KungFuCinema
@kungfucinema.bsky.social
Main interests: traditional Chinese internal martial arts and kung fu movies. While writing for kungfucinema.com 2002-2011, I researched the history of kung fu films dating back to the 1920s. Also got to interview a lot of cool people.
Pinned
Hello Bluesky! My interests are Chinese martial arts and kung fu cinema. Here’s a photo that sums it all up: my Sigong 師公 Grandmaster Fu Wing Fei practicing xing yi with my Dai Siheng 大師兄 Donnie Yen circa 1970. Photo courtesy of Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark. #kungfu #kungfucinema #donnieyen
2/ Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark was famous for her flexibility. I remember these drills. Her American students would be in agony while she just smiled. She always said, "It's better to be miserable now than when you're old!" #bowsimmark #kungfu
February 20, 2025 at 11:41 PM
2/ Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark was famous for her flexibility. I remember these drills. Her American students would be in agony while she just smiled. She always said, "It's better to be miserable now than when you're old!" #bowsimmark #kungfu
1/ My Sifu, Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark, opened her first school in Boston in 1976. The Chinese Wushu Research Institute taught both contemporary wushu and traditional kung fu. Many of the thousands of students who passed through those doors went on to teach around the world. #bowsimmark #kungfu
February 20, 2025 at 11:13 PM
1/ My Sifu, Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark, opened her first school in Boston in 1976. The Chinese Wushu Research Institute taught both contemporary wushu and traditional kung fu. Many of the thousands of students who passed through those doors went on to teach around the world. #bowsimmark #kungfu
Actress Yam Yin's youngest brother was Yen Shi-Kwan, who also made a name for himself in kung fu cinema. He's best known for playing the villainous monk in Donnie Yen's Iron Monkey. Here's a clip from the astounding climactic fight from that movie. #kungfucinema
Baddest Fight Scenes EVER! - Iron Monkey - Final Scene
YouTube video by Best Fight Scenes
www.youtube.com
February 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Actress Yam Yin's youngest brother was Yen Shi-Kwan, who also made a name for himself in kung fu cinema. He's best known for playing the villainous monk in Donnie Yen's Iron Monkey. Here's a clip from the astounding climactic fight from that movie. #kungfucinema
Kung fu actress Yam Yin was the daughter of director Yam Yu-tin, a Shanghai veteran who moved to Hong Kong in the 1930s, after martial arts films were banned by the Nationalist government. This flyer is for Yam Yu-tin's The Twenty-four Brave Ones (江湖廿四俠 1950), starring his daughter. #kungfucinema
February 17, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Kung fu actress Yam Yin was the daughter of director Yam Yu-tin, a Shanghai veteran who moved to Hong Kong in the 1930s, after martial arts films were banned by the Nationalist government. This flyer is for Yam Yu-tin's The Twenty-four Brave Ones (江湖廿四俠 1950), starring his daughter. #kungfucinema
The kung fu actress Yam Yin (任燕) is almost forgotten now, but she appeared in almost 150 films between 1948 and 1970. She was best known as a regular performer in the Kwan Tai-hing series about the hero #WongFei-hung. She also worked with pioneering kung fu director Ren Pengnian. #kungfucinema
February 17, 2025 at 8:56 PM
The kung fu actress Yam Yin (任燕) is almost forgotten now, but she appeared in almost 150 films between 1948 and 1970. She was best known as a regular performer in the Kwan Tai-hing series about the hero #WongFei-hung. She also worked with pioneering kung fu director Ren Pengnian. #kungfucinema
Reposting a link to Donnie Yen's Spring Festival Gala performance. The older link no longer works.
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
CMG Spring Festival Gala celebrates the artistry of calligraphy, martial arts
YouTube video by CGTN
www.youtube.com
January 30, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposting a link to Donnie Yen's Spring Festival Gala performance. The older link no longer works.
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
Big Brother Donnie Yen performed for the 2025 CCTV New Year Gala last night in China! 恭喜发财!
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
回看：【4K】中央广播电视总台2025年春节联欢晚会 The 2025 CMG Spring Festival Gala
YouTube video by CCTV春晚
www.youtube.com
January 28, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Big Brother Donnie Yen performed for the 2025 CCTV New Year Gala last night in China! 恭喜发财!
