is right in where when it was real Bruce would not do this.

    It was for the big screen . A point most be made however that in Gung fu styles like the 5 animals or hung gar you do not always have to use their techniques to benifet from these systems.

    You could capture the essance mentality like being as powerful as a tiger or as cunning as a dragon as strong as a panther as graceful as a crane . It can be a mentality .


    RF-

  6. #6
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    as far as i remember reading it was chum kiu and a little dummy...


    david
    Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
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    Peace is not the silent result of violent repression.
    Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all.
    Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity.
    It is right and it is duty.

  7. #7
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    I heard the "cat calls" Bruce did were purely for the screen, and he did not make those noises when he trained. To the contrary, I heard he remained completely silent when fighting/training. I always thought the cat calls were for the silverscreen.
    Waves roughen the sea and windmill turn because of the wind. Take away the wind and the sea becomes calm and the windmills come to rest. For every effect there is a cause.

  8. #8
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    MORE DOES NOT MEAN BETTER!!!!!..

    Its not how much you learn per sey . Many people make the mistake that just cause bruce lee hadn't learned all of wing chun that makes him less. The fact is all the keys of the system are in sil lum tau . an accumilation or more does not mean better. The innvations he had made on his own made him far superior figher then most of the wing chun masters out there even in this day in age . Fast as instant hitting like a heavyweight with far better structure then most who complete the whole system . That was Bruce . His JKD was a daily decrease in fact or stripping what is not essential . So all & all most WC men want you to belive just cause you know all the forms your better . Simlpy not so . If so and so knows all the forms and cannot cannot hold so and so jock strap in real fighting they are not better !

    I am not mad or upset ..just making key points people do not stop to ponder. More does not mean better .

    What Bruce did know of WC (about 65%) he knew a lot better then 99%of the wc masters out there . He made this work for him better with his own innovations . Jessie glover has gone on record to basiclly say he has touched hands with many so called ruputed WC masters and grandmasters . He has said he has only met only a few out of hundreds that even come close to what Bruce Lee had. Pat Strong has made similar comments to me in our conversations and training sessions ( he trained directly with Bruce Lee and later with hawkins chueng ).

    RF-

  9. #9
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    Bruce the cat

    Watch the movie "Way of the Dragon", in the scene where he fights Chuck Norris.
    Notice the black cat in the arena. Bruce bending down to touch his toes and stretch, then the following scene with the cat stretching. The cat meows coarsley to start the battle, and Bruce unleases with his trademark wotar screeching.
    I think he was inspired by the agile grace of the cat. Fast, sleek, flexible, natural hunter.
    It makes sense if he didn't screech off screen. He wouldn't be kicking much higher than the knee cap off screen either.

  10. #10
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    excuse me sunstylin but i have seen you acting kinda silly on a thread in the past.
    i would simply like to know who you train with. i presume you have nothing to hide or fear seeing as though in your profile you didn't mind letting us know about your boxing, kicboxing titles and such.
    and by the way you are not entirely correct with your story of wong sifu & bruce.
    vts
    [disclaimer- i am about to be rude, antagonistic & terribly offensive- but i love ya's all]

  11. #11
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    Arrow Back on topic

    Does anyone know what part of the Hung Ga syllabus Bruce learnt?

  12. #12
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    According to a book on him , he learned the basics of Hung Gar from a friend of his dad's. I believe the book is called Bruce Lee: The Tao of Gung Fu by John Little. I could be wrong about the title but I am almost sure its by John Little. There is a section at the end that sums up the traditional kung fu styles that Bruce studied. Also on the list were Wing Chun (of course),Eagle Claw, 5 Animal Shaolin, Southern Praying Mantis, and Tai Chi Chuan. There may have been a couple more listed but I can't remember.
    "We'll show him.....Chinese Boxing!"

  13. #13
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    sunstyling

    Bruce could not even strike Wong Sifu. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything you wrote has zero credability in a court of law. This is ironclad evidence.
    Wong knew the whole system, there are other elements that the other forms have which bruce did not demonstrate to have knowledge of. There are pics of his lack of understanding of WC structure eg a common pic of bruce on the dummy where his butt is sticking >

    Zero Credibility in a court of law ? Who's court ? Your own ?.....Now let me ask you some questions of my own . Have you trained with WSL ? If so you would know WSL appraisal of Mr Lee which was very high by the way (if you knew him you would know that )He could get to WSL as WSL could get to him but thats not important .

    See what you wrote lacks any type of credibilty because

    A .Unless you were there you don't know .

    B. You Never saw Bruce hands on .

    c.The King of the biemo's )WSL has high appraisal for what Bruce Lee was doing .

    I was not their . I am not old enough (33) . However Patrick Strong in fact did know and stand with Bruce and touched hands with him . He ( Patrick ) is training me in his approach .. He has stressed Bruce was fantastic and about as good as they come . Patrick has Trained with Hawkins chueng (for 18+years I might add)who if you didn't know was a classmate of Bruce when they trained with IP man and WSL . I think if anyone where to know what Bruce was capable of I think these two men would . So it is the 3rd person but I will take these 2 men word on this . They are honorable men. You are misinformed that Bruce could not touch WSL later on .

    <Thankyou for informing me that you are not mad or upset!!
    Ponder this then, if more does not mean better then why did Bruce go and collect styles?? ...seems the opposite of what you just said. >

    For one you write as an egocentric . I was not informing you as I did not even know we were conversing.

    For the last time Bruce Lee did not go out to "collect " styles . This in your writings shows your lack of understanding of what JKD is and what Bruce was doing. It in fact was a daily decrease or stripping away what was not essenstial .

    He did look into styles but not for AN ACCUMULATION or to clutter himself .....


    I think you may want to study this more and get your facts straight.

    So if we go by your logic ,being WSL did know WC ...you think more is better right ?


    Great post VINGTSUNSTUDENT. You are right on the money .

    Peace

    RF
    Last edited by Rafael; 07-30-2002 at 12:37 PM.

  14. #14
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    To get back to the topic

    Personally I have always found it annoying that when you tell some ignorant people that you train kung fu that they always have to say "WWaahTTaaAAHhh" and other Bruce Lee- like screams.

    Even back when I studied Tai Chi and the classes where situated outdoors in the summer There would be people walking by making Cat and Bird and whatever weird screams

    Is there anyone else that also has found this annoying?

  15. #15
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    Chen Zhen

    Yeah. I hate all that 'WaaTaa!!' shit. We often practice in the park and get people leaning out of passing cars making cat calls. (either that or shouting 'Wankers!' which is even more infuriating.)

    Unfortunately in the Hung Kuen we do there is 16 sounds (vocalisations), when I learn Tit Sin (Iron Wire) I hope I have a (very) private garden.

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