Nearly a century later in 1850 and for first time in Chinese history, a group of actors joined the rebellion against the Qing Dynasty. When it failed, the authorities banned all theater and opera. Actors performed in secret. So that the theatrical traditions in hands by the dynamical martial arts would not be lost. 20 years later, the new government remit..

That’s the remarkable connection between the Peking opera and the Shaolin Temple’s martial arts. And it’s predominated Buddhist teachings.

You learn martial art not to fight. You learn martial art to discipline yourself. You know, I found that quality in martial art film fantastic.

When movies began in China in the early 1900s, actors would need it. They were found at the local Peking opera shows. Peking opera had no women. It was male-dominated. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this was theater for guys who liked to dress in women’s clothes. There are many major actors today who grew up in the Peking opera schools and one thing that has not changed over the years is the training. It is still intense, exhaustive, extreme and often downright brute.

When I was 7, I was on the school training at the daytime from 5 o’clock in the morning until at 9. Very tough training. Teacher said, come….come here, I think it’s about time, you have a judge on man (炸酱面：）), I was in big shock even my father and my parents, they haven't hit me like this.

Your master punished you. I think that at that time whooping is very popular. Not only when you are learning Peking opera, but even when you are in apprentice trains, you are open to punishment from your master. But I saw with my own eyes, that at that time whooping was quite effective.

Through the centuries, acting has often been found upon as a dishonerible career. Men//performing as women in Peking opera wasn't acceptable practice. When movies began, it was considered such an inferior act form that men would not lower themselves to perform in that. So women became the stars. The tough martial acts are performed by women dressed as men Don’t think it.

The first female martial arts star was Shi Zuhua, she later talked martial arts mainly to actresses. T started her own opera company before having a successful 40-year career in films. But without a doubt, the most complex female actress in Chinese cinema, is Qian Siying. In the 1930s she formed a film company where she stared in and produced many martial arts films. Qian Siying’s eldest grandson is one of today’s * Samuel Hong.

Masters theme change started with whose success of theme called Burning of the Red Lotus Monastery in 1928 in Shanghai. Strong stories, married with notable action has been the bases of the best martial acts film. The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple established that tradition. The film was so popular it’s born to a series of 27 movies. Sadly, not one of thOse films existed any more. Fortunately, we did find several popular martial arts movies from the silent period. None of these early films have ever been seen outside of Asia before. Fantasy and magic are powerful elements in Chinese culture and with very much a part of the florid Peking opera style of storyteller. These enchanting components well realized in early filmmaker. As virtually fantastic as the story seemed, they were very believed to have big meaning for their audiences. Many were based on historical events, spiritual concepts, legends and on popular novels. The techniques might seem a little cruel back today's standard but look closely, and you will notice how this still being cooperated into today’s film.

 


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