[wushuliu]

Lau Kar Leung aka Liu Chia Liang - legendary director, actor, and martial arts master who brought 'kung fu' cinema to new heights in the 70's has passed away at 76.

He singlehandedly changed the genre in the 70s under the Shaw Bros. banner: Master/Student/Badass training genre? That's him. Actual various 'styles' based on traditional forms aka 'Tiger', 'Snake', etc? He perfected it. The martial arts master in Kill Bill? That's based on Lau Kar's Shaolin Executioner and 'Fist of the White Lotus'. In fact the actor, Gordon Liu rocketed to fame under Lau in the classic 36 Chambers of Shaolin. Lau has worked with many of the best martial arts actors from that era including Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He was the first to infuse comedy with kung fu, paving the way for Jackie Chan. Watch the third clip below from Dirty Ho. That is pure Jackie Chan style of physical comedy and martial arts. Lau was arguably the most important person to change martial arts cinema next to Bruce Lee.

Lau is even more badazz than you can imagine: Know the character Jackie Chan plays in Drunken Master, Wong Fei Hung? The same legendary character Jet Li Plays in Once Upon a Time in China? One of the most famous Chinese folk heros of martial arts? Lau's father was a pupil of Fei Hong's disciple Lam Sai Wing aka The Magnificent Butcher starring Sammo Hung. Lau is direct lineage from China's most famous martial artist. Lau knew his stuff. He was a bonafide MASTER.

He was a phenomenal martial artist. Know the old man Jackie Chan fights in Drunken Master II for like 15min.? (okay, maybe only 10). That's Lau. Watch that scene and tell me how your jaw doesn't drop. Ever heard of Legendary Weapons of China? The movie where they use some 18 different weapons? Yeah, that's his brother in it. And yes, they both know to use all frickin' 18.

He was not only an amazing martial artist but also a great director. Yes, his and other films from the 70s could drag a little but the production design was always top notch, the editing and camerawork fluid and composed, the stories always weighted with a moral and educational subtext. His foremost goal was to showcase 'real' traditional martial arts and remind us that fighting is never the first resort; that a martial artist is exactly that, an artist.

Action director/choreographer Yuen Woo Ping (Matrix, Crouching Tiger) has gotten all the fame and acclaim and Hollywood work. Ping is no question a master in his own right, but Lau has always been in my mind the greater talent. Unfortunately Lau resisted adapting to the crazy wire-work of 80s and newer kung fu films, while Ping's approach flourished. Lau was too loyal to his own training as a genuine scion of a legendary martial artist. He also did not care for the goofy magic kung fu comedies that became the fashion. His work all but stopped as of the 80s, but he made one last great film in Legend of Drunken Master  aka Drunken Master 2 w/ Jackie Chan. Jackie famously fired Lau because they disagreed on the end fight, but the rest of Lau's work remained including his amazing cameo. The fact that film appears seamless despite the rift is a testament to how much they complemented each other stylistically, making DM2 one of Time Magazine's 100 Greatest Films of all Time.

To watch the kung fu in his films is to watch real mastery and merging of martial arts and choreography. He was the first He was the best - and has directed or choreagraphed some of the greatest kung fu scenes ever filmed.

Some of his best work:

36 Chambers of Shaolin
Fist of the White Lotus
Drunken Master II
My Favorite Auntie
Challenge of the Masters
Mad Monkey Kung Fu
Executioners of Shaolin

and many more.

Lau's films taught me from a young age to not just satisfy myself with the action scenes, but to also look for merit in the stories and morals as well. Let's face it, most guys will get bored watching these movies because they just want to see fighting and modern hyperkinetic fighting, which is too bad. Lau's films may not have the visceral wuzzah of Bruce Lee, but they have the philosophy that Bruce Lee was never able to really integrate into his films. There's something for both the head and heart.

My username is inspired by this amazing man, whose films captivated me as a child.

Good Top 10 article and biography: http://www.craveonline.com/film/articles/525749-the-top-10-lau-kar-leung-movies#/slide/1

http://youtu.be/WJbLRaMmGeo
http://youtu.be/LK8YasvH7Q4
http://youtu.be/Us2z_QihZy0

[wushuliu]

Another example and easily one of the best kung fu fights ever from The Martial Club. this link isn't subtitled but the context is two rivals trying to prove one is better than the other - Gordon Liu (baldy) showcases southern Hung Gar Five Animal style (Lau Kar's main style ) against Wang Lung Wei's Northern (?) techniuq and how Southern was developed to fight in close spaces (hence the shrinking alley). Gordon finishes with the Iron Wire technique (where seems to do the wiggly jazz hands) - looks silly but is a real form.

Again notice how the fight ends. The rival although a seeming bad guy, nevertheless is open enough to acknowledge he learned something, if only to himself. It's not just a fight scene for fighting's sake.

I won't lie though, this finale is the best part of the film. The rest is relatively boring. But what a finale. No tricks, no wires.

http://youtu.be/zFXdoV8nsaQ

[SoCalWJS]

Wow.... remember him from several movies. 



RIP

[shawbros3]

I grew up watching all of LKL's masterpieces and most that came out of Shawbros/Runrunshaw/Runmeshaw productions.  First it was every weekend with my Uncles and brothers at the local downtown Kung-Fu cinemas in Milwaukee, then when that went away I had to resort to Black Belt Cinemas and videotapes.  Those were one of the best times of my life and the spirit of that era still follows me to this day, hence my handle

RIP LKL

[Kenobi]

RIP Master LKL.  I too grew up on your Kung Fu flicks.  Thanks for leaving behind so many masterpieces for generations to come.

Kenobi