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Action movie star Wesley Snipes is also an experienced martial artist who is skilled in multiple styles. His celebrated combat abilities supported his performance as one of the superhero genre's founding fathers in the original Blade trilogy that kicked off in 1998. Before that, he starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Demolition Man and became synonymous with exciting action.

Blade actor Wesley Snipes would not have had as successful an acting career without his passion and commitment to training in martial arts. Many of his most famous parts utilize his impressive martial arts prowess, with major projects opening the door for more black actors in action roles. Snipes reprised the legendary Blade in Deadpool and Wolverine, 20 years after his trilogy ended, merging the Fox Universe of Marvel characters into the MCU, and giving comic book movie audiences one last taste of his martial arts skills and highlighting his talent as a physical performer.

Jason Statham’s name in Hollywood is almost always synonymous with action films. From Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to his recent film The Beekeeper, Statham has amazed fans with his well-executed stunts. He is famous in the industry as one of the few actors to perform his own stunts. His stunt skills made him an easy choice for franchises like The Expendables and Fast & Furious.

Jason Statham in Expend4bles | Credits: Lionsgate

Despite his expertise in several martial arts forms, Statham’s favorite action style is kickboxing. He is athletic as well, having played soccer professionally and being part of Britain’s national diving team in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Jason Statham’s Preferred Fighting Style Is Kickboxing Jason Statham recently starred in David Ayer’s The Beekeeper | Credits: Amazon MGM Studios

Jason Statham went on to build a $1.5 billion career, becoming one of the most...

Warning! This post contains spoilers for Netflix's Rebel Ridge.

While unfolding a tale of morality and justice, Rebel Ridge introduces several acronyms, like Pace and McMap, which play a crucial role in driving the overarching story. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge focuses on a former Marine, Terry Richmond, who arrives in a small town to bail his cousin out of prison before he gets shifted to a state facility. However, as he cycles his way to the town's courthouse, a police vehicle rams his bicycle and sends him flying to the ground. Instead of apologizing, the police officers in the car take his bail money on the grounds of civil asset forfeiture.

With what follows, Terry Richmond initially tries to peacefully resolve the issue by learning more about the laws that led to the seizure of his money. However, when nothing seems to work out, he visits the...

Chuck Norris excels in various martial arts styles and has created two of his own: American Tang Soo Do and Chun Kuk Do. Norris' blend of martial arts training and acting talent made him a star in Hollywood, including his iconic role in Walker, Texas Ranger. Known for his fight scenes in 1980s action movies, Norris has studied and mastered numerous martial arts styles to become a massive success.

Chuck Norris is experienced in many different fighting techniques and has used them throughout his career in martial arts and film. Norris' first major film role came at the invite of his friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee, who insisted that Norris play the villainous role of Colt in 1972's The Way of the Dragon. Norris and Bruce Lee's illegal showdown in the film became one of the most recognizable fights in cinematic history. Fom there, Norris, who was encouraged...

Different martial arts movie stars excelled in a variety of fighting styles, showcasing their diverse skills and commitment to their craft. Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee's influence helped popularize Asian martial arts in the West, bridging cultural divides through their iconic performances. From Steven Seagal's aikido to Cynthia Rothrock's Tang Soo Doo, each star brought a unique style to their roles, adding depth and authenticity to their action sequences.

When looking at the fighting styles of the biggest martial arts movie stars of all time, one thing that stood out was variety. With so many fighting disciplines from all over the world, the greatest martial artists usually practiced numerous styles but often had one with which they were readily associated. This mixture of styles and practices has helped keep martial arts movies fresh and exciting over the decades, as with each new generation usually comes a unique mixture of styles and disciplines.

Jackie Chan's unique martial arts style set him apart as the greatest Kung Fu star of all time. Chan's commitment to intense stuntwork kept viewers glued to their seats in disbelief. With cross-generational appeal and philanthropic efforts, Chan is a true Kung Fu legend.

Kung Fu cinema has had plenty of incredible stars, but it must be admitted that the greatest of them all was Jackie Chan. While influential legends like Bruce Lee have earned their place among the best martial artists there ever were, when all metrics were considered, nobody was able to top the incredible achievement of Jackie Chan's vast and varied filmography. With intense fighting skills, a commitment to stunt work, and worldwide recognizability, Chan just ticked all the boxes.

Equally beloved across cultural and generational divides, Jackie Chans defining movies made him a legend. With experience in countless genres, a willingness to always try something new,...

