by Andy_S on Sun Feb 07, 2016 12:44 am
This show had a great concept:
Go to visit various TCMA
Have (1) the oafish foreigner and (b) the skilled and cultured Chinese chap spar
Dissect
Unfortunately they had to fictionalize it.
When the oafish foreigner spars with the TCMA chaps, it is clearly choreographed. (One exception being the Shaolin/sansau episode, but check out the "pressure point master" and the "taiji master:" There are long shots of them sparring, then we cut to sudden, choreographed "close ups" of the decisive moves);
When the cultured Chinese chaps spart with the masters, it is light contact, "hand-chasing" sparring with neither party actually doing much that resembles fighting.
The Hong Kong TV series, when the show stars (who had significant MA backgrounds, which I am not sure you could say about the peeps in this show) actually spar with the TCMAritsts was far better: They were respectful of those they met, but they sparred for real rather than making up the "fight" parts.
Ho hum.
Services available:
Pies scoffed. Ales quaffed. Beds shat. Oiks irked. Chavs chinned. Thugs thumped. Sacks split. Arses goosed. Udders ogled. Canines consumed. Sheep shagged.Matrons outraged. Vicars enlightened. PM for rates.