Are you wondering how to go get an ex back? Almost nearly every adult as experienced some kind of a break up, and most just work on moving on rather than looking for a way to get an ex back. You're not alone. These decisions can be tough.
But if you are over playing the victim and want to put some work in to get an ex back, then there are options for you. Everyone deals with breakup, but does break up simply mean that you cannot get back together with your ex? I hate to see any romance die. The fact is, 90 percent of the time there is no reason why you cannot get an ex back after a break up, providing that you know what steps are necessary to win your ex back. The first step in learning how to get an ex back is to determine what exactly happened that caused the break up. Even though you cannot go back into the past, and you cannot change what happened, you can learn from the mistakes that were made and you can try to learn and grow from the experiences. That's the key. No tricks, no magic words, just life lessons. The break up may have occurred because of a single event, or it may have occurred from behaviors that your ex could not deal with anymore. No matter what the reason was that led to the breakup, you need to get the specifics figured out so that you can deal with the situation if it should never come up again. You can get an ex back if you know how, but if you want to make it work on a long term basis, you need to figure out what went wrong in the first place. That is the crucial first step. If you can't take the first step, then there's nothing you can do.
The next step in the process is to ensure that you are not coming off as a needy person. Everyone will feel like they cannot live without their ex, but there is no point in making this obvious. Instead, you should stay strong, and let your ex see that you are doing just fine by yourself. If you let everyone around you see your comfort and self confidence, then you will have a better chance of getting back together with your ex. They say living well is the best revenge, and it is certainly true. you have to make it seem like you don't really need them anymore. Don't overdo it, though. Trying to get back at your ex, or trying to make your ex jealous is not a good way to operate. In fact, these are some of the worst things that you can possibly do, because it will show your ex that he or she should simply move on because you already have. While you do want your ex to see that you're doing ok, you do not want it to inspire him or her to completely move on if your ideal scenario is to get back together. Let your ex see how strong and self confident you are, and they will feel inspired to get back together with you.
If you would like to know more ways to help your relationship, visit:
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Does My Ex Want To Get Back With Me How To Tell
So far, we've looked at ways to start the ball toward getting your ex back, regardless of sex. But let's not jump the gun. It's vital that you spot the signs as to whether or not your ex is truly interested in getting back with you. What are they?
If your ex is showing you a little bit of interest, or seems more interested in going out and spending time with you than before, or if you notice signs that your ex is trying to flirt with you, then it's okay to be a little hopeful but don't plow straight ahead without looking. Play it smart. Are you asking yourself "does my ex want to get back with me"? These are definitely very common signs that your ex is interested in getting you back. But even if you want to get back with your ex, you should not simply jump into things. The best way to play things is to play hard to get (in moderation), which is probably what your ex will best respond to anyway. If you simply jump into things full force, then you may find it to backfire. If you push, you have to expect the other person to push back. In fact, if your ex is giving indications that he or she wants you back, then the odds are, it was you playing hard to get that led to the renewed interest in the first place. Usually when you break up with your ex, or he or she breaks up with you, there is a natural level of missing one another, or longing to get back together. This is especially true following a relationship of a year or longer. Your ex is probably going to miss you no matter what, because of how many memories were shared together during this period of time. But there are other emotions that come into play including past regrets. If you are wondering "does my ex want to get back with me" the odds are that your ex may be thinking the same thing for the same reasons. Sometimes when an ex shows interest again following a break up however, it is only a game. They may see that you love them, and they may simply be trying to get attention, without actually intending to get you back. And that's the trick. That's what you really have to be on the lookout for. And you have to be subtle about it. Most of all, don't go into it suspecting the worst motives. So, unless your ex really seems genuinely interested in spending time with you, they may just be passing the time because they have no other prospects on the horizon. And worst of all they may see this as away to get revenge for some perceived wrong. This is why it is important not to jump the gun, and why you should focus on reading into the situation before you act on it. This is common, and a lot of people find themselves wondering "does my ex want to get back with me?", but the truth is, its better to get a feel for the situation before you act. In reality, if your ex does want to get back with you, playing hard to get (in moderation) is the best scenario because it will prevent you from getting hurt if your ex is not really serious about getting back with you.
