# Have you seen The Prodigal Son?



## AceHBK (Sep 5, 2007)

I was at a local Asian movie store and I sat and talked to the owner for a good while.  We were talking about Donnie Yen movies and all Kung Fu movies in general and he pointed me towards the movie The Prodigal Son which was directed by Sammo.

It is probably the only movie where you will see WC performed and I must admit that I am very impressed.  I know we all know about "Movie Fu" but this movie got rave reviews for it's use of WC and I must say that if you have the chance you should definately watch it.

I also had a scene where Sammo explains how size makes a difference into how you use WC.  Watch both youtube links and share your comments.  I highly suggest this movie.  Rare you get to see a WC master & actor in a movie.  

I notice how when you look to see video clips of WC you see people showing how fast they are and nothing but chain punches but in this movie you see NO chain punches but you see how effective WC can be.

Review of the moview:
http://www.kungfucinema.com/reviews/prodigalson.htm

Youtube Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vNXx_NroOM&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsWfmxesPX8&mode=related&search=


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## terryl965 (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks For the links.


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## DaveyBoy (Sep 6, 2007)

The Prodigal Son is a wicked film and was one of the things that got me interested in learning Wing Chun in the first place.

If you like Prodigal Son then another great Wing Chun film I'd recommend watching is Warriors Two which also stars Sammo Hung. The story is based around money-changer Wah being introduced to Wing Chun by Sammo & ends with a pretty cool Wing Chun vs Mantis fight at the end. Gotta love the blindfolded chi sau scene as well....excellent tactics by Sammo that I'm looking forward to trying out in class


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## AceHBK (Sep 6, 2007)

DaveyBoy said:


> The Prodigal Son is a wicked film and was one of the things that got me interested in learning Wing Chun in the first place.
> 
> If you like Prodigal Son then another great Wing Chun film I'd recommend watching is Warriors Two which also stars Sammo Hung. The story is based around money-changer Wah being introduced to Wing Chun by Sammo & ends with a pretty cool Wing Chun vs Mantis fight at the end. Gotta love the blindfolded chi sau scene as well....excellent tactics by Sammo that I'm looking forward to trying out in class


 
I will admit the movie has now done the same for me.  It is rare to see a film showcase WC as well as other MA's as opposed to the usual Kung Fu and Karate that is always being shown.

I will definately check out that movie.

I just watched last night Legend of Twin Dragon aka Shuang Jong Li.  It is based after the Prodigal Son.  Yuen Biao instead of the pupil is now grown and has a son and refuses to teach his son WC for the same reasons Leung Ye Ti wouldn't teach him at first.  Sammo stars in it again to keep the lineage complete from the previous movie.  Kinda nice to see Yuen Biao and Sammo go at it again just like they did during the training part in the Prodigal Son.


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## fightingfat (Sep 6, 2007)

Warriors two is a great WC movie. There are some WC principles in this movie (Prodigal Son--which I love) especially in the training bit-- fook sau, juum sau etc, but isn't it largely just the usually wushuey dancey stuff they always do in these films???


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## KamonGuy2 (Sep 7, 2007)

I saw The Prodigal Son but wasn't too impressed. The wing chun is a little bit uneconomical, but it was passable. 

Warriors Two is better and I love the whole fighting multiple dummies idea, that was funny. 

Did anyone catch the sneaky wing chun moves in 'Shooter'. The bit where an agent puts him against the wall and Mark Wahlberg fak saos him in the throat and then stamp kicks him....

A little while ago, one of our students (fairly well known scriptwriter) was making a movie and wanted some of the Kamon students to be in it, which would have been cool. I think there was a film called Brighton Rock going round about wing chunners vs. ninjas, but can't seem to find it.

Happy hunting


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## Bumblebee (Sep 7, 2007)

I saw The Prodigal Son a few years back.  So in the movie, Wing Chun, they aren't doing Wing Chun?


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## KamonGuy2 (Sep 10, 2007)

Bumblebee said:


> I saw The Prodigal Son a few years back. So in the movie, Wing Chun, they aren't doing Wing Chun?


 
Well, it's not very good wing chun, let's put it that way!! The moves are too flowery and it's more wushu than wing chun. I think the trouble is that wing chun is a bit boring to look at unless you are fighting a lot of people (ie one punch can sometimes be enough). If you think of Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon, a lot of the moves there were wing chun based


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## Bumblebee (Sep 10, 2007)

Right, because Bruce Lee's base is Wing Chun.  So what about the Bruce Lee films then?  Wouldn't that be Wing Chun in a film?


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## AceHBK (Sep 11, 2007)

Bumblebee said:


> Right, because Bruce Lee's base is Wing Chun. So what about the Bruce Lee films then? Wouldn't that be Wing Chun in a film?


 
Nah I wouldn't consider Bruce Lee films to be WC..they would be JKD.  He had alreayd developed JKD and was naturally using it rather than str8 WC.

And yeah the movie WC with Donnie yen and Michelle Yeoh is just flowery stuff as Kamon said.  Lets not forget Michelle Yeoh doesn't know MA.


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## KamonGuy2 (Sep 12, 2007)

Hmmm, well a lot of Enter The Dragon involves wing chun. 

Despite forming JKD, his duel with Ohara in the film involves pak sao which is wing chun. His use of the pole is wing chun. 

The trouble is - a lot of wing chun is in JKD! So its hard to say. 

I know that in Way of The Dragon, he uses strict wing chun in his fight with Chuck Norris. He gets beat a bit and then comes back with JKD

I just love Brucies exposive energy, whether people question his fighting or not, his movement and positioning is exceptional


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## brocklee (Sep 12, 2007)

Kamon Guy said:


> Hmmm, well a lot of Enter The Dragon involves wing chun.
> 
> Despite forming JKD, his duel with Ohara in the film involves pak sao which is wing chun. His use of the pole is wing chun.
> 
> ...



absolutely true   A lot of the top portion is WC


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## KamonGuy2 (Sep 12, 2007)

They are apparently remaking Enter The Dragon as well!!!


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## CheukMo (Sep 14, 2007)

I own both "Prodigal Son" and "Warriors Two".  "Warriors Two" is the better of the two movies, although I like both.   

Bruce, as mentioned before, used Wing Chun in his movies (and in JKD) because it was his foundation.  There are Wing Chun techniques and JKD techniques in his films.  The fight scene with O'Hara (Bob Wall) was based around the way he taught pak sau, lop sau, etc to his students in the Jeet Kune Do unorthodox or strong hand forward lead.  Bruce's punching and trapping had Wing Chun as the core, only with the changed stance and foot work.


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## AceHBK (Sep 17, 2007)

I was thinking only the fight with O'hara was really it.  I also totally forgot the movie he did with Chuck Norris.

I came across old clip on youtube of Bruce Lee doing chi sao and other stuff and forgot how fast he moved.


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