Hapkido - 1972 - 6/10
AKA - Lady Kung Fu // 合氣道
After five years of learning, three students say farewell to their Korean teacher.
They return to China, now threatened by militaristic Japan, and open their own Hapkido school.
(Hapkido is a martial arts style focusing on joint holds, throws, kicks.)
The Black Bear school, Japanese, bullies townfolk and intimidates the other schools.
Headstrong and impulsive Fan Wei (Sammo Hung) attacks and thereby provokes a war.
This is Angela Mao’s vehicle, however, and she is a master of the slow boil.
Also, a hapkido artist. For the knowledgeable (I am not) this is a great film to analyze different styles and techniques.
Melodrama and overblown villains scream chopsocky, but the choreography dominates.
