1 00:00:17,246 --> 00:00:20,875 A lot of people called me Master Killer, 2 00:00:21,049 --> 00:00:22,846 they also called me San Te. 3 00:00:22,985 --> 00:00:25,852 Recently they called me Pak Mei as well. 4 00:00:25,988 --> 00:00:27,785 I'm Lau Kar Fai, Gordon Liu. 5 00:00:33,862 --> 00:00:38,526 I liked going to the cinema with my uncles. 6 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:42,101 We saw Kwan Tak-Hing in Wong Fei Hung. 7 00:00:42,271 --> 00:00:46,799 I thought that Kwan Tak-Hing was very manly playing Wong Fei Hung. 8 00:00:46,942 --> 00:00:52,505 He's full of... like a traditional Chinese man... 9 00:00:52,681 --> 00:00:55,650 a real Chinese man... Chinese... 10 00:00:55,817 --> 00:01:01,778 I was impressed by his Kung Fu, the way he rescued others. 11 00:01:01,957 --> 00:01:08,192 He'd never kill a villain: Instead he'd teach them to be good. 12 00:01:08,363 --> 00:01:11,093 That kind of hero made a deep impression on me. 13 00:01:19,942 --> 00:01:22,342 So I decided to take Kung Fu classes. 14 00:01:32,454 --> 00:01:37,357 There are many Kung Fu styles in China. 15 00:01:37,426 --> 00:01:41,556 Say, Tai Chi, Hung Fist, Choy Lee Fut, and the likes. 16 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:51,467 But my father, mother, and sisters didn't want me to learn Kung Fu. 17 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,076 They said that people who learned Kung Fu 18 00:01:56,311 --> 00:02:00,042 were rough, badly-behaved, and would never be gentle. 19 00:02:00,215 --> 00:02:06,711 I ignored them and went to learn Kung Fu without letting them know. 20 00:02:08,156 --> 00:02:10,989 I asked my friend what Kung Fu style was the best. 21 00:02:11,159 --> 00:02:14,856 He said it depended on what I liked. 22 00:02:15,030 --> 00:02:19,433 I told him I wanted to learn the most difficult style 23 00:02:19,601 --> 00:02:21,865 which would build character. 24 00:02:22,037 --> 00:02:26,371 I felt that a rigorous Kung Fu style 25 00:02:26,541 --> 00:02:28,873 could help train one's patience and perseverance. 26 00:02:29,044 --> 00:02:31,342 He told me to take up Hung Fist. 27 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,814 "Hung Gar is very difficult to learn." 28 00:02:35,984 --> 00:02:38,851 Okay, so I chose Hung Gar. 29 00:02:43,625 --> 00:02:51,498 I didn't know then that Wong Fei Hung was practicing Hung Gar. 30 00:02:51,667 --> 00:02:56,832 So I went to my brother's martial arts school, 31 00:02:56,905 --> 00:03:01,069 Lau Cham Martial Arts School, to learn Hung Fist. 32 00:03:22,130 --> 00:03:26,567 I was learning Hung Fist from Lau Kar-Leung (aka Liu Chia-Liang). 33 00:03:26,735 --> 00:03:32,332 I was the youngest at Lau Kar-Leung's martial arts school. 34 00:03:32,507 --> 00:03:35,169 Everyone was grown up, I was the youngest. 35 00:03:35,777 --> 00:03:39,713 Lau Kar-Leung's family doted on me. 36 00:03:40,916 --> 00:03:47,651 After I graduated, I still went back to the school to teach the kids. 37 00:03:47,789 --> 00:03:49,780 I didn't take any money for it, either. 38 00:03:49,958 --> 00:03:52,358 That was my interest to teach. 39 00:03:55,597 --> 00:03:59,158 At that time, Lau Kar-Leung was an action director. 40 00:03:59,334 --> 00:04:05,330 If he needed an extra stuntman, he'd ask me to stand in. 41 00:04:05,507 --> 00:04:07,873 I didn't know much, I just knew Kung Fu. 42 00:04:08,009 --> 00:04:12,605 He didn't mind, so I took him up on his offer. I was paid, too. 43 00:04:23,792 --> 00:04:30,027 Lau Kar-Leung wanted me to make a film. 44 00:04:30,198 --> 00:04:34,396 He wanted me to show what he'd taught me. 45 00:04:34,469 --> 00:04:40,237 I was about 20 or 21 years old then. 46 00:04:40,408 --> 00:04:42,672 I had no objection. 47 00:04:42,844 --> 00:04:48,407 Since I'd learned so much from him, I respected his views. 