Paul Obina Interview in MAI

MAI Interview How many times have we watched that martial arts classic, Enter The Dragon? Once, twice, three times? I’ve a feeling that perhaps twenty or more would be closer to the mark. Let’s face it; it’s a great film and by far the best martial arts movie to date. I know many who can recite those famous scenes word for word, it’s as though the lines have become embedded into their subconscious. “Hello, Mr Lee, my name’s Braithwaite.” “ Hello, Mr Braithwaite” “I’ve come to talk to you about a matter of great importance.” “Have some tea.” “Ah, yes, of course!” “This is very pleasant.” But was Enter The Dragon more than just another Kung Fu flick? Furthermore, is there a deeper message hidden within the script, scenes and philosophy? Enter, Paul Obina, a full time cultural engagement specialist and accomplished martial artist. I remember first meeting Paul at a Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace seminar back in the late eighties. The next time we bumped into each other was just a few weeks ago at the train station in Huddersfield. It was clear that time had taken its toll on both of us. The reason I’d asked Paul to visit MAI was because of his unconventional insight into Bruce Lee’s most famous of films and what he had to say was edifying to say the least. Editor Bob Sykes interviews ‘Enter’ aficionado, Paul Obina BS (Bob Sykes): Paul, why Enter The Dragon and why ancient analysis and not an up to date one? PO (Paul Obina): Just a simple thing, this wisdom has been around a long time and is universal. Many different cultures around the world have expressed it and my role as a Cultural Engagement Specialist is to see where these kinds of things can relate. Some people came along just over a couple of hundred years ago and ‘took a Polaroid’ and said “That’s from here, you’re from there, this is called that” and created this big doll’s house with everything in an order to suit themselves. In that order, certain older cultures got pushed down to the back and left and were then largely both unappreciated and depreciated. BS: So who were these people? PO: Oh the Gentlemen of the ‘Enlightenment’ who generated the philosophies and paved the way for the justification of the great Industrial Age that is now devastating the environment of the planet. Having acquired the power through violence they then developed the intellectual justification to do what they wished, by using powerful, appropriated knowledge to build their world… ‘bit like ‘The Matrix’. BS: It sounds like you’re some crazy conspiracy theorist! PO: Oh well, we’ll find out as this globalization thing comes into effect. We’re now in a world that demands that we do trade with other places and people and things like racism and nationalism are going to be soon outmoded by the reality of the have and the have-nots. More people have become a lot savvier and can’t have the wool pulled over their eyes as easily, I just want to keep that ball rolling. BS: So how do you put this presentation into practice? PO: Oh thanks, Bob, does that mean you’re bringing me back to the point or you think I’m goin out their with the faeries… BS: My jury is out, I just want to get to the point. PO: Okay! I just didn’t want to think that you were going to start an anti-Lancashire thing, me being a Blackburn lad and all Come to think, “To the point” is said to be a Yorkshire trait, isn’t it? BS: Come on now! PO: Okay, I’ve been using this for at least ten years as part of media literacy teaching, you know, getting people to use their focus better and make ‘Full’ rather than ‘Semi’ or ‘No-Contact’ with media information. It’s like developing the keen processes of looking and listening, leading to the outcomes of seeing and hearing. Many young people I meet in schools today look but don’t see and listen but don’t hear. I learned that art from Ray Parker, my Sensei in Blackburn, who taught us those skills by hard knocks. He also paved the way from church religion by the Zen foundations he trained us in, even if the main rive was to become more lethal in application when fighting. BS: So what about this film appreciation? PO: Like all of us who are fans of Bruce Lee, I thought I knew the film, but then two older, wiser heads drooped some information my way that opened the door to the deeper understanding of the film’s content. BS: Who were they? PO: A very learned man called Professor James Small from New York City and a Guru you may know called Danny Connor from Manchester. BS: I don’t know the first guy, but the second is very well known to me. PO: That must mean you’re a bit of a scallywag Bob! … no reply then? BS: Let’s just say that Danny kept us all on our toes with a combination of grounded knowledge, wit, humour and irreverence and it rubbed off on some more than others. PO: I can detect a similar spirit with you, Bob, and that’s what Danny did for me. If I was ever getting up myself with seriousness, he’d burst that bubble for me and make things plain. He once told me in response to one of my passionate outbursts; “Remember, Paul, if you piss down your own leg, it may be warm on you but not hot for anyone else!” James Small is an equally grounded but more a serious character; he was the man who took over the mosque from Malcolm X after his assassination in 1965. James is very personally experienced and learned in politics, religion, culture and spirituality. He trained with the brother who played the ‘Shogun of Harlem’ in the film ‘The Last Dragon’ with Tamak as Bruce LeRoi. Because of the crazy U.S. context, James is a “for real” artist and it was he who told me that Bruce was “taken out” for exposing too much of the Chinese culture. BS: Such as? PO: He told me that the fight with O’Hara, well, the demonstration then execution of O’Hara, was Bruce channelling his dead sister and ultimately taking revenge when he broke the glass bottles, the same material by which his sister died. BS: Did you believe him then? PO: Well, I walked out of my own house and sat on the step (I thought nobody could tell me more about the film). I came in, sat down and then watched the film yet again and noticed the ‘up shot’ camera angles used for Su Lin’s suicide; repeated as Lee’s fight with O’Hara begins, and then noticed the up shot as he finishes O’Hara with that double foot mash-down. It made sense! BS: Okay, let’s move on… What did DC tell you? PO: He simply told me that the name ‘Han’ is the name of the largest ethnic group in China! BS: And? PO: Bob, I’m detecting some trans-Pennine cynicism again. BS: There wasn’t any last time… so please, continue! PO: That put a completely different spin on things. Han wasn’t just a ‘Bondlike-villain’, he represented much more, especially when considering the symbolism of the left-hand emotions and the Chinese mind-set. BS: Are you saying that the film has some deeper psychological and cultural meaning? PO: Yes. BS: I’m a bit of a film buff so to coin a Sound Of Music lyric… Let’s start at the very beginning… PO: You’re not into musicals these days are you Bob? BS: Steady now! Begin with the film’s opening scene, if my memory serves me correctly the camera pans out from the view of a temple to the two combatants, Bruce Lee and Sammo Hung. Both stand, bow and prepare to fight. PO: Hold it. Don’t jump the gun! There’s more to it because films don’t just start… Every scene is planned and storyboarded, especially in Hollywood productions such as this film was. BS: Point taken. PO: The first scene is the Temple, open and steady. The camera pans across past purple flowers to the fighting square where the priests dressed in different colours are sat waiting. We see the high priest at the top of the mound and then there’s the arrival of the old Chinese man dressed in brown and an elder European man dressed in dark blue. BS: So what is the significance of all these colours? PO: They’re Chakras! BS: I know of Chakras as energy wheels in the body, but what are you saying? PO: The colours of the priests and the colours that Bruce and Sammo are in are representative not only of the energies of the body but of the overall status of the Chinese people. BS: What? PO: Check out the first scene. The seated priests are dressed in red, yellow, blue and black with the High Priest dressed in orange. Check the significance of the Chakra colours: Red is the root energy, yellow the solar plexus of movement and communication, mix these and move your eyes to the top of the mound where the High Priest is dressed in orange, colour of the sacral Chakra that governs the reproductive organs. He has a table to his left on which is a bowl of fruit (check the bananas) and a tea pot and cups. To his right are two flowing plants in pots. Back on the ground, the priests to our left are dressed in blue and those on our right are in black. The blue represents the throat Chakra for spiritual connectivity and the black represents the energy some