Saturday, June 27, 2015

Sonny Umpad: Sangot (Sickle) GIFs

Yesterday would've been Sonny Umpad's 67th birthday. 


In his honor, I made some animated GIFs of him in action with the Sangot (Sickle). The Sangot flow teaches about circles, spirals and continuous movement. It trains how to never 'run out of angle'. I took the liberty to make the GIFs from the below source video.


Enjoy!




Pierre Hartman's tribute vid of Maestro Sonny Umpad






1 Complete Sangot demo



4 isolated GIFs







Other Sonny Umpad posts you may be interested in:






For further info, please check out:

     

Sonny Umpad: Kniferoll & Angles of Attack GIFs

Yesterday would've been Sonny Umpad's 67th birthday. 


In his honor, I made some animated GIFs of him in action - namely the kniferoll and angles of attack with a knife. I took the liberty to make the GIFs from the below source video.


Enjoy!




Pierre Hartman's tribute vid of Maestro Sonny Umpad







Kniferoll


Kniferoll - isolated just the right and left roll





Angles of Attack



Blazing speed!







Other Sonny Umpad posts you may be interested in:






For further info, please check out:



Friday, June 26, 2015

Maestro Sonny Umpad would've been 67 today - posting some great quotes.

Click for larger resolution pic~
Maestro Sonny Umpad

(June 26, 1948 - August 24, 2006)


Today would've been Maestro Sonny Umpad's 67th birthday.


In his honor, I'm posting some of his great quotes.


Enjoy!



"To hit is easy. To get hit is even easier ... but to NOT get hit ...? That's where the art is."



"You can always tell someone who has no roots, because he guards the leaves. But the true student has roots and a trunk, so he is always willing to give away leaves freely."



"The stick is the husband and the knife is the wife."



"The blade arts must not be confused. They are not a sports game. 

It is about life & death. 

When you look at a blade on the flow of traditional angles, the movements are very beautiful. 

Once they are used in actual combat or in use for real, they turn dark, very dark. 

Just hope that you don't have to use it or call on the dark side."



Other Sonny Umpad posts you may be interested in:






For further info, please check out:



Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Raven S1E1: Return of the Black Dragon (Jun 24, 1992)

I'm posting an episode from the 1992 TV series, Raven, mirroring this date 23 years ago.


Enjoy!






Background:

Jonathan Raven (portrayed by Jeffrey Meek) is a ninja, former member of the Black Dragons clan and also a former Special Forces agent. Now he lives in Hawaii, helping those in trouble and searching for his long-lost son, while avoiding assassins sent to kill him by the Black Dragon clan. Herman 'Ski' Jablonski (played by veteran TV actor, Lee Majors), an extravagant private investigator and Jonathon's best friend, is helping him.




This Episode:

Raven helps a club owner whose daughter has been kidnapped by the Black Dragons.





Other Raven/Jeffrey Meek episodes posted:





For more information:



NOTE: Posted Sep 25, 2015 and backdated to mirror the airdate of the original broadcast.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Happy Father's Day 2015!

Happy Father's Day!!!










Saturday, June 20, 2015

Ken Shamrock X Kimbo Slice (Bellator 138)

Click for larger pic

I had zero interest in this fight. Of the two fighters, if I had to root, I would be rooting for one of MMA's OGs, Ken Shamrock. Posting this fight in case others missed and wanted to watch it. Found video on YouTube, not the best.


I may make GIFs.


Enjoy!











In case you missed my earlier posting:



Friday, June 12, 2015

Fudo Myo-o sculpture

Fudo Myo-o
Click for larger pic


Japan

Fudo Myo-o, 12th/14th century

Wood with polychromy and gilt-bronze accessories
41.6 cm (16 3/8 in.)

Sources:  Art Institute Chicago / Wiki

The name Fudo Myo-o means “the immovable or unshakable one.” He is one of five myo-o, or lords of light, whose threatening appearance guards the Law of Buddhism. He is equipped to guide the spiritual traveler past temptation on the path to enlightenment. Fudo’s bulging eyes, piercing stare, and protruding fangs express the intensity of his wrath against evil. Seated on a stylized rock formation that symbolizes his steadfastness, he once held his attributes, a rope and sword (these have been removed for conservation), which were used to subdue evil forces and to cut through the ignorance that is the source of suffering. This finely modeled figure reflects the highly detailed, realistic direction taken by Japanese sculptors in the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

In the Shingon tradition of Esoteric Buddhism, the Five Great Wisdom Kings (五大明王; Godai Myo-o, Wǔ Dà Míngwáng), also known as the Five Guardian Kings are a group of Wisdom Kings who represent the luminescent wisdom of the Buddha and protect the Five Wisdom Buddhas.