FInd out more by visiting
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
If your ex is showing you a little bit of interest, or seems more interested in going out and spending time with you than before, or if you notice signs that your ex is trying to flirt with you, then it's okay to be a little hopeful but don't plow straight ahead without looking. Play it smart. Are you asking yourself "does my ex want to get back with me"? These are definitely very common signs that your ex is interested in getting you back. But even if you want to get back with your ex, you should not simply jump into things. The best way to play things is to play hard to get (in moderation), which is probably what your ex will best respond to anyway. If you simply jump into things full force, then you may find it to backfire. If you push, you have to expect the other person to push back. In fact, if your ex is giving indications that he or she wants you back, then the odds are, it was you playing hard to get that led to the renewed interest in the first place. Usually when you break up with your ex, or he or she breaks up with you, there is a natural level of missing one another, or longing to get back together. This is especially true following a relationship of a year or longer. Your ex is probably going to miss you no matter what, because of how many memories were shared together during this period of time. But there are other emotions that come into play including past regrets. If you are wondering "does my ex want to get back with me" the odds are that your ex may be thinking the same thing for the same reasons. Sometimes when an ex shows interest again following a break up however, it is only a game. They may see that you love them, and they may simply be trying to get attention, without actually intending to get you back. And that's the trick. That's what you really have to be on the lookout for. And you have to be subtle about it. Most of all, don't go into it suspecting the worst motives. So, unless your ex really seems genuinely interested in spending time with you, they may just be passing the time because they have no other prospects on the horizon. And worst of all they may see this as away to get revenge for some perceived wrong. This is why it is important not to jump the gun, and why you should focus on reading into the situation before you act on it. This is common, and a lot of people find themselves wondering "does my ex want to get back with me?", but the truth is, its better to get a feel for the situation before you act. In reality, if your ex does want to get back with you, playing hard to get (in moderation) is the best scenario because it will prevent you from getting hurt if your ex is not really serious about getting back with you.
FInd out more by visiting
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
Thursday, June 25, 2009
What Can I do To Get My Ex Girlfriend Back
Yesterday I gave out advice for how women could get back with their boyfriends. Well, I'm not about to leave the unlucky guys out either. Most people find themselves asking "What can I do to get my ex girlfriend back" following a breakup. They begin to start thinking and philosophizing about everything that could have been done differently. They even begin to make plans about apology letters and other things that might be able to help them score their relationship back. This tends to be a dead end for one reason above all else: Because you can never really tell what the real reasons were behind a breakup. Women become emotional and sometimes they do not even know what led to the break up at hand and they may not know what is making them feel the way they do. In many circumstances it is only harmful to lose all your energy trying to figure out what went wrong. The first main strategy to answer the question about "what can I do to get my ex girlfriend back" is to forget about the relationship for a while, putting your energy into something else. Go out, make friends, have fun, network, and forget about women in general. Set some realistic goals about expanding your repertoire when it comes to seduction and meeting people. Give yourself a couple of months and make changes in your life. Take some time away from your ex and it will work wonders. The effect that strategies like this will have, is that it will allow you to make gradual changes in your life. Don't expect it to happen all at once. Take it a little bit at a time. Once you've done that, you will most likely have a much better handle on what needs to be done. Moreover, it will give you an idea of where to take it. Do you still want to get back together with her? Or are you ready to move on? Act accordingly. If you're still interested in her, then you are truly a good, dedicated guy. Now is your chance to be a little more direct when it comes to getting your ex girlfriend back. You need to play strategically, however. Do not simply beg her to get back with you, because this is not a good time to be emotional. Instead, what you should be doing is playing things cool with your ex. If you have spent enough time apart from her, she is probably missing you as badly as you are missing her. Play hard to get a little, but only a little. Don't overdo it. That way, she will see that you are getting on just fine without her, while she is still miserable. And if getting back together with your ex really is meant to be, now is the time when it will become clear. You should also trust your instincts. Don't analyze things too much, because over analyzing may prevent you from acting the right way when trying to figure out "what can I do to get my ex girlfriend back". Just take things slow and play them cool and you should be fine.
If you found this suggestion helpful, be aware that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Not every person is the same. That's why Magic of Making Up contains numerous means of healing relationships. If you are interested in finding out, just visit
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
You'll be glad you did.
If you found this suggestion helpful, be aware that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Not every person is the same. That's why Magic of Making Up contains numerous means of healing relationships. If you are interested in finding out, just visit
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
You'll be glad you did.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
What Can I Do To Get My Ex Boyfriend Back
Are you feeling like everything you do pushes your ex away further? Is this describing your situation to a tee? Are you asking "What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back" at every turn? Here are some tips that will greatly improve your chances of getting back together with your ex boyfriend. Obviously right now you are serious about saving or rekindling your relationship, which is what led you to here.
