Martial Arts Guidance

Standing on the training ground, Hugh Jackman couldn't help but marvel at the dazzling fighting scene in front of him.

He knew that for this movie, Levi specially invited the action director of The Matrix to come to his film crew as a martial arts instructor. It's just that the style of The Matrix is completely different from the X-Men, in his opinion. As martial arts instructors, can these Hong Kong people know this movie? Hugh Jackman also expressed doubts.

However, looking at the few people in front of him now, they advance and retreat like the wind and fight with precision; Hugh Jackman can't help being a little surprised: The style of play of these people is completely different from that in The Matrix. Are they really guided by the same person?

It's really incredible. And these should be regarded as the category of kung fu, right? Do you want to learn these things yourself? Can he learn it by himself?

"Nick, are you going to train me to become a kung fu master?" Hugh Jackman looked at the scene in front of him and felt a little worried, "Can I really perform these well?"

"Don't worry, these are just performances. And I asked Master Yuen, the fighting scenes, 70 to 90 percent, are all done by stand-ins; there are not many places where you need to fight, so don't put too much pressure on it." Levi laughed.

Levi looked away while talking. Standing beside him is Yuen Woo-ping, the movie's martial arts instructor. Hearing what Levi said, he also nodded, signaling to Jackman not to worry.

"Only so much?" Hugh Jackman asked in surprise.

"Mr. Jackman, you can't act in more parts," Yuen Woo-ping answered. He thought that Jackman was worried about the movie scenes, so he also wanted to explain. "You don't have that much time to train. And it's very easy to get hurt when you play these; the crew won't let you play more scenes. Don't worry. I brought these action doubles from Hong Kong; many have learned them since they were young. I know very well how to make a movie; I will instruct them how to shoot, and after adding editing, the scene will be absolutely fine; no one will be able to see that it is a stand-in."

"I'm not worried about this; I believe in your strength, I mean..." Jackman paused, "I've seen Bruce Lee's movies, and I always thought that kung fu movies have to be really good at kung fu... Does he also use so many doubles?"

"Movies are movies, not martial arts." Yuen Woo-ping laughed, "The key to acting in Kung Fu movies is to be able to act, not to be able to fight. Bruce Lee also has to use doubles. The key here is acting, don't worry; I will let you learn it before the filming starts."

"So fast?"

Yuen Woo-ping nodded; he was very confident about it.

Hugh Jackman was quite satisfied with this answer. He also picked up a pair of plastic claws and used to train with stuntmen and martial arts instructors. And Levi and Yuen Woo-ping, standing on the sidelines, were also watching them and talking.

"Are you still used to it?" Levi asked.

"This is not the first time filming in Hollywood, so there is nothing unaccustomed to it." Yuen Woo-ping laughed.

"I didn't say you are not used to living in Hollywood. I mean, are you used to combining martial arts moves with the fighting techniques that Westerners like?"

Levi's question made Yuen Woo-ping's smile restrained. Since the producer asked about his job, of course, he had to say, "It's nothing difficult. The difference is that when we shoot, we pay more attention to the stretching of the body and the coherence of the action, while Hollywood pays more attention to the post-production. The effect must be played realistically — these things are not difficult. We have been using them since Bruce Lee's time; it's not a big deal." Yuen Woo-ping's words are full of arrogance, and Levi can understand.

What he said is indeed correct: although Hong Kong movies are far from Hollywood in terms of style of play, they have a solid foundation after all. For them, if they want to change their style and shoot other types of films, they just need to study a little bit.

Yuen Woo-ping is experienced enough in these areas: from CCTV Water Margin to The Matrix, he has filmed several different types of fights.

"Then, you do the action design. When the film shoots martial arts scenes, I will discuss it with the director and let you control it. Do you think it's okay?" Hearing what he said, Levi made another request.

Nolan is not a director who attaches great importance to action scenes; he doesn't have any opinions on fighting scenes or know how to direct them. He is not familiar with how to shoot in order to be able to capture the feeling of a fierce battle and how to frame the scene to highlight the muscles and characters.

There is a specialization in the art field, and since Levi knows that he can't shoot well, he is also going to let Yuen Woo-ping take the lead. Yuen Woo-ping is much better than him in this respect.

It's just that these things have divided the director's power, and he has to discuss them with the director at that time.

"Okay, you can trust me, and I will definitely take pictures for you." Yuen Woo-ping didn't talk nonsense, nodded, and agreed: He has such a conceit, and others can't compare with him in this respect.

