But Why is the Panda a Son of a Goose?
a martial artist, Movie Reviewer, a storyteller, a believer of fate, mother of 2
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JUN
13
2008
Kung Fu Panda —
If there was one thing we heard the most during this week's martial arts classes, it was the kids asking us what a "Wu-Shi Finger Hold" was and if it was a real technique. I had seen Kung Fu Panda, the newest Dreamworks creation, with my kids, so I knew exactly what they were referring to. Something tells me we'll be hearing about that all summer long.Jack Black voices the character of Po, a very portly panda bear that works in his father's noodle stand. While his father has promised that some day when the time is right, the noodle stand will be all Po's, he longs instead to become a kung fu hero. What is never answered during the movie, unless you count them hinting at the end that it might be remotely odd, is the fact that Po the panda bear's father is a goose, as well as all his ancestors.
With the village in fear that the deposed Tai Lung, a snow leopard that is voiced by Ian McShane, will break out of prison, Shifu, a red panda and kung fu master, voiced by Dustin Hoffman, announces he will be appointing the new Dragon Warrior, who will then be awarded with the Dragon Scroll which holds the secrets to fighting off Tai Lung. Hearing this, Po abandons his noodle cart and rushes to the village to join the excitement. While it is expected that it will be one of Shifu's disciples, nicknamed the Furious Five, that is appointed to this honorable position, Po gets in the way and is named instead.
The five (Tigress, Mantis, Viper, Crane, and Monkey, voiced by Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Jackie Chan) are indeed furious that this nobody came and stole their position, and don't figure this out-of-shape bear could ever fight off Tai Lung. Shifu backs them up on this, but Master Oogway, a turtle voiced by Randall Duk Kim, insists that Po wasn't appointed to this position by accident, as there are no accidents. He figures this happened for a reason, and with the proper training, Po can indeed fend off Tai Lung and save the village.
With music that sounds like it's straight out of Mulan, the rest of the movie is spent with Shifu trying to train Po, and much of it is very deepset in martial arts teachings. Speaking about the movie with the head instructor at our school, he noted that there were things in the film that were so deep into martial arts knowledge and learnings that even the highest of ranks might not even recognize it. Mostly what I recognized at my level was the morality that martial arts teaches, as well as simple things such as believing in yourself and knowing that anyone can be a hero.
So is there such a thing as a wu-shi finger hold? Not as such by name, but it's not as totally unrealistic as it might seem, as there are similar types of techniques that can be devastating, yet seem innocent. And you don't have someone executing them, dropping the pinky finger and saying "skidooche," Other than that, it's rooted very much in real martial arts, just as Kung Fu Panda is.
Kung Fu Panda is recommended by LauraBelle
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