three feet below the ground. BS: What about the elder men you mentioned? PO: Oh yes, the old Chinese man is in brown and white represents opium (‘brown’ and ‘white’, raw and refined) and the, as it turns out British man, represents the people who put opium into China. BS: So you’re saying the fight between Bruce and Sammo was in some way symbolic? PO: Of course! The two of them are representing the consciousness and status of the Chinese following the devastating effects of the importation of Opium into China by the British businessmen in the 19th Century. DC once told me of the significance of the “Sick Men of Asia” title given to the Chinese… Opium was the Dragon! BS: But now you are starting on ‘Fist of Fury’. PO: Well, yes of course, but that’s for the third scene; you’re jumping the gun again. BS: Go on! PO: Check the start of the film and check the timing. On the 13th second the temple comes into view, then the camera pans left past the purple flowers; before you ask, the crown Chakra is usually represented as the colour purple and the lotus flower. At 26 seconds, the camera becomes still on the mound and we see this colourful scene. The Temple represents the Chinese mind and the combatants the Opium-effected, unhealthy Chinese and balanced, healthy Chinese; Sammo and Bruce respectively. As the first scene steadies, we see that Sammo has his back to the High Priest and Bruce is facing him. Bruce’s left hand is towards the blue priests (spirit) and his right towards the black (ground). As they stand to face the High Priest; Sammo has to turn, the elder men arrive to spectate. We then see the Priest with all the fruits etc. The combatants bow to the priest, and we have a close up of the High Priest’s head before they bow to each other. The scene is set for a “war of minds”. The camera focuses on Bruce, the picture of focus and concentration that so inspired the boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard to quote Lee as one of the major influences on his style along with Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. When quizzed about the fact that Lee wasn’t a boxer, he said that he learned the art of focus from Lee. That often imitated cat-like head movement! BS: So what do you see in the fight? PO: A straight-put execution as the unhealthy character is made to submit by the healthy balanced one. A Mixed Martial Arts demonstration! The initial lead right hand followed by the dirty fighting (hammer fist on foot). The High Priest head shot views the cluster of Wing Chun punches, in turn appreciated by the two elders. Sammo performs his most successful move; a back flip away to avoid Bruce’s Taekwondo chambered attacking hook kick. This is more than matched by Bruce’s purposeful acrobatic back-flip avoidance from which he returns with a poised staggering right front-fist. The final barrage consisting of the left spinning back kick, a throw, a block and throw and the final contemptible trip followed by an the arm and shoulder lock as he pins Sammo on his back and makes him tap out with his right hand. All good yes, but check which colours are behind them at that given moment. BS: Go on! PO: As the camera zooms in on the combatants, the colour red (root energy) is behind them. Sammo starts with the yellow (communication) and black (ground energy) behind him but moves entirely into black. Bruce has the blue (spirit) behind him. The first foot movement from Bruce, we see red (root energy) and blue (spirit). Most of the fight now takes place in front of the red priests except fro the point when Sammo avoids and we see him retreat into the yellow/black corner. In turn, when Bruce retreats, he flips back into the blue (spirit) and then attacks effectively. The final pin-down, Sammo is put on his back and, PLEASE forgive this analogy, like a ‘woman’. (The technical term for the ‘Missionary Position’ is ‘Venus Observa’ Venus on her back! Where in many world cultures, the woman ‘rides the man’ on top.) We view the High Priest as Bruce pins Sammo. After Sammo taps out, Bruce throws away his arm with contempt. They stand and face each other to bow. Sammo rubbing the back of his head with his right hand. They bow to the High Priest whose left hand gesture disperses the gathering. The result is on three levels: 1. Bruce has defeated Sammo, 2. Internally the higher self that is more powerful has defeated the lower, weaker self or 3. The healthy Chinese has defeated the sick or weak Chinese. BS: Anything else? PO: Yes, of course! The Black priests form a bridge for Bruce who them somersaults forwards over it. If you can visualize a Chinese opium addict lying prostrate on the floor, down on the black/ground. So, symbolically, the healthy Chinese have raised their game and are no longer the prostrated “Sick Men”! For a real detail, check those bananas! BS: What do you mean? PO: Bob, check the view of the High Priest at 36 seconds and then again after Sammo has been made to tap out at 2.04. The bowl of fruit has rotated through 180º and the bananas have moved to the back and can barely be seen! BS: So what now? We’ve had flowers, plants, significant colours… what’s this about? PO: In the Black/African community, a person who thinks ‘White’ is called a coconut – brown outside and white inside. With the Chinese, it’s a banana! Yellow outside and white inside. Now I might concede that this is going a little far but like Bruce said “ If it works, use it!” I don’t believe in coincidence, see for yourself, the bananas disappear after the “Sick Man” has been defeated! BS: If that’s it, sum up scene one for us! PO: This opening scene sets the stage for what the philosophy of the film is about; the higher self, defeating the lower self. BS: Scene two, which for years was cut from the film, Bruce meets and talks with the High Priest, his Sifu or teacher. How vital a piece of the jigsaw was this scene? PO: Let’s see! Interview 2 BS: Paul, what do you see as the main thrust of this scene? PO: Well, Bob, as Linda Lee Caldwell states at the beginning of the unedited version of the film, this was the scene dropped because it contained the main thrust of the film’s philosophy. It also contains the background information to Lee’s final line to Han; “You have offended my family and you have offended the Shaolin Temple!” as the instruction by his Teacher to “…reclaim our lost honour…” transforms the film away from a simple revenge adventure movie to a more in depth and reflective cultural analysis about the Chinese involvement in Opium dealing. Remember the last battle in the hall of mirrors? BS: Yes. PO: Well for around twenty something years, I thought that Lee started breaking the mirrors out of anger and frustration at being cut by Han, not, as we found out in the full version, that he’d remembered his teacher’s wise instruction from this scene and was symbolically destroying the negative images of the Chinese (Han) people, not just beating Han the bad-guy. Like I said last time, Han’s much more that a “Bond villain”, and as we’ll discuss in Lau’s Time, he’s representative of a certain mind-set. BS: When did you first see the full version? PO: I heard about it from a brother from Birmingham back in 2000. He’s one of Howard Brown’s guys and we were at the National Detached Youth Workers Conference in Warwick. Being ‘men of a certain age’ from martial arts backgrounds, we ended up talking about ‘E.T.D.’ and he mentioned the scene with the High Priest… I thought he’d gone mad because I knew of no such scene and couldn’t imagine I wouldn’t have known about it. I knew of course about the edited nunchaku scenes (where would we all have been without Brian Seabright and his VHS) but thankfully, this guy was insistent past my dismissals and I went looking for the full version. Eventually it came out on general release I believe on the 30th anniversary in 2003. BS: Why do you think it was edited out for so long and do you see any conspiracy in this? PO: Oh, back to that again!, No, having seen those Orange Mobile adverts with people pitching film ideas, I’m not surprised it ended up getting dropped. I think that the producers were saving 2:49 of slow action from what they were selling as an adventure film. Remember, this is one of the longest beginnings to a film I can remember; 8:02 including that scene and they probably thought it is too philosophical and boring! But if I am really honest, I never as a youngster went looking for the philosophy, even “Lau’s Time” was tolerable firstly because of the form of Lau’s side-kick and secondly, the fact that Bruce slapped him three times as part of the lesson. But what was being taught as preparation for the film is as heavy as it is fundamental. BS: Is this the Ancient Philosophy you spoke about at the beginning? PO: Of course, as Lee himself said; “All types of knowledge, ultimately means self-knowledge”. The term ‘Philosophy’ itself means ‘the Love of Wisdom’ (Philo = Love