Bruce Lee Jingwu movie

[SteveLau]

The movie "Fearless" is very good. However, its ending is kind of disappointing. For example, the martial art contest scene in the ending is not much realistic. Even, actor Jet Li has said in an interview that the fist of the actor in the martial art contest scene is as big as his head. Also, the pace looks a kind of rush to finish near the ending.

There is an upcoming Jingwu movie about to be released in 9/2010. Its name is called "The Return of Chen Zhen". It is said in review that there are terrific scenes and good story. But at first I did not have the intention to watch it. Only later when I find out from the synosis, that it is about the character Chen Zhen has survived being shot, and returned to life to have further adventure, then I decide to watch it. It is starred by actor Donny Yuen.



KC
Hong Kong

[Skip J.]

Hello Brian;

It is good to check in here after a week on the road and see that you have a very good thread going... My copy came in a coupla days before I left and I read it all at one time. I've been working on Gene's book since then....

[brianlkennedy]

Good Morning Folks,

Skip, it was interesting to hear how you use the Jingwu book as a historical resource for your students---thanks much. It is interesting to see how the modern Jingwu/Chinwoo/Jingmo Associations are connected with the original. The historical origins of the Association should really provide the modern branches with a strong root so to speak.

Steve Lau,
Thanks for the information on the new Donnie Yuen movie. That will be great. I will keep my eyes open for it. The Jingwu story really does provide great movie plot material.

Mysterious Power,
Not just with the Jingwu, but with all Chinese martial arts organizations prior to about the 1960s, we really have zero information on what daily training consisted of. Like yourself I have often wondered what day to day training involved and at what level they trained (how intense). We actually have no idea.

I should mention however that the Anniversary book did give a complete breakdown on the Northern Shaolin "Cross Shaped Form". The breakdown had fairly complete written details and photos.

take care,
Brian

[Jimbo]

It is an interesting problem about preserving things; be it film footage, training manuals or even weapons. What happens alot of times, and I see this with my own collection. I have things in my personal collection that would have been of some interest to future historians of chinese martial arts in America. I had (note the past tense there) old Super 8mm film shot at different demos, magazine collections, photos and my own (hand drawn!) training manuals.

Well---all that stuff either has already been tossed in the trash or soon after I die will be tossed in the trash because of the simple hassle of moving it around. What is my widow going to do with it all? There are no libraries or museums or university archives that will accept Chinese martial arts history stuff. The only hand drawn training manual that stands any chance of still being around 100 years from now is Bruce Lee's Dao of Jeet Kune Do.

Until there are universities or libraries willing to budget the money to archive and index the stuff-----Chinese martial arts history will always have major gaps.

take care,
Brian

Brian,
I'd often had similar thoughts. I have a lot of old martial arts magazines and books, many difficult to find. Also have a number of videos/DVDs with good footage, some of it old and rare, some not so rare. I have no idea where it will all end up when I'm gone. It seems that orthodox cultural historians have little to no interest in martial arts history in general; perhaps the closest one can get are those who study Japanese history. There seems to be more of a serious effort to preserving the histories of various JMA traditions than those of CMA. Probably due to many reasons, not the least of which is many Japanese MAists tended to keep better records and be more organized, and it attracts the interest of more scholars than do the CMA, besides perhaps Taijiquan.

Even if one has children, there's no guarantee they'll retain the same interest in MA's. Of the excellent MA teachers I've had or personally known who had kids, I don't recall any one of those sons or daughters keeping an interest in it as a lifelong pursuit, much less to keep any documents or materials relating to it.

It boggles the mind to imagine all that's been and is being lost relating to CMA. The thought has occurred to me about the possibility of preserving some of the paper documents and info I have onto disc form, but I'm not a techie and really haven't pursued it actively. Even then, I've no idea who it would be for, or what would ultimately be done with it.

[brianlkennedy]

Hi Jimbo,
In an odd sense, I sense that paper documents will long outlast any type of dvd, video or computer disc method of saving things. Electronic storage media actually are fairly fragile and quickly outdated. Nonetheless as you point out, if it is going in the trash it don't matter if it is paper, a c.d. or carved in stone----it is still heading for the landfill and lost to historians.

It is too bad.

take care,
Brian