My Most Cherished Martial Arts Films

My first introduction to the legendary Bruce Lee was, to my memory, the first time I had ever witnessed a martial arts movie!

I would never understand until later the magnitude of what he meant to film as he was a force like none other.

He left behind a wonderful legacy but I still have to mention this one because this is how I was introduced to his legend.

The introductory to action star Van Damme was indeed an incredible one as Bloodsport remains one of my favorite martial arts films to this day.

While I enjoyed Van Damme's charismatic portrayal of Frank Dukes, what really makes this film memorable are the different styles being showcased.

There was no telling if every style used in the film was authentic but one in particular gave way to another starring role for Van Damme in Kickboxer showcasing the popular art of Muay thai.

36th chambers remains an all time favorite of mine for various reasons. For starters, it introduced me to something I never knew existed in real life!

I enjoyed the overall story and there were definitely some classic fighting scenes as well.

The biggest thing that got my attention was how different the choreography was compared to the initial martial arts movies I watched which often times made the fights scenes feel longer and much more hard fought as well.

Also known as Return Of The Dragon, Bruce Lee definitely showcases why he is the living legend when it comes to martial arts cinema.

Way of the dragon has a nice blend of comedic and hard hitting action and the fight scene between Bruce Lee and a young Chuck Norris makes this film a must see alone.

This was my favorite Bruce Lee film of his collection to me it just solidified the magic he brought to the screen.

Jackie Chan was definitely a force to be reckoned with..he was also a source of continuous laughs and none display this better than The Fearless Hyena.

Jackie's humorous charm and amazing martial art skills made for an incredible finale that will always have me running back to revisit.

It's pretty hard to choose from so many of his amazing movies but I have to recommend this one for its unique use of "fighting styles"

Also known as Crystal Fist, this title went above and beyond my initial expectations.

Jade Claw showcased some amazing fight scenes and did a great job of blending martial arts action and comedy.

It also featured some well thought out antagonists which is part of the reason I still enjoy this film to this day.

My first introduction to the new age of hong kong cinema involved two legends in Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh.

Butterfly and Sword showcased some phenomenal wire works and some great visual effects as well.

It took me several views to understand the frantic fighting that was happening on screen but that made it the more enjoyable as there was more to discover each time I watched.

Probably the best new age action kung-fu movie to come out at the time, Iron Monkey, directed by the "The Matrix" martial arts choreographer Woo-Ping Yuen, took wire works to a new amazing level as I witnessed high flying acts and superhero powers being exhibited in this robin hood style telling.

For me, this movie cemented Donnie Yen as one of the up and coming legends of kung-fu cinema and certainly guaranteed that the incorporation of wire works were here to stay.

If you wanted to make the argument for Fist Of Legend being one of the greatest martial arts movies of all time, I would certainly be there to help champion your debate.

In my opinion, Fist Of Legend was Jet Li at his best as he reprises the same role as legendary martial artist Bruce Lee to give us a new take on the original Chinese Connection film and certainly lives up to the expectation.

With one of the best final fight scenes I had seen in a long time, it's hard not to recommend it as a must-see for those who are just learning about the legend of Jet Li!

One of the better movies starring Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, Tai-Chi's action and pretty engaging plot line made it a stand out among the many films in Jet Li's long list of movies.

The story follows two best friends who go down two different paths after being excommunicated from the Shaolin temple.

Their journey in life leads to an inevitable finale that is by far one of my favorite moments in Kung-Fu cinema to this day.

Spiritual Kung Fu is probably one of the best show casings of a young Jackie Chan, in my opinion, as we see him take a step back from his over the top comedic kung-fu and into a more focused setting were not many props are involved.

In my opinion, no one ever showcased the art of the drunken fist better than Jackie Chan. I'm going out on a limb to say this is probably my favorite movie starring Jackie Chan. The fights were pretty much non-stop and the final fight showcased an amazing antagonist versus a Jackie Chan who was at the top of his game in terms of performance.

During this period of time, Tony Jaa was THE action star to watch and The Protector, in particular, cemented this without question.

Everything seemed to come together in this film which features, in my opinion, one of the most memorable choreographed scenes in martial arts cinema that has to be seen to be believed.

Ip Man was the role that Donnie Yen was meant to play as we see him masterfully take on the spirit of Bruce Lee's master in an incredible display of cinema and great fighting scenes.

Released not to long after the Oscar award winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Curse Of The Golden Flower was an amazing visual experience which wowed on every level becoming an instant favorite of mine during that time period of martial arts films.

Kung Fu Hustle was a masterful ode to martial arts cinema created by the mind of Stephen Chow who, before this movie, brought us the out of left field classic Shoalin Soccer.

There is really not another film like Kung-Fu Hustle, and it really speaks to the quite insane mind of its director.

While I feel like the first movie was probably the more non-stop action of the two offerings, The Raid 2 has my vote as the new antagonists took things to another level.

It also had one of my favorite fight introductions between leading star Iko Uwais, and Cecep Arif Rahman which, to this day, still gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.

It's very rare that I enjoy live action movies involving the often popular motif of the Samurai Warrior but 13 Assassins got it right and I was delightfully impressed.

Wheels on Meals was not one of Jackie Chan's best films but it deserves mention for one persons involvement, in particular, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez.

His final fight with Jackie Chan is,in my opinion, in the top ten when it comes to one of the most electric and intense fights every captured on film. Benny was a monster of an antagonist and he was able to capture the same ferocious nature of his kick boxing career on film along with Jackie who was also on his A game leading to a finale that I have to recommend you watch.