and Sophia = Wisdom) and is derived from an ancient term Su Khe from Ancient Kemet (a.k.a. Egypt) which means ‘She Soul’, or our feminine aspect. BS: Sounds like your heading for the musicals yourself now! PO: Ah well, sometimes all aspects of ourselves have to come out… Let’s look at the word ‘individual’. How many people there, Bob? BS: Well one of course! PO: What do the last four letters say? BS: Dual! Oh… PO: Which means? BS: Two. PO: The first two letters say? BS: In. PO: What mathematical function is left? BS: Divi… Divide! PO: So the word implies that although you may be one person, we have two attributes; masculine and feminine, you know, your Yin-Yang thing going on! Remember when people used to and may still do, insult young people who display opposite gender traits that go against the social norms and called the “Nancy-Boy” or “Tom-Girl”! BS: Interesting. PO: Oh yes, remember the guy who played the ‘sell out’ Chinese interpreter in Fist of Fury Mr Wu? BS: Oh yes. PO: How was he portrayed? Remember? BS: He was very effeminate, especially in the scene when he was slapping Bruce in the face and he was like a comic, drunken buffoon in later scenes. Wait a minute; the same guy played outright camp in Way of the Dragon! PO: That’s it. You see, it’s very unsubtle, and many will say homophobic characterisation. What he’s representing is a negative state of consciousness from the new Chinese nationalist perspective that Bruce was representing and promoting. Recall the in your face; “Now you know… we are not sick men!” and the more subtle Bananas last time? How many times in his fights did Bruce defeat other styles with his ‘Chinese’ system? Take Way of the Dragon and especially Fist of Fury, he lashes Japanese and Korean styles being practiced by Chinese, Japanese American and Russians, it didn’t matter! He even gave Parsons from New Zealand the lesson of “Fighting without fighting’! Oh yes, we’ll definitely be revisiting that scene for its symbolic significance. BS: Okay, can I get back to being the interviewer now Paul? PO: You may. BS: So why have you put the mask of Tutankhamen with this presentation? PO: That’s because the symbolism of the golden mask relates directly to this subject matter. He was a boy-king in Kemet who ruled from 1336 to 1327 BC., some 3,300 years ago. On the forehead of the crown, he has the head of two creatures, side-by-side; on the right, the Vulture and on the left, the Cobra. They directly represent both the functions of the brain, and it is called the ‘Crown of Justification’; everything being in the correct position. BS: Come again? PO: The Vulture represents the Spiritual and Cyclic and the Cobra the Material and the Linear. Think about two sayings; ‘Pie in the Sky’ and ‘Down to earth’. Vultures are noted for flying in circles in the sky (pie) over carrion especially when it’s near death or being eaten by large predators; the vultures wait their turn. This is the ‘Timeless’ motion, the cyclic movement. This also represents the feminine, emotional or motivational aspects of the right hemisphere of the brain. BS: Now something sounds very familiar. PO: Please hold that thought for “Lau’s Time”, Bob! BS: Okay, what about the other side; the Cobra? PO: The Cobra represents the Linear thought, of course because of the long shape and is “down to earth” you can’t get lower than a snake. The Cobra represents the ‘Timebound’ because once it rears up from the floor, it ‘Times its strike!” This overall represents the masculine, rational aspects of the Left Hemisphere of the brain. Many women tell me that this makes sense because when they think of men, the terms ‘snake’ and ‘rat’ (rational) come easily to their mind, but I know that doesn’t include you and I, Bob! BS: I’d better not answer that! Thinking about it, isn’t the Cobra the symbol of the Black Martial Arts club Williams comes from and greets his instructor by? PO: There you go again, jumping the gun to a later scene. Without arriving too early, those guys in the BKF club were and are dealing directly with the ancient stuff. In Kemet, the Cobra (called in Greek, Uraeus, or in Kemetian; Arat) was worn by peoples of importance; but not with the Vulture on the crown when alive. It represented protection, left-brain analysis, you know, bodyguard vigilance. BS: So in a nutshell, what’s this all about? PO: When we are doing anything, our brain usually operates in certain ways. Check the chart based on the functions described in David Kolb’s book ‘Experiential Learning’ and on it I’ve placed the basic dynamics of Emotional/Rational and Feminine/Masculine. This dual aspect is directly stated in the term ‘Brain’ (Bra-in); ‘Bra’ of course meaning two (i.e. braces) and ‘in’ meaning the inner. The synthesis of the function is what is desired, where the two hemispheres meet in unison to work effectively on the task at hand. Right Fist in Left Hand signifies this purpose. BS: So how does this benefit the viewer of the film? PO: Well, the benefit is for much more than this one film. Let’s say that it gives you much more of an insight into how people try to play you through the media, especially advertising. Programmes and especially films are made on different levels; both literal and symbolic. It can lead to appreciating what you already know; like I’m hoping this will do through realization, and also gives you more vigilance and awareness for the future. BS: How do you use this scene when you are teaching? PO: Well let’s do it. I play the scene, and like with the first, we go back and highlight certain points in the dialogue. BS: Do they ‘get it’? PO: Do you? BS: I’ve been watching the film for years, in fact around thirty and I’ve never seen all this in it. PO: Well maybe it’s time we appreciate Mr. Lee as a visionary, especially in today’s global scenario where cultures are regularly coming into contact and clashing. Come to think of it, when I first met a guy called Vernon Dore in Manchester back in the mid-eighties, he didn’t get what I was talking about either. We should bounce this stuff off him and see what he makes of it, see if I’ve improved my communication skills. BS: Well that can certainly be arranged, but let’s get back to it. PO: First of all, let’s check the scene for those Chakra colours again and we’ll of course see the bright orange that the priest is dressed in and he’s wearing beads with three main stones; a bit like a pawn broker sign or a genograph. Do you remember what the oranges represents, Bob? BS: Oh bol**cks… I can’t remember! PO: Hey that’s right, but it’s the sacral Chakra that controls the reproductive or regenerative organs, not just the bol**cks! BS: I didn’t mean that! PO: Okay, but sometimes we can say or do things that are just in tune without realising it, and that’s part of what this scene is about, intuitive response. Back to the colours, we see Bruce in indigo, with white cuffs. Indigo is the colour used to represent the inner vision of the ‘third eye’ that we use to visualise either in memory or to picture future events that some now call ‘scenario planning’.. The white represents the upper ethereal Chakra about three feet above the head; the external chi energy. BS: Okay, so what goes on here? PO: Well, in the present educational climate, let’s start with the word ‘respect’. As skilled as he is, Lee shows courtesy to his teacher. In a world full of trash-talk and loose mouths, many guys around can’t back up a damn thing one-on-one or by themselves with just their ability to fight; that’s why they resort to knifes and guns! Remember, even Lee himself in a later scene wishes to show his comprehension of practical limitations when talking with Mr. Braithwaite, when he says “Guns! Now why doesn’t he pull out a forty-five and bang! Settle it? (Do you recall his disappointed look to the negative response?) BS: Where do you think the influence is coming from? PO: That would take a few of your editions to discuss, but when we’ve got some nice liberal people making Catch 22 laws, I don’t believe there has been a more set-up and confused generation. They are being told by adults that violence is wrong and yet adults feed them a line of violence through various media forms and then have introduced laws that protect the negative side of their genius (two opposed spirits attending each person influencing them powerfully for good or ill – P.O.D.) and then we end up imprisoning more young people than anywhere else in Europe. Check the content of ‘Batman Forever’ and ‘Spiderman 3’ for representations of the inner dual. BS: So what do you think about the way young people are protected now? PO: In one sense I think it is good, but the reality is that there’s some crazy behaviour being left unchecked because there’s no ‘disc’ in “Discipline”! BS: Here we go, Mr Wordsworth! PO: Oh, so you’re ready for me now! The term “disc’ implies a shape containing 360º. That implies to me that you find the correct means to