Synthesizing Zhenshi (authenticity) and Shizhan (combativity): reinventing Chinese kung fu in Donnie Yen's Ip Man series (2008-2015)

Wong, Wayne 2017. Synthesizing Zhenshi (authenticity) and Shizhan (combativity): reinventing Chinese kung fu in Donnie Yen's Ip Man series (2008-2015). Martial Arts Studies 3 , pp. 71-88. 10.18573/j.2017.10096

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Abstract

This article argues that Donnie Yen’s Ip Man series (2008-2015) synthesizes two predominant unarmed, hand-to-hand combat traditions of Hong Kong martial arts cinema – what I call zhenshi (authenticity) and shizhan (combativity), represented by the series of kung fu films featuring Kwan Tak-hing as the legendary Wong Fei-hung and the martial arts action films of Bruce Lee respectively. Despite kung fu cinema’s claim to ‘realism’ since its conception in the 1949, there is a strong suppression of wu (the martial) in the genre’s action aesthetics due to the elevation of wen (the literary and the artistic) in traditional Chinese culture. By exposing the inherent contradictions within kung fu cinema and incorporating of combative action aesthetics derived from Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy and wing chun principles – what I call kuai (speed), hen (brutality), and zhun (precision), the series presents new possibilities of wu and offers a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese kung fu.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
Uncontrolled Keywords:	shizhan; zhenshi; wen-wu; kung fu cinema; martial arts action; authenticity; action aesthetics
Publisher:	Cardiff University Press
ISSN:	2057-5696
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	26 January 2017
Date of Acceptance:	1 December 2016
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 14:22
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/97785

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