BURNING OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE
Burning of the Shaolin Temple (1)
Some people when discussing kungfu and martial sports like wrestling and freestyle fighting seem to forget that kungfu is meant for life-death combat whereas the other arts are for sport. This video clip, taken from an old movie called “Shaolin Temple” produced by Shaw Brothers of Hong Kong, gives an idea of a kungfu fighting scenario.
The Qing Army had surrounded the temple. A military commander killed a Shaolin secular disciple with his double knives, and wounded a Shaolin monk who escaped a cordon of spears by leaping over them, only to find more soldiers outside.
This scene is bloody, but is the least bloody amongst other scenes where there was much killing. Kungfu practitioners today, of course, do not practice to fight in such bloody scenarios, but it gives some sense of reality to those naïve to think that wrestling or grappling with a kungfu expert without the protection of safety rules could be safe.
A Scenario from the Burning of the Shaolin Temple from Wong Kiew Kit on Vimeo.