I went to see Tony Jaa’s new martial arts movie THE PROTECTOR on Saturday night. The movie was decent… but it was the crowd that made it great. I went with a handfull of folks from my kung fu academy. Part of the joy was to hear them quietly talk about specific moves that were being performed on the screen and mock the inconsistencies and less than obvious shortfalls.
And you know how after you see kung fu movies you talk about the moves in the film and when talking about it, use your body to try and give the specifics as to what happened? well, after this movie the people of my academy were able to repeat the actual moves. So even just TALKING about the movie was more entertaining.
Also interesting: when we left the theater, the group momentarily split into two groups. I was walking with three women (black and advanced brown belts) and one 10 year old (brown belt). I realized that while sterotypes would place me as the most dangerous and able to defend myself within this group… in actually, I was the weak untrained one. it was a humbling moment.
I can do that. That kung fu stuff, with the flips. I just hate it when the change falls out of my pockets.