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Author name: mart-club

How a British man broke into Hong Kong’s martial arts film industry

mart-club / September 3, 2024

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Mak Che-kong Sifu continues his epic 'Train with t

Mak Che-kong Sifu continues his epic 'Train with the Master' Zoom webinar series with the third part of his Tiger Crane/Fu Hok Seurng Ying/虎鶴雙形拳.

As ever, the webinar is at 4pm (Hong Kong time) and FREE!

https://martialclub.net/product/hkmf11-2024-3/

Don't miss this chance to learn the finer points of this key Hung Gar form!

Tiger and Crane has long been celebrated in various forms of media.

Notes/photo guide: 1) The poster for this week's webinar (Thank you EY!). 2/3) The first media representation of the form was in the book published in Hong Kong by the great Grandmaster Lam Sai-wing/林世榮. It was first printed in 1957. Lam Si-gung posed for the photos which were then adapted into what are now a classic series of line drawings. 4) Bruce Lee's main rival as king of kung fu, Jimmy Wang Yu/王羽, was best-known for fighting with a sword (usually with one arm) and for his basic bash-'em-up martial arts moves. When Wang Yu decided to do a traditional kung fu movie in Taiwan, he turned to the classic 'Tiger & Crane Fist/虎鶴雙形'. 5) Real-life Hung Gar maestro Lau Kar-leung/Liu Chia-liang/
劉家良 brought Fu Hok to the screen like no other in his films at Shaw Brothers, including 'Executioners from Shaolin/洪熙官'. The film focusses on Hung Hay-kwoon/洪熙官, the legendary founder of Hung Gar, played by kung fu movie star Chan Kwoon-tai/
陳觀泰, and further defined how Tiger and Crane would look on screen. 6) Before he broke onto the scene with kung fu comedy, action ace Jackie Chan/成龍 shot a string of traditional martial arts movies in Taiwan. Though the films themselves are generally ill-regarded, Jackie did a fine job showing off the traditional kung fu fighting forms. In 'Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin/蛇鶴八步' he combines those two 'animal' fists. 7/8) Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' films are the greatest modern day homage to classic kung fu cinema. In the second of the films, star Uma Thurman demonstrates the Tiger and Crane form with her teacher Pai Mei, played by former Shaw Bros star, and real-life Hung Gar expert, Gordon Liu/劉家輝. 9) For most kids today, the Tiger form is a move from 'Kung Fu Panda'! 10) Lam Sai-wing's image is now found on t-shirts!

#kungfu #hunggar

[Mak Sifu Shows the Ending of the Hang Je Pang] #

[Mak Sifu Shows the Ending of the Hang Je Pang]

#kungfuworld #chinesemartialarts #hunggar #hongkongculture #hkig #kwaifong

[Mak Sifu Giving a Lesson on Short Power] #kungfu

[Mak Sifu Giving a Lesson on Short Power]

#kungfuworld #chinesemartialarts #hunggar #kwaifong #hongkongculture #hkig

Cathay Pugilistic: Hong Kong's airline promotes ku

Cathay Pugilistic: Hong Kong's airline promotes kung fu culture. (by Bey Logan)

I've been spending many hours on Cathay flights lately and was impressed to see that their locally produced safety video includes a sequence depicting traditional Chinese kung fu.

The short film uses various aspects of Hong Kong culture to share the various in-flight protocols. The kung fu section depicts a Wing Chun class being held on a Wanchai rooftop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iz4tSWM8RI

Created in partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and progressively rolled out across our aircraft since August, the video encapsulates Hong Kong’s dynamism by matching familiar sights with essential safety protocols.

Given how many people fly the friendly skies on our local airline, this kung fu footage is a fine advertisement for one of the great Chinese arts forms still practiced and propagated in the city. And, of course, anyone landing in Hong Kong and seeking real deal kung fu training, please head directly from the Kowloon Airport Express to the Kwai Fong Martial Club!

Call 852 9374 969 or email hkmartialclub@gmail.com or PM us here for further information.

We're located at Unit C, 10th floor, Block B, Marvel Industrial Building, No 17-23, Kwai Fung Crescent, Kwai Chung, New Territories (Exit C, Kwai Fong MTR)

We even have a rooftop available for training, as depicted in the in-flight safety video!

This not Cathay's first foray into Chinese martial artistry. Several years ago, they promoted the fact that their flight attendants were training in Wing Chun in order to tackle unruly passengers. The style's close range combat techniques were deemed especially effective for plane-bound confrontations! They were trained by the rather familiarly named 'Donald Mak', though this is a Wing Chun instructor, not our own beloved Mak Sifu!

Local hero Jackie Chan was also brought in to promote the kung fu campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn2cbdG88XY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocbu83VnWp8

Cathay also promoted the films of Chan's predecessor as Hong Kong action king, Bruce Lee, when they played his films as in-flight movies.

#kungfu #wingchun #cathaypacific

[Mak Sifu and Students Practising the Arrow Palm]

[Mak Sifu and Students Practising the Arrow Palm]

#hongkongculture #hunggar #kungfuworld #chinesemartialarts #makchekong #hkig

[Mak Sifu Teaching the Fu Hok Sheung Ying Kuen] #

[Mak Sifu Teaching the Fu Hok Sheung Ying Kuen]

#kungfumaster #kungfuworld #chinesemartialarts #hongkongculture #hkig

[Wing Chun with Veka Rounevaara Sifu] #wingchunwo

[Wing Chun with Veka Rounevaara Sifu]

#wingchunworld #wingchun #kungfulife #hkig #hongkongculture #kwaifong

Bey's Book Club: The title 'Comfort in Darkness' w

Bey's Book Club: The title 'Comfort in Darkness' was particularly appropriate for me as I read this book on the night flight from Los Angeles back to Hong Kong, during which I spent my birthday mid-flight, caught between time zones.

I greatly admired 'Breathe', the earlier autobiography by Brazilian Jujitsu legend Rickson Gracie, which was co-authored, as this book is, by his friend and student Peter Maguire. As its title suggests, this work addresses the ways in which Gracie has had to use his wisdom and experience as a martial artist to confront undeserved and unexpected life challenges.

The book covers the expected ground of Rickson's training, practically from birth, in the art his father, Helio, founded, and Gracie's subsequent success as a competitor. As he aged in the art, Gracie became a believer in 'Invisible Jiu Jitsu', in which the tenets and discipline of the system can be applied to real world situations.

These were put to the test when the author's son, Rockson Gracie, was found dead in a New York hotel of a drug overdose. The tragedy sent Rickson into a three-year depression, and the book's most affecting passages depict his long road to a kind of healing.

More recently, the former champion was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and describes how he uses every aspect of his lifestyle to tackle this as the greatest opponent of his life.

The book is truly inspiring as it traces its author's journey from being a raw fighter to fulfilling his potential as both a martial artist and a man.

Photo guide: 1) The sleeve to 'Comfort in Darkness'. 2) A young Rickson, left, with father Helio Gracie. 3) Gracie fighting in Japan during his competitive career. 4) Bruised but unbowed after a match, Gracie was undefeated. To his left is his poor, doomed son Rockson. 5) Rickson stone-faced in victory. 6) Gracie is a testimony to the long-term benefits of Jiujitsu and its ancillary training. 7) Gracie today, the lion in winter. 8) Meditation and breathing are a key part of Gracie's daily regimen. 9) Rickson as he appears in the film 'The Incredible Hulk' with celebrity student Edward Norton. 10) The sleeve to Gracie's earlier book.

#bjj #ricksongracie

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