what is david carradines MA background

[suicide]

?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

As I understand it, David Carradine had no background in MA when he started in the TV show, "Kung Fu," but he came to learn a lot and put out some videos and books on various CMA's, including Tai Chi. Sorry, that's all I know.

 

[Twin Fist]

not much. Everything on the tv show and in the movies were stunt men.

he did some tai chi, but other than that, i dont know that he ever actually studied anything other than what he needed to for roles.

 

[Archangel M]

"I'm not a martial artist...but I played one on TV."

 

[Balrog]

As I understand it, David Carradine had no background in MA when he started in the TV show, "Kung Fu," but he came to learn a lot and put out some videos and books on various CMA's, including Tai Chi. Sorry, that's all I know.

You are correct.

 

[terryl965]

Yes but he sure did play the right roles. I mean you would have thought he had formal training.

 

[Flying Crane]

In addition to training he received for his TV and movie roles, he trained under Kam Yuen in LA area. Kam teaches something called Tai Mantis, I believe, tho I know he studied under Wong Jack Man in San Francisco which would make his background Shaolin and such. Kam assisted Mr. Carradine with his taiji video productions, and I believe has his own taiji videos as well. My sifu told me that he would sometimes show his own students these videos as an example of what taiji is not.

Exactly how extensively Mr. Carradine studied with him is something of a mystery to me. About 20 years ago, Carradine published a book on kung fu, and it was very suggestive that he had reached a respectably high level. Of course it was his book, writing about himself, so that automatically brings in a grain or two of salt.

Exactly how good Kam Yuen is, is something of a mystery to me as well. He presented a "seminar" here in San Francisco a number of years ago, on "traditional Chinese healing methods". I was intrigued enough to attend the seminar (free is the right price!), and it was a pure sham. If that is any reflection on his martial arts, then he sucks. But admittedly, his seminar had nothing to do with his martial arts. It's possible that he's actually good, but I don't know that much about him.

So in short, Mr. Carradine does have some level of training in traditional martial arts. Just how much he knew, and how good he really was, isn't all that clear.

 

[Xue Sheng]

My sifu told me that he would sometimes show his own students these videos as an example of what taiji is not.

Your sifu is correct sir and that is exactly how much martial arts background David Carradine had.

Just the same I am sorry he is gone, he did a good job of acting the part.

But then there a lot of so called Taiji (grand) masters out there with years of training (allegedly) selling Taiji videos that my Taiji sifu says have absolutly no idea what taiji is.

 

[MA-Caver]

Just the same I am sorry he is gone, he did a good job of acting the part.

Indeed, considering the (acting) linage that he comes from

from wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carradine
Four of John Carradine's five sons became actors: David Carradine, Robert Carradine, Keith Carradine, and Bruce Carradine. David's show, Kung Fu, featured his father John and half-brother Robert in the episode "Dark Angel". John would appear as the same character, the Reverend Serenity Johnson, in two more episodes: "The Nature of Evil" and "Ambush". Keith Carradine portrayed a younger version of his half-brother David's character throughout the series.

It is no surprise that he managed his roles very well.

 

[KungfukennyG]

I was one of the people who began studying kung-fu back in 1973 because of David Carradine's influence, and Bruce Lee's. I always knew that Carradine wasn't great at kung-fu, even as he got older.

I did see an infomercial-type program a few years ago in which he was demonstrating tai chi with a group of students and selling the videos. He actually looked as good as most of the tai chi folks you see out there. In other words, he was doing lousy tai chi but the same as you find in most American tai chi schools. For that type of tai chi, he did it alright.

Carradine was always flaky in his personal life. He did an interview with Inside Kung-Fu back in the 70's (I still have the issue) in which he said that Bruce Lee's spirit had possessed him, and he was serious.

His career and Lee's paralleled each other. Bruce wanted to play the role of Kwai Chang Caine in Kung Fu but was rejected because he was Chinese. Later, Carradine played one of the main roles in "The Silent Flute," which was Bruce Lee's idea before he died. It was released as "Circle of Iron."

I owe Carradine a debt of gratitude. As an 19-year old in 1972 I was watching Kung-Fu for the fight scenes, and gradually became enthralled with the philosophy that was played out in the flashbacks. I began studying Zen and Taoism and it changed my life. I grew up in the Bible Belt, where I had never been exposed to that type of thinking (it was considered Satanic among fundamentalists) and when I heard it, I thought, "What a wonderful way of looking at the world."

I'm very bummed to hear of David Carradine's death. He and Bruce Lee did more for kung-fu and martial arts in America than just about anyone. Now, Grasshopper is gone.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I watched that show from the day it aired until its final season, even watching the various follow ups, ending with Kung Fu- the legend continues, in which he plays his grandson and has a nephew who was a city cop. The pairing reminded me of the Ninja Master show with Lee Van Cleaf and some young guy (cannot remember the actor's name).

Caradine's show, Jhoon Rhee's ads in my area, and Channel 20 Action theatre, which ran a lot of Shaw brothers movies, were my early inspirations. Much like Pat Morita's Mister Miyagi, Caradine portrayed his character well and delivered as an actor. The story was well told and the action was much more convincing for the day than most of the action you would have seen on television in mainstream US shows.

