Martial Arts Cinema - Progression Of An Art
What began as a form of tradition and a method of self defense, martial arts became a phenomenon that changed the world in terms of entertainment and culture. Now martial arts are not only a way to fight but a way to improve oneself and over the decades, it has changed in to a form of art that mesmerizes the minds of many. Whether through Kung Fu, Wushu, karate, taekwondo, or the endless other styles of martial arts, the impact of this tradition brought dramatic influences on Asia and played a bigger role in becoming a staple of the movie industry, especially in Hong Kong. For almost a century now, martial arts had been leaving audiences in awe through unbelievable acts of acrobatics, intense action sequences, and death defying stunts. Also martial arts and film played a key role in impacting the world and was one the factors that united the east and the west together despite their cultural differences. Although martial arts originally began in Asia and the east, one of the methods used to spread martial arts was through the use of the media. Film such as movies and videos was a main source of media that allowed the influence of martial arts to reach the Americas.
Martial art is defined as any of the traditional forms of Oriental self-defense or combat that utilizes physical skill and coordination. The origin of martial arts is a controversial issue that to this very day no one knows the answer to. Martial arts could be traced back as far as the existence of humans or fighting in general according to Master Wong Kiew Kit, “As long as there have been people on earth, there has been fighting. And as long as there has been fighting, people have devised ways of helping themselves fight as well.” (Wong, page 10) Even though no real origin of martial arts can be identified, each style has its own foundation. Kung Fu or Wushu, the style that is considered to be the most used form of martial art in movies, can be traced back to the warring states period (480-221 BC) in...
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