The tale of Bak Mei's death comes in many forms - it is often claimed that he was poisoned, or slain (in a grand battle) by other martial artists. It was decided that Bak Mei would infiltrate the Qing court as a spy while the others travelled throughout China to establish an alliance of anti-Qing rebels. Once mastered, the user can punch through solid wood without wind up, chambering, or telegraphing. Only the baddest kung fu character ever! The traditions of Bak Mei Kung Fu trace its origins to Mount Emei, where Bak Mei is said to have transmitted the art to the Chan (Zen) master Gwong Wai, who transmitted the art to the Chan master Juk Faat Wan and the Taoist Fung Fo. Jeung would later learn Li Style from Li Mung, (founded by Li Yi李義) who taught Jeung his family style. The Great Shaolin Purge took 70 days as Qing forces hunted down the 18 survivors. Then came the attack against the Shaolin Temple at Quanzhou in Fujian province in 1647. I hope one day he’ll be back in some form and be as unbeatable as ever. Almost all of the rebels who over the years sought to murder Bak Mei for his withdrawal from the struggle ended up dead at Bak Mei's hands, including Jee Sin and Miu Hin's son, Fong Sai-yuk, whom Bak Mei had known since Fong was a small boy. Because of this, Jeung's style of Bak Mei is associated the dragon style of Lam Yiu Gwai due to the many years Jeung and Lam spent training together. Jeung Lai Chuen began his study of the martial arts at the age of 7 with the Classical Chinese Medicine practitioner Sek Lam, who taught him the vagrant style. In 2012 an academic research was done on the historical origins of the style of Baimei Quan (Pak Mei Kuen or White Eyebrow Fist) and the validity of the monk Bai Mei, using the resources of US University Professors of Chinese and Buddhist Studies as well as Mr. Xiong Feng of the Emei Shan Museum, Sichuan, China. Another master named Chu Long Tuyen did not accept this. They also have numerous stances and techniques in common and share similar terminology and methodology. The Taoist Fung Fo in turn passed the art on to Lau Siu-Leung, who established the Futshan lineage of Bak Mei. Because of this, Cheung's style of Bak Mei is associated with Hakka Kuen, but more strongly still with the Dragon style of Lam Yiu-Kwai¡ªwho is also said to have had a background in Hakka Kuen¡ªdue to the many years Cheung and Lam spent training together.[3]. According to legend Pai Mei was one of the five elders of Shaolin and also supposedly betrayed the Shaolin Temple leading to it’s burning down by the imperial government. During his stay in Guangxiao, Zhu Fayun committed to teach Zhang Liquan (Cheung Lai Chuen) the Baimei arts. According to some stories another such master, Chu Long Tuyen, the monk who would later become Bak Mei, did not accept this. He shares his name with the South Chinese martial art attributed to him. Change ), You're a big man but you're in bad shape, with me it's a full time job, now behave yourself, The Rise of Skywalker’s response to The Last Jedi. 2 (2004). TeeKool Pai-Mei's White Lotus T-Shirt Hat-Tori Han-zo Movie Shirt While he was studying martial arts with the Lam family, he became close friends with their son Lam Yiu-Kwai, with whom he had much in common. 2. After Bak Mei refused to provide his real name for fear of retribution (against his family and students - if they survived), the Abbott of the temple christened the monk “Bak Mei” - White Eyebrow. There are some rather awkward sex? Out hero, played by "baldhead" Gordon Liu, receives a sound thrashing from He kind of bookends the start and end of the movie. He (Pai Mei, that is) also shows up in Wu-Tang vs Ninja (hilarious B-movie with Alexander Lo Rei) and The Shaolin Avengers, if I remember correctly. When talking… His ultimate downfall is rather unsophisticated and hastily done. Whether justified or not, Bak Mei's traitorous reputation led to animosity between practitioners of his namesake martial art and practitioners of martial arts identified with those whom he is accused of betraying.[1]. Like all good villains he is ripped off a lot. Some say he was finally killed by the combined effort of Hoong Man Ting and Wu Ah Phiew who employed the Crane Style and the Tiger Style to avenge the burning of the Shaolin Temple and the death of their sigung (teacher's teacher), the Venerable Jee Sin, the Abbott whom Pak Mei is said to have killed in a duel during the burning of the temple.