| The era of the ultimate and real gung fu was about | | | | Among his masterpieces, and I will name three here, |
| 1975 to 1985, give or take a few years. Of course, the | | | | was The Master Killer, also known as Thirty Six |
| time period could probably include the time period of | | | | Chambers of Death. Mr. Liu always played endearing |
| 1985 to 1995, because that is when those movies hit | | | | fools, tilting at windmills, who, through Kung Fu, came |
| the late night TV circuit. And, of course, chop sockies | | | | out on top. The Master Killer was his entry into the |
| forever, because we can now get them on Amazon, | | | | field, and it shoved him right to the top. |
| though we should make sure it is a clean copy and | | | | One of his early master pieces was Return to the |
| that we have a good DVD player. | | | | 36th Chamber, where he plays, surprise of surprises, |
| One could make argument that Bruce Lee provided | | | | an endearing fool. The plot is far reaching, the acting is |
| the first chop sockie, and they wouldn't be wrong, for | | | | non existent, but the idea that one can learn kung fu |
| his movies started the flood of kung fu flicks in | | | | from the common tasks of life is incredible. And, when |
| America. The first real chop sockie, however, would | | | | our bumbling fool returns to his hometown, he is thinking |
| have to be Five Fingers of Death, with the incredible | | | | life is rotten, only to find out what those sinister monks |
| Lo Lieh. Lo Lieh, who jammed his broken fingers into | | | | have done to him...well, the phrase 'I Do Know Kung Fu' |
| cauldrons of red hot iron filings until he could have his | | | | becomes a clarion call and inspiration to all kung fu |
| revenge. | | | | students everywhere. |
| The main chop sockie movie maker, though there | | | | My favorite of Gordon Liu's movies is called Fists of |
| were hundreds of movie makers, would be the Shaw | | | | the White Lotus. Our endearing fool is betrayed, |
| Brothers. They churned out thousands of the things, | | | | practices for ten years so he can have revenge, only |
| and they convinced the world that if you had an idea | | | | to find out that the bad guy has also had ten years to |
| and believed in yourself, you could learn gung fu. The | | | | practice. This movie inspired Bak Mei of Kill Bill fame |
| main man of Shaw Brothers was a young actor name | | | | (played by Gordon Liu) and far outshadows such well |
| of Gordon Liu. | | | | meaning epics as Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger and that |
| Gordon Liu knew real hung gar gung fu, and rumor has | | | | ilk. |
| it he was adopted into a family of movie maker kung | | | | The originals movies, you see, provide innocence and |
| fu-ists. One brother was the director of his magnificent | | | | inspiration that are undeniable. You want to learn the |
| masterworks, and the other brother was involved with | | | | real stuff of gung fu? Go find these movies, be |
| the stunt work in those movies. I think that was the | | | | inspired, and live life the way real heroes live it. |
| way they worked their magic. | | | | |