modify behaviour. The old term was “Horses for courses” , however so many youngsters are being written off by adults who say “We’ve tried EVERYTHING” I usually ask when they got the structured ass-whipping and I get a blank faces, or some very indignant ones. BS: So are you saying we should beat kids? PO: Please don’t get me wrong here. I don’t believe that there should be an either/or situation. A the moment, without the corporal, we don’t have 360º and I say that in certain cases it should be there as an option, especially if it could deter the progression to aggression that’s out there. BS: That’s quite controversial, Paul. I know I wouldn’t like my child to be beaten by a teacher. PO: Which teacher, who, when, why!? What if that had stopped the child’s negative progression towards a more serious incident and as Bruce said “bang… settled it!” Do you TRUST the teacher’s judgement even though our children are spending more waking hours with these adults? Anyway, I was corporally punished in school when those in charge felt I needed it. Indeed, if I’m wrong… where’s my compensation for the obvious damage it has caused me? BS: Let’s get back to the martial arts. PO: Okay, here’s a short educational story with core discipline in it. I remember at the beginning of my short amateur boxing career in Blackburn, a guy from my gym, ironically named Mohammed Ali (the king of all trash-talkers… but he could back it up as I remember) was trash talking his opponent – a smaller African-Caribbean guy from Manchester – informing him that in Blackburn he himself was known as the ‘Cool Man’! This smaller guy just sat there cool, and then once in the ring, ‘mashed’ my guy up! I mean Mohammed didn’t lay one glove on him. The fight was stopped half-way through the second round. I was given privy to the victor after the fight on the gym balcony very calmly saying to Mr. Ali; “You said they call you the ‘Cool man’… well you’re not cool enough!” You see, be a man of your word, but a person’s also got to know their responsibilities. These things are largely taught, and I believe it should be from a very strong ‘bottom line’… line is the last four letters of “Discipline”. You see, Mohammed received not just a martial but a life skills lesson from a young man who would later become a PhD in Education; Dr Lance Lewis. BS: Oh him! So are you saying that the lesson was of benefit to your guy? PO: It certainly taught him to not overstate his ability. It’s then up to the individual or team around the individual on how to utilise the lesson. How do you raise your game? In the film, immediately after the opening fight, Bruce performs the elevation acrobatics over the Black bridge of priests… do you remember which Chakra that is Bob? And boll88cks aren’t working this time! BS: Yes, you’re not catching me this time; it’s the Earth Chakra coloured Black. PO: That’s it! He then goes to talk with his teacher who’s Orange. BS: The Sacral Chakra. PO: Now, remember the three beads he’s wearing I spoke of before, the genograph? BS: Yes. PO: Let me first stress the position of the Teachers’ hands in relation to them. His hands are firstly held right inside of left and then he holds the bottom bead with the fingers of his left hand. He then moves his left hand onto Bruce’s right arm and then back to the bead and finally moves his hands back to right hand inside of left. All positions are in line with the dialogue. BS: Go on! PO: Bruce then meets with his Master and bows as he meets him to show respect and says “Teacher?” The following interaction takes place, beginning with the priest’s analysis of the fight. “Hmm, I see your talents have gone beyond the mere physical level, your skills are now at the point of spiritual insight.” We’ve seen that Lee was dressed the same as Sammo, but he was clearly fighting with a different purpose and philosophy; the Blue (Spirit Chakra) priests were behind him, the Black 9Earth Chakra) behind Sammo. Remember the contempt with which he throws away the hand after making Sammo tap out? BS: Yes. PO: I read into that sense of contempt for the state of being that Sammo was representing… it had to go! In reality, the fight was an execution of the sick, unhealthy by the healthy Chinese state of mind and being. It was a mini ‘Cultural Revolution’… ruthlessly executed. BS: Your mean that he was representing moving from one state of being and moving onto a higher level? PO: Yes, of course… If you consider the symbolic union of Bruce and Sammo as representing the Chinese twin soul. Bruce had to conquer, let go and “get over it!” The Chinese had been put down to an abject state by the influence of opium. Let’s say a state of misery. BS: Now there’s a film! PO: Okay, let’s side track to that. James Caan’s character, who is a writer, is wishing to kill off the key character named ‘Misery’ in his series of books to progress his writing career. He’s “rescued” by his ‘biggest fan’ following a car accident. She not only nurses him back to health, but cripples him after he tries to leave. In short, she refuses to let go of a thing… usually money; and no Yorkshire disrespect intended here. BS: A miser… and that I might add is a dangerous and insulting stereotype about Yorkshire men! PO: That’s right, but I thought the dangerous one involved wool? BS: Moving swiftly on. You’re saying this scene is like a progression check for Bruce from his teacher? PO; Of course, even when doing basic instruction with any technique, don’t we give the application scenario to the student? It’s like reading Kata and Forms, the second we just “go through the motions” we lose the meaning of the function which in turns becomes a baseless and useless motion. Check the technique of some of the extras’ punching in the scenes when we arrive at Han’s island. BS: Isn’t that what Lee shows Lau in the next scene about ‘Emotional Content’? PO: Will you stop jumping the gun! Let’s check the dialogue. He then seeks to learn of Lee’s progress in comprehension of his new skill level: T. “I have several questions; what is the highest technique you hope to achieve?” L. “To have no technique.” T. “Very good. What are your thoughts when facing an opponent.” L. There is no opponent.” T. “And why is that?” L. ”Because the word “I” does not exist.” This is a very deep philosophical point when discussing the psychological mind-sets of Eastern and Western cultures, I’m afraid all too often in theory rather than practice. BS: How so? PO: To put it as succinctly as possible, when we interact socially, a person can either use thought patterns to include or exclude themselves and others. It’s a basic function of those Brain Hemispheres again; Right Brain, Left Brain. The Right considers the whole and the Left, the parts. The Right evaluates similarities and he Left, differences. BS: So you’re saying that it’s about social training, education and mind-set. PO: Of course, our beliefs are constructed by what is taught and then what we experience which in turn teaches us. What goes around… BS: Comes around. PO: If you condition people’s beliefs to a more left-hemispheric, it can lead to “thinking small” and exclusivity quickly becomes the “norm”. You’ll find that some of the most influential practitioners have a good grasp of the philosophy through their guides. For instance, in the documentary ‘When We Were Kings’ the writer George Plimpton described the occasion Muhammad Ali was called on by some university students to recite a poem at the end of one of his lectures made when he was stripped of the title. Remember that Ali was a member of the relatively small but very exclusive and specific Nation of Islam at that highly-charged period of U.S. social history hence his name change from Cassius Clay. In response to the request, Ali stood and called; “Me, We”. Here’s Ali, a Black Radical icon who understands both who and what aids his progression to elevation. Plimpton called that poem the shortest in history. It was simple, powerful and to-the-point but encompassed many philosophies and beliefs that talk in human terms. I also see it as feminine-based akin to the Wing Chun philosophy deeply entrenched in Bruce’s psyche in that it displays right-brained realisations. BS: Go on! PO: You know, it’s like the process of Symbiosis… BS: That’s to do with the breath cycle between ourselves and the trees! I remember this from school science. We breath in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide and the trees do the opposite, a kind of mutual benefit? PO: Exactly! Think about the flow of your best combat, or any activity like your best sex or chasing sheep o’er the Dales! BS: Steady now! PO: The way you move, the act is formless and thoughtless yes? Like another level of being? BS: Yes, I’ve experienced that a good few times. PO: That’s when it was like breathing, and everything flowed together without conscious thought. It’s more of an experience, a feeling. BS: I’ll but that… but