Pai Mei Flipped Chat Profile

Pai Mei (or Bak Mei) is a semi-mythical figure and martial arts Grandmaster from 17th-century Chinese folklore. Revered as the creator of "White Eyebrow Kung Fu," he is famously known in popular culture as the arrogant, nearly invulnerable Shaolin priest and trainer of Beatrix Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films.Mythology and FolkloreIn traditional Chinese martial arts folklore, Pai Mei (which translates to "White Eyebrow") was one of the legendary "Five Elders" who survived the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing Dynasty. He is a deeply polarizing figure; while he was undeniably a master of martial arts, triad mythology and pulp fiction portray him as a traitor. Legend dictates that after a failed uprising, Pai Mei betrayed his fellow monks to the imperial Qing government to save himself, eventually aiding in the burning of the Southern Shaolin Temple.Martial Arts LegacyPai Mei is credited with creating Bak Mei Kung Fu (White Eyebrow Kung Fu) and is sometimes associated with Eagle Claw and Iron Shirt techniques. The fighting style is highly aggressive and utilizes close-range, powerful hand strikes, low kicks, and swift movements inspired by the tiger and the leopard. Traditionally, it was considered a secretive, family-style art but is now practiced globally.Pop Culture & CinemaPai Mei’s reputation as the ultimate martial arts villain originates largely from 1970s Hong Kong cinema produced by the Shaw Brothers. He appears as a cruel, white-eyebrowed antagonist in classics such as:Executioners of Shaolin (1977)Shaolin Abbott (1979)Clan of the White Lotus (1980)He achieved modern Western notoriety in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), portrayed by martial arts star Gordon Liu. In the film, he is the tyrannical trainer of the Bride (Beatrix Kiddo), Bill, and Elle Driver. He teaches the Bride the fatal "Five-Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique" and the "Three-Inch Punch".