Martial Arts Movies

[MJS]

I'd like to hear everyones thoughts on Martial Arts movies, and the effect they have on the arts overall. There are countless movies out there, depicting various arts. My questions are:

Do you feel that the movies that are out there are having a positive or negative effect on how people view the arts?

If you feel they are positive, explain in what way.

If you feel they give a negative view, please explain.

Did a MA movie enspire you to begin training?

If someone has a distorted view of the arts from a movie, do you attempt to explain fact from fiction?

I look forward to everyones replies. I'll post my thoughts shortly.

Mike

 

[cfr]

I know this will be very vague, but for the life of me I cant remeber what it was called. There was a Brandon Lee movie that had one particular fight scene that was awesome. One of the final scenes of the movie was him running down a short stairway and encountering a short chinese guy with a goatee and needing to duke it out with him. If I recall correctly, the room was on fire? I think his opponent was the guy that gave electric shock to Mel Gibson in the first Lethal Weapon? If anyone knows the name please pass it on as Id like to watch it now.

 

[bydand]

I'd like to hear everyones thoughts on Martial Arts movies, and the effect they have on the arts overall. There are countless movies out there, depicting various arts. My questions are:

Do you feel that the movies that are out there are having a positive or negative effect on how people view the arts?

If you feel they are positive, explain in what way.

If you feel they give a negative view, please explain.

I have to answer that I think MA movies have both positive and negitive effects on peoples vies of the arts. Positive, in that they may draw someone who was riding the fence into training. As well as bringing the MA's more into everyday thinking.
Negitive in that they tend to show the arts with a great deal of "artistic license" and not a true picture of what the arts are about. I think it tends to be a bit of a let-down to someone when they realize how much work is really involved and that no matter how much you work and how skilled you become, the laws of physics still apply.

Did a MA movie enspire you to begin training?

No! Not to begin formal training anyway. They did inspire me and a friend of mine in elementary school to try to become "Kung-Fu" masters while thrashing each other with homemade weapons thay sort-of, kind-of looked like those used in the movies and TV shows.

If someone has a distorted view of the arts from a movie, do you attempt to explain fact from fiction?

Depends on how they approach the subject. If they are dead set on thinking the Matrix (or any other movie), has some redeming MA value, I don't even bother. If they ask and really sound as though they want to know, then by all means I explain. Given I train in Ninjutsu, my views on how movies and TV influnce the arts are a bit on the negitive side. Although I think if one person starts down as rewarding journey as I have taken due to watching a movie, great.

this is going to be interesting seeing others views.

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

Do you feel that the movies that are out there are having a positive or negative effect on how people view the arts?

Bit of both really. They have a positive effect on non martial artists, but a negative one on many many martial artists.

If you feel they are positive, explain in what way.

Its positive because they do attract interest, and people enjoy them. They exist primarily for entertainment, and so long as they achieve that goal, then it doesn't matter. Since many people who watch them don't actually practice MA, then it doesn't really matter how they portray it.
They aren't involve in it, no harm if they have any of the wrong impressions.

If you feel they give a negative view, please explain.

They can have a negative effect however, with regards martial artists who watch them. Especially on younger members, who watch the movies and don't pick up on the facts that
1. These are over the top coreoghraphed stunts, should have a whopping do not try at home
2. Are attempting to make a philisophical point, so aren't exactly the best tactical advice sometimes.

A suprising amount og adult martial artists have a similar problem with regards recognising the differences between a choreographed fight and a real one. KInda like others who don't see the difference between fights in a ring and fights for self-defence.

Another issue can be with historical figures or facts. Very few martial arts movies have much factual basis, especially ones relating to Ninja or Samurai, yet nonethless I've heard people cite the "facts" mentioned in these movies as if they were confirmed historical data.

Did a MA movie enspire you to begin training?

Not really, just developed my own interest in it.

If someone has a distorted view of the arts from a movie, do you attempt to explain fact from fiction?

If they are are martial artist then yes. Delusional martial artists will just water down the arts too much for my liking.
If they're not, I might just laugh with them, say its different from the movies and leave it at that. If they ask for more info, then I'll go into more detail.

 

[charyuop]

I loooooove MA movies, any kind of MA movies....realistic or Wire Fu to me they are great!!!!

We watched for years Cow Boys Vs Indian movies, but no one ever wondered about guns...no, guns don't shoot forever, no if you get shot 10 times you can't stand up and kill 20 bad guys before you die, if you stand in the middle of the street with 10 people shooting at you chances that you don't get hit is not 100% like in movies....

Movies are not reality and who goes and watch them should be smart enough to realize it. WWE is not real and everyone knows it (who can have a 300 pound man jump on his chest and get up as nothing happened), so why we have to create so much noise around MA movies?

If I need to explain a person watching a movie that when someone jumps 3 story high or walks for 30 minutes on a wall it is fiction, I will need to explain him that Lord of The Rings is not real either.

Just my thought...

 

[terryl965]

MJS I guess the David Carridine in Kung Fu, I always love that series and of course the Green Hornet

 

[The Kidd]

I cant improve on already what has been said I will say, OF COURSE! I still remembering seeing Bruce Lee movies on saturday mornings and wishing I could do that, that definetly built a base on my interest. As a kid playing Navy Seal or Green Beret kicking the enemies butt all over the place. It was not a big culture shock when I finally got into the MA's that I could not do alot of those things (I know my own limitations) but I still dont pass up a chance to see a good MA movie no matter how bad whether to laugh, wonder or be in awe. I still will watch a Stephen Seagal movie over and over (Under Siege is my favorite).

