Oct 16 Bruce Lee or David Carradine?

In a recent conversation, someone said that we all have to thank Bruce Lee for the massive popularity of Martial Arts in the west, those of us around in the early seventies remember the tremendous impact that the "little dragon" had in popularising the hitherto little known arts of Kung Fu and Karate.  But then exactly what was it that he popularised?

His films were based around revenge and bone crunching violence.  To this day students still arrive at our doors having watched Bruce snap necks like twiglets and swear revenge on people who have killed or performed dastardly deeds on his nearest and dearest.  Those who don’t arrive at our doors think that he was (and still is) the epitome and pinnacle of Martial Arts training.

In hindsight, I think that he probably performed the biggest disservice ever to the Martial Arts.  I am not privy to what went on his mind or what his ambitions were, I only know that he popularised violence in the Martial Arts and we now have to overcome that image to be able to demonstrate how useful their study can be in areas other than revenge and invading islands single handed.

Bruce included lip service to the philosophical aspects of the arts in his writings and also recognised what he was doing in his films excusing the violence with scenes like the one at his sisters graveside saying that she would “not agree with what he was about to do” (murder and mayhem) and asking the MI5 guy why it had to be him and why not just send in the army to take Han’s island etc.  

On the other hand, David Carradine in the original “Kung Fu” series popularised the philosophy underlying the arts and taught that practitioners were peaceful and also healers.  His techniques may have left a lot to be desired but his philosophy prompted many on to higher spiritual pursuits.

I would put Steven Segal into the same category as Bruce Lee, filling his films with mindless violence.  I remember all the pre film hype of his being a member of the CIA and having worked covert on dangerous missions etc.  His “save the environment” movies just didn’t cut it for me, they seemed just like a different “trendy” theme for reproducing the same successful movie formula.

Van Damme was a product of adventure movies and really never had a Martial Arts message, he was just a classic Chuck Norris “extra patch in the groin” trouser wearer and pleased the ladies.

Talking of Chuck, he eventually tried to put the Martial Arts into the old fashioned “John Wayne” type of hero image and respect to him for trying, but he also made some “violence for the sake of it” movies that really didn’t help.  

At least “Mortal Kombat” and the “Power Rangers” are fought in magical and spiritual realms representing the battle taking place in ourselves and doesn’t contain the unnecessary and revengeful violence perpetrated by the hero.  Jackie Chan has the self effacing humour and plays an excellent hero in a “Harold Lloyd” sort of way.  I notice that Sammo Hung uses the same strategy in his series “Martial Law”.  (In the week that I’m writing this the “Mortal Kombat” episode was based on “be careful what your dreams and aspirations are because your may become locked in them and therefore lack clarity and reality” – an excellently written episode.)  

I wonder what would have happened without Bruce Lee?  Of course it’s impossible to speculate and something worse might have happened, the Martial Arts may even have died out, even the “Kung Fu” series was one of his ideas, so we can’t deny his influence or even imagine the Martial Arts world without it.  However, there is so much cultural deep wisdom contained within them that I would like to have thought that the good principles would have gradually spread and integrated into society in a much better fashion without the “Karate Chop” hype. 

Even the first Japanese Karate Sensei that came to the west were influenced by it demonstrating their power by breaking bricks and boards, defending against multiple attackers with spectacular but totally unrealistic techniques and of course, the classic “chair defence”…. 

There is one senior Japanese Sensei who must have winced with embarrassment at the memory of some sort of “Kung Fuey” crisps that had a television advertisement with him chopping boards and bursting through a paper screen with a parody of the Japanese Karateka.  In the middle of all that hype it seemed funny, but in hindsight……..

I can also remember in the ’70s having cupboards full of the obnoxious smelling “Hai Karate” aftershave given to me by well meaning friends and relatives……..

The spread of Martial Arts in the UK certainly owed much to the media industry, with their promotion of the spectacular and then calls for its control with headlines like the “Karate Chop” murders.  Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, the government classified it as “sport” in the financial sense and left control to the Sports Council who had about as much chance of effecting control as King Canute had with the waves of the sea….

Many Instructors are doing their best to combat this misunderstanding and work at a local level improving the emotional, mental and physical well being of all groups in society including socially excluded youngsters, people with all kinds of disabilities and work hand in hand with local care groups.  The highest form of Martial Arts is the ability to get these people functioning happily in society teaching patience, tolerance compassion and the role of self responsibility their own well being.

I love the movies and television.  Teaching nightly in a full time Dojo I am acutely aware of the effect that the media has on prospective students and the view of society in general.  We have worked hard in our local community development but still get opposition from people whose only view comes from the one eyed monster in the corner of their front room and the “sad rag” newspapers.  – It’s strange to think that all that hype came from just one “little dragon” with ambition in the movies…….

Steve Rowe

Steve Rowe is a highly successful Martial Arts instructor - an International Neigong, Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher and an 8th Dan Karate with many other senior dan grades in other martial disciplines.

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