I lost the magic of kung fu

[r.(shaolin)]

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The western market, the US specifically, played a really minor role in the
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Although Bruce Lee was popular in Hong Kong before his role in the Green Hornet it was after Bruce Lee became an international star, that Chinese martial arts became popular internationally.


Underground to over-ground is very much part of how American consumer cultural has worked since the 50's. Having said that, keep in mind that in 1973 Fists of Fury, Deep Thrust - the Hands of Death and Five Fingers of Death were listed in Variety as top box office draws - not too shabby. This would not have happened with out great success of the TV series both the 'Green Hornet' and 'Kung Fu'.

Through Bruce Lee's role in Green Hornet via the TV series 1966-67 and the comics (Green Hornet comics included bios and background on kung fu), many people in the west (including my self) were first exposed to the Chinese martial arts. If you look at the dates you will notice that most of the internationalization of Hong Kong cinema took place the 1970's. I think that includes India and Indonesia etc. Bruce Lee became know there after his successful exposure in the US.

Kwan Tak Hing on the other hand, although big in Hong Kong long before Bruce Lee, did not have any impact on the internationalization of kung-fu.

In-spite of the PR spin that Shaolin monks have made the name famous through out the world, it was generations of lay students, lay schools organization and secular writers that have kept the name alive over the centuries. In more recent times it has been the entertainment industries both Asian and Western that accounts for much of the success Shaolin is experiencing.
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YinYang Dagger wrote:
LOL BM - Every movie you named I thought SUCKED.
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Although I agree the kung fu series was a caricature of Shaolin, it also had a positive side. Unlike the 'bloody action" of the Hong Kong kung fu movies, (parodied in the Kill Bill movies) Kung fu presented a 'peace and brotherhood'
side of the martial arts. There was no spurting blood in the series. Villains were subdued and rarely killed.
r.