But if you are feeling overly anxious to get your ex back, you may be behaving in the wrong way, causing your ex to pull away naturally. It is human nature in general to resist this kind of pressure. Struggling against human nature is completely pointless, and it will only make matters worse. Are you calling your ex too much, constantly writing him e-mails or text messaging him? Are you trying to make him feel sorry for you? If you are doing these things, stop! Follow this strategy instead. You are going to need to take a completely fresh approach. Begin by breaking contact off for a while, doing your own thing. During this time where there is no communication between you and your ex boyfriend, you can focus on ways that you can improve your own personal life, rather than focusing on the relationship issues at hand. This is going to be a challenging time, and it is going to require discipline to prevent you from returning to your old ways. During this time, your ex is going to experience a shift in how he feels about you, since you will no longer be pursuing him. You may become mysterious to him in some ways, because he is not sure what you are doing or feeling. This is actually something that can work in your favor. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. Now your ex is in a position to actually miss you, which is not possible when you are smothering him. You have to remember that the key to this strategy and repairing a break up is to work with human nature rather than attempting to work against it. If you are wondering " What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back", now you should have a fairly basic understanding on how common mistakes can be avoided. Once you implement this basic strategy you can restore a balance and allow your ex to remember why he loved you in the first place. Just keep yourself grounded and avoid smothering him. Make yourself appear mysterious and he will be reminded why he loved you in the first place. Play hard to get (don't over do it) and let him make the first move, and you will come out on top. And then you will stop asking "What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back"
But this is only a small part of the plan, as important as it is. There is so much more to do once you've made that important first step. And I won't leave you hanging. You can have it all, all of the secrets besides this one to get your relationship back on solid ground where it belongs, because I hate to see any romance disintegrate.
Check out http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
I want to help you.
But if you are feeling overly anxious to get your ex back, you may be behaving in the wrong way, causing your ex to pull away naturally. It is human nature in general to resist this kind of pressure. Struggling against human nature is completely pointless, and it will only make matters worse. Are you calling your ex too much, constantly writing him e-mails or text messaging him? Are you trying to make him feel sorry for you? If you are doing these things, stop! Follow this strategy instead. You are going to need to take a completely fresh approach. Begin by breaking contact off for a while, doing your own thing. During this time where there is no communication between you and your ex boyfriend, you can focus on ways that you can improve your own personal life, rather than focusing on the relationship issues at hand. This is going to be a challenging time, and it is going to require discipline to prevent you from returning to your old ways. During this time, your ex is going to experience a shift in how he feels about you, since you will no longer be pursuing him. You may become mysterious to him in some ways, because he is not sure what you are doing or feeling. This is actually something that can work in your favor. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. Now your ex is in a position to actually miss you, which is not possible when you are smothering him. You have to remember that the key to this strategy and repairing a break up is to work with human nature rather than attempting to work against it. If you are wondering " What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back", now you should have a fairly basic understanding on how common mistakes can be avoided. Once you implement this basic strategy you can restore a balance and allow your ex to remember why he loved you in the first place. Just keep yourself grounded and avoid smothering him. Make yourself appear mysterious and he will be reminded why he loved you in the first place. Play hard to get (don't over do it) and let him make the first move, and you will come out on top. And then you will stop asking "What can I do to get my ex boyfriend back"
But this is only a small part of the plan, as important as it is. There is so much more to do once you've made that important first step. And I won't leave you hanging. You can have it all, all of the secrets besides this one to get your relationship back on solid ground where it belongs, because I hate to see any romance disintegrate.
Check out http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
I want to help you.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Advice on Breaking Up
There are few things in this world better than love. Romance has probably inspired more people to do more things than anything else.
Sadly, for many of us, there come those times when it ends. That goes for everyone. Breakups, separations, divorces.
When it happens, we often feel lost. We don't know what to do. Sometimes it leads to destructive behavior Most of us push on in life, but how often do we really have an idea of how to do it?
Sometimes people turn to others for help. That's often a good idea. Different people have different methods, but if it works, most people don't care why. And that's the key. You don't have to flail in the dark. If it will save you pain and anguish, why not give it a try, right?
Most people don't want to call off relationships. Sometimes all they want is to be heard and they think that threatening to end it will snap that other person into reality. Sometimes it's the simplest things that get overlooked.
A while ago, I was faced with a problem. My brother's marriage seemed to be ending. He and my sister-in-law seemed to be at an impasse. Neither one really wanted to break it off, but neither one felt they were at fault.
I like helping people. That goes for relatives, friends and even strangers. Making people happy makes me happy. So, I abandoned my previous vow not to get involved. I didn't want this to happen. So I did what anyone who cared would do. I tried to fix it. I realized that I was not in much of a position to give advice on broken hearts, so my first priority was to stop the break up before it happened. Even then, I knew I was over my head. So what could I do? Where could I go to get advice on relationships?
After a while of searching for an answer, I found one:
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
In it I found invaluable tips on ways to get boyfriends back, ways to get girlfriends back, ways to save marriages, end abusive relationships, ways to get over a breakup, what to do on the rebound, and so much else.
Secretly, I introduced both of them to the website. After a while, I could tell they were on the road to recovery. They even took a second honeymoon. And they're still together to this day. Seeing that made me the happiest guy I knew, besides him.
I understand that not everyone feels like burdening someone else with their problems. But sometimes we have to turn to someone who can help us. If it works, all the better.
So, if you want some help improving your relationship, preventing a breakup, making up, giving it another try, finding new love, fixing current relationships or coping with heartbreak, do yourself a favor and check out the site.