After joining the Hong Kong film industry as a screenwriter in the early 1950s, Chinese-born Huang Feng's directorial debut was Shaw Brothers' “The Crimson Charm”. He then went on to direct more films for Raymond Chow's Golden Harvest starring his leading lady Angela Mao in “The Angry River” (1971), “Lady Whirlwind”, “Hapkido” (1972), “When Taekwondo Strikes” (1973) and “The Tournament” (1974). Widely credited to have discovered the hapkido trained martial artist and actress Angela Mao Ying, Huang retired in 1980.

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In this revenge based wuxia, swordsman Chiang, the Chief of the Chong Chou Sword Clan and his daughter are rushing home so he can be on time to celebrate his 60th birthday. During their stop at an inn, they witness the killing of a father by a gang while protecting his daughter and as the gang leader tries to rape the poor girl, Chiang intervenes and kills him.

2024 promises to reignite audiences' love for martial arts movies, with a variety of high-octane offerings set to captivate fans worldwide. From realistic martial arts tournament dramas to fantastical revenge stories, the genre continues to evolve and captivate audiences with diverse themes. A mix of veteran stars and rising talent ensures that the martial arts movie landscape in 2024 will be a thrilling and action-packed adventure for fans.

2024 is looking to be a great year for martial arts movies, with some solid action-packed offerings set to break ground in Summer, Winter, and beyond. The martial arts genre is sometimes thought to be a relic of the past, with many of the greatest Kung Fu films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Enter the Dragon having left their mark on pop culture over twenty years ago. But recent years have proven that, if anything, audiences love for hand-to-hand combat is more alive than ever,...

Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, made for one of the most defining features of Netflix’s Daredevil. A fan favorite in an already epic show, D’Onofrio brought a depth to the role that stood out from other comic book villain interpretations. So, when it was rumored that Fisk would be entering the MCU, fans everywhere were hopeful that D’Onofrio would be returning to the role as well. When Hawkeye's fifth episode came, their prayers were answered.

Fans were quick to note a distinct difference in D’Onofrio’s updated portrayal. Don’t let the white suit jacket and cane fool you - Kingpin has always been a dangerous man both in the comics and on TV, but now he seemed even more powerful, taking stronger hits from weapons that would put down a normal human. Let’s look at the source of Kingpin’s power,...

Martial arts movie stars often get typecast as either heroes or villains, but some are skilled at playing both roles, like Carter Wong and Max Zhang. Another example is Gary Daniels, known for his flexibility and kicking skills, who plays both heroes and villains in martial arts films. Actors like Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, and Dolph Lundgren have successfully portrayed both heroes and villains, showcasing their versatility in action films.

Numerous great martial arts stars play heroes and villains alike. Martial arts films are typically headlined by actors or actresses with a life-long background in formal martial arts training. Oftentimes, leads of martial arts films tend to become somewhat typecast for portraying heroes, while others go the opposite route and primarily play villains.

Some martial arts stars, however, pull off quite a juggling act with both heroes and villains. In such cases, martial arts movie stars who tackle the good...

Andy On's portrayal of Tin-Tin Law in New Police Story showcased his martial arts skills and added a formidable presence as one of Jackie Chan's toughest villains. Ron Smoorenburg's role as a henchman in Who Am I? demonstrated his kicking prowess and enduring presence as a tough antagonist, culminating in a humorous yet intense battle with Jackie Chan. Hwang In-shik's portrayal of The Big Boss in Dragon Lord showcased his physical prowess and martial arts skills, solidifying him as one of the toughest villains in Jackie Chan's films.

Jackie Chan's movie career has been marked by not only his extraordinary martial arts skills but also by the memorable villains he has faced. From action to comedy, Jackie Chan's filmography includes dozens of classics. Jackie Chan’s name is synonymous with entertainment across the globe, transcending geographical boundaries due to his fascinating action sequences, acrobatic stunts, and unmatched charisma.

Get ready for more emotional content. The legendary film that brought martial arts king Bruce Lee to the worldwide spotlight has been remastered for a whole new home viewing experience. Enter the Dragon is celebrating its 50th anniversary. And to commemorate the occasion, the first Hollywood-produced martial arts film is getting an upgrade in picture and sound quality with a brand new Bluray release from Warner Bros. Blu-ray.com has released details on the 50th anniversary 4K edition of the martial arts phenomenon.

