What"s Your Moral

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Forum
1

Although Kung Fu movies are a far cry from reality and with all the wires sped up scenes and 1 man taking on 20, its hard to get any reality out of them.
In my opinions they do teach alot of fundamental thoughts and morals.
For instance-(the easy one) At the beginning of “Enter the Dragon” Bruce Leee shows a very hard tree with the tops covered with snow, and it breaks and dies(so to speak). He also shows harsh winds blowing on another tree that just flexes in the wind, it does not break.
This teaches us tha in order to survive, we too must be like the tree in the wind and adapt and be supple. Yin and Yang. Firmness with flexibility.

What are some other “morals” or “hidden messages” you have seen in kung fu movies?

Shaolin36

2

Hmm.
To be honest I think “moral” aspects of stories have gone down a great deal in martial art movies, especially where Jet Li is involved. No offense to his fans.

If I had to answer this question I’d post my own scripts and stories that I have personally written :smiley:

(yeah so it’s a plug, big deal)

Ryu

“One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage.”

3

Not hidden but

I like in Fist of Legend when Funakoshi(sp?) tells Chen Zhen that martial arts are for maximizing the body’s energy and the best way to beat an opponent is with a gun and warns him about the gerneral, his I think neice says “aren’t you the best in Japan” Then Chen Zhen says “when they say he is the best they are talking about his cultivation”

Morals and philosophy etc…have been mostly taken out of the english dubbed films

New classes New online Catalog
www.shaolindynasty.cjb.net

4

In Tai Chi master, Junbo assumes he can beat Jet Li(forgot his movie name) and make him subdue.

This teaches us never to underestimate the opponent.

5

I always appreciated the moral of Bruce Lee’s pictures (Chinese Connection, Fist of Fury, Return of the Dragon)…violence leads to loneliness and prison.

“She ain’t got no muscles in her teeth.”

  • Cat
6

For the record, when I mentioned Jet Li I was talking more about the films with an American bent then his old old stuff. But there’s a few of his I really don’t like.

:smiley: I’m gonna give him a wedgie.

I did like Bruce’s conclusions when it came to that. Bruce always ended up in prison, dead, or alone. It became a tragic thing to be violent, not glorious.

But I’m sure some don’t see it like that :smiley:

Ryu

“One who takes pride in shallow knowledge or understanding is like a monkey who delights in adorning itself with garbage.”

7

In most Kungfu movies…

Be the good guy. You’ll live longer. Unless your the black guy.

“Damn it’s cold out here to be practicing.”

8

1.Drink lots of wine and you’ll never lose a fight.
2.After your master dies you’ll work at your style alot harder so you can get revenge.
3.Revenge is a good thing.

9

Mojo - LOL!!!

10

Kung Fu Movies are hardly the place to be looking for moral code or ethics. I found that in reading good books and having many good people in my life to be all the spiritual/Moral guidence I need.

Take everything with a grain of salt.
What is good for one is not alyays the same for another.
dont Sh1t where you eat.

But most importantly treat others how you would like to be treated.

“Life’s a great adventure, mate.”
Jacko Jackson

11

I almost forgot these..

4.If someone insults your honor, kill them.
5.It’s easy to catch darts when they’re secretly throw at you.

12

You almost forgot:
If you do one finger zen before a fight, you can kill anybody.

13

It seems to me that a lot of kungfu movies seem to really be more about hidden political commentaries than out and out “moral codes”. If you have seen “Dragon Inn” you probably know exactly what I mean, for a heavy example.

We are trained in wushu; we must protect the Temple!

14

another forgotten one:

if 20 guys are picking on a helpless old man, kill them all with your large inventory of weopons (nunchucks, bo, enscrima sticks, tiger hooks, throwing darts, sais, swords, canons, ect. ect.)

where do they get them all?!? :confused:

“United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”

15

“Circle of Iron” is one long fable from beginning to end.

“Tie two birds together, though they have four wings they cannot fly”

“I looked in ‘the book’ (all mirrors) . . . [and I saw] EVERYTHING”.

“There is no enlightenment outside yourself”.

“Man is born to love”.

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do not believe in the natural goodness and charity of man. Unless, of course, they are the good guy

“Damned be the day that befalls us in a most hostile manner that shall compromise our Country, and damned be the great lengths at which are required of to stir our Patriotism.” - Anonymous

17

Not every talkie has all the morals that might be in every Kung-Fu film. Here are some things that can be gotten from at least one Kung-Fu talkie.

We must do our part and help one-another.

