To make a bad pun, they are yin and yang.
Master Po is playful and puckish. He almost always has a smile, and often laughs outright. His questions to Caine are more pointed, slightly less patient. And his relationship with Caine is more personal, more like a father and son.
Master Kan is more reserved and consistently kind. He is the soul of humility and patience. He smiles as well, but less openly, and to my recollection he never truly laughs. My favorite Kan episode is when young Caine resents having to do laundry, and Kan not only does it humbly, but expresses gratitude to Caine for the opportunity to do it; Caine feels shame, but Kan explains that service is a privilege. Kan is above all conflict, and apparently has no internal divisions or tensions.
There is a reason Kan is Po's superior. He is, in Buddhist terms, wiser. He is closer to extinguishing the ego entirely. Po still wants some things, and of course this leads to his death: his desire to go to the Imperial City is his Achilles heel, to mix mythologies.
That said, who would not love being with Master Po? Master Kan is the wise grandfather -- or even a grandmother, since he has as many feminine as masculine traits (which makes sense, since gender is one of those dichotomies he has risen above) -- someone whose wisdom and patient guidance one cannot but admire and even depend on. But because of his more perfect spiritual nature, he is also more remote. Master Po is joyous. He is not entirely beyond the wheel of suffering because he still loves too much of the world. Imagine the two of them eating a bowl of fresh strawberries: Kan would say something like "It is good to take in nourishment from the earth, and the pleasure we feel is the body's reward for doing that which is good for its health." Master Po would be be laughing and saying something like "Is it not delightful that that which the body needs also bring us such pleasure? The sweetness? The thrill of the juice in our mouths? Is it not good? Now contemplate how much the world is in balance and we in balance with it when joy and health are so intertwined -- and pass me another bowl!"
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cranialsi
17 years ago
Well said necessary_angel_1 although I'm not sure Master Kan has risen above gender (see 'Beseiged' where a woman wants to become a monk).
Essentially I think Master Kan has authority, a sense of majesty whilst Master Po is authentically free, almost beyond the confines of a monastic life.
Master Po has an ambition, something he is obviously not proud of (he is not a proud man, he is a Master). When he confides this ambition to Caine, he sets up a series of events that create the whole back story for the series. What necessary_angel_1 calls his Achilles heel.
Caine goes to celebrate his Masters ambition, Master Po defends himself from the Royal Guards and is shot by the Royal Nephew. Caine goes on to defend his Master and kill the Royal Nephew. When Caine feels remorse, Master Po sayes, 'Sometimes it is better to cut off a finger to save a hand', this is a very unusual thing for Master Po to say.
For the most part although sometimes obscure in his answers, Master Po always gives 'Grasshopper' good advice, in keeping with the Tao. Whilst Master Po is versed in Traditional Chinease Medicine and the advice is good, the sub-text suggests that he 'set up' the whole thing, giving his student over to a life of an outcast and passing on his ambitious Karma.
Whilst I can see that Master Po may indeed have wanted to remove the finger himself, the effect is the same. Perhaps Master Po realised that he would fail whilst 'Grasshopper', his favourite student would prevail?
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carl170
17 years ago
When this show first came out. I think many people may say this as well. I watched it mainly for the fighting techniques of Kung Fu and the brawling. Now when I watch it its always for the logical replies from these two excellant Masters. And truley they are excellant. What they are saying now still makes sense today, as it did then 36 years ago!
Over the years within Cinema, there have been characters that even though they are fictional, still makes us "smile or shudder" when we see them.
For instance the pure Logic of Science Officer Spock, via the Star Trex series is one is a wonderful character.
In my opinion Darth Vader via Star Wars movies series was another character that had you glued to your seat. And yet it is with these two characters within Kung Fu tv series that I would rate them in this realm as well.
Its is within my thinking and understanding between the two masters of the Shaolin priesthood. I feel that Master Po is the more masterley one.
He regular outwitts Caine when it comes to fighting skills. He can hear things within nature that makes us open our mouths in awe. He sees things that we normal able Humans do not, even though they blessed with normal sight.
Both masters are truley "One with the Universe". However, I still feel that by losing one of his senses (Master Po). Master Po sees things even better than Master Kan, and that is saying something - if indeed that could be said at all.
It was a magical show, and if they do make a re-make of it, they need to film it in the same way of when it was done originally. Even the use of camera angles, slow motion action, and the use of real Japanese, Chinese, Irish and Black peoples actors made the show so enjoyable.
There are only two tv series that can come close to this series, or better it.
The original Twilight Zone (1960's), and Star Trex the Original series (1960's)..This series is up there with those two.
Just a wonderfully written tv series that was = Kung Fu!
Carl Brown
Ipswich, England
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