One might assume that documentaries portray the martial arts more accurately than Kung Fu films or Hollywood action movies. The reality is, documentaries often get a lot wrong as well. The short documentary “Bruce Lee: The True Creator of MMA” provides an example. It gets a number of historical facts wrong and uses rhetorical sleight of hand in trying to strengthen its case that JKD was the origin of MMA. Other martial arts documentaries have similar problems, as their creators often force a narrative and simplify historical characters. The very best martial arts documentaries don’t abandon narrative, but rather try to replicate the narrative complexity of real life.
Key Takeaways:
- Kung Fu Tea is a blog devoted to the history and evolution of traditional King Fu fighting systems.
- Admittedly, some Kung Fu aficionados are not happy with how Kung Fu is portrayed in documentaries and Hollywood movies.
- On The South China Morning You Tube channel, you can find a Bruce Lee documentary that explains how he was the inventor of MMA.
“Many of these systems base arguments for their authenticity not in any type of competitive encounter, but rather in mythic historical narrative.”
Read more: https://chinesemartialstudies.com/2019/10/06/kung-fu-documentaries-and-their-discontents/