"Okay, you can worry about it." Levi nodded, "I heard that martial arts movies are not very prosperous in Hong Kong. If you are not in a hurry to return, spend more time here and take a good shot. I will also help you develop a business; the salary will be higher if you work here."

Levi said casually, and he didn't care too much about it. He thought that developing a business would also make Yuen Woo-ping happy.

But this sentence made Yuen Woo-ping beside him sigh. The past few years have not been smooth for Yuen Woo-ping. He almost lost his job in Hong Kong. He went to China to film first and then came to Hollywood. He couldn't help but sigh - making money is certainly a good thing, but who would like to leave their hometown?

"What about kung fu movies? Kung fu movies are no longer good. If you want to say that compared to Bruce Lee's time, both routines and shooting techniques have greatly improved, movies can be shot much better than before, but kung fu movies are over..."

Hearing him talk about this, Levi also felt a lot. He still has a lot of affection for Hong Kong kung fu movies, and he feels sorry for him when he sees Yuen Woo-ping, who has left his hometown because of the complete corruption of kung fu movies.

"Mr. Yuen, I don't know if Bruce Lee is a good martial arts master, but what I do know is that he is a good filmmaker. I don't know if his martial arts are really exaggerated, but at least I have watched him direct. He is quite good at using film lenses, editing methods, and rhythm control — I don't understand martial arts, but he is a good director."

After thinking for a while, Levi spoke, "Moreover, it can be seen that he respects martial arts and movies. When he was interviewed, he admitted that he had to use springs to jump over the fence. At least his attitude is very good."

At this point, Yuen Woo-ping couldn't say anything. Regardless of Bruce Lee's strength, his attitude towards martial arts is at least very serious. He couldn't say anything about Levi's admiration.

"Although his own fighting ability may not be good, at least he doesn't brag and is willing to tell the truth to the media.

In the last movie before his death, he fought with Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Because he believed that if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a master of fighting, he could never win, so he set up the weakness in the movie and won through this weakness, not pure martial arts.

This is a kind of respect for martial arts principles; when he shoots kung fu movies, he does not violate the basic principles of martial arts.

Respect for martial arts and movies is necessary for making movies. Why did Jackie Chan successfully enter Hollywood? Jackie Chan has never admitted that he is a Martial artist, but he at least has this respect. If you watch Jackie Chan's movies carefully, you will find that his fighting skills have changed.

In the early days, he rarely moved his head to avoid the opponent's attack, but after he arrived in Hollywood, after learning the technique of dodging the head in boxing, he also started to use this kind of movement. In fact, he has always attached great importance to his own training, but he rarely brags about it."

Levi's words surprised Yuen Woo-ping: He didn't expect Levi to observe so carefully.

"I don't know if martial arts can really make one fight ten, but I know that a rigorous attitude is very important when dealing with movies.

Hong Kong has had Tsui Hark's so-called new martial arts films that do not require martial arts directors, and there are no more kung fu movies. What people want to watch is not a story of actors pretending to be under special effects but a story of actual fighting.

When martial arts movies no longer need real martial artists but singing and coal diggers can act, and after relying on special effects and editing to make up for the shortcomings, kung fu movies are tantamount to over.

Yuen Woo-ping, it is not others who ruined Hong Kong movies, but you yourself."

Levi's words were exchanged for a sigh. In fact, how could Yuen Woo-ping not know about this? He has stayed in Hong Kong for so many years and is very familiar with the impetuous emotions of Hong Kong people.

With good enough special effects and photography skills, what they think about is not how to make a better movie but how to play tricks and fool the box office.

Isn't the so-called new martial arts genre created by Tsui Hark after seeing that martial arts instructors cost too much money? All their genius was spent on cutting corners.

They succeeded, using wire, explosives, and the way of knocking down a piece with a wave of their sleeves, replacing the martial arts instructor.

Martial arts instructors started to run out of food, the Hong family class was disbanded, many families existed in name only, and the Yuen family class went away. However, the things they shoot are not as good as the previous year.

But really, let them spend money to hire martial arts instructors? Big investment in exchange for big returns? That's not the style of Hong Kong people.

The problem of Hong Kong people is not a lack of ability but a lack of knowledge.

But this is also an opportunity for Levi - if Yuen Woo-ping can stay, it will be great for his film company. Hong Kong movies are over, but a bigger stage awaits these people.

*****

Thanks and kudos for my patreons

Cherif Doghri

Scott DePaepe

MMMCMXCIX, or 3,999

Britanna

Sandra Torres

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