Next up for all you martial arts film lovers out there thanks to Hai! Karate is a Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba joint that doesn't get quite the accolades it deserves, Shorinji Kenpo, from 1976!
Shorinji Kenpois essentially
a biography of the art's founder,
Doshin So. So is, like other founding
masters of martial arts, a figure
stepped in legend and legacy. So
was born in Okayama, Japan in 1911
and at the age of 17 he went to
live in China. Why? He was working
for the government as a secret agent.
While there, So fit in well enough
to be involved with several Chinese
secret societies. This would then put
him in contact with martial artists
who had been in hiding since the Boxer
Rebellion years earlier. He began to
learn from them, specifically training
with a Shaolin master by the name of
Wen Laoshi. He would succeed Laoshi
as master of the Northern Shaolin
Giwamonken School. Using this style
and other techniques, he gave birth
to shorinji kempo, which translated
means 'Shaolin Temple Fist Method'.
He returned to Japan in 1946 and saw
that the country was in ruin and moral
disrepair after their defeat in World
War II. He then committed himself to
helping to boost morale and pride by
reaching out to the youth in talks,
then by establishing a dojo via the
formation of a temple, getting around
the Allied forces' decree that no
martial arts be taught in post-war
times.
With a story like that, it's no wonder
Toei wanted to do a film on So. And
they had the man to do it, Sonny Chiba.
Chiba was riding high as Japan's #1
action star. The film essentially has
him playing Soh during this period as
he returned to Japan to find his way.
The film begins with Soh escaping a
gang of Chinese fighters only to get
to base and find that Japan has
surrendered to the U.S. He reacts by
shooting up the entire office in rage.
So returns to Japan, and along the
way dispenses justice against some
soldiers looking to rape a young girl
named Kiku(Yutaku Nakajima)and to
stop Korean bandits on a train in
rough fashion. So's whole persona
is that of dispensing justice and
living with honor even in the worst
of times. He eventually finds a home
in the slums of Osaka amid orphans
and prostitutes underneath a railway.
There he's charitable and helps to
settle disputes, one of which has
him reunite with Kiku and her brother.
Kiku had become a prostitute, forced
by the Russians. But with So and the
the orphans, she runs a food stand.
The happiness doesn't last long as
her brother gets hit by an American
jeep and So proceeds to bust heads.
While in prison, he befriends a man
named Otaki(Makoto Sato) who he had
beaten up before in a melee with
black market smugglers. Of course,
this is after he sends Otaki RIGHT
THROUGH THE WALL with one kick.
So winds up getting freed by the
prison warden on the condition he
leave Osaka. He does and hits a
seaside town, Tadotsu. There he
solidifies his rep as 'Crazy Dog',
but also gains enough support to
build up his dojo while waging war
on the local yakuza. It all comes
to a head once one of his prize
students, Tomoda(Naoya Makato) and
his sister (Etsuko Shiomi) are set
upon by yakuza thugs who slice off
Tomoda's arm. The battle is now on
in earnest as So begins to define not
only his purpose, but that of Shorinji
Kempo.
Shorinji Kenpo is a surprisingly
compelling film. It is a shame that
Western markets chose to dub it 'The
Killing Machine' because it gets away
from the heart shown in the picture.
For starters, it's a sobering look
at Japan's disrepair after World War
II in all forms. It's not hokey in
the least. The storyline may have
its highly cinematic parts but it
also has tear-jerker moments. Otaki's
storyline is painful in the picture.
Kiku is also a tragic figure. But
there is triumph of the will here,
evidenced by So and Tomoda, who despite
losing an arm, finds the courage to
still fight and train. Shorinji Kenpo
benefits from this, as well as its
many well-done and thrilling fight
scenes. So himself was the primary
film fight instructor, thus keeping
the integrity in the action. And there
is a lot of it. Be warned though -
there is visible blood-letting in the
flick, including one scene that...
well for the fellas, I'd advise you
to really cringe in one scene where
So dispenses justice in a crude way.
That ends with a stray dog. Yeah.
Shorinji Kenpo is probably one of
Chiba's best flicks in that it is
one of his most balanced. And Chiba's
acting doesn't go over the top here,
befitting the man who he portrays.
Go peep Shorinji Kenpo as
soon as possible.
RATING: 4.5 of 5 DRAGON PUNCHES
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