 

[HKphooey]

I know this will be very vague, but for the life of me I cant remeber what it was called. There was a Brandon Lee movie that had one particular fight scene that was awesome. One of the final scenes of the movie was him running down a short stairway and encountering a short chinese guy with a goatee and needing to duke it out with him. If I recall correctly, the room was on fire? I think his opponent was the guy that gave electric shock to Mel Gibson in the first Lethal Weapon? If anyone knows the name please pass it on as Id like to watch it now.

Was that Rapid Fire?

I loved Brandon Lee's movies. It was such a shame his life/career was cut so short!

I guess Jet Li and Jackie Chan are going to fight is a new kid's movie.

Overall, I think martial arts films have a good entertainment value.

 

[charyuop]

Ok I have to make a correction to my previous message...
There is something that MA movies underestimate, which is damage.

You can have a fight and not bleed. I remember a match in 1954 between the Master from the Wu style Tai Chi and the Master of White Crane, bare hands meaning no gloves. There was a nose bleeding in the beginning, but that was it.
So I can understand if in a MA movie they take away the bleeding part, but they do not stress enough damage.

A punch on the sternum or in the arm pit if in the right spot, with good strength and timing could cause a heart failure. A hit on the liver well set could cause internal bleeding and many more examples.

MA movies might give the idea that you can hit an opponent freely for hours without causing any damage.

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

Ok I have to make a correction to my previous message...
There is something that MA movies underestimate, which is damage.

You can have a fight and not bleed. I remember a match in 1954 between the Master from the Wu style Tai Chi and the Master of White Crane, bare hands meaning no gloves. There was a nose bleeding in the beginning, but that was it.
So I can understand if in a MA movie they take away the bleeding part, but they do not stress enough damage.

A punch on the sternum or in the arm pit if in the right spot, with good strength and timing could cause a heart failure. A hit on the liver well set could cause internal bleeding and many more examples.

MA movies might give the idea that you can hit an opponent freely for hours without causing any damage.

Depends on the type of hitting and condition of the fighters. They're certainly should show alot more bruising, but its fairly easy for two tough fighters to trade a fair number of blows that won't disable either of them.

 

[Grenadier]

There were some movies that really stuck out, since they were dedicated to a martial art that wasn't extensively covered in Hollywood.

1) Only the Strong - While it's not exactly what Capoeira is about, at least it does bring some of the art into the light. The way I see it, if it gets people interested, then more power to the art itself.

2) Best of the Best - This was one of the few movies that really gave Tae Kwon Do a significant exposure. While the movie could have done better without the enigmatic Eric Roberts, it was actually a decent one. The sequels were complete garbage, though.

3) Ring of Fire - While I highly respect Don "The Dragon" Wilson as a human being and as a martial artist, his acting skills are really awful. This movie was probably the least worst of his acting, and it gave a bit of an insight (although not entirely correct) into the cultural aspect.

If someone has a distorted view of the arts from a movie, do you attempt to explain fact from fiction?

I do try, although I may sometimes be a wee bit too blunt when explaining to children, that ninjas were primarly tricksters, and that their incredible jumps were sometimes the results of hidden trampolines. This sometimes results in kids being rather disappointed...

 

[TraditionalTKD]

As long as you approach MA films as entertainment, I think they are harmless. Most of them are not even that (entertainment). When I was 13-14, every martial arts film to me was exciting. Now I realize 99% of them are complete crap, full of non-acting and badly choreagraphed fighting. Even now I think most of Chuck Norris' films are crap.
The only film that really impressed me was the Karate Kid, because it went against everything people associated with martial arts: the peaceful Master, philosophy, Daniel-san really showing the effects of getting into fights etc.
To be fair, Bruce Lee films are great as far as action sequences. I still look at them as entertainment though.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

martial arts movies raise awareness and interest in the martial arts, which can only be a good thing. i'd be perfectly happy if the entire population were black belts. (note i say were black belts, not had black belts).

i wish the crux of most of those movies wasn't on the violence, or taking revenge, though. only the strong and karate kid were two great examples of movies that touched on martial spirit alongside martial abilities.

 

[cfr]

Was that Rapid Fire?

Quite possible.

 

[The Kidd]

Ok I forgot a point who was not inspired or amazed by the movie Billy Jack. I might be dating myself here but when that came out you could not go to your friends house without saying "I am going to put this foot on that side of your face and there is not anything you can do about it".

 

[HKphooey]

Ok I forgot a point who was not inspired or amazed by the movie Billy Jack. I might be dating myself here but when that came out you could not go to your friends house without saying "I am going to put this foot on that side of your face and there is not anything you can do about it".

And the those movies even had a politcal message.

 

[stickarts]

I think there have been great movies and not so great movies but overall it has helped to bring students to the martial arts, and thats a good thing!

Watching Kung Fu as a kid definately planted seeds of interest in my mind. I will always remember watching the episodes with my dad.

 

[MJS]

Great replies!

I think that movies can be a good influence as well as a negative one. Of course, in order to keep the interest of the viewers, the movies need to be exciting, to an extent, but when they get to the point of people flying thru the air and things of that nature, well, that IMO is what gives the distorted view.

Kids will watch these types of movies, and it may provide that spark to begin training. However, I've seen many times, kids are not able to seperate the fact from the fiction. Many times, they're in for a surprise when they actually begin training.

I didn't get inspired to train from a movie, but the movies did have a positive influence in keeping my interest in the arts. That of course was a small part.

I'm also in agreement with those that mentioned movies like Kung Fu and The Karate Kid, as they had a bit more philosophy in them.

Mike