48 00:04:48,583 --> 00:04:50,414 I was also really scared. 49 00:04:50,585 --> 00:04:56,285 In the office, the managers and supervisors liked me a lot. 50 00:04:56,458 --> 00:05:00,224 How could I resign from the job? 51 00:05:00,395 --> 00:05:01,555 I thought of a number of ways. 52 00:05:01,730 --> 00:05:04,756 If I told them that I resigned 53 00:05:04,933 --> 00:05:07,299 because I was going to make movies, 54 00:05:07,435 --> 00:05:12,702 they'd be sure to say that I was daydreaming about being a movie star. 55 00:05:13,775 --> 00:05:18,303 Eventually, I came up with an excuse and told my colleagues 56 00:05:18,446 --> 00:05:24,510 that I was going to Canada to further my study. 57 00:05:27,255 --> 00:05:33,956 I lied so they wouldn't think I was daydreaming about being a star. 58 00:05:43,872 --> 00:05:47,535 When the movie was released, 59 00:05:47,709 --> 00:05:50,678 my name was all over the papers. 60 00:05:50,846 --> 00:05:53,838 No one knew who Lau Kar Fai was. 61 00:05:53,982 --> 00:05:57,315 They just knew that I was Lau Kar-Leung's brother. 62 00:05:57,485 --> 00:06:01,979 That I practiced Hung Gar. That's all. Not much of an actor. 63 00:06:10,065 --> 00:06:17,369 In 1974, Lau Kar-Leung introduced me to director Chang Cheh. 64 00:06:17,439 --> 00:06:20,465 I signed a three-year contract. 65 00:06:20,642 --> 00:06:25,238 I was supposed to be in stunts and acting for three years. 66 00:06:25,413 --> 00:06:27,847 The other actors like me 67 00:06:28,016 --> 00:06:32,214 were Alexandra Fu Sheng, Chik Kuan-Chun, 68 00:06:32,387 --> 00:06:36,483 Leung Kar-Yan, and Johnny Wang Lung-Wei. 69 00:06:36,658 --> 00:06:41,618 We signed a three-year contract and left for Taiwan. 70 00:06:41,796 --> 00:06:44,287 We were to act in Chang Cheh's films. 71 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,662 Filming at that time was like... 72 00:06:47,836 --> 00:06:51,135 If there's a role, you act, otherwise you do the stunts. 73 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,164 We did everything. 74 00:07:00,649 --> 00:07:06,554 I stayed in Taiwan for about one and a half years. 75 00:07:07,155 --> 00:07:10,989 After Lau Kar-Leung split from Chang Cheh, 76 00:07:11,059 --> 00:07:16,019 Lau Kar-Leung returned to Shaw Brothers and directed his first movie, 77 00:07:16,097 --> 00:07:17,826 Tlhe Spiritual Boxer. 78 00:07:18,633 --> 00:07:22,501 Tlhe Spiritual Boxer made Lau Kar-Leung famous. 79 00:07:23,805 --> 00:07:33,737 Lau Kar-Leung used Shaw's influence and brought me back to Hong Kong. 80 00:07:34,115 --> 00:07:38,142 My contract was with Chang Cheh, not Shaw Brothers. 81 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,187 I hadn't finished my contract yet. 82 00:07:41,356 --> 00:07:44,484 I had about a year and a half left. 83 00:07:44,659 --> 00:07:50,359 My first movie with Shaw Brothers was Clhallenge of tlhe Masters. 84 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:56,328 It was a Shaw Brothers film, but Chang Cheh paid my salary. 85 00:07:57,105 --> 00:08:01,041 It was like that until I finished my contract. 86 00:08:01,176 --> 00:08:05,579 And my second film was Tlhe 36tlh Clhamber of Slhaolin. 87 00:08:06,214 --> 00:08:10,241 I was a lead actor in Clhallenge and Tlhe 36tlh Clhamber of Slhaolin. 88 00:08:10,318 --> 00:08:16,188 People started noticing what I could do, like the Hung Gar style. 89 00:08:21,863 --> 00:08:26,357 I wasn't very famous at that point. 90 00:08:26,534 --> 00:08:30,095 But my popularity was at an enviable level. 91 00:08:30,271 --> 00:08:34,264 People knew that this young guy had an alternative Kung Fu style. 92 00:08:44,519 --> 00:08:50,822 The character of San Te in Tlhe 36tlh Clhamber of Slhaolin is real. 93 00:08:50,892 --> 00:08:54,692 In the film, his name is Lau Yu Te. 94 00:08:55,030 --> 00:08:57,089 Before he became a monk, his name was Lau Yu Te. 95 00:08:57,298 --> 00:09:00,028 The film describes actual history. 