The Martial ClubThe Martial Club is another cool Shaw Brothers Kung Fu film featuring Gordon Liu and Kara Hui.  Made in 1981, it offers more cool action and revolves around the Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung who is played by Gordon Liu.

The movie is about 3 Kung Fu schools.  The first is a school run by Wong Fei Hung’s (Gordon Liu) father, and the second is run by Fei Hung’s friend Chu Ying’s father.  The third is a club that is devious and manipulative school which is receiving aid from a Kung Fu expert named Master Shan.

The movie starts off as Wong Fei Hung and Chu Ying get about town trying to challenge other people to prove their superiority to each other as martial artists.  After their first victory they get very cocky, and start fights with other fighters in the area, losing mostly.

After learning his lesson Wong Fei Hung decides to focus on training, while Chu Ying continues to show off his skills with some tricks at a local brothel.

After being bashed at the Brothel, Chu Ying has his leg broken and it is revealed that the third Kung Fu school were behind the attack.  After some arguments and confrontation, everything seems to settle down. But then both Fei Hung and Chu Ying’s school are lured  into a trap at the theatre owedn by the school working with Master Shan, and eventually they escape and before long we end up seeing the vastly improved Wong Fei Hong take on the Kung Fu expert Master Shan in a cool Kung Fu battle finale.

A storm in a teacup.

This movie is pretty entertaining, and I find it funny that’s all just a bit of rivalry between schools that escalates to stupid heights, with people almost being killed!

With traps and arguments taking place between all of the students in the schools, the masters of each school are very polite and friendly face to face, keeping their true motives hidden very poorly as each opposing side suspects the other.

Gordon Lui and Kara Hui

The story seems to revolve around a fight caused by stupid little arguments and events hyped up by the bad attitudes of the third school.  With one thing after another causing more and rivalry – you ultimately stop caring so much about what happens to the characters and just wait to see the fight scenes.

The Action and Martial Arts

The fight scenes show off some awesome Kung Fu technique as you come to expect from Shaw Brothers and some of their top actors Gordon Liu and Kara Hui.  The fights have a solid pace and that ‘step by step’  or ‘stop – go – stop – go’ rhythm that just stands out as the mark of a late 70’s early 80’s Kung Fu film.

There are plenty of fights and for the fans of Chinese traditions – a Lion Dance at the very beginning of the film.

Very formal forms of martial arts are used and the technique behind Gordon Liu movements is so precise and make for some really authentic martial arts choreography.

Wong Fei Hung  battles Master Shan

The most exciting fight is saved for last, between Fei Hung and Master Shan.  The fight happens in a narrow corridor and this where the fastest and best performed moves can be seen.  Right up until the very end, Gordon Liu delivers another great performance as he shows off Fei Hung’s evolving skill.

The Verdict?

Another Shaw Brothers classic.  It doesn’t stand out to me above many of the other Shaw Brothers films starring the same people, but I like combination and style they deliver.  Check it out if you’re a fan of old Kung Fu or Shaw Brothers movies!

On DVD –

Region 1 (US & Canada)
Martial Club on DVD

More info on Movie Regions here.

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