To many people myself included, the first regular introduction to martial arts and martial arts themed action came in the weekly adventures of a martial monk from the Shaolin Temple, Kwai Chang-caine played by David Carradine in the Kung Fu series. While he may never have been the martial artist he thought he was - or that many of us thought he was at the beginning - his contribution to bringing Chinese martial arts into our homes cannot be forgotten, be it through Kung Fu, the resulting Kung Fu: The Movie with Brandon Lee, Kung Fu The Legend Continues , Lone Wolf McQuade with Chuck Norris, The Silent Flute, Kill Bill, Kung Fu Killers, or one of his final films True Legend for director Yuen Woo-ping.
The Martial Arts History Museum in Burbank, California is well aware of David's contributions and his place as one of the most influential figures in martial arts media history and on January 10th 2015 they will honour his legacy by inducting David into the Hall of Fame and unveil the actual coat he wore in the Kung Fu series as an exhibit in the museum. Various members of the Carradine family are planning to attend the event and there will be various guests including cast from the series including Radames Pera (the young Caine), Clyde Kusutu, Kam Yuen (one of David's primary martial arts instructors and ongoing consultant to the series), Douglas Wong and James Lew as well as other icons from the martial arts and martial movie world.
“The Kung Fu series changed everything. Although the Green Hornet was the first popular series to introduce Chinese culture to the West, it was Kung Fu that truly opened the doors to ancient Chinese history and the Shaolin Temple,” says museum president Michael Matsuda. “We are honored to have Kwai Chang Caine's coat on display for everyone to enjoy.”
I worked with David Carradine several times including accompanying him to the Shaolin Temple for the first time on Hallmark's David Carradine: A Martial Arts Journey and on one of his final movies True Legend.
David was everything and more that you could imagine. He lived his life to the fullest and could be abrasive and didn't suffer fools lightly. But I will always treasure the times we spent discussing martial arts, movie making, life, love and so much more. They broke the mould when they made you, David and your legacy will never be forgotten! Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
Carradine will be inducted into the Hall of Fame with a short ceremony as his coat (on loan from Stacey Byham) is unveiled.The induction event and the unveiling will be begin at 6 pm and open for viewing until 9 pm on Jan. 10, 2015. It will take place at the Martial Arts History Museum located at 2319 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506. The event is FREE to the public and light refreshments will be available. However, a RSVP sent to [email protected] is required for admittance.
For further information on the event and the museum log onto http://martialartsmuseum.com/
