What I learned from Shih Kien

Shih Kien has passed away. Although he played the villain in many Hong Kong martial arts movies, he is best remembered for his role in Enter the Dragon:



I actually learned something from this movie, mainly not to fuck with old guys who are really good at being evil. He debates The Black Guy, and takes the position that ruthless exploitation of the enemy's weaknesses trumps aesthetics. The Black Guy ("bull-SHIT Mister Hand-Man") takes the view that he's going to look good, and that's going to see him through. He argues that Shih Kien's views are not grounded in reality.

In this case, ugly wins, and The Black Guy discovers that it is difficult to maintain an orderly aesthetic when one is having one's ass kicked through a brothel.

It is up to Bruce Lee to restore the Keatsian logical equality (equational form) of truth and beauty.

Bruce says: "You have offended my fa-mi-ly...and you have offended a Shao-Lin temple."
Shih Kien says nothing, just holds up the claw... Talk to the claw, Bruce.
Which he proceeds to do.

I was wondering whatever happened to Jim Kelly, who got that schooling from Shih Kien. Well, he talks about Bruce here, and made Black Belt Jones and other interesting movies I never saw. He's fine, apparently, and makes a key appearance in this homage.

He learned well from Shih Kien. This world lays many snares for the unwary.