Helping others not live bad lives is more important than Life, or is the point of living.

People don’t know people; people only know reputation. To be a good person, be Respected.

People who don’t know better, will believe what you say if you speak with confidence.

Always be polite and courteous.

People who want to believe, what they want to believe, aren’t worth talking to.

If you want to test your skill, be merciful.

Be respectful/fearful/mindful/cautious of those in authority.

Rules don’t matter if you lose; win, but not at any cost.

Honor your debts.

Respect your elders.

What you are looking for might be in the least likely places—don’t put anyone down, they might could help you, or at least it’s bad to make enemies (they might be stronger than you know).

People might try to deceive you. Know what you’re about. Don’t be distracted.

Teachers are to be treated with the greatest of Respect. Earn their Know-how with patience (tolerance) and constant hard-work (diligence)…

Not all of this was moral, each can be found in at least one Kung-Fu talkie (not the same one).

Very some such, perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

18

some wisdom i’ve gleaned…

Passionate kiss like spider’s web, soon lead to undoing of fly.
Virginity like bubble, one p r i c k all gone.
Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day.
Foolish man give wife grand piano, wise man give wife upright organ.
Man who scratches ass should not bite fingernails.
Man who eat many prunes get good run for money.
Baseball is wrong, man with four balls cannot walk.

:wink:

In mildness is the strength of steel

19

things i have learned from kung fu movies

from, The Buddhist Fist:
Buddha spent a lot of time practicing kung fu.
Beware of little boys bearing sweet potatoes as gifts.
Old kung fu masters are kept tethered to priceless works of art as a sort of cheap security system.
Don’t nod off in the barber’s chair.
Sometimes Chess requires kung fu.
Buddha frowns on people who steal potatoes.
Knowing how to fight with a bamboo pole is great, unless the other guy is using a steel polearm.
Old kung fu masters rock.
Even in a language with thousands of unique characters spelling mistakes can happen.

from, Drunken Wutang:
Kung Fu defies all laws of physics, Einstein knew E=whatever the Shaolin monks decide.
Paper is a terrific insulator against fire.
Fat women fight by spinning or falling on you.
Asian girls say, “I want to cuddle.” instead of, “Hump my brains out.” but the result is the same.
Ladies: don’t have sex in your deceased husband’s tomb with the new boyfriend.
Getting a wine gourd jammed up your ass hurts.
Wearing a ***** suit does not increase your fighting prowess and is likely to result in bodily harm.
Kung Fu requires ventriloquism.
People need their teeth in the afterlife.
Alcoholics never make it as wine tasters.
The Devil is susceptible to being smacked with 4X4’s. (As in a piece of wood.)

from Flying Guillotine:
When the boss is angry with you try repeatedly smacking your head against the ground, cheers him up every time.
Avoid areas where people wearing blindfolds practice throwing sharp objects.
The pole vault was invented by Chinese guards deserting from unjust governments.
Wanted posters were less useful before photography.
Don’t teach your kids how to walk in the middle of a road.
In feudal China stealing a baby would instantly attract a mob of angry farmers with hoes.
Swords can be thrown like spears.

from Kung Fu of 8 Drunkards:
Never crouch over broken pottery.
Drunken Shoalin monks make pretty good teachers.
Men’s ponytails become erect when seeing a pretty girl. (This is why we get sex ed in high school.)
Getting beat up by a drunk is pretty embarrassing.
A woman’s Kung Fu punches sound like rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together.
Kung Fu flicks should not contain a synthesized version of “Dixie Land.”
There is a powerful form of Kung Fu in which you scratch your opponent to death.
Never stick your hand through your daughter.

from Ol’ Dirty Kung Fu:
Suicide should be committed in the nude.
Wine gourds are indistinguishable from breasts.
“Crazy Monkey” style involves screaming like a chimpanzee given an enema.
Never punch a tree.
Corn is a powerful weapon when used in martial arts.
Apples also make good fake breasts.
Don’t let some bald guy using “Iron Head” pound on your chest with his head.
Heads cracking open look suspiciously like watermelons thrown against rocks.
Noodles can be used like nunchucks.
Bald heads are slippery.

  • I bet a funny thing about driving a car off a cliff is, while you’re in midair, you still hit those brakes! Hey, better try the emergency brake!
20

from I think Iron Monkey or one of those

If you can’t stand it, don’t!

Mafuyee, those were funny I loved Drunken Wu tang (aka toaism drunkard) You gotta see Holy Flame of the Martial World and also Black Magic, both Shaw Bros.