Cleons/Riffs Fighing Skills

[adam88]

Normally I ask more complex questions, but this time I just have a simple one.  Now when we see Cleon fight some of those Rouges, we notice that the way he fights looks as if he is using a martial arts motion.  Now the reason I like the warriors, is the fact that its old fashioned street brawling and not a martial arts film.  In my opinion, I believe Cleon is just a street fighter who modified a few kicks and punches to seem more of a martial arts style, but its not.

Now for the Riffs, it is possible since they have a huge influence, and maybe the most poerful gang alive, its possible they did adapt martial arts.

The reason I ask, because you know how some of these old films, try to make every character use martial arts as if its an easy fighting skill to learn, which is not.  So what do you guys think, do they know martial arts, or did they just modify their fighting capabilities?  Just curious.

[Swan 1979]

I've always thought that The Gramercy Riff's did practice martial arts because you could see in the way they all stand in like ranks and I don't know how much of the game is truth but in the game there all practicing some sort of martial arts maybe karate and with gang members only putting a few kicks and punches in I think that some gang members probably did martial arts and I think Cleon did martial with the way he fought you could just see with how he was ducking and putting proper elbows and punches in not gritty street fighting.

[Lion]

I think Cyrus or Masai among the high rank members were at some point in martial arts school, but they left and did their own thing, eventually becoming a gang.  I think Cleon must of taken classes from one of them before they went their own way.

[ajax the warrior]

Yeah i think masai and cyrus did martial arts a long time ago and tought all of the other riffs that is why you see them always training and kicking like in the game.

[Uriah]

I always thought the Riffs gang was a homage to the ghetto martial arts school featured in Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon.  In ETD, the "Williams" character played by Jim Kelly is shown in a flashback sequence visiting the martial arts school he trained in.  It looks like an urban, underground space that has been converted to a gym - it is strikingly similar to the Riffs HQ.  There are even rows guys doing drills in unison. 

[adam88]

Interesting observation on Jim Kelly, Uriah.  In the 70's his style, mixed with martial arts, seemed to have a cult style until this day, featured practically on anything.  I mean theres even a Hugi Yo card based on him. 

[adam88]

By the way, heres a few picture of the style that Jim Kelly introduced.  He even inspired the Riffs.
http://www.lawrencechristmas.com/jimkelly.jpg
http://gamerevolution.com/oldsite/games ... e_lee6.jpg

[Lion]

Oh yeah, you see this what I mean good ol style fighting, no cgi, just plain old school butt whooping!

[Uriah]

Yeah, man. Jim Kelly is one of the most underapreciated icons of martial arts cinema.  Someone tracked him down back in the late 90's and did an interview - if I remember right, he's a big tennis player now.

Kelly really opended a lot of brothers up to martial arts.  Up until Taimak in the Last Dragon, Kelly was the only Black martial artist on the scene.  Yeah, I said it... THE LAST DRAGON!  Y'all know you got mad love for "Sho Nuff, Shogun of Harlem". http://www.gettosake.com/gallery/color/27.jpg

[adam88]

Oh we definatley can't forget about the shogun of Harlem.  Everytime I see the last dragon, I can swear that I can feel the "glow", and catch a bullet with my teeth    Anyway Jim Kelly definatley didn't get the recognition he deserved.  Just like Bruce Lee brock the barrier for Asian actors, he also didn't use that fake supernatural martial arts, like running across water, or flowting on a branch.  THe same goes for Jim Kelly.  THe problem is, during this time, executives didn't help budget black martail artists with their movie, like Shaft or Foxy Brown, but the their style did leave a cult following.  I mean if your gonna know martial arts, why not do it in style.

[stevo2k6]

Yeah i think masai and cyrus did martial arts a long time ago and tought all of the other riffs that is why you see them always training and kicking like in the game.

remember the game is rockstars version, but i see where your going with this, and they was doing it in the film, :d