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info/
The results are undeniable. If it worked for my brother and sister-in-law, it can work for anyone.
Sadly, for many of us, there come those times when it ends. That goes for everyone. Breakups, separations, divorces.
When it happens, we often feel lost. We don't know what to do. Sometimes it leads to destructive behavior Most of us push on in life, but how often do we really have an idea of how to do it?
Sometimes people turn to others for help. That's often a good idea. Different people have different methods, but if it works, most people don't care why. And that's the key. You don't have to flail in the dark. If it will save you pain and anguish, why not give it a try, right?
Most people don't want to call off relationships. Sometimes all they want is to be heard and they think that threatening to end it will snap that other person into reality. Sometimes it's the simplest things that get overlooked.
A while ago, I was faced with a problem. My brother's marriage seemed to be ending. He and my sister-in-law seemed to be at an impasse. Neither one really wanted to break it off, but neither one felt they were at fault.
I like helping people. That goes for relatives, friends and even strangers. Making people happy makes me happy. So, I abandoned my previous vow not to get involved. I didn't want this to happen. So I did what anyone who cared would do. I tried to fix it. I realized that I was not in much of a position to give advice on broken hearts, so my first priority was to stop the break up before it happened. Even then, I knew I was over my head. So what could I do? Where could I go to get advice on relationships?
After a while of searching for an answer, I found one:
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info
In it I found invaluable tips on ways to get boyfriends back, ways to get girlfriends back, ways to save marriages, end abusive relationships, ways to get over a breakup, what to do on the rebound, and so much else.
Secretly, I introduced both of them to the website. After a while, I could tell they were on the road to recovery. They even took a second honeymoon. And they're still together to this day. Seeing that made me the happiest guy I knew, besides him.
I understand that not everyone feels like burdening someone else with their problems. But sometimes we have to turn to someone who can help us. If it works, all the better.
So, if you want some help improving your relationship, preventing a breakup, making up, giving it another try, finding new love, fixing current relationships or coping with heartbreak, do yourself a favor and check out the site.
http://www.howtogetmyexbacknow.info/
The results are undeniable. If it worked for my brother and sister-in-law, it can work for anyone.
Friday, April 17, 2009
All 36 Chambers
Hi, all. Today I'd like to branch out by reviewing one of my favorites movies, "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin."
For those of you not familiar with it, it's a kung-fu movie, and in my opinion one of the best. The film's vital statistics are:
119 minutes long
Released in 1978 by Shaw Brothers Studios based out of Hong Kong, China.
The film was directed by one of the all time greats, Lau Kar-leung (Liu Chia-liang in Mandarin), who helmed such seminal kung fu works as:
"Legendary Weapons of China" (aka "Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu")
"Mad Monkey Kung Fu"
"My Young Auntie"
"Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter"
and "Heroes of the East," just to name a few.
He also acted in many of his films, and choreographed the action for all of them. He started choreographing fight scenes for his mentor, the great Chang Cheh (who also broke John Woo into the film business), including "The One-Armed Swordsman."
The Lau family are known as real kung-fu experts, specifically the Hung Gar style. After Bruce Lee's untimely death, Hong Kong was at a loss for a new kind of cinematic action. Lau Kar-leung suggested "why not show classical kung fu as it really is?" It's sounds so obvious, but that was a pretty radical viewpoint back then, especially when you had Chang Cheh still doing his "Crippled fighter/ultra-gory/mystical fighting" movies (which I highly recommend).
"The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" represents Lau's devotion to this viewpoint in its most pure form, stripping away all mysticism (or nearly all) and giving us a "Rocky"-style training movie. '36th Chamber" is also notable in this regard for its single-minded focus on the hero and his journey, with few side characters and no love story attempt (although Lau was known for these as well).
The film opens with the star, Lau Kar-fai (Liu Chia-hui), better known as Gordon Liu (he also starred in the "Kill Bill" movies), in a completely unrelated film segment, demonstrating various kung fu routines, first with his fists, then with the staff and monk's spade. Then we cut to the movie itself, as this is merely a taste of what is to come.
The story basics are that, in the wake of the Manchu conquest of China, the Manchu empire (the Ching Dynasty) has almost completely conquered the Han Chinese and wages a campaign of brutal tyranny to cow any future rebellion. We are introduced to our villains. The biggest one is General Tien Da, played by Hong Kong action icon Lo Lieh. (Lo Lieh played the White Lotus priest Pai Mei for Lau Kar-leung once, in "Executioners from Shaolin" and again in the remake he directed, "Clan of the White Lotus.") His adjutants are played by Wilson Tong and John Chang.
