Happy 58th Birthday Gordon Liu aka Master Killer aka San Te aka Bai Mei!!!
Check out this profile on everyone's favorite old-school Shaolin Monk!
Gordon Liu Chia Hui
Good Monk, Bad Monk
by Dr. Craig Reid
Gordon
Liu Chia Hui (Cantonese Lau Kar Fai) is one of the coolest kung fu
stars you will ever meet. Though perhaps the most recognized and popular
Shaolin-righteous-monk character from the Old School Shaw Brothers
kung-fu films, he doesn't promote himself as such, or flaunt himself in
"look at me" fashion design, or try to be the next "Hong Kong star"
vying for Hollywood's attention. Instead, he's an unassuming man, simple
in nature, sincere in spirit and open in heart.
I met
up with Liu in the lobby of the Le Meridian Hotel in Beverly Hills, just
a few hours after he had finished a few day's stint, dubbing his Monk
Bai Mei character from KILL BILL: VOLUME 2. If you've seen his films,
his eyes are intense, his body taut, his posture proud, because he's the
hero that will save China (or at least part of it). But in real life,
he's dressed in dark blue and gray, sporting a gray woolen hat shaped
like his bald head, and he has a gentle smile and soft eyes - clearly a
man at peace.
We drive to Monterey Park to meet up with
a family member and partake in an afternoon of yum cha (dim sum). I
politely mention that I'm not into chicken feet and pig ears. Moments
later we're surrounded by every waitress and bus boy at the restaurant.
None ask for autographs, but just stare and smile, not in awe, but with
familiarity. I ask if he's uncomfortable and would he like to go
somewhere else. Liu happily smiles, shakes his head, then laughingly
orders chicken feet.
Liu doesn't come across eager to
please - or full of himself - like so many other Hong Kong imports. And
why? Because he's not opera, he's not flash, he's a real kung-fu man top
to bottom, in mind, body and spirit. His life and background as a
martial artist is not about entertainment or sport; it's a way of life,
the way real martial artists should be: spirited calm, enlightened with
humbleness...a dying art.
"I find it sad that most
people and kids in Hong Kong nowadays are not interested in practicing
martial arts like we used to," Liu laments. "And it's also one of the
reasons why the Hong Kong film industry is dying, because nobody wishes
to put themselves through the rigorous training like we used to do.
"Actors
now rely on special effects, fancy wire techniques and doubles. Actors
know they can be kung-fu stars without the hard training, learning and
sacrificing, and understanding of philosophy that my generation went
through. It seems that everyone has forgotten that practicing martial
arts is not about money, or purely training to get into a film. Martial
arts and film are two different things. You can be a martial artist and
get into film, but in reality, you can't be an actor and get into
martial arts. Of course there are always exceptions, but I think you
understand my point."
It becomes readily apparent that
he has old school opinions when it comes to martial arts and martial
arts in cinema, though he presents them in a non-demeaning manner and is
quick to note that he's merely sharing his thoughts and opinions
(since, after all, I'm asking him to do so) and that his words are not
intended to be disrespectful or disparaging to anybody.
"Actually
after Jet Li's SHAOLIN TEMPLE, that changed the look of kung fu films,
not to be confused with Jackie's films or the wu xia, flying and
wire-work films, I mean the kung fu, kung fu films," he points out. "It
seems many now think that traditional Shaolin kung fu is about wushu,
which is really about sport and flair and not the real Shaolin martial
arts. So now even people go to the Shaolin temple wanting to learn
Shaolin martial arts. And although some do train very hard, they're not
learning authentic Shaolin kung fu.
"You see, when you
learn, say, opera, which is for entertainment, or wushu, they both
usually lack the learning of the philosophy and spirit of kung fu. So no
matter how good your physical abilities can be - and obviously a lot of
wushu and opera people are very good technicians of kung-fu technique -
they don't all understand the spirit of the martial art and what that
stands for. It's opening up oneself, about love and peace. Also, doing
kung fu should not be about money or competition. You should be
competing with yourself to defeat what you were and become a kung fu
man. It's not for entertainment, although obviously martial art film has
been able to use it as such. And I am of course guilty of being a part
of that."
Gordon is arguably
the most well-known Chinese actor to play a Shaolin priest, a role he
made famous in the 1978 Liu Chia Liang-directed Shaw Brother film, THE
36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (released in America as THE MASTER KILLER),
where he played the real-life Shaolin hero Monk San Te.
He
was born in Canton, China in 1955 as Xian Qi Xi (Cantonese, Sin Gum
Hay, which he Anglicizes as Louis Sin). He acquired the name Gordon
during his days at English elementary and high schools in Hong Kong
during the 1960s. When his family first moved to Hong Kong, they lived
for several years near the martial arts school run by the noted Hong Jia
stylist Liu Zhan, who traces his martial pedigree back to the kung fu
legends Hong Xi Guan and Wong Fei Hung, and who is the father of Hong
Kong's acclaimed martial arts film director Liu Chia Liang. At age
seven, Gordon became so enamored with Liu Zhan's martial art skills that
he often skipped school to train. It's often been written that Gordon
is the half brother or adopted brother of Liu Chia Liang. So which is it
and what's the truth?
Gordon explains, "When I was a
kid, I was really naughty and would really try to avoid going to school.
Then when I saw Liu Zhan, I knew kung fu was something I had to learn,
and that kung fu would be an important part of my life. So now I had an
excuse to skip school...to train in martial arts. Now, my parents didn't
want me to practice kung fu; they saw it as something violent. They
wanted me to study arty things and they didn't know I was training.
