famous and kicking

[hapki-bujutsu]

Of all the martial arts stars out there who is your favorites?

Of always been partial as are most bruce lee films. I also like a not so well known richard norton. He seems to play the heavey more often then not but he seems like the real deal.

 

[pknox]

Jackie Chan is of course phenomenal to watch, even though he is not considered by some to be a "real martial artist", as he supposedly doesn't study a particular style. Either way, very athletic and graceful. I loved Jeff Speakman in Perfect Weapon - a great flick, and an amazing artist. It must be amazing to be able to move like that. Also, although he is known for acting outside of the martial arts genre as well, you've got to love Toshiro Mifune of The Seven Samurai and Miyamoto Musashi fame, as well as many other films. The man was the epitome of graceful movement, and always reminded me of a cat when he was fighting. Some of the swordfights in his films are just unreal. Get his flicks on DVD if you can -- that way you can watch some of the scenes frame-by-frame.

 

[hapki-bujutsu]

the guy in the transporter was very cool. Anyone know what style he was doing? It looked like shotokan mixed a few other things.

 

[hapki-bujutsu]

i want to add w. snypes too. I know he is not listed as a m.a. actor but some of his movies are done real well. What he does can't be faked that well. he must have somthing of a m.a. background.

 

[NYCRonin]

Why dont you do a 'search' on MR. Snipes?
You will find that he has legitimate ranking in the arts -- unlike other 'actors' who would like to have others believe they do.
Shakespeare had it right: "All the worlds a stage...".

 

[hapki-bujutsu]

i figured he was. You can always tell the fakes becasue they way they make themselves look good is threw trying to make others look bad like they did with steves seagul a while back then took it back later. The true martial artist knows his art speakes for itself.
as ed parker said make you line bigger don't try to make the other shorter.

 

[NYCRonin]

Seagal?
Actually, few ever questioned his background -- it is easy to verify. What ticked people off were his 'hinted' claims to the CIA/Spec.F community and the time he spent in Vietnam. All unture -- and the real MA/Spec.F community knew it. All hype.
We will not even discuss his abondonment of his wife and child in Japan to chase an American starlet back to the USA and work his way into the movies.
Now, he believes he is a Tulku - a reincarnation of an ancient Tibetan holy man.
No one ever claimed he did not have a place in the hierarchy of legitimate Aikido -- it was the manufactured hype and baloney (and his less than ethical background) that tarnished his star i the MA community.
I actually liked most of his early movies.

 

[MartialArtsChic]

I always liked Brandon Lee in the few movies that he was able to do.

I also always enjoyed Chuck Norris flicks and his TV show.

 

[hapki-bujutsu]

for those who have been in the martial arts as long as i have will remmeber bob wall and 11 other called him out saying he was a fake and a phoney who couldn't fight for beans. I still have all my old black belts for the 80's and have the articles where all this took place. They really said nasty stuff about him being nothing more then a phoney later they all pulled back except wall. he just went to the no comment speal.

 

[NYCRonin]

MAChick
Bruce Lee's movies were, of course; landmarks in the genere. Brandons movies were becoming progressionally better - himas an actor, the production values and the scripts. Bruce was a martial artist who was a fine actor, Brandon was a fine actor who, according to an interview with inosanto; was destined to inherit the JKD leadership.
They both left too few movies - both left fine work behind. Brandons work in The Crow was a milestone, as was his fathers work in "Enter...".
When Bruce left us - I resolved that,one day; I would visit his final resting place and pay my respects to all he ment to me...to us.
Then, so few years later; Brandon came to rest beside his father.

In May of this year; I was fortunate enough to be contracted to teach a Systema seminar for another MTalk member - Mr, 'Brian' King of Seattle. He brought me and my fiancee to Seattle early - to do some sightseeing.
The Lee's gravesites was the first place we went to.
It is beautiful...up on a hill overlooking a bay. The sun was shining, the sky clear - a beautiful day in a holy place. There was a worn, black taped Escrima baston between the graves. Someone had placed a sea shell and a guitar pick with a sunburst embossed on it on Brandons grave. Right around the 30th anniversary of Bruces death. I left a memento and took a single bud from a flower display, a small stone and a dried pinecone from the site - to remind myself (besides the pictures).
Without any feelings of embassasment - I will tell you I said a prayer...and shed more than one tear there that day. (These items rest on my devotional altar right now).
"The saddest words of tongue or pen...they are these - "It might have been". Really fits when I think about them.

'Brian' may never know just how much I will always thank him for the opportunity to have spent that morning on a hill overlooking the bay in Seattle.
It took30 years to fulfill a promise i had made to myself.
And, 'A promise is a promise'.

Sorry for rambling, MAChick - I just thought I would share this with you.

 

[NYCRonin]

hapki
Bob Wall 'calling Bruce Lee out'?
Never happened. Regardless of whatever material may have been printed - they were friends. Wall had worked earlier with Lee. They were friends way before 'Enter'. This is an undisputable fact.
During the filming of 'Enter', Lee did bounce around 1 film extra who had insulted him. HE got what he asked for -- thats what happens when a 'poser' challenges the authority of the real deal.
Lee did forgive him and put him back to work.

Ask anyone who knows what really happened and they will agree with me on this point, regardless of the tripe that magazine articles may have printed.

 

[MartialArtsChic]

NYC - no rambling at all. Thank you very much for sharing your story. You explained it in such a way, that you took me there too. It's truly wonderful knowing that you made a promise to yourself and were able to keep it. So many don't.

You know, when Brandon died, I thought pretty much the exact same thing - "What might have been". He certainly was well on his way. I never saw Bruce Lee's movies, my brother loved them though and, of course, I heard all about him. Brandon would have been more my era.

 

[jukado1]

Bob Wall did not call out/have a problem with Bruce Lee, in the black belt mag bob said that segal had made disrespectful remarks about both Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, both friends of his. his problem was with segal.

 

[hapki-bujutsu]

i was talking about steven not bruce lee

 

[kyushoT]

Forget who is your favorite.... has anyone noticed that all the Martial Arts stars we have left are getting old.

There are not too many up and commers that I have noticed.

What are we going to do... Are we running out of them... nobody panic...

..I SAID NOBODY PANIC!!!!!!!!

:anic:


Just an observation

Tim P.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Originally posted by kyushoT
Forget who is your favorite.... has anyone noticed that all the Martial Arts stars we have left are getting old.

There are not too many up and commers that I have noticed.

What are we going to do... Are we running out of them... nobody panic...

..I SAID NOBODY PANIC!!!!!!!!

:anic:


Just an observation

Tim P.

I guess I'll have to step forward to fill the void.

 

[Quick Sand]

Marc Dacascos isn't bad. He's still fairly young compared to many others. It's true though, a lot of the real M.A. movie stars like Jack Chan, Chuck Norris, Samo, . . . . are getting up there. The current trend among younger people seems to be more towards actors learning a bit of M.A. for specific roles in "Action" movies or shows instead of actual "Martial Arts" movies. Things like Charlies Angels, Dark Angel, Buffy etc. JMHO