Nótaí galaxyrocker - Ancient Celtic Languages, (Old) French, Latin, Old English

[galaxyrocker]

Thanks iguanamon! Those sound very interesting. To be honest, I'm not using them fully for language practice, as my Japanese ability is nowhere near high enough to watch a film and recognize anything but simple words. I have just been enjoying those films and figured it couldn't hurt to watch some in Japanese instead. Generally, when I think of Japanese films, I go to Miyazaki and Ghibli, so it's nice to get something other than that as well.

[galaxyrocker]

Sadly, there hasn't been much to report it. I've been slipping from working recently, though I have been trying to at least keep listening to chapters 1 anad 2 of Genki to at least keep up with that. Really, it's not time that's an issue it's just getting focused and actually putting in the work. I have been listening to some Irish, as they've had a lot of interesting videos on TG4 recently, including some about the first firefighters in Connemara (in Carraroe, no less) so they speak very dialectal Irish. Also a couple of other great things, such as poitín (basically moonshine) that's being made and sold by the grandson of the author of the book I'm reading (and have been reading), hwo is the son of the editor. It's quite interesting, as the book talks about making poitín. And even some more stuff about the Gaeltachts on tv and schools around them, etc. Just a lot of interesting stuff over all. That said, I'm still not doing it as much as I want. I just really need to get focused and do it instead of spending hours aimlessly browsing Reddit!

The same holds true with Japanese, as I've been accepted to interview for the program I applied for to teach English over there. Not sure if it's truly what I want to do, just because I'm starting to feel the pressure of needing to start a career, etc. But enough about that, because I'd still love to learn Japanese to read anyway. I just need to get focused.

I also wanted to share the sales I posted in Team Celtic, just in case anyone reading this but not that is interested (as much as I doubt it lol)

Futa Fata -- 20%
Cló Iar-Chonnachta -- 20% with the code LF2017
An Siopa Leabhair -- 15% with the code leabhra17
Leabhar Breac – 20%
Cois Life – 20%
Litriocht.com - 15% with code LF17

[Systematiker]

Somehow I've not kept up reading your log. Oops.

Martial arts films in Japanese - off the top of my head, Sonny Chiba's better stuff (Karate Baka ichidai, and the other one based on Mas Oyama, or the Street Fighter) comes to mind. I actually have a bunch on DVD, I'll have to drag them out and look to recommend some names. Kurosawa films are good, but often have actors with no actual technique (e.g. the actor playing the best swordsman in Seven Samurai never held a sword before the movie). But if you watch yojimbo, watch sanjuro too. Several of those films are also Shakespeare redone, I think Hidden Fortress takes themes from Macbeth, and Ran is King Lear.
Let's see, there's a Korean film about Oyama called Fighter in the Wind (English title), that's about half in Japanese. Anything else I'd have to drag out the box, I never set up the DVD player after we moved (what life changes do to you, haha).

[jeff_lindqvist]

Martial arts films in Japanese - off the top of my head, Sonny Chiba's better stuff(...)

Do any of the movies in this DVD box apply? I haven't seen a film with him since Kill Bill, but have that box lying somwhere.

[Systematiker]

Martial arts films in Japanese - off the top of my head, Sonny Chiba's better stuff(...)

Do any of the movies in this DVD box apply? I haven't seen a film with him since Kill Bill, but have that box lying somwhere.

Yeah, the "street fighter" series of movies, including the spin-off "sister street fighter" - and that reviewer calling his form "sloppy" really just shows that it's a lack of knoweldge about what Chiba is doing. Granted, sometimes it's a little exaggerated for the movies, but Chiba was no slouch as a practicioner of kyokushinkai (and I'm pretty sure nearly everyone in the dojo in the original Street Figher movie was a real kyokoshinkai student, Chiba really wanted to spread the art). The two biopics where Chiba actually plays Oyama aren't in that box, they're worth looking for as well (some of the same actors show up in them as well).

[jeff_lindqvist]

Thanks for the info! (And apologies for briefly hijacking your log, galaxyrocker!) I'll return the favour the day someone wants advice on Chinese martial arts movies.

[galaxyrocker]

Thanks for the info! (And apologies for briefly hijacking your log, galaxyrocker!) I'll return the favour the day someone wants advice on Chinese martial arts movies.

No need to apologize! I appreciate the discussion, and am glad to see some more titles to check out. And, please, fell free to discuss some Chinese ones. I haven't had time to watch much lately, but I've just been Googling lists of "Best martial arts films" and watching what's been recommended there, then following Netflix's recommendations. Pretty good, but very impersonal and hit-and-miss in my opinion.

[Systematiker]

Stylistically, Donnie Yen is very very good, though sometimes you can tell how little is really done in one shot. His Ip Man movies are pretty true-to-style, and in the first one, the Japanse stylists aren't bad either. Moving away from Asia, Chuck Norris is almost always true-to-style, though you notice as he gets older that he revives some Judo (He was a 1st kyu, I think, before an injury and switching to TSD in Korea [I'm rather partial here, as a 4th Dan in TSD]). The Transporter movies, interestingly enough, also show a good stylistic awareness, when they're not too unrealistic. I really will drag out my DVDs sometime this week and get you some more recommendations - though none of it is a recommendation about the quality of the film, but rather the martial arts in the film (haha!).

[jeff_lindqvist]

I was going to mention Donnie Yen! (He's also in Star Wars:Rogue One, by the way) The Ip Man movies are great. Sammo Hung did the action choreography and also has experience of wing chun. In the movie, he's a Hung Gar master, and Feng Ko An/Fung Hak On shows some baguazhang (however a bit in the stereotypical circle walking style).

[galaxyrocker]

I did watch Ip Man, which was a lot of fun; I had no idea Yen was in Rogue One, though. Now I really need to get around to it.

Stylistically, Donnie Yen is very very good, though sometimes you can tell how little is really done in one shot. His Ip Man movies are pretty true-to-style, and in the first one, the Japanse stylists aren't bad either. Moving away from Asia, Chuck Norris is almost always true-to-style, though you notice as he gets older that he revives some Judo (He was a 1st kyu, I think, before an injury and switching to TSD in Korea [I'm rather partial here, as a 4th Dan in TSD]). The Transporter movies, interestingly enough, also show a good stylistic awareness, when they're not too unrealistic. I really will drag out my DVDs sometime this week and get you some more recommendations - though none of it is a recommendation about the quality of the film, but rather the martial arts in the film (haha!).

That's actually preferable to me, though I can admit I do like the cheesiness of some of the older ones at times! I started doing Aikido two years ago, but leaving for Ireland in July led me to quit; I really need to pick it back up, but I live 30 minutes away and don't work in said town anymore, and can't make the morning classes (though I'm going to try to at least attend part of them to see if I can make it back to work in time). But, yeah, getting back on topic, I like seeing that, and seeing how various styles look in actuality.