# Kung Fu: "I am Caine" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2006, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585 "2006-03-16T10:48:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/41 "2006-03-20T13:40:46Z")
> [@Dijon Warlock](#): > > Google ad: > > ## Impeach Bush Car Decal > > The hell? perhaps the word “pacifist” keyed that ad. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/42 "2006-03-21T07:57:44Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > perhaps the word “pacifist” keyed that ad. Maybe, but now I’m getting “The Coming World War” and some blathering about Nostradamus. My head asplodes. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/43 "2006-03-21T13:35:30Z")
> [@Dijon Warlock](#): > > Maybe, but now I’m getting “The Coming World War” and some blathering about Nostradamus. > > My head asplodes. And now there’s Power Ranger costumes. Hmmm… maybe they could help in Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/44 "2006-03-21T15:52:26Z")
Missile Defense and Materials testing Bwah-ha-ha-ha. I’m not sure what google means by contextual ads (obviously they’re more guidelines than rules), but I have this image of Cain firing a missle at a town that mistreated him. Pacifist my ass, buddah woulda killed them for their bigotry – I know it. When you can snatch the refined nuclear material from my hand, you will be ready to leave. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/45 "2006-03-21T20:54:38Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > **Master Kan** “Walk away rather than hurt, hurt rather than mame, mame rather than kill, kill only to save your life or the lives of others.” Would that be Auntie Mame? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/46 "2006-03-21T22:54:51Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > And you saw Caine follow this. Even with multiple opponents he would kick some ass to discourage rather than cause permanent damage. How ever in one episode when A guy was attacking him with a hand scythe, Caine ended the fight by kicking his shin and breaking his leg. Fight over. Yes, and I remember one episode where he actually has to kill an opponent. Details are hazy, but I think it was another Kung Fu master sent over to asassinate him… ---
**Author:** ![java\_osborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@java\_osborn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/java_osborn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/47 "2016-05-14T16:04:55Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > Yes, and I remember one episode where he actually has to kill an opponent. > > Details are hazy, but I think it was another Kung Fu master sent over to asassinate him… Yes, it was an assassin that was sent to kill him and nothing less, Cane had no choice but to kill or be killed. They got all dressed up in their silk sparing cloths (Canes with the Quivering Palm symbol on the back, I think the assassin had the Snake, it was Praying Mantis against Snake style). After great physical price two simultaneous karate (Kung Fu 🙂 ) chops to the neck were the death blow. Back to the philosophy, one Chinese man came up and told Cane that people would talk about this great moment forever, and Cane said something like this was not a great moment, a man has lost his life. Thus Cane stayed true to his teachings. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/48 "2016-05-14T19:48:30Z")
I was a **BIG** fan of _ **Kung Fu** _ when it first aired on ABC in the 70’s. I was the perfect age (11-14 yrs) to get into all of that stuff. The basic story, besides the clash of culture/bigotry of this “half breed” in America, there were also two ongoing plots. 1- Caine was wanted by the Chinese government for murder. I believed he avenged Master Po’s life when someone in the royal family killed him. This wanted from the law would often pop up in many stories. 2- Caine was searching for his brother. I think he was a half brother, from his white American father. I also think Caine actually does find him in an episode during the last season. In an odd way,_ **Kung Fu** _ has many similarities to two other classic TV shows. On the run from the law, Caine drifting from city to city is much like the David Janssen vehicle, _ **The Fugitive** _ and many episodes of _ **Kung Fu** _ would feature Caine getting attacked (where he’d then have to fend off his attackers and then beat them up) about 15 minutes into the show then maybe 10 minutes before the show ended. This pattern was often repeated in _ **The Incredible Hulk** _ TV series when Banner would be attacked, change into the Hulk and fight his attackers about 15 minutes into the show then maybe 10 minutes before the show ended. > [@devilsknew](#): > > Just wondering for the fans, if you were to make the modern _Kung Fu_ movie, its modern bigscreen adaptation- who would you cast as Kwai Chiang Kane? > > I’m trying to choose between Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Chow Yun Fat. (I’m leaning towards Chow Yun Fat.) I don’t agree. Those actors are all pure Asian actors. I think what made Carradine a great choice was that \*\*visually \*\*he looked not quite Caucasian and not quite Asian. That visual appearance really stressed his “half-breed” look where he was never quite accepted in China and never quite accepted in America. A man without a country. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/49 "2016-05-14T21:56:15Z")
Zombie or no: 1. Lone Wolf McQuade is an awesome POS. Norris driving a buried truck out of the ground by sheer force of will??? Awesome. 2. Anyone who likes Kung Fu should watch “Circle of Iron” ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/50 "2016-05-15T06:03:46Z")
Shit, I was in the right age for the martial arts fever that took America. I watched the original Kung Fu pilot when it came out, and the entire series. As did all my friends. Of course, it was Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon that kick started me into 4 years of Kenpo Karate. David Carridine, IIRC, was pretty good at ballet. Hence, able to fake a decent Chinese style. It’s got tons of pseudo hokey Chinesey crappola throughout the series. And the Chinese handwritten scrolls written by the Emperor or his scribe made my Chinese family in Taiwan just howl at how poorly written they were. That said, I still loved the show, and it’s part of why I learned Chinese and spent 20 years in China. I think maybe my favorite episode, that I haven’t seen since the 1970’s, was some bad ass dude that collected rattlesnakes and threw 'em in a pit. IIRC he was an evil fuck. Eventually, there was a showdown between the evil fuck and Caine, and the evil fuck said something like “of course I’m scared of rattlesnakes, every man alive is scared of something.” And Caine replied with something like “if I walk thru the pit of rattle snakes, will you quit being an evil fuck?” And then Caine lowered himself into the pit of vipers, walked calmly though the rattling rattlesnakes, and then up the other side. I’m hazy on the story since I only saw it on TV once nearly 50 years ago but it was pretty awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Commodore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Commodore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Commodore)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585/51 "2016-05-16T05:29:24Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > It depends on the situation. As a Buddhist monk Cain was taught to avoid violence whenever possible. He often would let himself be pushed around a bit remaining all humble. Usually when they came to do him real violence he defended himself. He also defended others quite a bit. It was always fun for me to see the cowboys be so cocky when confronting the ragged “Chiney man” only to get their ass kicked. > > I loved it as a young man. The Buddhist philosophy is still great. I have all three seasons. It’s also fun to see some current stars show up with minor roles on the show. Don Johnson played a young Indian boy. William Shatner as a ship captain trying to trick back to China. Jodie Foster as a wee child. The Buddhist philosophy is great and if you all want to see the best of all it’s a show called Monkey. Monkey loves to fight ! and can’t be killed. Holy Tripitaka and Pigsy are all upon a journey as long as life. It has about 50 storys in all and that monkey is a man not a monkey he fights all the time and his mate Pigsy loves to fight as well and the Priest Tripitaka is cool as well. It’s even better than all the other shows and if you listen you can learn something as well. At the end you can talk about what the message was in the story, it’s educational and that’s hard to come across now days with all the stupid brain dead movies that come out nowadays, I think it first came out in about 1979 and it’s bloody funny as well. that Pigsy :D:cool: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kung-fu-i-am-caine/348585.md?page=2)