what’s this spiritual aspect? PO: Simply, the word spirit means breath, or the animated life force! It fits everything together like the mortar between the bricks. Think about this, in the fundamentals of nature, there’s no exclusion or differentiation. Have you ever met a racist tree that refused to give its oxygen to anyone because of their ethnicity? BS: No, but some people have got bigger nostrils or noses than other people! PO: Alright, racially that’s because of phenotype adaptation… You know something, let’s not go there and let’s go back to the E.T.D. dialogue. BS: Okay, so continue. PO: Yes, that’s right, that’s what Teacher says… T. “So, continue.” L. “A good fight should be… like a small play, but played seriously. A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming; ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts I expand, and when there is an opportunity, I do not hit! It hits all by itself!” Once gain, a Symbolic mind-set and that mode of thoughtlessness flowing from extensive preparation held in neutrality, ready to act or react instantaneously and effectively to anything that happens in that context. T. “Now you must remember, the enemy has only images and illusions behind which he hides his true motives. Destroy the image and you will break the enemy.” This can be taken as simply as your opponent feigning, bobbing and weaving, taking baiting stances or performing sacrifice technique, all the way through to political spin doctoring, propaganda and false histories. They’re all about tricking with images that keep you away from your game-plan. It’s a bit like a bullfighter with the red cape. The bull having charged the cape they say only sees the matador when it’s too late… for the bull! Recall the instantaneous reactions when fighting that determine your successful differentiation between a real and fake blow, or the butter-smooth slip side-to-side or forward or back to avoid a blow. BS: Now you’ve got me split. You’re doing so well with the fighting analogies, but you’ve spun off again with the false history stuff. PO: Okay, remember that this film has a deep symbolism to it and that Bruce Lee was a philosophy major. Let me take it another way. Have you seen ‘The Matrix’ film? BS: Yes. PO: Did you get it? BS: Did you? PO: Well yes, but it’s a work in progress. The significance increases as my applied knowledge base increases. But the film contains one of the best descriptions of the brain function of perception I’ve ever met since doing my teaching degree back in the 1980’s. I once had a to lead a seminar on the acuity of the senses. Did I tell you that I am a qualified P.E. and Art teacher? BS: No, but that explains a lot! PO: Is that a diss? Anyway, the key quotation was; “Without our senses of sound, sight, touch, smell and taste, our brain would be a prisoner locked in the eternal darkness of our skull”. BS: Hmm, that’s quite interesting! PO: Well in The Matrix the character Morpheus describes the term ‘real’ to the newly awakened Neo. He states: “What’s real? How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, you can taste, what you see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” Think about how many times you’ve played a war of deception when fighting, whether instinctive or calculated. The author Norman Mailer once described boxing (he’s interviewed in When We Were Kings) as ‘Chess with muscles’. In fact, in combat, that’s all we do; unless you’re hitting someone at will like a ‘Turkey Shoot’. The job is to not just have your defence and attack techniques practiced, but to apply them strategically as stratagem; being ‘Any artifice or trick designed to outwit or surprise the enemy… cunning’. In short, every martial artist must have the art of the conjuror in them. In its highest form, we see the Art of War in diplomacy or moving the opponent into your trap or way of thinking. BS: So how do we see this in the script? PO: Well later, in the journey to the island, we have what Lee states when asked “What’s your style?” by the European (NZ) karetaka Parsons who’s just kicked the basket of oranges out of the hands of the young Chinese man and then kicks him into the stack of Roper’s brown suitcases. Er Bob, did you catch that? BS: Hold up! You’re saying that the oranges meant something… you like your fruit, don’t you? First its bananas, now it’s … oh okay… You’re suggesting that through the colour orange, he’s representing an attack on the Chinese generations! Is that it? PO: By George, I think you’re getting it! You may not go for it, but you’re catching the train of thought… ‘The art of fighting, without fighting’, as Sun Tzu would say, the greatest victory one can achieve. To capture an enemy intact and have them fight with you as an ally once ‘certain adjustments’ such as social engineering have been made. Remember in whose hands Lee places the line after luring Peter Archer the boat? BS: It’s a young Chinese boy! PO: Correct. This is the second occasion in the film where Lee makes reference to the empowerment of the young. BS: The first being Lau’s time? PO: Yes, Bob, Lau’s time next time, if you can stand it? You see, in this film, Lee is resurrecting the Chinese national spirit, deeply affected by the ravages of colonization, opium, corruption and (negative) knowledge (stereotyping). BS: So now we’re back to the spiritual thing? PO: What’s the last thing to recover after an ass-whipping? After you’ve got over the ‘should’ve, would’ve, could’ve’ stage, it’s ultimately a spiritual thing. You know that some scientists and cultures believe that you’ve only got a certain amount of time to take trauma out of your system before it becomes genetic, and can be passed down in your gene pool. BS: Come again? PO: From the happening to 36 hours, it can be externalised, but from 36 to 72 hours, it becomes genetic. So imagine a traumatic influence being passed on generation after generation, not just externally by social influences but internally by genetic factors. Look at this word, heritage… BS: Here we go again. What am I looking for here? PO: Three words. BS: Okay, that’s easy… ‘Her-It-Age’! PO: That’s what I call the “Age of ‘It’ in Her”. And ‘It’ is the generational force of energy. Think about how Bruce in his early screen test describes Gung Fu hitting; the circle generating the straight Come on now, that’s Mr Peter Consterdine’s Shukokai hitting (ever held that foam pad?) or any Borstal boy’s snooker ball in a sock! It’s generational power, the cyclic and the straight. BS: What? PO: Now you’re getting why the producers considered this scene too ‘preachy’ in an adventure film. Remember that Bruce trained in a style which was originated by women; the nun Ng Mui and Wim Ying Chun, and which is very guarded about the credibility of lineage. Remember that Han has given up the path and has turned to using ‘it’ for ‘Dark purposes’. In fact, O’Hara; Han’s chief henchman is responsible for the death of Lee’s sister! Check Han’s symbols that look like a tree growing a flourishing from the black earthed Chakra. It’s on a Yellow flag; the colour of communication and as Braithwaite’s briefing with Lee tells us, he’s aiming to spread his business influence worldwide through opium and prostitution and by recruiting ruthless talent from his tournament. BS: Okay, so this scene is the philosophical preparation for the action we’ll see and so ‘it’ is the key power being used to maintain the negative status by Han and by Lee to resurrect the Chinese culture. PO: The attitude towards ‘it’ is expressed clearly in the film by Teacher as he tells Lee about it and then reminds Lee of the taught responsibility towards ‘it’ as he places a guiding left hand on Bruce’s right arm. T. ‘The ‘it’ you refer to is a powerful weapon, easily misused by the martial artist who deserts his vows. For centuries now, the code of the Shaolin Temple has been preserved. Remember, the honour of our brotherhood has been held true.” “Tell me now the Shaolin commandment number thirteen.” L. “A martial artist has to take responsibility for himself and accept the consequences of his own doing.” Teacher then explains the crux of the film’s background. T. I’m afraid to tell you now, among all the Shaolin men I have taught, there is one who has turned the ways of knowledge and strength to his own base ends. He has perverted all we hold sacred. “His name is Han. In defiance of all of our beliefs, he has brought disgrace to the Shaolin Temple. So, it is for you to reclaim our lost honour.” L. “Yes, I understand.” T. “theirs is a man here. You will go with him.” It’s interesting that here Lee accepts his task without question. He’s obviously devout, well conditioned in his beliefs to accepts his teacher’s analysis and request; something that in these highly politically charged days of international politics and religion could be seen as highly disturbing. BS: Please sum up all this in its relevance, especially