Caradine will be missed.

Daniel

 

[MA-Caver]

This slide show gives the body of the man's work. Interesting.

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/collections/gallery/1827/david-carradine-19362009#photo0

 

[Ninebird8]

I do mourn his passing, even with some rather bizarre details of his actual death now coming out, but I mourn even more the greater passing of Grandmaster Shih Ken, Mr. Han of Enter the Dragon, at age 96. Not only a great actor, he also was Bruce Lee's true senior, and my understanding is during the filming of the movie, Bruce would counsel with him often and their off screen sparring was incredible. As far as David Carradine, I find it funny when people say he influenced them more than Bruce Lee, given that, like someone else said earlier here on this thread, that Bruce was originally suppose to be the star of Kung Fu but he was too Chinese for the times, LOL, and the Silent Flute was a vehicle especially for him had he lived to make it but they asked David to do it as Circle of Iron. David, as are the rest of the family, great actors and acclaimed artists!

I truly loved the two Kill Bill movies and the last scene with him and her before she kills him in Kill Bill 2 is great!! God bless his soul and may he and Bruce now really clown around up there!!

 

[Xue Sheng]

I do mourn his passing, even with some rather bizarre details of his actual death now coming out, but I mourn even more the greater passing of Grandmaster Shih Ken, Mr. Han of Enter the Dragon, at age 96. Not only a great actor, he also was Bruce Lee's true senior, and my understanding is during the filming of the movie, Bruce would counsel with him often and their off screen sparring was incredible. As far as David Carradine, I find it funny when people say he influenced them more than Bruce Lee, given that, like someone else said earlier here on this thread, that Bruce was originally suppose to be the star of Kung Fu but he was too Chinese for the times, LOL, and the Silent Flute was a vehicle especially for him had he lived to make it but they asked David to do it as Circle of Iron. David, as are the rest of the family, great actors and acclaimed artists!

I truly loved the two Kill Bill movies and the last scene with him and her before she kills him in Kill Bill 2 is great!! God bless his soul and may he and Bruce now really clown around up there!!

Shih Ken was from the Chin Woo Association in Shanghai and received instructor certification in a number of styles, including Eagle Claw and Choy Lay Fut

 

[clfsean]

Never heard about CLF from him. If he did, he never showed it & it never showed in his performances. Those are straight up Northern.

 

[ap Oweyn]

I read Carradine's book years ago (Spirit of Shaolin). It's much less about gung fu and much more about his career and personal life. But you can glean some information about his martial arts background from the book. He freely admitted that he had no martial arts background prior to starring in Kung Fu. He was a dancer.

As someone else mentioned, he trained with Kam Yuen extensively (though I don't know enough about gung fu or its practitioners to say whether Kam Yuen is a great teacher). He also trained with David Wong, I think his name was. He was the original fight choreographer on the show, though he was more reknowned as a judoka than a gung fu exponent, curiously.

The last name I can remember is Mike Vendrell, who did the choreographer for "The Legend Continues." Carradine trained with him during that time.

My overall impression, though, is that Carradine didn't train beyond the requirements for his TV appearances. I heard an interview with him once where he said he trained as little as possible, in fact.


Stuart

 

[chinto]

well he did a lot for the promotion and spread of martial arts with his work in the old show "Kung Fu" .. watched a few of them a few weeks ago, and they are remarkably campy and well basic in technique, but for the time they were more then most shows even had a clue about.

 

[Danjo]

David Chow was the first Kung Fu advisor on the Original series. Chow was mainly a judo and chi-na guy. He was replaced by Kam Yuen who was Northern Tai Mantis Kung fu and Small Circle Fist Kung Fu as well as Wang style Tai Chi.

One of Kam's students bacame Carradine's instructor after Kam Yuen devoted himself to healing full time. His name was Rob Moses who invented 9 Palms Kung Fu and the "Kungfulahoop"/Spiral Fitness tubes.

Mike Vendrell was the coordinator for Kung Fu The Legend Continues and was so highly respected by "Judo" Gene Labell, that Labell even named a technique after him.

Carradine trained in Kung Fu regularly since the original series went off the air. How good was he? Who knows? There are many martial artists that train for years that are so-so at it. Not everyone can be Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee, but there was only one Kwai Chaing Caine.

 

[ap Oweyn]

Wasn't Rob Moses the guy who had a recurring role on the "Legend Continues" series? He played a monk, I think, who specialized in kicking. Never had much to say, but was notably more proficient than most people on that show.

 

[Danjo]

Wasn't Rob Moses the guy who had a recurring role on the "Legend Continues" series? He played a monk, I think, who specialized in kicking. Never had much to say, but was notably more proficient than most people on that show.

Yep, that was him. When I met Rob Moses a few years ago, I introduced myself and told him that I had watched him on Kung Fu The Legend Continues. He said, "So YOU'RE the one who watched that show!" and laughed. He also gave me a Phichi Stick and dvd for free. Pretty cool.