Honestly, if you grew up in the 70s or caught the reruns on a grainy CRT television later on, you probably remember the flute. That haunting, lonely melody. Then there was the guy—barefoot, carrying a satchel, walking across a desert like he had all the time in the world. This was the serie kung fu David Carradine made famous. It was a weird, beautiful, and deeply problematic mashup of a Western and a fortune cookie.
But here is the thing. Most people think it was just a show about a guy kicking cowboys in the face. It wasn't. It was basically a philosophical drama disguised as an action show, and the story behind the scenes is actually way more intense than anything that happened on screen.
The Monk, the Legend, and the Bruce Lee Scandal
We have to talk about the elephant in the room right away. People have been arguing for decades about whether the show was "stolen" from Bruce Lee.
Basically, the story goes like this: Bruce Lee pitched a show called The Warrior about a Chinese martial artist in the Old West. Warner Bros. passed on it. Then, suddenly, Kung Fu appears on the schedule. Lee’s widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, has always maintained the idea was his. Warner Bros. and the show's creator, Ed Spielman, insisted it was an original project Spielman had been developing for years.
Whatever the truth is, the optics were—and still are—pretty terrible. The studio basically told Bruce Lee that American audiences weren't ready for an Asian lead. Then they hired David Carradine, a white guy, to play Kwai Chang Caine, a "half-Chinese" monk.
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Carradine didn't even know kung fu when he started. Seriously. He was a dancer and a dramatic actor. He had to learn the movements on the fly from a real-life master, Kam Yuen. While he eventually became a face for martial arts in the West, the fact remains that a legendary Chinese icon was sidelined for a guy who had to be taught how to stand in a horse stance.
Why Caine Was Different From Your Average Cowboy
Kwai Chang Caine wasn't John Wayne. He wasn't even Clint Eastwood.
In the serie kung fu David Carradine played a man who was desperately trying not to fight. That was the whole hook. He was a Shaolin priest who fled China after killing the Emperor’s nephew (it was a revenge thing—the nephew killed Caine's mentor, Master Po). He ends up in the American Southwest looking for his half-brother, Danny.
- The Flashbacks: Every episode was split between the "present" in the West and Caine’s training in the Shaolin Temple. This is where we got the iconic "Grasshopper" nickname.
- The Philosophy: The show was heavy on Taoist and Buddhist-inspired aphorisms. It preached non-violence, which was a radical thing for a 1970s action show.
- The Pace: It was slow. Like, really slow. It used a lot of slow-motion during fight scenes, mostly because Carradine wasn't a professional fighter and the slow-mo made the moves look more graceful and "spiritual."
The show ran for three seasons, from 1972 to 1975. It didn't get cancelled because of bad ratings. It actually ended because Carradine was physically beat up. He was doing a lot of his own stunts, often barefoot, and he just couldn't do it anymore. He literally walked away from a hit show because his body was failing him.
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The "Yellowface" Problem and the Legacy
If you watch the pilot movie today, it’s kinda jarring. They used eyelid tape and makeup to make Carradine look "Asian." In 2026, we call that "yellowface," and it’s a massive stain on the show’s legacy. It’s a classic example of whitewashing in Hollywood history.
Despite that, the show did something weirdly positive: it introduced a generation of Americans to Eastern philosophy. It wasn't perfect—it was a "Hollywoodized" version of it—but it sparked a massive interest in martial arts that eventually paved the way for the 80s ninja craze and the UFC decades later.
Interestingly, the Carradine family made the show a bit of a family business. His father, John Carradine, appeared in several episodes as a blind preacher. His brothers Keith and Robert showed up too. It was a strange, tight-knit production that felt more like an indie art project than a corporate TV product.
The Real Masters Behind the Scenes
While Carradine was the face, the "soul" of the temple scenes came from two incredible Asian-American actors:
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- Keye Luke (Master Po): You might know him as the grandfather from Gremlins. He brought a warmth and wisdom that grounded the whole show.
- Philip Ahn (Master Kan): A pioneer for Asian actors in Hollywood who gave the training scenes their weight.
Without these two, the show would have just been a white guy in a costume. They provided the gravitas that made the "Grasshopper" lessons actually feel like wisdom instead of just scripted lines.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you're looking to dive into the serie kung fu David Carradine today, don't expect John Wick. Expect a slow-burn Western about a guy who wants to be left alone.
Check out these specific episodes for the best experience:
- The Pilot Movie (1972): It sets up the whole backstory. It’s problematic, yes, but essential for understanding Caine’s guilt.
- "Dark Angel": This is the one where Caine meets his grandfather, played by David’s real-life father. The chemistry is actually pretty great.
- "The Soul is the Warrior": A classic episode that digs deep into the "fighting without fighting" philosophy.
The show eventually got a sequel in the 90s called Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, where Carradine played Caine's grandson. It was more of a standard 90s cop show and lacked the weird, quiet magic of the original. More recently, the CW did a reboot with a female Asian lead (Olivia Liang), which finally fixed the casting issues of the 70s version.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're researching the show or just want to appreciate it with a modern lens, here is how to approach it:
- Contextualize the Casting: Acknowledge that while Carradine’s performance was iconic, it was born out of a system that actively excluded Asian talent.
- Look Beyond the Kicks: Pay attention to the dialogue in the flashbacks. Many of the quotes are actually adapted from the Tao Te Ching.
- Study the Cinematography: The show used 35mm film and was shot on the old Warner Bros. backlots. It looks much better than most TV shows from that era.
- The Bruce Lee Connection: Read Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly for the most detailed breakdown of the "The Warrior" vs. "Kung Fu" controversy.
At the end of the day, the 1972 series is a relic. It’s a mix of genuine spiritual seeking and 70s-era ignorance. It’s worth watching, not because it’s a perfect representation of martial arts, but because it’s a fascinating snapshot of a time when Hollywood was just beginning to realize there was a whole world of thought outside of the Wild West.