Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Tai Wan, Sai Kung

There are quite a few "Tai Wan's" in Hong Kong, but the one featured here is located a short distance north of Sai Kung town, along the Tai Mong Tsai Road. It's here on the beach that Masa does some more exercises with his wooden sandals with Port Shelter in the background.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - King's Park Reservoir Steps, Waterloo Road

Although this is also King's Park related, it's a little distance from the location of the other post and I thought this would be worth including because it is rumoured that Bruce Lee himself used to run up and down these very same steps to keep fit. Although I've never been able to confirm this myself, it is quite possible given that the steps have been there as long as the reservoir as far as I can tell (circa 1934) - and we know he went here on at least a couple of occasions with his dad. Perhaps Yasuaki knew this about Bruce and was paying a small homage to his former friend?

I can confirm that going up this set of steps is an absolute killer, especially if it's a warm day, but the reservoir park at the top is worth a look-see and has been featured on this blog in the past. In the film, Masa runs up the steps with his weighted wooden sandals on to train his legs.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Chinese Christian Cemetery, Pok Fu Lam

The cemetery where Ryu [SPOILER ALERT] is buried and where his boss and girlfriend meet up is the Chinese Christian Cemetery in Pok Fu Lam.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Yuen Yuen Institute, Tsuen Wan

A popular filming place, the Yuen Yuen Institute is where, after agreeing to become his student, Masa takes Ryu for some training and philosophical pep talks. 

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Lion's Club Pavilion, The Peak

Ryu and his girlfriend head up to the Peak to take in the view from the Lion's Club Pavilion - a regularly used spot for filming. Confession: despite living in Hong Kong, I haven't been here in nearly 10 years!

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Central Market, Jubilee Street

It starts to get a bit weird as Masa also follows Ryu into the gent's toilet in the Central Market building in his bid to get him as a student. I think this toilet has been closed since the market building was refurbished afew years ago.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Wan Loi Tea House, Mongkok

Just when you thought Hard Boiled was the only movie to shoot in this now-demolished teahouse in Mongkok, there is a brief scene in Bloodfight where Ryu is partaking in what is known as "Yam Cha" in the local vernacular. Literally meaning to "drink tea", it is the Cantonese term for eating dimsum. The restaurant was demolished quite soon after Hard Boiled filmed there and I recently did a modern day comparison.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei

For the neon light fans out there - sadly mostly now replaced by LED or otherwise completely removed, just like everything else that made Hong Kong special - here is a brief night sequence. I thought these lights seemed familiar, and it turns out they were. Check out this post for Powaqqatsi. But here's the thing, the Powaqqatsi footage was a year or so before this film, but appears to be more up to date (it shows the "New Buckingham Nightclub"), so I can only conclude that this Bloodfight footage is older, borrowed/licensed footage.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - King's Park, Kowloon

The establishing shot for this scene is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital as seen from King's Park. Masa harasses Ryu to become his student as Ryu plays basketball on the King's Park Recreation Ground basketball courts.These are still around should you feel the need to shoot some hoops like Simon Yam. The modern looking building in the background is the HK Red Cross Blood donation centre.

The bottom images show the slope down from the hill where it joins King's Park Rise, just next to the aforementioned basketball courts.This is seen in a slightly later sequence as Masa is still harassing Ryu to become his student.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Mau Lam Street, Yau Ma Tei

Despite the brawl between Ryu and the gang taking place at a cafe in Causeway Bay, after a brief chase through some alleyways, Ryu manages to kick one of the guys through the windscreen of a car on Mau Lam Street in Yau Ma Tei. That's quite an impressive kick!

For those who haven't read my Bruce Lee Guide to Yau Ma Tei, Mau Lam Street is where Bruce's family (i.e. his siblings and paternal grandparents) were living when he was born in 1940. They only moved to Nathan Road after baby Bruce and his parents returned from the US in 1941.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Matheson Street, Causeway Bay

Next up is an interesting view of the area around what used to be the Sharp Street Tram Depot - where Times Square now stands. The place was demolished not long after this film was made.  The view in the top image is from a small cafe located on the NE corner of  Sharp Street East and Matheson Street. The gang have just walked down Sharp Street East and you can see one of the old buildings in the tram depot on the right hand side behind the street sign. Here is the same view today. The second image shows the view looking NW towards a row of old buildings that used to be on Russell Street. Only a couple remain today, the rest being redeveloped into high rises. The building with the cafe is still around though. 

This is where Ryu first encounters the gang and uses his natural fighting abilities to completely beat them all up - attracting the attention of Masa.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Man Mo Temple, Hollywood Road

A brief view of Man Mo Temple precedes the scene where the gang beat up a stall owner before her daughter turns up and kung-fus them all.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Hung Hom Station, Kowloon

Another fighter arrives via train at the "Kowloon Station" - now called Hung Hom Station. This is actually a lot more realistic than some dude arriving by boat because this is the station where the cross-border China trains arrive and depart.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter

One of the international fighters, a Japanese Sumo wrestler, arrives in Hong Kong via a boat in the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter.

Bloodfight - Yasuaki Kurata (1989) - Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Some more general views for the opening credits, this time of Aberdeen. The first image shows a view of a couple of high rise apartment blocks - Ka Ning Mansion is the brown coloured one in the foreground with Yue Fai Court behind and Mount Kellet in the Peak area in the background. The camera then pans to the left and finishes looking towards the west entrance of Aberdeen Harbour.