>> ^chicchorea:

I am unfamiliar with the two films mentioned and look forward to seeing then. He has done some of the most beautiful films. Curse of the Golden Flower and House of Flying Daggers are stunning.


If you were looking for things similar to "Curse of the Golden Flower" in the 3 movies I named, then you'll probably be disappointed as they are very different. To me, Zhang Yi Mou is much better at depicting characters than big fighting scenes (though I think his direction of the Beijing Olympic opening was awesome).

"House of the flying dagger" and "Curse of the golden flower" were just too superficial for my taste. Sure they have pretty pictures and actors, but they lack the essence of humanity that's present in his other movies.

Another one of my favorite movies of his: "No one less" is terribly slow and uneventful from the first glance, but at a certain moment in the movie, the viewer couldn't help but to feel the raw emotional connection with one of the main characters, and I literally couldn't hold back my tears. It's the only moment in the movie that makes you feel that way, and it only last a few seconds... but it's all worthy.

>> ^alien_concept:

This movie got so panned, and I could never understand why, it's one of my all-time favourites!


It was mainly because of it's none too subtle pro one-China/communist message. But nevertheless it is one of the most visually beautiful films ever produced.

>> ^smooman:
i thought that was donnie yen
why havent i heard of this?!


That's what I thought when I first discovered this gem. The movie is really great.

i thought that was donnie yen

why havent i heard of this?!

I've learned to take pleasure in the slow filtering of functional martial arts into mainstream attention and media, so when I see something like Flash Point, I just nudge my training buddies and say, "Look dude, an RNC!" and then continue stuffing carcinogenic popcorn and swedish fish in my mouth in complete disobedience of any regular dietary regiment and with total disregard for my physical health.

I don't kick newbies off the mats during BJJ training for spazzing out or giving up their back. They're newbies, it's what they do. Donnie Yen is the cinematic equivalent of a no-stripe white belt. Pat him on the back, maybe mention how next time he should probably not try bench-pressing the guy from under mount, and tell him you'll see him tomorrow, same place, same time. That's how progress is made, y'know?

"One of those MMA trainers should show him the proper way to lock in that rear naked choke."

Well, that and not to cross his ankles from rear mount when he's that low, and to roll his shoulders in standup, and to cut the corner on the double leg rather than shooting a tackle double, and about a million other things. Then again, if we're being realistic here, the bad guy would probably pass out after 3-5 seconds in the RNC, and then it would be 5 minutes of Donnie Yen uncomfortably trying to look badass while squeezing a limp, unconscious guy's neck.

What's awesome is that Donnie Yen has MMA trainers teach him stuff when they're choreographing the fights, which is why you see things like the triangle, armbar, Ramapage-style slam, sweet Muay Thai kicks and elbows, and even the RNC at the very end.

Note this is not self promotion. Even if i was this good i could not take the shape of a east Asian person.

I posted this in response to something that happened to me today.

I was in a little grassy area about five paces from my apartment, and was practicing Hsing I Chaun. So i attract some attention, but most people just go on about their business. However today some one asked me if I was practicing "Ju Jitsu" and when I said that it was not he scoffed at the thought that some one might practice some other art than Ju Jutsu.

This attitude is wholly American, that martial arts is a test of testicular scale. "If one thinks that Kenjutsu is an art of banging sticks together does not know the true meaning of Kenjutsu." - Gaku Homma

This attitude taken by largely egotistical persons is that some one practicing a form is to be threatened and baited into a senseless fight. It clearly states in a translation of the samurai code, that one warrior should not engage in useless fights because said warrior could die, and that would be dishonorable to die over a cup of tea. This sort of thing happens to me all the time.

This attitude that states that Kung Fu or traditional martial arts will not work in a "real fight." I no longer believe that a fight can be fake, because you are still putting your life on the line. The difference between a one who knows the true meaning of Kung Fu, Wushu or any thing, is that they avoid all useless fights, meaning that the run away if they can. The American stereo type of martial arts is that grappling, judo, jiu justsu, and the such will always prevail over traditional martial arts, this is not the case. When a trained grappler is put against a trained person (lets say an actor) bruce lee, jet li, chan, Donny Yen, I would put my money on no one, because both skilled fighters will put up a good fight. So to say that one art, or countries art will win over another is foolish. This sterotype comes from Tae Kwan Do dojo that give you a belt after a couple weeks of training.

Until the practitioner can successfully solve conflict with out violence they are not a true master, even petty conflict.