During a military parade, the Manchu genera; is attacked by General Yin, a leader in the Han rebellion. Yin is played by Lau Kar-leung's brother, Lau Kar-wing (Liu Chia-yung), an actor, choreographer, director and kung fu expert in his own right. I should point out that even though Gordon Liu shares the same name, he is not Lau Kar-leung's brother. He is an adopted brother to the family. The parade is a trap, and Yin is forced into combat with the deadly General Tien Da. Many of Lau Kar-leung's films utilize the 18 kung fu weapons, and this is no exception. General Tien wields two Chinese sabers, while Yin swings a mighty double ax. This is the first of several big fights in the film, and in my opinion, one of the best in film, period. Yin fights bravely, but is eventually overcome and killed. The way Lau cuts the scene together gives the sequence an extra level of intensity, as though lives were really on the line.
At this point, we are introduced to our hero, Gordon Liu, in the context of the film. (Gordon shaved his head to play ths role, so he wears a wig for these early scenes.) As the young son of a well-to-do merchant, he's not really the kind of person you would expect to rise up against a military dictatorship. But after hearing his teacher, a man he highly respects, speak about the injustices of Manchu rule, and after seeing the public spectacle of Yin's body, he decides to join the rebels. He and his classmates join up, but are found out and killed. Gordon's family pays the price as well. Gordon escapes and comes to the temple of Shaolin, where the monks are said to teach kung fu. Gordon becomes a monk and adopts the name San Da (Three Virtues).
His training begins. The training sequences take up half of the film, and are legendary for their cinematic power. There are 35 chambers in Shaolin to train in kung fu. San Da quickly masters them, learning speed, balance, arm strength, leg strength, wrist strength, sharpness of eyesight, the saber, the staff, and after several years, he is made a chamber master, over the objections of the Justice monk. The Justice monk is played by veteran bad guy actor Lee Hoi-san, who played bad guys for Sammo Hung in "The Magnificent Butcher" and John Woo in "Last Hurrah for Chivalry." He had opposed allowing San Da to enter Shaolin and challenges San Da to a fight to prove his worth. San Da agrees, and the second big fight sequence begins. The Justice monk's weapons of choice are the butterfly swords, while San Da uses a staff. The Justice monk wins easily. San Da tries again, using the monk's spade (a staff with moon-shaped blades), but loses again. While practicing, he cuts down a stalk of bamboo into three pieces and invents the three-section staff: three lengths of pole joined by chains. (This was a favorite weapon of Lau Kar-leung.) The other monks have never seen anything like it before, and the Justice monk is soundly defeated.
When given the opportunity to take charge of any chamber, San Da expresses a desire to create a 36th chamber to teach kung fu to laymen. This is an extreme deviation from Shaolin policy, and San Da is punished by having to leave the temple to collect donations. Wandering about the country, he recruits several followers. The first is Hung Hsi-kuan (the supposed inventor of Hung Gar kung fu) who is being bullied by Wilson Tong. Tong's men are quickly beaten by San Da, and Tong is killed by Hung Hsi-kuan. Next is Tung Chian-jin (whom Gordon Liu played in "Executioners from Shaolin"), a blacksmith who uses San Da's teachings to thrash a bullying Manchu guard. After that, a bamboo cutter named Lu Ah-sai is recruited, but only after he sees what a fighting machine San Da is. Finally, San Da recruits Miller Six, played by Wang Yu. A simple rice-grinder, Miller Six possesses great leg strength, and a hefty supply of blinding dust. At the film's finale, San Da's forces rout General Tien's personal guard, and Tien is left alone to battle San Da. I won't spoil how it ends for you, but suffice to say that the final fight sequence is extremely memorable for it frenetic energy. In all, the end is not that important. As the wise man once said, it is the journey that matters, and Lau Kar-leung seems to believe that.
After the film's release, Gordon Liu became an instant star. This did not happen overnight. He had already acted for Lau Kar-leung in "Challenge of the Masters" and "Executioners from Shaolin." But "36th Chamber" was his star-making role. Gordon still tells about the press conference he held in Japan, where Shaw Brothers star Yasuaki Kurata, a Japanese martial artist, was his translator. When the film was released in the West, it was given the title "Master Killer." This is very much a misnomer, since he does not go around killing, but Gordon Liu is still known as "Master Killer" today. I first saw this film under the "Master Killer" title as a young boy on television. It wasn't exactly great film then. The print was choppy and faded, the image was cropped from its widescreen base, the English dubbing was uninspired (yet oddly accurate), and it was slightly edited for violence. While not nearly as violent as Chang Cheh's movies (or many American PG-rated films, for that matter), it still got an "R" rating. The only real edit for violence was Hung Hsi-kuan's killing of Wilson Tong's character. Even though you still saw Tong die, he was only struck with a saber once. In the Hong Kong version, he was chopped many times, but even then we the audience heard it rather than seeing it. (Gordon turns away and prays to the Buddha.) According to Hong Kong film expert Bey Logan, in England the entire role of General Yin was cut, robbing British audiences of the first big fight.