96 00:09:00,101 --> 00:09:03,298 The 36th Chamber of Shaolin really existed. 97 00:09:03,805 --> 00:09:09,869 In 1990, I went to the Shaolin temple in Songshan and asked the head monk. 98 00:09:10,111 --> 00:09:14,707 He confirmed that the 36th Chamber and San Te really existed. 99 00:09:14,983 --> 00:09:17,577 The story in the film might be fictional, 100 00:09:17,786 --> 00:09:19,083 but the character is real. 101 00:09:23,491 --> 00:09:25,925 I always play the hero. 102 00:09:25,994 --> 00:09:28,554 Wong Fei Hung or San Te. 103 00:09:29,597 --> 00:09:33,158 The righteous hero. 104 00:09:33,234 --> 00:09:38,001 The hero that wouldn't kill. Not bloody. 105 00:09:38,173 --> 00:09:43,008 Most of the time it's like Kwan Tak-Hing: After a fight, you forgive. 106 00:09:43,645 --> 00:09:46,205 It's Lau Kar-Leung who taught... 107 00:09:46,281 --> 00:09:51,742 Lau Kar-Leung's films placed more emphasis on ethics and righteousness. 108 00:09:52,954 --> 00:09:58,153 It's about respecting, helping, and rescuing somebody. 109 00:09:58,226 --> 00:10:00,194 It's not about killing. 110 00:10:06,367 --> 00:10:10,497 Everyday, before we started in the morning at 10 o'clock, 111 00:10:10,572 --> 00:10:14,975 I'd arrive at Shaw Brothers at 8:30 to do some exercise. 112 00:10:16,010 --> 00:10:21,949 I was hard-working and I wanted to build a muscular body. 113 00:10:22,684 --> 00:10:25,448 I was practicing with the three-section staff everyday. 114 00:10:25,820 --> 00:10:30,314 I was giving Lau Kar-Leung my best. 115 00:10:30,391 --> 00:10:37,820 I used to wear long hair, but Lau Kar-Leung wanted me in the film. 116 00:10:37,999 --> 00:10:41,457 That film raised my profile around the world. 117 00:10:43,004 --> 00:10:45,564 At that time, 118 00:10:45,707 --> 00:10:50,269 to stay handsome, very few lead actors had to shave their heads. 119 00:10:50,445 --> 00:10:52,811 I wasn't handsome. 120 00:10:55,517 --> 00:10:59,613 After I shaved my head, people thought I was special. 121 00:11:02,423 --> 00:11:07,019 I was in Japan promoting 122 00:11:07,195 --> 00:11:10,392 Tlhe 36tlh Clhamber of Slhaolin. 123 00:11:10,565 --> 00:11:15,366 A lot of Japanese people told me that I reminded them of someone. 124 00:11:16,371 --> 00:11:18,839 I asked, "Who?" 125 00:11:19,007 --> 00:11:21,737 They said I looked like the American actor Yul Brynner. 126 00:11:23,444 --> 00:11:26,004 I was very tanned at that time. 127 00:11:26,181 --> 00:11:29,947 A slight resemblance... 128 00:11:30,084 --> 00:11:32,609 I liked this actor, too. 129 00:11:32,787 --> 00:11:34,482 I was happy that I looked like him. 130 00:11:41,829 --> 00:11:46,391 I'm very happy and feel really lucky 131 00:11:46,568 --> 00:11:50,629 that my first film, Clhallenge of tlhe Masters. 132 00:11:50,805 --> 00:11:53,137 Was directed by Lau Kar-Leung. 133 00:11:53,308 --> 00:11:58,143 Lau Kar-Wing also acted in it, and the top star, Chen Kuan-Tai. 134 00:11:58,313 --> 00:12:01,077 I'm a lucky guy, both. 135 00:12:02,850 --> 00:12:10,382 The second film was 36tlh Clhamber. We had Loh Lieh, a superstar. 136 00:12:10,558 --> 00:12:14,221 He agreed to fight with me. I was very lucky. 137 00:12:14,796 --> 00:12:17,526 He's a big star, and I was just a small potato. 138 00:12:22,103 --> 00:12:27,336 One of the toughest parts involved treading on water. 139 00:12:27,408 --> 00:12:29,137 I had to train every day. 140 00:12:29,310 --> 00:12:32,677 The log was huge, and if it was submerged, 141 00:12:32,747 --> 00:12:36,843 it would pop up and could crack your head. 142 00:12:36,918 --> 00:12:41,685 In a Kung Fu association, it's impossible to practice that stunt. 