when you’re teaching with it in schools today, ‘cause to be honest I feel it is far too deep for many youngsters to understand. PO: Well, I’ve tried to pepper this dialogue with some anecdotal examples of how this kind of philosophical analysis is used in a practical sense. Of course, when I’m using iti in schools, I manage the information to suit the audience. Here, we’re dealing with brother and sister martial artists and film buffs who’ve probably been watching Enter The Dragon for years, and who like myself for the vast majority of them, was clueless to the applied philosophy. I use this today because there are so many influences flying around among young people; especially through media sources, that require powerful analysis. It’s now a 24/7 bombardment ‘cause there’s no white dot on the television anymore; it’s hundreds of T.V. channels, internet access to thousands more, computer games, MP3s and i.pods meaning that there’s a constant stream of consciousness hitting young minds without adult guidance to the information. I use this part of the film to challenge those watching it to move their thinking to cerebral from the physicality of the first scene. Scene One analysis requires philosophical interpretation of the physically symbolic action whereas Scene Two requires physical interpretation of the philosophical and symbolic information. BS: So do youngsters ‘get it? PO: You know, many of our young people are so familiar with the symbolism. They are more readily able to comprehend it than older people. For me, it’s moving them on to understand the influences and effects of what’s going on and to help them build their character in relation to these influences by using their brains more effectively. It’s like training up intelligence officers who can identify the source of misinformation and recognise the ‘good stuff’. BS: Do you think Bruce knew what he was doing? PO: Damn, and how! I don’t think that he did anything by half-measure. He was a true Cultural Engagement Specialist’ with so many of the influences around in his life including his European wife, mixed race children and negative ethnic profiling leading to his Hollywood ‘lock out’ because of his ethnicity. But look at his system and his students. It cost him his life, but I believe he should be readily acknowledged in the same sense of a Martin Luther King and Ghandi et cetera. BS: Are you serious? PO: Yes, especially as the bamboo curtain is down and China is now on the move. We’re going to need more cultural reference points as the East meets the West in the Global Village. China just placed 4.2 million university graduates into the job market last year. The Chinese are studying European languages and cultures with a passion to successfully compete in world trade, producing things at 1/10th the price we can, no basic wage and human rights! (It seems like Han’s running the show there, with very little ‘emotional content’ indeed!) Let’s get serious! Who’s been studying Eastern culture and philosophy over here? BS: So what about the film? PO: The film can be seen as a cultural and symbolic eye-opener, especially as we can view it more-or-less as Bruce wished. It opens the door to both self and global knowledge and not just an ass-kicking adventure. But, you can now keep it there if you wish to and it still stands. I’m hoping though that Lee’s line: “You have offended my family and you have offended the Shaolin Temple!” now makes more sense to the reader of this. BS: So what’s the next piece? Didn’t you mention at the beginning about Chinese involvement in the Opium Trade? PO: Oh the film’s historical context through Mr Braithwaite will set the scene for that and we’ll look at the applied philosophy of Lau’s Time”. BS: It’s not as heavy going as this is it next time Paul? PO: No, Sir, the graft in done! Section 3 BS: So, Paul, what do you see involved in these scenes? PO: As I said before, this will not take too much time as much has been covered, but here’s the detail. The film script very cleverly introduces the context of the film through some very succinct dialogue and character and colour symbolism. The first part, the meeting between Braithwaite and Lee, represents the Opium War between Britain and China. The second part, the negative effects and the Chinese involvement in the modern drugs trade, and finally, the focus on the rebalancing of the Chinese for the future. BS: You’re suggesting that this is the scene setter for the film? PO: Oh yes! The fight at the beginning was purely symbolic… a wetting of the appetite. The second scene, as extensively discussed, contains the deeper philosophy an this third scene, the psycho-historical context of the film. BS: Psycho-historical? PO: Lance (Lewis) and myself have dealt with this concept for around fifteen years as educators. You see, history has a massive influence on how we see ourselves as a collective people. Our potential can sometimes lie in what we believe we are and what we believe we can be. A wise man once wrote: ‘History is the clock that people use to tell their time of day; It is the compass they can use to find themselves on the map of Human Geography. It is the role of history to tell a people where they have been, where that are and what they are. But most importantly, it is the role of history to tell a people where they still must go and what they still must be.” BS: So you’re saying that history is more than a school subject? PO: Damn right! As I mentioned last time, it’s lineage! It involves the store of knowledge and ability stored within the self. Some years ago, I coined the term ‘Hystery’ as I’d come across the term ‘Herstory’ as an opposing term to the male orientated term ‘History’ that oppressed groups had begun stating as ‘His-Story’ being the version told by the dominant usually patriarchal group. BS: You mean like working class kids being taught upper class histories? PO: Exactly! However, the term Hystery is based on the Latin term for ‘womb’. BS: Like ‘Hysterical’? PO: Yes… and trust you to pick on a relatively negative usage that puts down the female. BS: What? PO: Well, a 17th Century interpretation of the term states; “Matters to and pertaining from the womb”. The term ‘Hysterical’ basically means to “act like a woman”! You know, “out of control”… but whose control? BS: Okay, they’re your words! PO: No, actually a gentleman called Jobson who complied a dictionary, but you can get the gist that in a patriarchal society, both the female and the feminine in all of us can be put down in both literal and subtle ways. The History of Humanity has to be from a female centre because all have been born of women, hence Hystery! BS: So what’s this got to do with the film or martial arts? PO: Think again about the portrayal of manhood and how many martial artists’ original involvement was due to their becoming or fear of becoming seen as a weak man or a ‘Sissy Mary’ or ‘Big Girl’s Blouse’. These days, many young men are being raised by mothers only and are frightened of becoming someone’s ‘Bitch” and are joining street organizations to give them a sense of manhood, identity and family. BS: Street organizations? PO: Okay, ‘Gangs’ a term I use lightly because many of the guys out there are far from organized and are running buck-wild. Believe me, martial arts are needed more than ever and transformation martial artists like Geoff Thompson and Lance Lewis need to become greater presences in schools and need to be influencing Educational policy in a real way. In fact, I’m challenging Geoff Thompson via this article. BS: I did that once, Paul, are you up for the consequences… I’ve got the still photographs in my book ‘The Journeymen’. Do you really want to go there? PO: What me, challenge Geoff Thompson to a physical fight… well my getting horribly brutalised may provide some entertainment for a few people… come to think of it, that could be quite a few! No, I challenge both him and Mr Peter Consterdine to help develop ‘Impact’ programmes as prevention and intervention to the realities of violence, especially by the gun and knife routes. Of course, Mr Thompson now has the authorship aspect locked down and he could launch with Dr Lance Lewis, a centred assault on the educational establishment’s total inertia in challenging what’s happening with society today and do this via the martial arts route. ‘Impact’ sessions would let the young men “Feel” what’s up in a structured, and controlled way. Many young guys don’t get ‘ramped with’ today and no longer know constructive ‘touch’ by men. BS: This is sounding a bit ‘touchy, feely’ now! PO: Well, in my days teaching in Moss Side, ‘Ramping’ was an important aspect of working with the young guys; especially those with little or no male presence at home. Some of the young guys merely needed “an arm around the shoulder” but that was a “no, no” because touch in now considered as “dirty and dangerous”… or “Gay”. Many youngsters