Kung Fu & Chinese Opera I
Our friend, Mark De Sousa, asked us about the relationship between Chinese Opera and Kung fu movie fight choreography. Hong Kong kung fu choreography is evident to chop socky aficionados in modern Hollywood films with acrobatics, leaps and the lone superhero dispatching a multitude of attackers. What is not readily apparent is the influence of Chinese Opera.
Part One
Red Boats and Shaolin
In 18th century China brightly painted red junks would travel the southern rivers. These were the famed Red Boats, carrying Chinese opera troupes. The Manchus established the Ching Dynasty after overthrowing the Ming Court. Fearful of Ming loyalists hiding in temples, they razed the Southern Shaolin Monastery. Legend says that five monks escaped the destruction. Once only taught in secret, it was these Five Elders who broke the Buddhist vow of secrecy, openly teaching Shaolin kung fu hoping to overthrow the Ching and restore the Ming. Chan (zen) was part of the training. Schools emerged. Leader of the surviving monks, Buddhist abbot Chi Sim, hid in the southern Cantonese Red Boats. It was here that theatrical military combat was influenced by authentic Shaolin kung fu.
Chinese Opera School and Jackie Chan
Chinese operas have martial themes based on legendary tales of generals, warriors and historical battles. Colorful, exciting duels and battles were enacted on stage by the “wu sheng” (martial hero) opera performers, who trained not only in singing and acting, but in stylized fighting. Though staged combat, the physical training resembled traditional martial arts training. It demanded agility, strength and endurance, though the training would not include true fighting power. In his autobiography, Jackie Chan recounts his young, often painful, days at opera school. Young boys would begin grueling training at an early age to master the armed and unarmed fighting skills. Other well known students included Sammo Hung (the film Painted Faces is based upon Chan and Hung’s opera experience) and Hong Kong’s famous fight choreographer, Yuen Woo Ping (The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). These are the artists who brought their skills to the film industry.
Part 2 will cover Hong Kong & Hollywood fight choreography.
Lawrence Tan & Toni Josephson
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Aha… now I know the term Red Boat. Some time ago, I watched a movie titled Executioners from Shaolin and this is where I first time heard the word Red Boat and how the King was desperate to kill these Red Boat people. I did not know that story was true. This was the first movie where a woman was show so much powerful Lily Li . It was also show how some monk was helping the king to kill these people. In the end the evil monk was killed when a young man uses a mix of Tiger and Crane style he learned from his Father and Mother.
From another masterpiece of Kung Fu Five Shaolin Masters , I learned how the Southern and Northern styles developed and why. Those Chinese names always confuse me but Ming, Manchus and Han are stuck in my mind as Kung-Fu movies talk so much about them.
Thanks for the lesson, I did not know those things about Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.