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
#donnieyen #kungfucinema
2/ Here's a clip from Wong Fei-hung Seizes the Bride at Xiguan (1958). Kwan Tak-hing, Shek Kin, Tso Tat-wah, and series regular Lau Cham, father of kung fu director Lau Kar-leung, are in this scene. Lau Cham plays the matchmaker (cross-dressed as a woman) as part of a ruse to stop a forced wedding.
Clip from Wong Fei-hung Seizes the Bride at Xiguan (1958)
YouTube video by yusochau
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2025 at 7:32 PM
2/ Here's a clip from Wong Fei-hung Seizes the Bride at Xiguan (1958). Kwan Tak-hing, Shek Kin, Tso Tat-wah, and series regular Lau Cham, father of kung fu director Lau Kar-leung, are in this scene. Lau Cham plays the matchmaker (cross-dressed as a woman) as part of a ruse to stop a forced wedding.
1/ The longest-running Hong Kong kung fu movie series consists of almost 80 films depicting the life of martial hero Wong Fei-hung. From 1949 to 1970, Kwan Tak-hing portrayed Wong, usually with Shek Kin as the villain and Tso Tat-wah as Wong's student.
#kungfucinema #wongfeihung #shekkin
#kungfucinema #wongfeihung #shekkin
January 20, 2025 at 7:23 PM
1/ The longest-running Hong Kong kung fu movie series consists of almost 80 films depicting the life of martial hero Wong Fei-hung. From 1949 to 1970, Kwan Tak-hing portrayed Wong, usually with Shek Kin as the villain and Tso Tat-wah as Wong's student.
#kungfucinema #wongfeihung #shekkin
#kungfucinema #wongfeihung #shekkin
Shek Kin (Shih Kien 石堅, 1913-2009) appeared in over 500 movies, but is best known for his role as Mr Han in Enter the Dragon. Here's a prize from my collection: an autographed photo!
#shekkin #kungfucinema
#shekkin #kungfucinema
January 16, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Shek Kin (Shih Kien 石堅, 1913-2009) appeared in over 500 movies, but is best known for his role as Mr Han in Enter the Dragon. Here's a prize from my collection: an autographed photo!
#shekkin #kungfucinema
#shekkin #kungfucinema
I just saw, and loved, Donnie Yen's new movie The Prosecutor! His old friends in Boston are so proud. Here's a pic from his Mom's school circa 1980. Hong Kong superstar Shek Kin (Mr Han in Enter the Dragon) visited us. That's Donnie in the front row. Past and future movie greatness!
#donnieyen
#donnieyen
January 16, 2025 at 10:15 PM
I just saw, and loved, Donnie Yen's new movie The Prosecutor! His old friends in Boston are so proud. Here's a pic from his Mom's school circa 1980. Hong Kong superstar Shek Kin (Mr Han in Enter the Dragon) visited us. That's Donnie in the front row. Past and future movie greatness!
#donnieyen
#donnieyen
These images are all from my collection. I see them reproduced in many places now, probably because I posted them on kungfucinema.com 15-20 years ago when I wrote the Electric Shadows blog. I’ll be posting more new images here as I catalogue my collection. For now, enjoy this overview.
Electric Shadows: the Secret History of Kung Fu Movies
YouTube video by yusochau
m.youtube.com
January 10, 2025 at 9:12 PM
These images are all from my collection. I see them reproduced in many places now, probably because I posted them on kungfucinema.com 15-20 years ago when I wrote the Electric Shadows blog. I’ll be posting more new images here as I catalogue my collection. For now, enjoy this overview.
The early kung fu actress Wu Lizhu 邬丽珠 (1907-1978) continued to make action films with her husband Ren Pengnian until she was in her 50s. She also liked to wear men’s clothes, apparently because she preferred the freedom of movement they allowed. R: Wu Lizhu circa 1932. L: Wu Lizhu around 1960.
January 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
The early kung fu actress Wu Lizhu 邬丽珠 (1907-1978) continued to make action films with her husband Ren Pengnian until she was in her 50s. She also liked to wear men’s clothes, apparently because she preferred the freedom of movement they allowed. R: Wu Lizhu circa 1932. L: Wu Lizhu around 1960.
