[Kung Fu] Prides Deadly Fury (1983) - Rmvb

The movie is actually a variant of the story of Huo Yuan Jia and the episode in which he fought a number of Western and Japanese fighters - the story recently retold in Jet Li?s FearlessIn this version, the protaganist (Xu?) is a Baguazhang expert making a living with his family as wandering martial artists, giving demonstrations for money. They have a falling out with some students of Master He (the Huo Yuan Jia role). He defeats the students, and then master He, who becomes involved to defend the honour of his school. However, when Xu is subsequently injured, Master He and his senior students prove themselves to be moral, upright characters who give him money to live on. After this, Xu and his family are taken in by a baguazhang master who helps him to regain his strength, and trains him in bagua techniques.



Master He is engaged in a contest with three Western strongmen, who know Chinese kung fu as well as western boxing and wrestling. He defeats the first two, but time runs out, and the contest with the last and strongest westerner is postponed. Before it can be held, the Westerners and Japanese treacherously send a Chinese thug to smash master He on the head with a club swung from a moving carriage. Master He is incapacitated. Xu visits him in hospital, and returns the money He had previously given. To his suprise, Xu is named by He as He?s successor as head of the school, and asked to take on the final westerner. After a confrontation with some of He?s students, who refuse to accept the new head, Xu takes on the last Westerner, in a long and difficult fight, which he eventually wins with bagua techniques. As the crowd swirls around him, one of the dissident students tries to stab Xu in the back. Master He is nearby, sees the attempt and, pushing Xu out of the way, is stabbed himself and dies.

Thus, the story keeps fairly close to the Huo Yuan Jia legend.



Great film, with some excellent fight scenes, wicked westerners, and a rare chance to see bagua being used properly in fight scenes (and no, Jet Li in The One doesn?t count!)