Despite all of these flaws, I was spell-bound by the film. I would rent it and watch it again and again. I also started to research the history behind the film. The Shaolin Temples of China really exist, and they were the birthplace of kung fu. That always struck me as odd, that Buddhist monks, the ultimate pacifists, should invent a fighting art that allows practicioners to kill with their bare hands. During the unrest in Burma in 2007, I also found out that the yellow robes and red sashes worn by the monks in "36th Chamber" really are worn by Buddhist monks.
In 2001, I came across a DVD version of the film, "Shaolin Master Killer." It was advertised as the uncut version of "Master Killer." I bought it and watched it. All of the excised scenes were back in and the film print was widescreen. Even though it was still the choppy, faded, English-dubbed print, it was still even better than my childhood memories. It was around this time that I started finding out more about the film, such as its real title. DVDs of the Chinese original were only available in the East, and nothing seemed planned. All of that changed in 2007. Thanks in large part to Quentin Tarantino and Bey Logan, the original "36th Chamber of Shaolin" was made available by Dragon Dynasty. It is an uncut, widescreen print, with three language tracks: the original Cantonese, the widely-distributed Mandarin, and the English dub. It also includes an audio commentary track by two die-hard fans: Andy Klein of "City Beat" and the RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan (surprisingly well-informed about kung fu movies), as well as interviews with Gordon Liu, Klein, RZA and David Chute, a brief history of Shaolin (hosted by Gordon Liu), and trailers for several Lau Kar-leung films, including (but not limited to) "Shaolin Mantis," "Legendary Weapons of China," "Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter," and the two sequels to "36th Chamber:" "Return to the 36th Chamber," and "Disciples of the 36th Chamber."
If you are interested in this film, it is widely available through Amazon.com and many other outlets.
If you liked this essay, please write me.
And if you would be so kind, please take advantage of the many excellent products I have to offer, including my recently-added Green Tea extract, which can allow you the reader to get Shaolin-fit!
Bye for now!
For those of you not familiar with it, it's a kung-fu movie, and in my opinion one of the best. The film's vital statistics are:
119 minutes long
Released in 1978 by Shaw Brothers Studios based out of Hong Kong, China.
The film was directed by one of the all time greats, Lau Kar-leung (Liu Chia-liang in Mandarin), who helmed such seminal kung fu works as:
"Legendary Weapons of China" (aka "Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu")
"Mad Monkey Kung Fu"
"My Young Auntie"
"Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter"
and "Heroes of the East," just to name a few.
He also acted in many of his films, and choreographed the action for all of them. He started choreographing fight scenes for his mentor, the great Chang Cheh (who also broke John Woo into the film business), including "The One-Armed Swordsman."
The Lau family are known as real kung-fu experts, specifically the Hung Gar style. After Bruce Lee's untimely death, Hong Kong was at a loss for a new kind of cinematic action. Lau Kar-leung suggested "why not show classical kung fu as it really is?" It's sounds so obvious, but that was a pretty radical viewpoint back then, especially when you had Chang Cheh still doing his "Crippled fighter/ultra-gory/mystical fighting" movies (which I highly recommend).
"The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" represents Lau's devotion to this viewpoint in its most pure form, stripping away all mysticism (or nearly all) and giving us a "Rocky"-style training movie. '36th Chamber" is also notable in this regard for its single-minded focus on the hero and his journey, with few side characters and no love story attempt (although Lau was known for these as well).
The film opens with the star, Lau Kar-fai (Liu Chia-hui), better known as Gordon Liu (he also starred in the "Kill Bill" movies), in a completely unrelated film segment, demonstrating various kung fu routines, first with his fists, then with the staff and monk's spade. Then we cut to the movie itself, as this is merely a taste of what is to come.
The story basics are that, in the wake of the Manchu conquest of China, the Manchu empire (the Ching Dynasty) has almost completely conquered the Han Chinese and wages a campaign of brutal tyranny to cow any future rebellion. We are introduced to our villains. The biggest one is General Tien Da, played by Hong Kong action icon Lo Lieh. (Lo Lieh played the White Lotus priest Pai Mei for Lau Kar-leung once, in "Executioners from Shaolin" and again in the remake he directed, "Clan of the White Lotus.") His adjutants are played by Wilson Tong and John Chang.
During a military parade, the Manchu genera; is attacked by General Yin, a leader in the Han rebellion. Yin is played by Lau Kar-leung's brother, Lau Kar-wing (Liu Chia-yung), an actor, choreographer, director and kung fu expert in his own right. I should point out that even though Gordon Liu shares the same name, he is not Lau Kar-leung's brother. He is an adopted brother to the family. The parade is a trap, and Yin is forced into combat with the deadly General Tien Da. Many of Lau Kar-leung's films utilize the 18 kung fu weapons, and this is no exception. General Tien wields two Chinese sabers, while Yin swings a mighty double ax. This is the first of several big fights in the film, and in my opinion, one of the best in film, period. Yin fights bravely, but is eventually overcome and killed. The way Lau cuts the scene together gives the sequence an extra level of intensity, as though lives were really on the line.