143 00:12:41,856 --> 00:12:45,383 You have to do it for films. Everything has to be real. 144 00:12:46,728 --> 00:12:49,788 If you're fighting another actor 145 00:12:49,864 --> 00:12:54,631 with the three-section staff, if you don't use force, you'll hit yourself. 146 00:12:54,802 --> 00:12:58,329 If you exert too much force, the staff rebounds and hits you. 147 00:12:58,406 --> 00:12:59,964 I split my lip here. 148 00:13:01,342 --> 00:13:05,369 That's a real weapon. 149 00:13:05,546 --> 00:13:10,882 Normally, I'll just use it for practice. 150 00:13:11,052 --> 00:13:13,612 In filmmaking, the speed is very fast. 151 00:13:13,788 --> 00:13:15,551 It's not slow motion. 152 00:13:16,491 --> 00:13:17,753 It's... 153 00:13:19,761 --> 00:13:24,198 It was filmed at a rate of 24 frames per second. 154 00:13:26,067 --> 00:13:32,063 Sammo Hung or others filmed those scenes at 22 or 21 frames per second. 155 00:13:33,074 --> 00:13:36,703 We fought at normal speed, and it's very fast. 156 00:13:36,878 --> 00:13:42,248 If we'd fought normally and filmed at 22fps, it wouldn't look good. 157 00:13:44,218 --> 00:13:49,884 If you wanted it to be fast, you had to be familiar with your moves. 158 00:13:50,058 --> 00:13:51,992 You had to be accurate as well. 159 00:13:52,126 --> 00:13:56,586 I was afraid of the three-section staff and also of fighting Lo Lieh. 160 00:13:56,731 --> 00:13:58,790 Because Loh Lieh isn't a real Kung Fu man. 161 00:14:00,001 --> 00:14:04,529 The saber he's holding was real. It's very dangerous. 162 00:14:05,540 --> 00:14:11,410 The memory I have of Tlhe 36tlh Clhamber is nothing but hard work. 163 00:14:11,579 --> 00:14:13,410 And also... 164 00:14:13,581 --> 00:14:15,572 I had a lot of injuries. 165 00:14:24,959 --> 00:14:29,726 Hard weapons are easier to control than soft weapons. 166 00:14:29,797 --> 00:14:34,666 A lot of audiences like it when I use a pole. 167 00:14:34,836 --> 00:14:38,567 Like Eight Diamond Pole. 168 00:14:38,706 --> 00:14:42,699 This is Hung Gar's main pole technique. 169 00:14:43,311 --> 00:14:49,272 I trained with the three-section staff at martial arts school, 170 00:14:49,450 --> 00:14:52,385 but I don't like it. It's hard to control. 171 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,978 I prefer the hard pole. 172 00:14:56,124 --> 00:15:00,220 For 36tlh Clhamber, Lau Kar-Leung wanted the three-section staff. 173 00:15:00,395 --> 00:15:02,329 It's very tedious. 174 00:15:02,463 --> 00:15:04,454 I always hit myself. 175 00:15:04,632 --> 00:15:08,625 Bruce Lee's nunchaku is also very difficult to master. 176 00:15:08,803 --> 00:15:11,829 But the three-section staff is even more difficult... same. 177 00:15:15,209 --> 00:15:19,771 I told a lot of people I'd retire one day and not work. 178 00:15:20,648 --> 00:15:23,640 Not because I'm old, but because I'm tired. 179 00:15:23,818 --> 00:15:26,719 But I won't stop doing Kung Fu. 180 00:15:33,861 --> 00:15:38,264 I'm healthy because I practice Kung Fu. 181 00:15:38,433 --> 00:15:41,095 I'm very alert as well. 182 00:15:41,269 --> 00:15:44,136 Kung Fu also gave me work. 183 00:15:50,011 --> 00:15:54,209 When people said that Tlhe 36tlh Clhamber of Slhaolin was terrific, 184 00:15:54,282 --> 00:15:56,876 I felt that the success didn't belong to me. 185 00:15:57,618 --> 00:16:01,349 The success belonged to Lau Kar-Leung and the team. 186 00:16:01,422 --> 00:16:05,552 I was just... 187 00:16:05,626 --> 00:16:07,856 ...how should I put it? 188 00:16:07,929 --> 00:16:09,658 A... 189 00:16:09,730 --> 00:16:11,789 ...I was a piece of wood. 190 00:16:11,866 --> 00:16:15,529 It was Lau Kar-Leung and the team who did the carving. 191 00:16:21,642 --> 00:16:26,841 I always take my job seriously. 192 00:16:26,914 --> 00:16:31,817 No matter how big or small my role is, 193 00:16:31,886 --> 00:16:35,447 I feel I have to give it my best shot. 194 00:16:35,523 --> 00:16:38,981 I don't want to deceive the audience.