| Bak Mei | |
|---|---|
|
Real Name |
Bai Mei, Pai Mei, Pak Mei |
|
First Appearance |
Unknown |
|
Original Publisher |
Chinese Folklore |
|
Created by |
Numerous |
Origin[]
Bak Mei (Chinese: 白眉; pinyin: Bái Méi; Wade–Giles: Pai Mei; Cantonese Yale: Baahk Mèih; literally: "White Eyebrows"; "Bak Mei" comes from the Cantonese pronunciation) is said to have been one of the legendary Five Elders — survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) — who, according to some accounts, betrayed Shaolin to the imperial government. He shares his name with the South Chinese martial art attributed to him. Some Shaolin masters today teach that Bak Mei was the inventor of Eagle Claw style Kung Fu, which is often commented as being the most vicious form. He is also credited with the invention of the Iron Shirt defensive form.
Notes[]
Bak Mei has been fictionalized in Hong Kong films such as Executioners from Shaolin (1977), Abbot of Shaolin (1979), and Clan of the White Lotus (1980). Bak Mei is better known in the West as Pai Mei, played by Gordon Liu in the Hollywood film Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004).