does jackie chan know kungfu or is he just a stunt man?

Jeeebus

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2006
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give him a giant salmon, a folding chair, or a ladder, and you stand no chance.
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
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61
http://web-vue.com/hapkido.htm


Have you ever wondered where Hong Kong action film stars Jackie Chan, Angela Mao, Carter Wong, and Smo Hung got their martial arts training?

It wasn't from some wizened Chinese Kung Fu master who specialized in "secret" techniques. Actually, all four of these actors, as well as other film stars, learned their fighting techniques from a South Korean Hapkido instructor -- himself a noted martial arts film star in Hong Kong.

The teacher's name is Jin Pal Kim, a high-ranking instructor under Hapkido great Ji Han Jae. In the 1960's, kim was a member of South Korean President Chung Hee Park's secret service defense force, and in 1966, Kim drew the job of personal bodyguard for the United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the latter's visit to South Korea.

In the early 1970's, Kim moved to Hong Kong, opening a Hapkido school and pursuing an acting career. Kim, who now resides in Westminster, California, eventually starred in eight martial arts films, all produced by Hong Kong's third largest film company, Kai Fa Productions.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
52,850
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jackie chan absolutely knows martial arts to a very high extent. go watch his movies before he was in hollywood, he does a lot more sick shit in those than he does in his hollywood flicks.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
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The thing I love about Jackie is that he does ALL of his own stunts, no fill-ins or stuntmen, plus I believe he choreographs most of his fights, as well.
 

Duder1no

Senior member
Nov 1, 2010
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meh

any MMA fighter owns any of those hollywood martial arts types (come to think of it, any non-hollywood martial art type too)
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
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Yes. The answer is yes. You can add Sammo Hung, Jet Li, and a ton of others to the list.

As for Hapkido, that would be utterly subsidiary to his main training :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Jim-yuen

J Chan started training at age 6 with him, and for a decade worked towards mastering what he was taught, at what amounts to a boarding school for badasses. Hapkido wasn't on the plate. That's like saying Bruce Lee was a great martial artist because he studied boxing. Yes, he later studied and greatly respected boxing, but he spent the bulk of his youth mastering Wing Chun.
 
Jan 13, 2009
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yes. The answer is yes. You can add sammo hung, jet li, and a ton of others to the list.

As for hapkido, that would be utterly subsidiary to his main training :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/yu_jim-yuen

j chan started training at age 6 with him, and for a decade worked towards mastering what he was taught, at what amounts to a boarding school for badasses. Hapkido wasn't on the plate. That's like saying bruce lee was a great martial artist because he studied boxing. Yes, he later studied and greatly respected boxing, but he spent the bulk of his youth mastering wing chun.

this sums it.
 

Mo0o

Lifer
Jul 31, 2001
24,227
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I think it's a little tricky to define because the kungfu studied by the majority of the actors is a very stylized and theatric version of the kungfu that was once used for war purposes. For example, Jackie Chan grew up in a Beijing Opera training house, where he learned the majority of his kungfu. Thus all the moves he knows, while have a basis in combat, are largely designed to show of acrobatics and impress audiences. Jet Li was part of the Beijing kungfu team and participated in competitions. All of which were noncombative and simply demonstrations of routines.

So I suppose it depends on how you would define "knowing kungfu" and what would constitute a "stunt man".

Bruce Lee, on the other hand, learned Wing Chun from Ip Man and his original skills were very much grounded in combat philosophy
 

Lonyo

Lifer
Aug 10, 2002
21,939
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The thing I love about Jackie is that he does ALL of his own stunts, no fill-ins or stuntmen, plus I believe he choreographs most of his fights, as well.

He used to, but he's said in interviews over the last few years that he's getting too old to do ALL his own stunts, but he still does them when it's viable.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
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0
He used to, but he's said in interviews over the last few years that he's getting too old to do ALL his own stunts, but he still does them when it's viable.


thanks, didn't know that, but it makes sense since he's what, mid to late 50s now?
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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I'm going to add Arm-Chair Martial Artists to my list of ATOT descriptions.

Fact: Any student training for a week in ANY martial arts studio ANY where in the US would be more than capable of beating ANY ATOT member to a pulp.
 

bfdd

Lifer
Feb 3, 2007
13,312
1
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He used to, but he's said in interviews over the last few years that he's getting too old to do ALL his own stunts, but he still does them when it's viable.

Watch Rob B Hood and watch his stunt of him scaling the side of a building jumping from window ac unit to window ac unit. FUCKING INSANE. I love Jackie Chan.
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
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I'm going to add Arm-Chair Martial Artists to my list of ATOT descriptions.

Fact: Any student training for a week in ANY martial arts studio ANY where in the US would be more than capable of beating ANY ATOT member to a pulp.

:) What you say is largely true I'm sure. But there are a good number of real students out there, and I'd have to imagine at least some of them are here on AT.

I've put in a good many hours in :

Boxing, Thai Boxing, Karate (YMCA when I was young, lol), Tae Kwon Do (also when I was young), and much more recently Krav Maga and Systema. I'm not going to pretend to be a badass, but I like training very much and find the experience good for the body and mind. I hardly think I'm unique or assume that I know more than any other person with similar experience. At my systema class I have the least direct experience of anyone there.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
I am Jackie Chan was actually an interesting read (though I thought my copy had a blue cover....been a long time).

Basically he attended an academy which focused heavily on, among other things, martial arts and gymnastics/acrobatics. IIRC, he did not consider himself to be the best martial artist at his school, but he excelled in acrobatics and stunts.
 

JTsyo

Lifer
Nov 18, 2007
11,718
877
126
I'm going to add Arm-Chair Martial Artists to my list of ATOT descriptions.

Fact: Any student training for a week in ANY martial arts studio ANY where in the US would be more than capable of beating ANY ATOT member to a pulp.

Even Woosta?