At this point, we are introduced to our hero, Gordon Liu, in the context of the film. (Gordon shaved his head to play ths role, so he wears a wig for these early scenes.) As the young son of a well-to-do merchant, he's not really the kind of person you would expect to rise up against a military dictatorship. But after hearing his teacher, a man he highly respects, speak about the injustices of Manchu rule, and after seeing the public spectacle of Yin's body, he decides to join the rebels. He and his classmates join up, but are found out and killed. Gordon's family pays the price as well. Gordon escapes and comes to the temple of Shaolin, where the monks are said to teach kung fu. Gordon becomes a monk and adopts the name San Da (Three Virtues).
His training begins. The training sequences take up half of the film, and are legendary for their cinematic power. There are 35 chambers in Shaolin to train in kung fu. San Da quickly masters them, learning speed, balance, arm strength, leg strength, wrist strength, sharpness of eyesight, the saber, the staff, and after several years, he is made a chamber master, over the objections of the Justice monk. The Justice monk is played by veteran bad guy actor Lee Hoi-san, who played bad guys for Sammo Hung in "The Magnificent Butcher" and John Woo in "Last Hurrah for Chivalry." He had opposed allowing San Da to enter Shaolin and challenges San Da to a fight to prove his worth. San Da agrees, and the second big fight sequence begins. The Justice monk's weapons of choice are the butterfly swords, while San Da uses a staff. The Justice monk wins easily. San Da tries again, using the monk's spade (a staff with moon-shaped blades), but loses again. While practicing, he cuts down a stalk of bamboo into three pieces and invents the three-section staff: three lengths of pole joined by chains. (This was a favorite weapon of Lau Kar-leung.) The other monks have never seen anything like it before, and the Justice monk is soundly defeated.
When given the opportunity to take charge of any chamber, San Da expresses a desire to create a 36th chamber to teach kung fu to laymen. This is an extreme deviation from Shaolin policy, and San Da is punished by having to leave the temple to collect donations. Wandering about the country, he recruits several followers. The first is Hung Hsi-kuan (the supposed inventor of Hung Gar kung fu) who is being bullied by Wilson Tong. Tong's men are quickly beaten by San Da, and Tong is killed by Hung Hsi-kuan. Next is Tung Chian-jin (whom Gordon Liu played in "Executioners from Shaolin"), a blacksmith who uses San Da's teachings to thrash a bullying Manchu guard. After that, a bamboo cutter named Lu Ah-sai is recruited, but only after he sees what a fighting machine San Da is. Finally, San Da recruits Miller Six, played by Wang Yu. A simple rice-grinder, Miller Six possesses great leg strength, and a hefty supply of blinding dust. At the film's finale, San Da's forces rout General Tien's personal guard, and Tien is left alone to battle San Da. I won't spoil how it ends for you, but suffice to say that the final fight sequence is extremely memorable for it frenetic energy. In all, the end is not that important. As the wise man once said, it is the journey that matters, and Lau Kar-leung seems to believe that.
After the film's release, Gordon Liu became an instant star. This did not happen overnight. He had already acted for Lau Kar-leung in "Challenge of the Masters" and "Executioners from Shaolin." But "36th Chamber" was his star-making role. Gordon still tells about the press conference he held in Japan, where Shaw Brothers star Yasuaki Kurata, a Japanese martial artist, was his translator. When the film was released in the West, it was given the title "Master Killer." This is very much a misnomer, since he does not go around killing, but Gordon Liu is still known as "Master Killer" today. I first saw this film under the "Master Killer" title as a young boy on television. It wasn't exactly great film then. The print was choppy and faded, the image was cropped from its widescreen base, the English dubbing was uninspired (yet oddly accurate), and it was slightly edited for violence. While not nearly as violent as Chang Cheh's movies (or many American PG-rated films, for that matter), it still got an "R" rating. The only real edit for violence was Hung Hsi-kuan's killing of Wilson Tong's character. Even though you still saw Tong die, he was only struck with a saber once. In the Hong Kong version, he was chopped many times, but even then we the audience heard it rather than seeing it. (Gordon turns away and prays to the Buddha.) According to Hong Kong film expert Bey Logan, in England the entire role of General Yin was cut, robbing British audiences of the first big fight.
Despite all of these flaws, I was spell-bound by the film. I would rent it and watch it again and again. I also started to research the history behind the film. The Shaolin Temples of China really exist, and they were the birthplace of kung fu. That always struck me as odd, that Buddhist monks, the ultimate pacifists, should invent a fighting art that allows practicioners to kill with their bare hands. During the unrest in Burma in 2007, I also found out that the yellow robes and red sashes worn by the monks in "36th Chamber" really are worn by Buddhist monks.
