Hwang In-Shik - Connections To Hong Kong Cinema

Connections To Hong Kong Cinema

Hong Kong film maker Huang Feng brought Hung Chin-pao (Sammo Hung), Jackie Chan, Tang Wei-cheng, Hu Yin-yin, Mao Ying (Angela Mao), Chang Yi and Chin Hsiang-lin to Seoul for location shooting in 1972. Huang Feng was also looking for impressive new techniques to infuse into the Hong Kong action sequences and so had his stars train at the Korea hapkido headquarters for about four months under Hwang and KHA leader Ji Han Jae.

Many of the impressive kicking techniques we see in Hong Kong cinema today are a result of the cross cultural influence of this time. Hung Chin Pao had a particular affinity for the training and some of his signature techniques such as his jumping double front kick come directly from the hapkido syllabus.

Very impressed by the talents of the hapkido-ists both Hwang In-Shik and Ji Han Jae were invited by Huang Feng to come to Hong Kong to develop a film idea inspired by the director's experiences in Korea. The film, made the same year, was titled Hapkido and is known abroad under the English title Lady Kung-fu.It starred Angela Mao, Sammo Hung and Carter Wong (Huang Chia-Da).

In the film, both Ji and Hwang basically play themselves, hapkido master and foremost student teaching the art to a group Chinese students. In this and subsequent films such as Fist of Unicorn we are treated to displays of Ji's impressive jointlocking and throwing ability and Hwang's equally impressive kicking skills.

Hwang went on to star in his own right in a number of films, the first stage of his career ending after the death of Bruce Lee who Hwang had been in talks with concerning a part in the Game of Death the week that Lee died. (Hwang had also appeared briefly in an unflattering role in Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon, oddly as a Japanese karate instructor.) Hwang returned to Korea, and for the next few years starred in a series of Korean martial arts movies, including A Wandering Hero, Black Leopard and Black Spider. Hwang then immigrated to Canada and opened up a dojang in the city of Toronto for all intents and purposes retiring from the cinema.

Later Jackie Chan, a stuntman from Hwang's early films, successfully rose to prominence in the Hong Kong film world and managed to coax Hwang out of retirement to make the most popular Hong Kong film of the day The Young Master, featuring in its original form a 15 minute fight scene between Chan and Hwang, and Dragon Lord, where Hwang also played a villain with fantastic fighting skills over which the hapless Chan must overcome.

All of the above films contain a great deal of Korean hapkido and did much to promote the name of the art in both Hong Kong and back in Korea where the Chinese films were also enjoyed.