wouldn’t ‘take that’, but you could put them in a headlock or pick them up “by the ears” or by any other of the ‘deadly’ techniques designed to transmit that safety and security of ‘touch’. There’s a whole generation out there now who’ve never had the secure kind, and an ever growing number who’ve experienced or are experiencing the negative kind… BS: I’ve got to bring you back to the film… PO: Let’s look at the scene and the following dialogue which describes the opium Wars. B. “Hello, Mr Lee, my name’s Braithwaite.” L. “Hello, Mr Braithwaite” B. “I’ve come to talk to you about a matter of… great importance.” L. ‘Have some tea?” B. “yes indeed…. Ah, this is very peasant!” Did you catch it Bob? BS: Now I know you’ve been showing me some symbolism but this one just flew above my head. PO: Work it now… if we were training would you give up like that? Focus! BS: Okay, obviously Lee’s Chinese and Braithwaite’s British… A matter of great importance… It’s not the importance bit? PO: That’s it! The Great Import… Opium! Check out what happens when Braithwaite speaks his dialogue and leaves a small break in between “…of…(and) great importance”, in fact, let’s run the scene with closed eyes and hit the pause button when the break between “of…great” occurs. BS: Okay. PO: You see, the screen becomes full of what colour? BS: Brown. PO: Now how many times in motion pictures would you have someone walk directly across a main camera shot like that? The ‘Old Man’ is dressed in a brown suit with what coloured cuffs? BS: White. PO: What colour’s Opium or Heroin? BS: Brown. PO: Or? BS: White… Okay, now I see! PO: Now why did the British flood China with Opium? BS: For the tea seedlings, they wanted to grow their own in India. PO: Yes, in the areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan where the Opium is still grown today. What colour are the tea pots and cups? BS: Brown and the cups are white inside… I see it now. So when he’s offered the tea and he says “Of course”, that’s the historical relationship. Has that got anything to do with the phrase “I wouldn’t give you that for All the Tea in China”? PO: Yes, of course. Think how it used to be used; not just quantity, it also infers… great importance! You know the significance of the tea trade in the days of Empire including the eventual symbolic “Boston Tea Party” as the North American colonies broke away from British control. Remember The Alex Harvey Band? When Braithwaite sits down and says “Ah, this is very pleasant!”, it’s representing the British presence in Hong Kong appropriated after victory in the Opium Wars. BS: So what about the next conversation? PO: This is where Han is exposed as not being just a Bond-Villain when Braithwaite wishes Lee to attend “Han’s Tournament” or “The Chinese People’s Fight” with their involvement in the Opium Trade. The dialogue goes; B. “Mr Lee, I’ve come to talk to you about a tournament of martial arts. A tournament to which you’ve already received an invitation. Specifically a tournament organized by Mr Han…” L. “Han’s Tournament…” B. “Yes I know, I know, I know. But we’d very much like you to attend that particular tournament, Mr Lee!” L. “We, Mr Braithwaite?’ I love Lee’s suspicion at this point as it shows his comprehension of the gravity of when people don’t speak in the first person. What is important however is the way he immediately breaks off from this conversation at the sight of his young protégé with no explanation than “it’s Lau’s Time.” A bemused Braithwaite replies “ah, yes of course!” as Lee conducts a quality-time lesson with his pupil. BS: Now we remember this scene because of Lee slapping Lau on the head. PO: “We, Mr Sykes?” BS: Very funny! I remember that scene for that aspect. PO: That’s what many saw, but the scene holds the key to the element of character building necessary for the repair of an ailing people. BS: How so? PO: Go back to the Brain Hemisphere chart and remember the characteristics of the right and left hemispheres. BS: Okay. PO: Lee is giving Lau a lesson on the whole-brain application of Mind. Let’s check the dialogue and related action. On arrival, Lau bows to Lee, right hand cupped in left hand. Lee returns the respect with a head bow behind the equally placed right fist on open left palm. BS: I remember that well! PO: That hand sign is representative of the respective brain functions in parity. Do you remember which hand Han is missing? BS: His left hand! PO: This symbolically represents the lack of moral obligation and spiritual value that Lee executed in the first fight scene with Sammo. Here Lee is demonstrating the required repair… re (again) – pair (two)… again bringing the two sides of the Brain together. The “Emotional Content.” BS: Wait a minute, this sounds a lot like the role Tae Kwon Do played in Korea following their civil war in the 1950’s in rebuilding their national character, focus and discipline. PO: Never mind Korea, what about here! That rhymed… am I a rapper? BS: I don’t know what you are, mate? But I’m hearing you more now on the role of martial arts in Education here in the U.K. and your challenging Geoff Thompson, Lance Lewis and Peter Consterdine together. PO: I really don’t like the sound of what you’ve said on the “challenge” thing, especially as you’ll be editing this. I can already feel the splints if they misinterpret my sentiment and decide to physicalize their displeasure! Seriously though, martial artists… lead a U.K. “Boxer Rebellion” for the sake of our next generation! BS: What about the dialogue? PO: Okay, okay! Lee says to Lau “Kick me…” Lau understandably looks apprehensive but Lee reassuringly repeats, “Kick me…” Lau puts out a beautifully formed side kick towards Lee’s face, as Lee moves backwards out of range. I remember my shock when I first heard the next line those many, many moons ago, because I thought it was a good kick. “What was that, an exhibition!? With emotional content”… Lee clearly points to his right temple; the emotional side of the Brain… then says, “now try again!” As with many young people now, especially in educational environments, Lau responds in an ill mannered way that is usual if you tell them to repeat or do something. He readily displays the emotion most males have no trouble in expressing, anger. With the energy quickly rising up from the his base Chakra to his Brain/Mind, Lau flies at Lee with another kick, obviously displeased with the criticism. Lee again move out of range then says quite sternly; “I said emotional content… not anger! Now try again… with meaning!” Lau then kicks with focused application. Lee blocks this and moves back towards Lau saying “That’s it!” He then asks Lau to connect with his Right brain by asking “How did it feel to you?” Lau with classic ham says “Let me think…” as he raises his right hand to his chin, his eyes rising up and to the left looking at his Left Hemisphere. This action is met with a left hand slap from Lee to Lau’s head over his Right Brain. Lee then delivers the immortal line. “don’t think, feel! It’s like a finger pointing away towards the moon!” Lee turns away pointing upwards with his left index finger. He turns back to see Lau’s gaze fixed on his finger. A deft right hand slap to Lua’s head is followed by THE line; “Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all the heavenly glory!” BS: What do you see is happening there? PO: Simply put; too much process and not enough outcome. BS: Meaning? PO: Well let’s build this one up. Have you ever looked but not seen or listened but not heard? Bruce put this at the beginning of the film to tell us not to concentrate on the martial arts techniques and fight scenes but to try and understand the deeper meanings of the film. If we expand this aspect to give a more universal interpretation, it can be used to explain why many people get caught in processes such as religion and politics rather than focusing on the bigger, universal picture they are supposed to lead to. Many get into sectarian conflicts based on “Blind loyalty and obedience” usually to the controlling class or group. In a martial sense, this could be applied to concentrating on the “closed” process of technique practice or Kata/Form without ever entering the ‘open’ flow requirements of combat. BS: What about the Education thing you mentioned? PO: It’s the same there. Many in the Education system seem to be disassociated from the process of life that schooling is meant to be preparing young people for. The present ‘Nanny State’ mentality is doing little to successfully develop the character of young males especially and a growing number of young females. Again, this is where martial artists could lead the way in the holistic development within Education. So what about the last line, “Never take your eyes off your opponent, even when you bow”? Remember that Lee says to Lau “Do you understand?” following the finger pointing, and with respect Lau smiles and bows