This sculpture is of Acala (不動明王, Jp: Fudo Myo-o; Ch: Bùdòng Míngwáng) "The Immovable One" - Wrathful manifestation of Buddha Mahavairocana.

Please check out for another of the Five Great Wisdom Kings:


Gozanze Myo-o sculpture by Nakabayashi Gennai

Gozanze Myo-o
Click for larger pic


Artist:  Nakabayashi Gennai

Period: Japanese, active 1650/1700


Gozanze Myo-o, 1680
Wood with polychromy
107.5 x 64 x 47 cm (42 3/8 x 26 3/8 x 18 1/2 in.)

Sources:  Art Institute Chicago / Wiki


This sculpture depicts Gozanze Myo-o, a four-faced, multi-limb deity, trampling Daijizaiten and his consort, Uma, the gods of unruly human passion. The figure belonged to an ensemble of five sculptures arranged within the sanctuary of an Esoteric Buddhist temple. The group was known collectively as the Godai Myo-o (Five Great Lords of Light), and together the sculptures symbolize the rage against all threats to Buddhism and all obstacles to enlightenment. Such icons were introduced to Japan from China by the monk Kukai in the ninth century, and they were used in ceremonies to bless and protect the nation.

In the Shingon tradition of Esoteric Buddhism, the Five Great Wisdom Kings (五大明王; Japanese:  Godai Myo-o; Chinese:  Wǔ Dà Míngwáng), also known as the Five Guardian Kings are a group of Wisdom Kings who represent the luminescent wisdom of the Buddha and protect the Five Wisdom Buddhas.

This sculpture is of Trailokyavijaya (降三世明王, Japanese: Gozanze Myo-o; Chinese: Jiàngsānshì Míngwáng) "The Conqueror of The Three Planes" - Wrathful manifestation of Buddha Akshobhya.


Please check out for another of the Five Great Wisdom Kings:


 

Thursday, June 04, 2015

John Woo, Chow Yun-fat, and Tianmen Square Massacre

Excerpted my post from TheMMACommunity.com thread about Hong Kong movies in which I posted some background on what used to be my most favorite movie all-time (including Hollywood movies) but now is ranked #2 behind director Johnnie To's "The Mission."


Specifically I discuss star Chow Yun-fat and director John Woo and their collaboration on A Better Tomorrow 1 as well as the significance of that movie in Hong Kong cinema history. Some digressions on Tsui Hark, Tianamen Square Massacre, which coincidentally today is the 26th anniversary of that tragic event, Jet Li, Chang Cheh, Five Venoms and much more.


Enjoy!




IMO if you will watch John Woo/Chow Yun-fat movies, you should watch in a strict order if you can find the movies:

  1. A Better Tomorrow 1
  2. A Better Tomorrow 2
  3. The Killer
  4. Hard Boiled

Many consider Bullet in the Head as Woo's magnum opus. I like it a lot but I prefer ABT, The Killer and HB over it as I'm a huge Chow Yun-fat fanboy and Chow is not in BITH.Watching the movies in this order will show the progression of Woo's stylized gun fu over his career, each new movie outdoing his previous!

BITH is a thinly veiled statement by Woo against China's govt and the Tianamen Square Massacre (govt sent tanks into Tinamen Square to squash the student protests, even opening fire and killing the students!)

Coincidentally it was on this date back in 1989 - 26 years ago.



John Woo used to be good friends with Tsui Hark who produced ABT 1 and 2. At the time Tsui was a bigger director as Woo's career waned from his late 70's and early 80's comedy hits. Woo and Tsui wrote a story that became ABT 1 which was loosely based on their good friendship. They had creative differences on ABT 2 and ABT 3. Woo left ABT 3 and Tsui took over directorial efforts. If you look at the plots of both BITH and ABT 3 they are very similar, even down to the thinly veiled criticism of the Chinese govt handling of Tianamen Square protests.

