The Buddhist Fist
The Buddhist Fist
佛掌羅漢拳
Overview
"A monk named Ah-san returns to his hometown to visit his childhood friend, only to find him missing and his family acting suspiciously. He uncovers a dark conspiracy involving stolen jade statues, grave robbing, and a corrupt group of martial artists masquerading as monks."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
Ah-san investigates a graveyard at night, leading to an incredibly tight, technical, and brutal fight against grave robbers in the mud.
"fighting in the graveyard""buddhist fist mud fight" - ▶
Ah-san is ambushed in a narrow alleyway, utilizing precise, close-quarters parrying and strikes to survive against multiple armed attackers.
"narrow alleyway fight""close quarters parrying" - ▶
The grueling final duel where the treacherous villain unleashes a bizarre technique, using his long braided queue as a razor-sharp whip to slice Ah-san.
"fighting the braid whip""queue hair weapon"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The incredible opening form demonstration in the rain.
- ★Ah-san fighting an assassin in a dark alley using incredibly tight, restrictive choreography.
- ★The final showdown against the villain, who uses his queue (braid) as a lethal whip-like weapon.
Cultural Context
- ◈Directed by Yuen Woo-ping and starring Tsui Siu-ming, who was a real-life martial arts instructor and stuntman.
- ◈An underrated, brutal entry in the 'shapes' era, known for highly intricate, punishing physical choreography.
- ◈Distinct from comedy kung fu; the tone is unusually dark, violent, and focuses on betrayal within a temple.
About the Action Elements
The Buddhist Fist is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving graveyard, mud, technical, grave robbers, night. One of the most memorable sequences features Tsui Siu-ming naturally executing fighting in the graveyard, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.