Shaolin and Wu Tang
Shaolin and Wu Tang is a 1983 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by and starring Gordon Liu. The film is about the rivalry between the martial arts schools Shaolin and Wu Tang. It is also called Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang in the Master Killer Collection.
| Shaolin and Wu Tang | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Traditional | 少林與武當 |
| Simplified | 少林与武当 |
| Mandarin | Shào Lín yǔ Wǔ Dāng |
| Cantonese | Siu3 Lam4 jyu5 Mou5 Dong1 |
| Directed by | Gordon Liu |
| Produced by | Lau Kar-leung |
| Written by | Huang Pa-ching Katy Chin |
| Starring | Gordon Liu Adam Cheng Idy Chan Chan Shen Kwan Hoi-san Lee Hoi-sang Elvis Tsui Wang Lung-wei |
| Music by | So Chung-shing Shing Wai-yip |
| Cinematography | Chin Chiang Ma |
| Edited by | Yen-Hai Li |
| Distributed by | Hing Fut Film Company |
Release date |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$2,821,952 |
The film inspired the name of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, who used several audio samples from the English dub of the film in their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
Plot summary
Master Liu and Master Law are rival masters of Shaolin style kung fu and Wu-Tang style sword fighting, running schools in the same city. Their top students, Chao Fung-wu (Adam Cheng) and Hung Jun-kit (Gordon Liu), are actually close friends, with Jun-kit's sister, Yan-ling, having a crush on Fung-wu. After observing the two students fighting at a brothel, two of the local Qing Lord's (Wang Lung Wei) soldiers report the power of the styles to him. The Lord determines that the two styles are dangerous and that he must learn both.
After being poisoned by the Lord, Master Law lets Fung-wu stab him. For this, Fung-wu is being sent to prison. Trying to rescue Fung-wu, Jun-kit teaches a prisoner the Shaolin Chin kang fist, not knowing the prisoner is the Lord's spy. After their escape from prison, the four of them (the spy, Yan-ling, Fung-wu and Jun-kit) are ambushed. To overcome the Lord's, men Fung-wu teaches the spy some Wu-tang sword techniques. As they are still being overpowered, Fung-wu and Yan-ling have to flee the scene, only to be captured by the Wu-Tang who came to prosecute Fung-wu for killing Master Law. As they leave for Wu-Tang temple, Yan-ling gets shot and dies in Fung-wu arms. The Wu-Tang leave the dead body behind. Jun-kit finds it, believing the Wu-Tang killed his sister. Hoping to avenge Yan-ling's death, Jun-kit returns to the Shaolin temple for training as a monk. Meanwhile, Fung-wu is being held at the Wu-tang temple.
The Qing Lord has since learned both the styles from the spy, but, because he did not learn either from a master, his grasp on both styles is imperfect. To overcome this deficiency, he decides to have the Wu-Tang and the Shaolin destroy each other, so he may be the only master of both styles. To do this, he stages a martial arts contest between the two temples, hoping to appeal to the traditional rivalry between the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang. Jun-kit (now called Tat-chi), and Fung-wu (now called Ming-kai), are selected by their respective temples as the representatives.
During the contest, the Qing Lord, in his impatience to see both Wu-Tang and Shaolin destroyed, admits his true motives and his role in Yan-ling and Master Law's deaths. Tat-chi and Ming-kai must then combine Shaolin Chin kang fist and Wu-Tang Sword style to defeat him.