The special features and technical aspects include:

4K Restoration Of The Film Hdr Presentation Of The Film New Dolby Atmos audio track Two Versions: Original theatrical version and special edition version Introduction by Linda Lee Cadwell Audio commentary by Paul Heller and Michael Allin Optional English Sdh, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature

The synopsis per Blu-ray.com reads,

“Five decades following his untimely death,...

Matt Reeves' 2022 film "The Batman" featured the title character in yet another rebooted continuity, this time even darker and grittier than ever before. Batman (Robert Pattinson) was seen as a pale-skinned, stoic outsider, rarely making public appearances as Bruce Wayne, preferring to use his fists to ignite fear in the hearts of the criminal underground. He didn't smile and seemed incapable of experiencing happiness. The Riddler (Paul Dano) was reimagined to resemble the real-life Zodiac Killer, and murdered people on the regular. Gotham City was more corrupt than ever, and it is tantalizingly suggested at one point that Bruce Wayne's late father might have opened the door for massive corruption to leak into the city's legislature. Sadly, that moment is walked back. 

Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), meanwhile, is a stolid and bitter woman living in poverty with multiple cats and her at-risk girlfriend Annika (Hana Hrzic). Technically, the screenplay never...

In 1970, prominent Hong Kong producers Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho left the legendary Shaw Brothers studio to found the now iconic Golden Harvest. The new studio would grow to dominate the Hong Kong film landscape for the next thirty years, overseeing the rise of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and, of course, the immortal Bruce Lee.

Alongside these male superstars emerged another kung fu hero who has built a lasting cinematic legacy of her own – Angela Mao. Mao starred in Golden Harvest's first feature production, the magical wuxia adventure film “The Angry River” (1971). The film was helmed by the debuting director, Huang Feng, marking the first of nine successful collaborations between Feng and Mao.

Below are listed five of Feng and Mao's most electrifying joint projects, ranging from the bizarre to the brutal:

1. Lady Whirlwind (1972)

In her second feature with Feng, Mao's Tien Li-Chun is out to avenge her sister, but...

The three opponents seen in Bruce Lee's unfinished movie Game of Death are key players in Lee's philosophy of fighting that he sought to convey through the film. As Bruce Lee was rising to greater levels of stardom in his career in Hong Kong movies, he began making Game of Death as a passion project, intending the film as a vehicle for his martial arts philosophy. Lee put Game of Death on hold when he landed the lead role in Enter the Dragon, but his tragic passing in 1973 left the movie incomplete, though it was eventually finished and released posthumously in 1978.

Game of Death only partially uses the footage of the three fight scenes Lee was able to complete, with the 2000 documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey presenting all of it as far as Lee had completed it. The premise of Game of Death was to involve Bruce Lee...

Released in 1971, “The Angry River” is a significant piece of Hong Kong cinema for several reasons.

For a start, the film served as the directorial debut of Hong Kong-based filmmaker Huang Feng, who would go on to helm several kick-ass classics, including “Hapkido” (1972) and “The Shaolin Plot” (1977). Secondly, the feature sees the queen of kung fu herself, Angela Mao, in a leading role for the first time. Mao would go on to become a martial arts cinema icon, partly through her further collaborations with Feng. Finally, “The Angry River” was the first film to be produced by the newly established Golden Harvest, which would become the dominant studio in Hong Kong over the next few decades.

Like all great wuxia films, a sense of magic and discovery runs throughout “The Angry River”. Mao plays the courageous Lan Feng, who ventures out to find a rare medicinal herb that will cure her dying father,...

The Bruce Lee-led martial arts classic Enter the Dragon includes appearances by numerous future martial arts stars. Released in 1973, Enter the Dragon debuted not long after the untimely and unexpected passing of Bruce Lee. Enter the Dragon not only finally made Bruce Lee an international star, it also skyrocketed interest in martial arts in the West, with the film continuing to be revered as one of the best martial arts films of all time.

Bruce Lee's appearance in Enter the Dragon also put him alongside dozens of martial artists who were recruited for the movie's fight scenes. After the release of Enter the Dragon, a number of them would go on to become big stars in later years themselves. Here are the 10 major martial artists in Enter the Dragon would who go on to become big stars after the film's release.

Related: Every Fighting Style Practiced By Bruce Lee...

Jean-Paul Ly, is an actor and 2017 Award Nominee Action designer/performer, of Chinese and Cambodian origins currently based in London. Trained at the Identity Drama School of London (UK Double Award Winning Part-Time Drama School), Jean-Paul won the “Clive Dailey Award for Best Actor 2014” , for the performance play of “Constellations” (Nick Payne).