Not sure if the two made up over the years.

Tsui Hark is known for A Chinese Ghost Story; The Blade; making Jet Li a superstar with Once Upon a Time in China 1-3 ... Jet and Tsui had differences and Jet left the OUATIC series only to reconcile for #6, Zu Warriors of the Magic Mountain, Legend of Zu and loads more.

Within Hong Kong's cinema history John Woo's and Chow Yun-fat's A Better Tomorrow 1 was hugely influential and very important. It reinvigorated the HK movie industry.

In 1986 it was the highest grossing HK film ever. Not sure which movies have since broke that record. ABT 1 made Chow Yun-fat a superstar... HK cinema was stagnating with comedies which was the vogue of early 80's. Woo ushered in a New Wave in HK cinema with his "heroic bloodshed" movies and his ballet-like gunfights. He used slomo on certain scenes especially during the gunfights. One of his favorite directors is Hollywood bad boy "Bloody" Sam Peckinpah. If you haven't watched The Wild Bunch I highly recommend it. You will see Peckinpah's influence on Woo.

Countless imitators came out after ABT1's success. Loads of Triad movies/heroic bloodshed movies came out.

Woo apprenticed under the great 1970's director Chang Cheh. If you don't know Chang, I'm sure you know his movies... many, many of the old school Shaw Brothers movies was directed by him. At the time his godsons were the Shaw stars ... Ti Lung (who later revitalized his career playing opposite Chow in ABT 1 and 2), David Chiang, Alexander Fu Sheng to name a few in movies such as One Armed-Swordsman, Boxer from Shangtung, Heroes Two, Five Masters of Shaolin, Chinatown Kid, Brave Archer, Five Element Ninjas and much much more.

Later in late 70's early 80's he gathered some supporting actors and made them the core group of stars in one of his 1978 movie, Five Venoms. The Venom Gang became his godsons too and their popularity skyrocketed after the movie premiered.

Anyway Chang loved the heroic bloodshed themes of brotherhood and loyalty. And it rubbed off on Woo.

I may be rambling but the importance of ABT1 cannot be overlooked in HK Cinema histor.

Oh yeah, ABT 1 is a story of two brothers. One a Triad gangster (Ti Lung as Sung Tze-ho) and his blood brother (Leslie Cheung as Kit) graduating from the police academy. Their father urges the gangster Sung, an underboss, to quit as his younger brother is a cop now. The triad boss asksSung to do one more job but there is a double cross and Sung is caught and jailed. The underboss does his time and comes out looking to go straight but his former right hand man, Mark (Chow Yun-fat) wants to get revenge on the double-crosser who is now the underboss. The gun-fu, at the time, was so different than other movies gunfights as they were almost ballet in nature and stylized with the slomo's. This became one of Woo's trademarks. At the time, the gun fu was innovative.




ABT 2 - due to the popularity and success of ABT 1, ABT 2 was made. Mark's twin brother, Ken, is introduced and is played by Chow Yun-fat. He and Sung has to protect Lung played by Dean Shek as a rival gang is out to kill Lung. The gun fu in ABT 2 eclipses ABT 1's. The last part of the movie seems like a 3o minutes long firefight!

Next, is The Killer is about an assassin who accidentally blinds an innocent bystander and feels guilt and tries to help her while the gangsters try to kill the assassin. If audiences thought Woo cannot outdo ABT 2, they were wrong. The Killer took it up another notch!

After watching the previous 3 movies mentioned above, the Woo/Chow fan will think nothing can top The Killer. Wrong! Woo/Chow came out with Hard Boiled which is about a tough-as-nails cop working with an undercover cop to bring down a triad boss. The opening Teahouse scene is a thing of beauty. The last fight in the Hospital is so over-the-top, it's incredible!

My simple descriptions doesn't begin to convey the rich plots and superb gun fu. HK and Hollywood alike has copied Woo's gun fu to death. But he was the Master who started it all. I truly hope you enjoy these movies. Envy you for watching it for your first time!

 



In case you missed my other Chow Yun-fat entries I've posted, please check out:





NOTE:  This post dedicated to the families and friends of the deceased from the Tianamen Square Massacre. For more info, please check:



ShareThis

 
back to top
Stickgrappler's Sojourn of Septillion Steps