[5]. Chi Thien Su, one of the Five Elders, founded another temple at Nine Lotus Mountain in Fujian where the survivors sought shelter. It is characterized by its emphasis on powerful close range hand strikes. They both left Huizhou to build their futures in Guangzhou and did so by opening several schools together. Cheung had a background in Hakka Kuen, the martial arts of the Hakka people, from his study of the family style of Li Mung and the Vagrant style, which are both identified with the Hakka, as is Southern Praying Mantis (which Cheung is not known to have trained in). He learnt three different styles from three different masters prior to having met Zhu Fayun. The Bak Mei Pai traces its origins to Mount Emei, where Bak Mei is said to have transmitted the art to the Chan (Zen) master Gwong Wai who then passed it on to Juk Faat Wan. In 1673, over a period of three months, the 128 monks of the southern Shaolin Temple defeated the Xilu army without suffering a single casualty. ( Log Out /  The opening of the movie is amazballs and while at times there are a few slow moments it’s almost always related to how to defeat the white brow master. He claimed he did this to prevent the massacre of the monks in the temple by the troops who followed him. After moving to Guangzhou, Jeung was defeated by the monk Lin Sang after which the monk referred Jeung to his own teacher Juk Faat Wan, who taught Jeung the art of Bak Mei over the next two or three years. This campaign of innuendo was wasted on the Kangxi Emperor, who remained grateful to the monks, but the rumors had their intended effect on his successor, the Yongzheng Emperor (1722–1735). It is a work of fiction (anonymous) and has no historical basis whatsoever. The film is a multi-generational story of revenge pitting the disciples of Shaolin temple against the historical figure of Soon rumors began to spread about the threat posed by a power so great that it defeated the entire Xilu army with a force of only 128 monks. This campaign of innuendo was wasted on the Kangxi Emperor, who remained grateful to the monks, but the rumors had their intended effect on his successor, the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735), who ordered the temple's destruction. The character has become famous in Kung Fu movies as the unbeatable white eyebrow villain. Manchu conquered China in 1644. The earliest reference to the monk Bai Mei as an actual person comes in the Wuxia novel called Wunnian Qing (A Thousand Years Green or Evergreen) as being one of the five ancestors who survived the sacking of the Shaolin Temple (circa 1727) by the Qing army. Basically, don’t ever fu*k with this guy. However, the more Bak Mei learned, the more he realized that his allies’ efforts would never be enough to overthrow the Qing, and so he left the rebellion, who took this as a betrayal, forcing Bak Mei on the run from those he was once on the run with. It is said that the Shaw Brothers based his character off a legendary elder of the Bak In 1723, on the sixth day of the first new moon of the lunar calendar, Qing forces launched a sneak attack on the southern Shaolin temple, which began by bombarding the largely wooden monastery with a relentless deluge of burning arrows. Bak Mei as a fictional character is better known in the West as Pai Mei, played by Gordon Liu in the Hollywood action film Kill Bill, Vol. 'White Eyebrow') is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders — survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) — who, according to some accounts, betrayed Shaolin to the imperial government. Zhu Fayun. He decided to give up on the rebellion, which was seen as a betrayal. There are some fast and furious fight scenes and it’s an entertaining edition to the Shaolin Cycle. This is entirely plausible as the Guangxiao monastery is one of the oldest temples in south China as well as being one of the most influential Buddhist shrines. While Kill Bill part one was spot the movie reference game part two comes across as something more fully formed and the Pai Mei we see here is a fabulous homage to the Shaw Brothers movies. It is a skill that generates explosive force while using only the travel distance of one's extended fingers (usually about three inches). According to some stories, Bak Mei betrayed the Ming by taking information about their plot against the invaders to the Shunzhi Emperor, then returned with information about the Manchu attack plan to the Shaolin. ( Log Out /  In the accounts of some Bak Mei practitioners, their founder did not so much betray Shaolin as decline to join their rebellion against the Qing. Bak Mei is characterized by its emphasis on powerful close range hand strikes. Although the motives of the monk remain unknown, whether it was an insult or a misunderstanding, Pai Mei tracked him down at the Shaolin Temple. In 1647 Manchu forces attacked the Southern Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian. While he was studying martial arts with the Lam family, he became close friends with their son Lam Yiu Gwai, with whom he had much in common, and eventually studied under Yiu Gwai's uncle. Before then, China had been ruled by the Ming Dynasty, which had been weakened by internal corruption and rebellion. Lo Lieh again and it’s again a highly entertaining film. The Great Shaolin Purge took 70 days as Qing forces hunted down the 18 survivors. High quality Pai Mei gifts and merchandise. Accounts of the Bak Mei and the Five Great Kung Fu Masters are many and varied. A monk who survives the burning of the Shaolin Temple travels to the south to raise money to rebuild it, on his travels