Kung fu cinema is much older than most people imagine. The earliest Chinese filmmaker to use martial arts was Ren Pengnian 任彭年(1894-1968), a Shanghai director who relocated to Hong Kong in the 1930s. His films often starred his wife, Wu Lizhu 邬丽珠, seen here in his 1941 film The Lady in Combat.
January 10, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Kung fu cinema is much older than most people imagine. The earliest Chinese filmmaker to use martial arts was Ren Pengnian 任彭年(1894-1968), a Shanghai director who relocated to Hong Kong in the 1930s. His films often starred his wife, Wu Lizhu 邬丽珠, seen here in his 1941 film The Lady in Combat.
This beautiful alternative poster is from Donnie Yen’s 1985 breakdancing movie Mismatched Couples. Image courtesy of Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark. #DonnieYen #BowSimMark #kungfucinema
December 24, 2024 at 2:47 PM
This beautiful alternative poster is from Donnie Yen’s 1985 breakdancing movie Mismatched Couples. Image courtesy of Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark. #DonnieYen #BowSimMark #kungfucinema
In 1985, Donnie Yen was featured on a Boston TV news program (see previous post). Here he is at his mother’s school, demonstrating jump kicks for the camera. Master Bow Sim Mark and her students can be seen in the background of the photo on the right. #DonnieYen #BowSimMark #kungfucinema
December 23, 2024 at 10:34 PM
In 1985, Donnie Yen was featured on a Boston TV news program (see previous post). Here he is at his mother’s school, demonstrating jump kicks for the camera. Master Bow Sim Mark and her students can be seen in the background of the photo on the right. #DonnieYen #BowSimMark #kungfucinema
Donnie Yen on Boston TV in 1985 (see previous post). #donnieyen #kungfucinema
Donnie Yen on Boston TV 1985
YouTube video by Bow Sim Mark Tai Chi Arts
m.youtube.com
December 22, 2024 at 6:40 PM
Donnie Yen on Boston TV in 1985 (see previous post). #donnieyen #kungfucinema
Boston Chinatown, 1985. That’s a young Donnie Yen on the steps of the Star Cinema with me. He had just made Mismatched Couples, his breakdancing movie, and was shooting a news segment for a local TV station. (See next post for video.) Yes, he’s always been a stylish dude. #donnieyen #kungfucinema
December 22, 2024 at 6:38 PM
Boston Chinatown, 1985. That’s a young Donnie Yen on the steps of the Star Cinema with me. He had just made Mismatched Couples, his breakdancing movie, and was shooting a news segment for a local TV station. (See next post for video.) Yes, he’s always been a stylish dude. #donnieyen #kungfucinema
My obsession with kung fu movies began in 1978, when I got a job working in a Boston Chinatown movie theater, the Star Cinema on Essex St. It was a big old vaudeville theater turned into a double-screen grindhouse, shabby & right on the fringe of the Combat Zone. But the movies were magical!
December 21, 2024 at 9:32 PM
My obsession with kung fu movies began in 1978, when I got a job working in a Boston Chinatown movie theater, the Star Cinema on Essex St. It was a big old vaudeville theater turned into a double-screen grindhouse, shabby & right on the fringe of the Combat Zone. But the movies were magical!
This account will document my latest project: cataloging my collection of kung fu movie memorabilia assembled over the past 45 years. I’ll also post personal memories, like this one from 1982, when I performed with Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark at an event on Cape Cod. #bowsimmark #donnieyen #kungfu
December 7, 2024 at 1:33 PM
This account will document my latest project: cataloging my collection of kung fu movie memorabilia assembled over the past 45 years. I’ll also post personal memories, like this one from 1982, when I performed with Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark at an event on Cape Cod. #bowsimmark #donnieyen #kungfu
Hello Bluesky! My interests are Chinese martial arts and kung fu cinema. Here’s a photo that sums it all up: my Sigong 師公 Grandmaster Fu Wing Fei practicing xing yi with my Dai Siheng 大師兄 Donnie Yen circa 1970. Photo courtesy of Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark. #kungfu #kungfucinema #donnieyen
December 3, 2024 at 9:39 PM
Hello Bluesky! My interests are Chinese martial arts and kung fu cinema. Here’s a photo that sums it all up: my Sigong 師公 Grandmaster Fu Wing Fei practicing xing yi with my Dai Siheng 大師兄 Donnie Yen circa 1970. Photo courtesy of Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark. #kungfu #kungfucinema #donnieyen