Saturday, October 18, 2008

Shaolin and Wu Tang

Shaolin and Wu Tang is a Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lau Kar Leung. The film is about the rivalry between the martial arts schools and Wudangquan. It is also called Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang in the Master Killer Collection.

The film inspired the name of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan, who used several audio samples from the film in their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang .

Plot Summary



Master Liu and Master Law are rival masters of Shaolin style kung fu, and Wudang style sword fighting, running schools in the same city. Their top students, Chao Fung-wu , and Hung Jun-kit , are actually close friends, with Jun-kit's sister, Yan-ling, having a crush on Fung-wu. After observing the two students fighting at a brothel, two of the local Qing Lord's soldiers report the power of the styles to him. The Lord determines that the two styles are dangerous, and he must master both.

After poisoning Master Law, and having Yan-ling killed, the Qing Lord is able to learn both Wudang 8 Divine Sword style and Shaolin Chin kang fist from a spy. Fung-wu and Jun-kit both return to their respective temples for training, as a priest and monk, respectively. Jun-kit hopes to revenge his sister's death, and Fung-wu also wants to avenge his master's death.

The Qing Lord has since learned both the styles, but because he did not learn either from a master, his grasp on both styles is not perfect. To overcome this deficiency, he decides to have the Wudang and Shaolin destroy each other, so he may be the only master of both styles. To do this, he stages a martial arts contest between the two temples, hoping to appeal to the traditional rivalry between the Shaolin and the Wudang. Jun-kit , and Fung-wu , are selected by their respective temples as the representatives.

The Qing Lord, in his impatience to see both Wudang and Shaolin destroyed, admits his true motives, and his role in Yan-ling and Master Law's deaths, Tat-chi and Ming-kai must then combine Shaolin Chin kang fist and Wudang 8 Divine Sword style to defeat him.

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