he gains some further insight into his training (although there isn’t any real training in this) and attracts a group of followers around him . A generation of a family train to take on Pai Mei and almost all of them get their asses severely kicked. During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662–1722), the warriors of the Xilufan rebellion were so feared that the two ministers whom Kangxi ordered to quell the revolt fled China rather than face the mercilessness of the Xilu warriors, which often involved beheading. At a later stage in his career, Zhang Liquan formulated several of his own forms, including Tuotiao Quan (Cantonese: Tit Til Kuen) and Simen Bagua (Cantonese: Say Mun Ba Gua) which he openly professed were his own works. After the temple was destroyed, Bak Mei and Fong Toh Tak (creator of the Bak Fu Pai) left the temple on separate paths in order to study Taoism. The more Bak Mei learned, the more he realized that his allies' efforts would never be enough to overthrow the Qing. It was decided that Bak Mei would infiltrate the Qing imperial court as a spy while the others travelled throughout China to establish an alliance of anti-Qing rebels. The white brow master is the one that even helps suggesting how he defeats his opponents and how they could possibly defeat him. Most of the films relate to the story of how he was eventually beaten. As part of the Manchu campaign to pacify China, they attacked some Buddhist Shaolin Temples. Chia-Hui Liu, Actor: Kill Bill: Vol. At times it can be somewhat confusing as in the scenes at the present moment they are all fighting a battle yet have time to remember the good ole days. Im watching Shoulin Prince and the bad guy in this movie looks like a younger version of Pai Mei. Soon only five remained. Also know as ‘Ninja Killer’. The viewer sees Pai Mei defeating the Shaolin leader with his signature retreating testicles move. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. However, by doing so the monks had made enemies of those in the Qing army and Qing court who were embarrassed by how easily the Shaolin monks had succeeded where they had failed. This included Jee Sin and Miu Hin's son[4] Fong Sai Yuk (Miu Hin's grandson according to other sources) whom Bak Mei had known since Sai Yuk was a small boy. If you like Kung Fu movies then you must watch this. Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. I’m less fond of this movie than some are. Other accounts portray Bak Mei as having been banished from Shaolin Temple because he killed several of his fellow monks when he first began practicing his new fighting style. In 1723, on the 6th day of the first new moon of the lunar calendar, a former Shaolin disciple named Ma Ning-Yee aided Qing forces to launch a sneak attack on the southern Shaolin Temple. Additionally, it contains numerous Dim-Mak applications. ( Log Out /  Unlike He claimed he did this to prevent the massacre of the monks in the temple by the troops who followed him. Right? According to some stories, Bak Mei betrayed the Ming at this point, taking information about their plot against the Manchu to the Manchu Shunzhi Emperor, then returned with information about the Manchu attack plan to the Shaolin. Our story starts with the opening credits where the Manchu's use Priest Pai Mei to destroy the Temple. He began his reign by plotting the temple's destruction and was said to have secretly recruited a band of renegade warrior monks from Tibet to carry out his plan. Later, Cheung would learn from Li Mung, who taught Chueng his family style, and from the Lam Yiu-Kwai's older uncle. Kill Bill is the story of one retired assassin's revenge against a man who tried to kill her while she was pregnant years prior. The film is mostly building up to the final fight with the big boss, Pai Mei, and all his underlings the Monk and his group fight are just getting us buttered up for the Pai Mei final. Both were born in Huìyáng County (惠陽) in the Huizhou prefecture of Guangdong and a marriage between their families would eventually make them cousins. Some of these applications involve throwing, takedowns, and restraining techniques. This is the best Kung Fu movie featuring the character, although technically it’s not Pai Mei but an identical classmate of his (i don’t know either). [4], According to the Fatsan family tree, Pak Mei passed the art to Kwong Wai, Chuk Yun, Fung Fo Dao Yan, Lau Siu-Leung (刘少良) who established the Fatsan lineage of Bak Mei. The original white lotus clan priest Pai Mei; played by Lo Lieh. Bak Mei (Chinese: 白眉; pinyin: Bái Méi; Wade–Giles: Pai Mei; Cantonese Yale: Baahk Mèih; lit. https://allofthishashappenedbefore.wordpress.com/2015/08/31/pai-mei-movies [2] Bak Mei strikes are usually executed in conjunction with intercepting and jamming the opponent's strike. However, by doing so they had made enemies of some Qing officers who were embarrassed by how easily the Shaolin monks had succeeded where they had failed. Pai Mei here just seems too invulnerable to anything which makes him a rather frustrating villain. The second appearance in this list already of both Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh and both will appear once more. Pai Mei doesn’t have much to do in this movie except watch on to figure out his opponents weaknesses. Even a kick in the balls won’t work cos he has none. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Bak Mei played an important part in the downfall of Shaolin temples. Chu Long Tuyen refused to provide his real name for fear of retribution against his family and students, in case they survived. Warren Beatty was Tarantino’s first choice for Bill. It was the 128 monks of the southern Shaolin temple who defeated the army of Xilu over three months in 1673 without suffering a single casualty. Some sources indicate that this temple was actually in Henan, or that the invading forces recruited help from Tibetan warriors in the attack. As one of the sacred mountains of China, Mount Emei was home to about 70 monasteries and temples where the five clerics could blend in easily. This seems like a clever thing a tactician would do. There is no historical evidence to suggest that the Shaolin Temple of Henan Province was ever attacked and destroyed by the Qing armies but this is not unexpected considering the destruction of many martial texts in Shaolin history. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In other versions, Bak Mei and Ma Ning-Yee both betray Shaolin, sometimes joined by Fung Do-Duk. The latter account names the Shaolin traitor as Ma Ning-Yee rather than Bak Mei, though that detail was omitted for reasons of length. The Chinese character Zhu formed part of the ancient word Tianzhu, meaning India. Chia-Hui Liu was born on August 22, 1951 in Guangdong, China as Jin-Hsi Shin. The degree to which stories of the Five Elders are based on historical fact remains unverified. Soon only five remained: After two years of running and hiding from the Qing army, these fugitives of the cloth regrouped at Mount Emei in Sichuan Province. Shaolin Avengers is an interesting Kung Fu movie as it cuts between the present and past of our heroes throughout the movie. Pai Mei is not actually named here. As one of the sacred mountains of China, Mount Emei was home to about 70 monasteries and temples where the five clerics could blend in easily. Lam would later become known for disseminating Dragon Kung Fu much as Jeung would later become known for disseminating Bak Mei. Years before the Massacre at Two Pines, Bill told Beatrix the legend he once heard of Pai Mei and his Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. Some versions of the ending even have a dubbed in line to explain that he was defeated. Unfortunately when Pai Mei finally does make his move he goes down like a punk. They began the assault by bombarding the largely wooden monastery with a relentless deluge of burning arrows. Shaolin practitioners and brothers Wu and Hung kill the merciless This time Gordon Liu expertly takes on the role of the white priest adding some humor to the character. Pai Mei gave a slight nod to the monk, who did not return it. Rumors soon began to spread about the threat posed by a power so great that it defeated the entire Xilu army with a force of only 128 monks. Probably just a character inspired by Pai Mei. They have a son, but the boy's father is killed by the evil eunuch In other versions, both elders betray Shaolin, sometimes along with Fung Do-Duk. Only five masters managed to escape, and since then became known as the Five Elders. After moving to Guangzhou, Cheung was defeated by the monk Lin Sang after which the monk referred Cheung to his own teacher master Juk Faat Wan, who taught Cheung the art of Bak Mei over the next two or three years. Yes, we have kung fu movies with Ninja’s showing up but why here? Zhang Liquan (1882-1964). These applications are comparable with anatomy focused arts such as tuite and chin-nah. www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-20-best-shaw-brothers-martial-arts-movies scenes too that don’t really show anything but are fairly embarrassing to watch. The Five Elders survived, however, and soon Chi Thien Su would found a second Shaolin Temple at Nine Lotus Mountain, also in Fujian Province. He is so gods damn awesome that he tells people why they can’t beat him because from his point of view he is just handing the keys of his Porsche to a baby who couldn’t possibly learn how to drive it. There, Bak Mei slew the "invincible" Shaolin leader Jee Sin in single combat by breaking his neck. Having Lo Lieh and Gordon Liu pair off against each other is a Kung Fu fight to behold, putting the actual fighting aside we have two actors that are superior on their own merits and it’s not just the action of the fight but the method of how to fight a character like Pei Mei that is really interesting and fun. Favorite Quote:  “Your so-called Kung-Fu… is really… quite pathetic.” – Pai Mei. There, Bak Mei slew the “invincible” Shaolin leader, Chi Thien Su, in single combat by breaking his neck.