There is no shortage of excellent martial arts instructors in the Hong Kong film industry, from Liu Jialiang and Tang Jia, to Yuan Heping Yuan Xiangren, to Hong Jinbao Jackie Chan, to Cheng Xiaodong Yuankui, but there is only one person who can be called the world's first martial artist, he is the eighth master Yuan Heping.
The "first martial refers to" Yuan Heping
Born in a martial arts family, he first entered the industry to participate in "White Snake"
Yuan Heping was born in 1945 in Guangzhou into a martial arts family, and his father, Yuan Xiaotian, was a martial arts student of Peking Opera and the first martial arts instructor in the history of Chinese cinema.
Yuan Heping followed his father to accept the influence of Chinese martial arts, and at the age of 5, he began to practice horse steps, tumbling, and handstanding in his father's garden, because his father Yuan Xiaotian served as a martial arts instructor on the set, and Yuan Heping, who was a few years old, worked as a casual worker on the set of the movie, playing some roles. Yuan Heping, who grew up on the set, once studied under Jackie Chan and Hong Jinbao's master Zhan Yuan, stage name Yuanqing.
Director Yuan Heping
Eight Masters Yuan Heping entered the film world as an actor in 1962 in the movie "The Legend of the White Snake", when he was a dragon and tiger martial artist, to put it simply, it was a martial artist. Yuan Heping was not outstanding in appearance, and his self-proclaimed kung fu was not as good as his younger brother Yuan Xiangren, so he performed generally during the actor period of "Shaw". But Yuan Heping has a calm personality, is good at learning and thinking, and is a good seedling for martial arts instructors.
After eight years of hard work, Yuan Heping became an action director in 1970. After 8 years as an action director, he turned to directing.
Yuan Heping stills
Sixteen years of hardship, transformation director
In Zhang Che's famous 1967 work "One-Armed Knife", we can find Yuan Heping running a dragon suit with a turban and a large knife. During the dragon running set, it also laid the foundation for his later martial arts coaching career. Yuan Heping first served as an action director in 1970, in collaboration with Wu Siyuan's first directorial work, Crazy Killer. In the following years, Yuan wu and the two jointly produced films such as "Hungry Tiger Wild Dragon", "Dangkou Tan" and "Southern Fist and North Leg Fighting Golden Fox".
Yuan Heping in his youth
In 1977, Yuan Heping participated in the filming of the film "Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt" as an "action director". In the process of filming, Wu Siyuan handed over the shooting of action scenes to Yuan Heping. Yuan Heping's dispatching and commanding ability on the set made Wu Siyuan feel favored. After completing the filming of "Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt", Wu Siyuan helped Yuan Heping transform into a director in 1978, planning and preparing two works for him, "Snake-shaped Executioner" and "Drunken Fist".
"Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt"
The birth of "Snake-shaped Executioner" and "Drunken Fist" set off a heat wave of the era of "kung fu comedy". Yuan Heping's director name is also popular in the film world because of these two works. And in 1977, this "Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt" became a turning point in the road of Yuan Heping's film and the starting point of the road of directing.
Yuan Heping, Yuan Xiaotian, Jackie Chan
Sympathy with Jackie Chan mutual achievement "Drunken Fist" and "Snake-shaped Executioner"
The film "Snake-shaped Executioner" is Yuan Heping's directorial debut, and when he made his first film, what he had in mind was to open up another kung fu path. Before "The Serpentine Trickster", most of the Hong Kong film kung fu films were based on fighting, like the kung fu route opened up by Bruce Lee, which was based on violence and ruthlessness. Yuan Heping no longer follows the Bruce Lee route, but integrates elements of kung fu comedy into the film. New trends, new elements, so that "Snake-shaped Executioner" was released and became popular, popular Jackie Chan, but also popular with himself.
Stills from "The Serpentine Executioner"
After the release of the movie "The Serpentine Trickster", it was sold in Hong Kong cinemas, and Yuan Heping opened a celebration banquet, and everyone was drunk at the table. At this time, a staff member mentioned, "Why don't we shoot a set of 'drunken fists'." Yuan Heping listened, patted his thigh, and said, "This is good, the title of the movie is very comedic when you hear it, and the effect will not be bad!" ”
Yuan Heping still used the original team of "Snake-like Executioner" to start filming the movie "Drunken Fist", and continued to integrate comedy elements into kung fu movies. After the release of "Drunken Fist" in Hong Kong, it earned a box office record of 6.76 million. Jackie Chan's title of "box office poison" has instead become a "box office elixir" and become a movie superstar in Hong Kong.
Drunken Fist
Later, Baye said very modestly in the interview that he and Jackie Chan did not know who was popular, because neither of them was red at that time. Yuan Heping admired Jackie Chan more, thinking that his kung fu and performance were more suitable for kung fu comedy, and did not expect the first time the two tested the waters to create a world kung fu superstar after Bruce Lee. Looking back, the two are mutually accomplished, and one is indispensable.
Yuan Heping action guide
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