to Lee in appreciation of the lesson learned. As Lau bows in “blind respect” Lee yet again slaps his head and then delivers the “opponent” line. Remember the saying that “You are your own worst enemy?” BS: Yes. PO: Well think about how many times many people stop their progression towards their own true success and fulfilment due to both inherited and experiential influences. In so many cases, the only people stopping academic success for young people today in schools is themselves and the vast majority do not see or comprehend the “Set up” aspects of feeding and undermining them. BS: Conspiracy Paul? PO: No, not at all! Check it out. The young aren’t making laws or manufacturing the media or control the networks carrying messages of negative influence, it’s adults who are responsible for leading them astray. BS: So yet again, back to the film! PO: Bruce’s final wisdom is accompanied by a straight pointed left index finger (Right Brain Emotional) as he says “That’s it…” as Lau bows correctly after rubbing the back of his head due to the slap effects. Bruce then turns back towards Braithwaite who nods approvingly on the quality lesson he’d just observed. I should remind you again that Bruce is wearing the indigo suit, colour of the visual Chakra as he effectively enlightens his young charge. BS: Okay, so a synopsis… what’s your round-up? PO: This film, now over thirty years old has as much pertinent significance today as it did back then. The film operates on several levels; physical, mental, spiritual and philosophical and all in all contains much information to endorse the need for focussed martial arts within today’s society to step forward and make more of an impact in wider educational and in turn, social scenarios. To me this film, when considered in the semiotic or symbolic way, is a key to open up the necessary door to character development much needed in the U.K. today by fusing and synthesising concepts from both the East and the West. BS: It’s certainly been an interesting interaction. PO: I’ve not finished yet! I’ve got the most interesting and controversial aspect and I’ve saved it ‘till last. BS: What’s that then? PO: I want the film to be remade! BS: You cannot be serious! PO: Listen, McEnroe, I’m deadly serious! I want the original story to be told and anyway, they did it with ‘Fist of Fury’! BS: Okay, I’ll give you that, but this was a bigger film, now of iconic status. PO: It’s only bigger due to it being Hollywood’s first martial arts blockbuster and you know by now of my love and respect for the film, but I want to see the real story; which hd much more depth and political significance to it especially in both the U.S. and U.K. today, being made. Bob, look at the ‘Enter The Dragon’ poster. Who is the most dominate character on the poster? BS: Bruce Lee. PO: Then who? BS: Jim Kelly or Williams. PO: Exactly! Who is the first character you see in the ilm when it begins? BS: Williams. PO: What colour is he dressed in and where do we see him? BS: Look you tell me! I’m the interviewer! PO: He’s on the plane steps putting on his sun glasses beneath that large Afro hair. What colours are present?… I’ll tell you! Brown suit with a White polo neck beneath it, the Opium colours. In front of him at the height of his sacral Chakra is the step banister which is orange for lineage. We next see him walk into the street dressed in a Red suit (Root) with yellow polo neck (Communication) and he puts his right fist into his open left palm (Cerebral Balance) as he then moves around a local market. BS: The significance? PO: He’s also on a mission but from the African-American community in Los Angeles to stop the inflow of Opium from Han and as we now know that they were the first community to be hit by the drug. Check films like ‘Godfather Part 2’, ‘Panther’ and ‘Nico’ for that story. BS: This is sounding very political. PO: Hopefully… You see the point is that I was told some years ago that Williams was not meant to die in the original script, rather he was the one meant to be fighting side-by-side with Bruce at the end against the negativity of drugs. Now imagine the stereotype of the Black drug-dealer today and what significance that film would have taken on in the mind-set of people watching that aspect over the years. I remember hearing of a guy named Dave (Honkins) in Wigan what at the sight of Williams being dropped in the acid bath jumped up to his full six feet five and shouted “Out of f*****ng order!” Seeing that in the film certainly reminded many of us of a lynching. Do you remember William’s departure story which starts in the Karate school with all the ‘Brothers’ drilling? Remember that the Sensei leading the class calls out a front row student who’s wearing a red, black and green hat, the Pan-African colours, and he continue the drilling saying “Double punching…”? Williams greets his Sensei beneath the school logo, being an upright golden fist containing a reared Cobra with red, black and green flags either side of it. This is the logo of the B.K.F. (Black Karate Foundation) who is still active in the Black Nationalist cause in the U.S.A. So, like the Black Panther Organization, they were involved in community self-defence activities, one of which is anti-drug strategy. The Cobra; as I mentioned previously, is the time-bound symbol that in Ancient Kemet (Egypt) was called Uraeus or the Arat and represented protection. Recall William’s comment to Roper; his Vietnam war friend, when looking out over Hong Kong harbour in response to the statement that Han likes to “live big”. He says, “they don’t live big over there! Ghettos are the same all over the world… they stink!” “Same old Williams,” retorts Roper. BS: So why did this more political aspect you’re mentioning not come across more in the film? PO: As I understand it, the part was originally meant to be played by ‘The Black Dragon’, Ron Van Clief who was by far the biggest black martial arts star at the time. There was allegedly some contractual disagreement which meant that the studio dropped him and he was replaced by one of Bruce Lee’s tournament scene buddies, Jim Kelly, who was obviously a novice if eventually a charismatic actor. As Kelly was not an actor, the story goes that John Saxon’s agent insisted that his man would not die before this non-actor and so the script was changed to accommodate. Roper becomes the noble rogue-turned-good hero who finds his morals, especially after seeing his dead (Black) friend. BS: Are you claiming conspiracy here? PO: I believe that it was more circumstantial of the times. Warner Brothers were making Black films; not just ‘Blaxploitation’ ones. Indeed they produced one named ‘Brothers’ with Bernie Casey and Ron McNeal (‘Superfly’) loosely based on the story of the Black Panther, George Jackson. The film was never generally released in the U.K. and was only on limited release in the U.S.A. The “Black Panther” wasn’t just Donald Neilson the sub-post office robber, Leslie Whittle kidnapper and killer, you know, Bob? I’m just so sorry that the role that began so politically positive was reduced to this arrogant, defiant Black super-stud who eventually gets his ‘come-uppance’ after cockily declaring that he’ll not notice his moment of defeat because “I’ll be too busy looking good!” BS: So, you’re demanding a remake? PO: Of course! Change it back. BS: Do you really mean “Change it Black”? PO: I love this cultural confidence you’ve got. A true martial artist. “change it Black!” No, I want the true significance of the film to be felt and to me it’s a more significant story. Like the Jet Lee/’Fist of Fury’ thing, I wouldn’t like to see someone trying to do a Bruce Lee impersonation. I’D like to see a remake in the darkness of Michael Keaton ‘Batman’ vibe, with someone like Don Cheadle playing the role of ‘Williams’. BS: I’d have thought you’d have gone for Wesley Snipes or another action hero? PO: No diss on Wesley, but he’s well know for action roles. I believe someone like Mr Cheadle could deliver a very powerful surprise. No, let’s have something that is acted where the martial arts is on par with it. Remember that Bruce was an actor first. I’m hoping that I’ve provided enough evidence over these articles for a more interesting spin. BS: Is it safe to say that’s it now? You’re not going to bite my head off again? PO: No, that’s it. Just to say please make sure that everyone you know buys a copy of this film. It’s more interesting for people with a bit of ‘Gen’ backing the content. And it’s especially important for youngsters coming through now that they learn to conquer, control and nurture their weaker selves. BS: Thank you for an interesting narrative that I’d never imagined existed. You’ve certainly handled the material in an entertaining, knowledgeable and humorous way. At least I hope that Thompson, Lewis and Consterdine find it so… for your sake! PO: Oh, thank you, Mr Sykes. It’s been a great pleasure.