Special ID is a Action Movie which came out 2013 starring Donnie Yen as an under cover cop. The opening fight scene is one of my favorite fight scenes and I like his incorporation of ground fighting. It doesn't resemble the type of ground fighting commonly seen in sport fighting today. It goes along with my last post on Chinese ground fighting where many kicks, even jump kicks are incorporated from the ground. This is ground fighting much like what is demonstrated on my previous post in the movie "Leg Fighters." Here you will see Donnie Yen apply a lock, strikes and a jump kick from the ground. It is a good movie with some nice fight scenes. If you are looking for something to watch with action or just a Donnie Yen fan than check this movie out.

The Leg Fighters (南北腿王)
    I Started watching this Kung-Fu film and it just inspired me to get up and train. A 1980’S classic Kung-Fu Film. With the main character named Phoenix (Ha Kwong-Li) who seeks out a instructor to teach her Kung-Fu. She despises the harsh training of the first teacher and later has another teacher named Tan Hai-chi (Tao Liang-Tan). She learns northern leg fighting and later must deal with a Master of the ground kick coming after her new teacher to revenge the death of his brother.
    The film displays great leg skills and ground skills. Of coarse its a movie but it is one of the few that showcases Chinese ground fighting. Ground Fighting systems of northern China unlike what is known in the west today utilized a great deal of footwork, striking and sweeps from the ground. The Master of the ground kick displays this in the movie. They were able to move on the ground as swiftly as someone standing up. And such a fighter was deadly being able to sweep or break an opponents leg crippling the man and ending the fight. Or kicking the inside of the thigh to cause a massive blood clot, which could potentially kill the opponent. Over all Leg Fighters is a great film with some humor and very good fight scenes.

"American Kung Fu" is a tv show on the Sinovision network in the United Kingdom. A couple of episodes have been shown highlighting different Kung Fu masters who have devoted years of their life to teaching various styles of Kung-Fu. One of the episodes highlights my Shifu, Master Robert Thomas. Much of what I know and have learned I owe to him. A great teacher and friend.
I think it is great that there are such shows helping to give some traditional styles of martial arts exposure. There is just a big world of martial arts out there. And so many arts people have yet to see let alone even here of.

Below is a list of reasons I came up with for studying Kung-Fu. I thought back to what made me join a martial arts school and thought about my years of dedication. After 15 years why do I still study? What have I gotten out of the training? Here's my list!



1.     To learn self-defense 

2.     Self-confidence

3.     Self discipline

4.     To become/stay physically fit.

5.     Personal growth, improving on ones individual self.

6.     To reduce or eliminate stress.

7.     To reduce and control your weight.

8.     Improve concentration and focus.

9.     Improve on your own self-image.

10.  Learn to be coordinated physically and mentally.

11.  Self-control over ones body as well as emotions and not being short tempered.

12.  Learn to set goals.

13.  To learn a fun and challenging activity.

14.  Having a positive influence in your life.

15.  Learning aspects of Chinese Culture.

I was curious and put in Kung Fu Flow into youtube to see if anything came up. I found this video compilation of different martial art films. Watching it I almost jumped out of my seat and started to do some stuff myself. Just the thing I need to watch in the morning. It's the boost a Kung Fu man needs sometimes like a cup of Coffee or tea.

People say Traditional martial arts has been dying for quite some time. And Joel Fendelman talks just about that with his production of "Needle Through Brick". The struggle between traditional culture and the modern world. I do not feel Traditional martial arts will ever Die but it has come close to it. Martial arts in the United States for instance has gone through various stages. And there have been various fads. Karate had its time, Kung Fu, Kick boxing, Capoeira, Brazilian Jujitsu and now it's MMA and other military arts. So what will come next? Could be another art or just like within the fashion world trends go in evolving cycles. I believe there will come a time when Traditional arts will be revived. Hopefully there will be enough left to revive. I believe that at some point people will return to the source. Arts designed not just for fighting but to be full spectrum. Transforming a person mentally, physically and spiritually. Developing a person as a whole. Such things are mentioned in the documentary "A needle through brick."

Below is a link to the Indiewire article with the full length video at bottom.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/joel-fendelman-on-needle-through-brick-watch-it-now-free

The following is an interview with Jet Li recorded back in 2001 while in France filming for Kiss of the Dragon. It is a old video but one that not everyone knows about. If you are a Jet Li fan than you should see it. He talks about his life growing up, different roles he played, his views on martial arts today versus when he was growing up and more.

A great video on various Kung-Fu practitioners displaying various disciplines. You will see people demonstrate remarkable strength, power and speed. Most people I have seen train forms for competition, which are great. But Kung-Fu has a lot more than just pretty, flowery forms to offer. Here you see people of various Chinese Martial Art backgrounds doing incredible things.