In 2001, I came across a DVD version of the film, "Shaolin Master Killer." It was advertised as the uncut version of "Master Killer." I bought it and watched it. All of the excised scenes were back in and the film print was widescreen. Even though it was still the choppy, faded, English-dubbed print, it was still even better than my childhood memories. It was around this time that I started finding out more about the film, such as its real title. DVDs of the Chinese original were only available in the East, and nothing seemed planned. All of that changed in 2007. Thanks in large part to Quentin Tarantino and Bey Logan, the original "36th Chamber of Shaolin" was made available by Dragon Dynasty. It is an uncut, widescreen print, with three language tracks: the original Cantonese, the widely-distributed Mandarin, and the English dub. It also includes an audio commentary track by two die-hard fans: Andy Klein of "City Beat" and the RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan (surprisingly well-informed about kung fu movies), as well as interviews with Gordon Liu, Klein, RZA and David Chute, a brief history of Shaolin (hosted by Gordon Liu), and trailers for several Lau Kar-leung films, including (but not limited to) "Shaolin Mantis," "Legendary Weapons of China," "Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter," and the two sequels to "36th Chamber:" "Return to the 36th Chamber," and "Disciples of the 36th Chamber."
If you are interested in this film, it is widely available through Amazon.com and many other outlets.
If you liked this essay, please write me.
And if you would be so kind, please take advantage of the many excellent products I have to offer, including my recently-added Green Tea extract, which can allow you the reader to get Shaolin-fit!
Bye for now!
Monday, January 19, 2009
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I'm Dave, the guy who keeps this place running. I'm your tour guide through the perilous pixel pathways of the digital world. Whether it be recommendations on certain video games, TV models, and entertainment packages.
On a personal note, I'm also a huge fan of many different entertainment forms; fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and so on, and can answer any questions you might have there for entertainment purposes. So let's get started, okay?
If you're like most people I know, you probably know what you want. If so, then you also are aware that knowing what you want and knowing how to achieve it are different things. And let's face it, the reason you came here is because you want something specific, or because you would like to know more about something specific. That's excellent. But you might not know how to go about getting it. I know how frustrating that can be.
That's why I'm here. I started this place because I have the things you probably came here to find out about. And I've always loved helping people, and giving what I have to others. So let me do my bit for you. And it's extremely easy to do that.
Below you can see my recommendations for Dish Network satellite TV. This is based on my own pleasant experience. Along with it, you can read about the features I consider important when making a purchase. You might find it useful in your life as well.
Also, you can go here to check out the latest in XBOX 360 games, hardware, upgrades and newest features:
Click Here!
Also, if you're tired of those trips to the video store where you never find anything or the prices are too steep or you just don't feel like paying the gas money to make the trip, you can download all kinds of movies, TV shows, games and music anytime you want any way you want. It's an online video store:
Click Here!
Better than that is the number one-rated site that allows you to advertise free of cost for anything. Whether you're buying, selling, or offering, it's all free. Just click here:

If you want, when you go there, you can sign up to become an affiliate and earn some extra money. It's free to join. Just click here:
Earn money from free classifieds!
I'm Dave, the guy who keeps this place running. I'm your tour guide through the perilous pixel pathways of the digital world. Whether it be recommendations on certain video games, TV models, and entertainment packages.
On a personal note, I'm also a huge fan of many different entertainment forms; fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and so on, and can answer any questions you might have there for entertainment purposes. So let's get started, okay?
If you're like most people I know, you probably know what you want. If so, then you also are aware that knowing what you want and knowing how to achieve it are different things. And let's face it, the reason you came here is because you want something specific, or because you would like to know more about something specific. That's excellent. But you might not know how to go about getting it. I know how frustrating that can be.
That's why I'm here. I started this place because I have the things you probably came here to find out about. And I've always loved helping people, and giving what I have to others. So let me do my bit for you. And it's extremely easy to do that.
Below you can see my recommendations for Dish Network satellite TV. This is based on my own pleasant experience. Along with it, you can read about the features I consider important when making a purchase. You might find it useful in your life as well.
Also, you can go here to check out the latest in XBOX 360 games, hardware, upgrades and newest features:
Click Here!
Also, if you're tired of those trips to the video store where you never find anything or the prices are too steep or you just don't feel like paying the gas money to make the trip, you can download all kinds of movies, TV shows, games and music anytime you want any way you want. It's an online video store:
Click Here!
Better than that is the number one-rated site that allows you to advertise free of cost for anything. Whether you're buying, selling, or offering, it's all free. Just click here:
If you want, when you go there, you can sign up to become an affiliate and earn some extra money. It's free to join. Just click here:
Earn money from free classifieds!
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