With more than 25 years of martial arts practice, Jean-Paul started his work in the film industry in the action / stunt dept, for which he has been nominated twice in 2017:

– The prestigious American SAG Awards, regarding his work on critically acclaimed “Doctor Strange” (Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble).

– followed by a nomination for Taurus Awards on his work for “Now you See Me 2” (Best Fight).

On the occasion of his latest film, “Jailbreak” screening at Fantasia International Film Festival, we speak with him about Bokator and martial arts in general, the film and his role in it,...

At the peak of her fame in the 1970s, martial arts star Angela Mao was marketed as the female equivalent of Bruce Lee. Her role as Lee’s sister in Enter The Dragon brought her to international fame in 1973, but she starred in numerous Hong Kong films of her own, including 1974‘s The Tournament. But Mao largely disappeared from the screen in 1983, and the woman herself seemed to vanish from the face of the earth entirely a decade later. In a New York Times article called “Searching For Lady Kung Fu,” writer Alex Vadukul catches up with the now-66-year-old Mao to find out what happened to the actress after her brief but memorable time in the spotlight. As it happens, the rumors circulating about her among fans were basically true. Yes, she left the business to concentrate on being a wife and mother. And, yes, she now ...

NEWSRaoul Coutard shooting BreathlessThe great cinematographer Raoul Coutard, legendary for his work shooting Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, and also a collaborator of Philippe Garrel, Nagisa Oshima, Costa-Gavras and François Truffaut, has died at the age of 92.Keep film alive! The New York non-profit film organization Mono No Aware has launched a Kickstarter to fund "the nation's first ever non-profit motion picture lab." An ambitious and worthy goal!Two film projects in the works we're very excited about: Claire Denis' High Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Patricia Arquette and co-written by Zadie Smith, and Leos Carax's Annette, a musical to star Adam Driver (everywhere these days!) and Rooney Mara.The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced the first part of its retrospective devoted to exiled Chilean fabulist Raúl Ruiz, which will include new digital restorations of Bérénice (1983) and The Golden Boat (1990), as well as 35mm prints of such...

Other names: 茅瑛

Maau Ying

Angela Mao

Mao Fook Jing

Mao Fu Ying

Birth date: 20/9/1950

Nationality: Taiwan

Workplace: Hong Kong, Taiwan

Selected Filmography

1971:Angry River

1971:Lady Whirlwind

1972:Hapkido

1973:When Taekwondo Strikes

1973:Fate Of Lee Khan

1974:The Tournament

1977:Broken Oath

Angela Mao, nicknamed “Lady Whirlwind” and “Lady Kung Fu” by her fans, started of in Chinese opera, like most others at the time before making her way into the movie business. Around the same time, she also attended Ballet lessons, which is why in time she would be so flexible and show these movements in some of the movies. When attending Opera school, she and the others would wake up around 5am to learn Gymnastics, mid day she would learn singing, which then went onto reading books and more acrobatics in the evening.

Enter the movie world

In 1970, Golden Harvest boss Raymond Chow, went to Hong Kong in search of new actors,...

The Stranger And The Gunfighter, 1976.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has received a collection of more than 800 kung fu film posters and other related materials from producer, screenwriter and former motion picture executive Stephen Chin, announced Academy COO Ric Robertson. The collection features marketing and promotional items including posters, lobby cards, photographs, toys, comic books, clothing and accessories from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. It focuses predominantly on the 1970s, which many fans and scholars mark as the golden age of the kung fu film.

“Stephen is a true fan and an extraordinary collector,” said Robertson. “His dedication to documenting this important genre will help the Academy provide film enthusiasts and historians with a broader, deeper view of world cinema.”

The posters, many of which utilize bold graphics and dynamic depictions of action, will join the more than 44,000 posters held by the Academy.s Margaret Herrick Library,...

Three Chinese martial arts students spend five years in Korea training in the martial art of Hapkido. Korea is under Japanese occupation and after a fight with some Japanese the students are told to leave by their Korean master. Before they go he gives them a final demonstration in the art and some advice which he hopes will help them in the future. Armed with this knowledge they return to China and set up their own martial arts school. Back in China most of the already established martial arts schools in the area welcome the new hapkido school to the community. How ever the local Japanese martial arts school is not so happy to see them, especially when one of the three kicks the crap out of a couple of their students.

The three students turned masters of their own school, are played by kung fu legends Carter Wong, Sammo Hung and Angela Mao.