"It
was actually Liu shimu ('shimu' is what you call the wife of the
'shifu,' Cantonese 'sifu') that took a real liking to me, saying that I
looked so cute with my long hair and backpack. So to clear it up, I'm
not an adopted brother or a blood brother. I later on basically became
Liu Zhan's godson. He became my godfather, so like with other martial
artists and Beijing opera performers, I began using, or adopted, Lui's
surname as my stage name. So I'm really the 'God brother' and 'kung-fu
brother' of Liu Chia Liang."
When I ask if his parents
were mad about that, he stoically replies, "Yes, they were. But I didn't
get along with my parents. Yet I respected Liu Sifu so much, and my
path was one of the martial arts, it was just a natural step in my path
as a martial artist."
This is similar to Jackie Chan,
Sammo Hung and all of their opera brothers who, as members of the "Seven
Little Fortunes," adopted their teacher's name of "Yuen" as a stage
name - though later on Jackie and Sammo chose not to keep it.
Ironically,
Liu hated the notion of shaving his head and getting into film. "After
high school, my brother-in-law was a Chief Police Inspector and was
trying to push me into doing the same thing, saying that he could help
elevate up to becoming inspector too. So I thought about joining the
police force. But what stopped me? There was no way I was going to cut
my long flowing hair, no way I would ever be bald."
Between
our outbursts of laughter, he explains what finally got him into film.
For years he had been declining Liu Chia Liang's invitations to act in
the kung-fu films he was working on. Finally Liu pulled senior kung-fu
brother rank on him, essentially forcing him to act in movies.
"So
I did a bunch of films for director Chang Cheh in Taiwan for a couple
of years (SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS (1974), FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS (1974),
MARCO POLO (1975). It was during that time that I learned to speak
mandarin and then I went back to Hong Kong."
During
Gordon's time in Taiwan, Liu Chia Liang made a successful directorial
debut in Hong Kong with SPIRITUAL BOXER (1974). After that, Shaw
Brothers all but gave him free reign to direct what he wanted. Chia
Liang cast Gordon as Wong Fei Hong in CHALLENGE OF THE MASTERS (1976),
then as a freedom fighter in EXECUTIONERS OF SHAOLIN (1977), which
introduced us to Monk Bai Mei. Which now brings us to KILL BILL: VOLUME
2.
In real life Monk Bai Mei is considered to be a
Shaolin traitor for defecting to the Wu Dang martial arts school of
thought and helping the Ching government burn down the Jiu Lian Shan
Shaolin Temple. Monk Bai Mei was popularized in such Hong Kong films as
EXECUTIONERS, ABBOT OF SHAOLIN and CLAN OF THE WHITE LOTUS (1980), where
he was played by Lo Lieh. In fact, Gordon was Bai Mei's protagonist in
WHITE LOTUS. So Liu has gone from playing one of Chinese history's most
stalwart Shaolin monks San Te to now playing one of the temple's darkest
monks, Bai Mei. Or has he?
The
original plan was to track down and ask Lo Lieh to play Bai Mei;
unfortunately, he was extremely sick in the hospital and soon thereafter
passed away. Then the film's fight director, Yuen Woo Ping, encouraged
Tarantino himself to play the part. Tarantino said he'd do it if Gordon
wouldn't.
Gordon recalls, "I understood why Quentin
wanted me, even though I've always played righteous heroes. He was
looking at me for my martial arts skills, and also I think because of my
understanding of this very Chinese character. I know Bai Mei is usually
a bad guy, but in this film he's merely a teacher to the Bride, but a
strict one at that.
"I have to admit, though, before
this film, I didn't know much about Quentin. But my friends in Hong Kong
recommended I should watch RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION. I watched
them, and was impressed. I also heard he knew a lot about Hong Kong and
martial art movies."
And Gordon's
thoughts on working with Uma and Yuen Woo Ping? "Yuen sifu's work in
CROUCHING TIGER was very beautiful, but it was not real fighting. I knew
that Quentin wanted something different, real fighting, and when we put
these two approaches together, I knew it would be good. Yuen sifu and I
have done lots of movies, so we worked happily together.
"If
I fight with one of my brothers or another martial artist, they know
what to expect, where to turn and stop. With a non-martial artist I have
to make an extra effort or add an extra movement to make sure the
routine ends up in the right place. I have to make the other person look
their best. I also worry with non-martial artist that if I hit them the
wrong way, they will get hurt. For Uma, who is tall, learning the kung
fu is hard because her center of gravity is too high. Uma knew that this
was not her expertise, but she never gave up. She kept trying. I was
impressed by her spirit. Some people in her place would let a bad take
go by, saying it's good enough, but she didn't. She would redo it again
and again until it was up to her standard."
Gordon
closes by happily admitting that he's been married now for over 20
years. At age 50 he still practices kung fu every day, stating, "Because
once you start, it's not something you stop at some point in life. You
keep at it. It's a life-time commitment. It just seems that many who do
kung fu films, when they retire from acting - in other words, using
martial arts for film only - then they stop doing martial arts. Is that
the way of a real kung fu man? You probably know my answer."
Copied from http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=488
Please check out the full movie of "Shaolin and Wu Tang" I posted in honor of his birthday which starred and was directed by Gordon!
Also, check out another full movie of Gordon's I posted with my review:
