Good documentaries on Chinese Martial Arts?

[kal]

What are some of the better documentaries around that cover the CMA?

I'm not talking about instructional videos or pure demonstrations. I find the former to be a waste of time, and the latter to be quite boring and superficial.

I'm referring to movies or programs where you actually come away afterwards thinking that you have gained some knowledge and insight about a particular style or teacher.

Some of the only examples I can think of are:

1) BBC's Way of the Warrior show (the episodes with master Chan (Hung Kuen) and Hung I Hsiang (Hsing-I, Pakua, Tai chi)

2) China's Living Treasures Vol. 1 "Kung Fu Diplomacy"

I thought the recent "Mind, Body and Kick *** Moves" might be worthwhile, but it is very very disappointing. Far too much stupid hype and regurgitating of BS.

The whole tone of the show was just juvenile and aimed at the "Reality TV" and "Big Brother" generation, with attention spans of 5 minutes.

By comparing the BBC's Way of The Warrior with Mind, Body and Kick *** Moves, you can get an idea of how audiences have changed over the past 20 years ... and not for the better.

 

[Keith Kirkendall]

Some of the best documentaries I personally have seen is on taichiworld.com.

 

[Steel Tiger]

What are some of the better documentaries around that cover the CMA?

I'm not talking about instructional videos or pure demonstrations. I find the former to be a waste of time, and the latter to be quite boring and superficial.

I'm referring to movies or programs where you actually come away afterwards thinking that you have gained some knowledge and insight about a particular style or teacher.

Some of the only examples I can think of are:

1) BBC's Way of the Warrior show (the episodes with master Chan (Hung Kuen) and Hung I Hsiang (Hsing-I, Pakua, Tai chi)

2) China's Living Treasures Vol. 1 "Kung Fu Diplomacy"

I thought the recent "Mind, Body and Kick *** Moves" might be worthwhile, but it is very very disappointing. Far too much stupid hype and regurgitating of BS.

The whole tone of the show was just juvenile and aimed at the "Reality TV" and "Big Brother" generation, with attention spans of 5 minutes.

By comparing the BBC's Way of The Warrior with Mind, Body and Kick *** Moves, you can get an idea of how audiences have changed over the past 20 years ... and not for the better.

Only two huh? I'm not all that surprised. Apart from Way of the Warrior I have not seen a single documentary that deals with CMAs in a useful way. They tend to be dazzled by modern Wushu and try to sell that as the be all and end all of Chinese martial tradition.

Well, all we can do is wait and pray someone with a broader understanding will do some work in the field.

 

[Flying Crane]

Well, all we can do is wait and pray someone with a broader understanding will do some work in the field.

oh, I dunno. I kind of like the obscurity, in a way. Let the public think Chinese martial arts is all fancy nonsense. Let the real stuff remain hidden among the few...

 

[Steel Tiger]

oh, I dunno. I kind of like the obscurity, in a way. Let the public think Chinese martial arts is all fancy nonsense. Let the real stuff remain hidden among the few...

The only problem I can see is that the obscurity will become overwhelming and some of our best arts will disappear. If nobody knows about them, nobody will learn them.

 

[Flying Crane]

The only problem I can see is that the obscurity will become overwhelming and some of our best arts will disappear. If nobody knows about them, nobody will learn them.

aye, a legitimate fear, but I suspect there will always be a few.

The problems is, many of those doing the more obscure stuff seem to be pretty private about it, and don't seem likely to accept the publicity of being featured in something like a documentary anyway. But I think they will always have a handful of dedicated students who keep a low profile, but keep things going nonetheless.

Personally, I don't much care for the boom of attention that the martial arts have gotten in the last 20 years especially. I personally liked it better when I was doing something that most people knew nothing about. But on the other hand, without some level of publicity, I might not have gotten the chance to study either, so it goes both ways...

 

[Steel Tiger]

aye, a legitimate fear, but I suspect there will always be a few.

The problems is, many of those doing the more obscure stuff seem to be pretty private about it, and don't seem likely to accept the publicity of being featured in something like a documentary anyway. But I think they will always have a handful of dedicated students who keep a low profile, but keep things going nonetheless.

Personally, I don't much care for the boom of attention that the martial arts have gotten in the last 20 years especially. I personally liked it better when I was doing something that most people knew nothing about. But on the other hand, without some level of publicity, I might not have gotten the chance to study either, so it goes both ways...

I would like to see the more obscure arts names maintained in the general consciousness so that they don't vanish. The future might look good for MAs in general, but the smaller arts might be in trouble.

 

[clfsean]

Go to youtube.com & check out the interview series with Mark Ho Sifu from Hung Ga. A great interview & insights that I've only heard from sifu in the past. Really worth a watch for serious CMA players, northern or southern. HE talks from the Hung Ga perspective & technique, but the stuff he says & does has no border or boundary.

 

[Steel Tiger]

Go to youtube.com & check out the interview series with Mark Ho Sifu from Hung Ga. A great interview & insights that I've only heard from sifu in the past. Really worth a watch for serious CMA players, northern or southern. HE talks from the Hung Ga perspective & technique, but the stuff he says & does has no border or boundary.

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

 

[AceHBK]

I have one documentary that is kinda old that I downloaded.
It is labeled as "Shaolin Kung Fu" It was made in China and features english subtitles I features the shaolin temple and monks in training...HARD CORE training that blows ya mind. It is roughly a hour and a half. Shows Jet Li in China, as well as alot of old clips of him as a child and growing up performing. Very insightful and shows the old ways of training.


Ok I googled it and found it on amazon.com Even though Jet Li is on the cover it isnt totally about him but rather Shaolin Kung Fu itself and the monks. Lots of forms and training shown.

If anyone would like it just pm me, I would not mind sharing it.

http://www.amazon.com/Shaolin-Kung-Fu-Jet-Li/dp/6304890516