These are in no order and definitely not meant to be a definitive top ten list. Doing a definitive list would take me a year of thinking and re-watching films (And how awesome would that be?) It would also stretch even YouTube’s limits as a source.
Anyway, here’s some kung fu goodness. Enjoy and make sure to check out part two, featuring another 10 classic fights.
Jackie Chan vs. Dick Wei in Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars
I think these guys fought five thousand times in the 80s. This one fight always stuck out in my mind. Dick is the guy in the red shirt that comes in a few seconds into the fight.
Quick, but great.
Directed and action by Sammo Hung*
Jet Li vs. Billy Chow from the end of Fist of Legend
Billy Chow is one of my favorite screen fighters from the 90s. Discovered by Sammo Hung, this kickboxer provided a bunch of highlight reel stuff throughout the 90s. This is one of his best moments, playing the heavy in what might be Jet Li’s best martial arts** film.
I actually had a hard time picking a clip from this film. The Dojo fight earlier is maybe even a little better, even if it doesn’t have Billy Chow.
Directed by Gordon Chan. Action by Yuen Wo-Ping.
Finale of Drunken Master 2. Jackie Chan vs. Ken Lo
Truly one of the great fight scenes ever filmed. From one of the greatest pure fight films ever made. As the standard anecdote goes, Lo was Chan’s real life bodyguard. He’s also a pretty good kicker.
Directed (credited) by Lau Kar-Leung. Jackie took over after a falling out with the master. Jackie and his team did the action for this scene.
Jet Li Drunken Boxing in Last Hero in China
I just dig this scene. There are plenty of problems with this Wong Jing*** helmed Wong Fei Hung film. This fight isn’t one of them. I get all geeked out when “On the General’s Orders” comes on about 2:30 in…
Directed by Wong Jing. Action by Yuen Wo-Ping.
Sammo Hung vs. Lau Kar Leung from Pedicab Driver
Two of the greatest talents ever to work in the genre face off in a classic battle. Lau was 53 when this sequence was filmed, by the way.
Directed and Action by Sammo Hung.
Donnie Yen vs. Michael Woods from In the Line of Duty IV
This is a prototypical 80s style fight (and film.) Michael Woods is a great screen fighter and Donnie is, obviously, on of the greatest screen fighters of all time.
Michael Woods, as big as he is, can do Hwang Jiang Lee’s triple kick. Just thought you should know.
He does a great double kick in this one.
Directed and Action by Yuen Wo-Ping
Cynthia Rothrock & Michelle Yeoh In Yes Madam
Michelle Yeoh is all kinds of awesome and contrary to what you might think, under the right tutelage Cynthia Rothrock can fight her ass off on-screen.
This is a really good example from the slew of films featuring female protagonists in the 80s. Yes, I said “slew.” Where Hollywood had Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and little else that I can remember, Hong Kong produced a few dozen films featuring ass-kicking female leads.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Directed and Action by Corey Yuen Kwai
Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing in Legendary Weapons of China
This is the sort of intricate choreography that old school fans drool over. From one of the greatest martial arts move ever made, by the way. Lau Kar Leung is truly a master of the genre. If I had to pick just one martial arts film to represent the genre, 36th Chamber of Shaolin would be on my short list of candidates.
Directed and Action by Lau Kar Leung.
Jackie Chan “playground fight” from Police Story 2
Easily one of Jackie’s best sequences. Pure mid 80s Hong Kong action brilliance. Stay with it to the very end for a great (and dangerous) little car stunt.
Speaking of stunts, pay close attention to the bumps these guys take. Those aren’t special “soft” jungle jims. What you see is what you get- being a Hong Kong stunt man in the 80s was like being a superhero.
Directed and Action by Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan from Police Story. “The Mall Fight”
Saving the best for last, here’s the greatest action sequence of all time- the blistering finale of Jackie Chan’s original Police Story. I could write a book just on this scene.
And yes, both Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung are in this film.
Directed and Action by Jackie Chan
*I’m doing my best to credit folks for the work here. It’s not an exact science, and I’m working from memory. Also, these fights were collaborative efforts between the director, the stunt men, the action director and whoever else was on set, so there are a lot of people that deserve props for these gems.
**he’s been in better movies. This one works really well as a pure martial arts film.
***Not that that means I don’t like Wong Jing’s work. Quite the opposite. I unashamedly think he’s a genius.
Want more? check out- 8 Great Screen Fighters – Hong Kong’s Greatest Martial Arts Movie Stars
RSS - Posts
By Chris @ Martial Development 2007/07/28 - 19:15
Thanks for the tip on In The Line of Duty. I had totally forgotten about that film. Here a few Jackie Chan YouTube scenes you might like.
By low key chi 2007/07/29 - 06:14
brilliant work. you should expand it to 30.
By rob 2007/07/29 - 07:13
Thanks. I’d love to expand it or do a sequel. Another one I want to do is dig up some stunt reels. It’d hopefully start with Yuen Biao’s flip off of a burning building in Millionaire’s Express.
By kan-PEKI 2007/07/30 - 08:53
definately needed a scene from Ong Bak, that whole movie was just crazy muai thai fighting gold!
By rob 2007/07/30 - 09:13
I’m going to include ong bak when I do the sequel and definitely when I do the “stunts” version. I was originally aiming solely for films from Hong Kong, so I ignored some worthy candidates from elsewhere.
By christian 2007/07/30 - 10:25
really makes you appreciate how much of a BAMF jackie chan was
By Igor 2007/07/30 - 10:28
Where’s the “Who am I” roof fight between Jackie Chan and the chinese guy and that tall guy with amazing flexibility?!?
That one was priceless
By rob 2007/07/30 - 10:34
That’d be a good one. The tall guy is ron smoorenburg – http://www.ronsmoorenburg.nl/
By Lyndon 2007/07/30 - 13:50
That was frikkin awesome! Forgot how badass Jackie was in his younger days.
By Seth 2007/07/30 - 16:27
good list, but i still think the under the train fight (jackie vs. lau kar leung) in drunken master 2 is the best from that flick. also, no final battle in dragons forever? or leung and hsiou hso’s final fight in mad monkey kung fu? i would love to see an expanded list, cus you seem to definitely know what’s up with asian action.
By rob 2007/07/30 - 18:09
great choices right there. the fight under the train is ridiculously good and the Dragons Forever fight is off the charts as well. With all the requests for a sequel one is definitely in the works… Keep your eyes on this space.
By mike 2007/07/30 - 20:16
Ever heard of Bruce Lee?
By rob 2007/07/30 - 20:30
Bruce who?
Seriously, I love his films and have a pretty good collection of his writing. I actually drew him once when I was home sick. If you’re asking why there’s no Bruce Lee on here, I can’t really answer that. There are certainly some gems I could have posted, I just mostly focus on the “golden age” Shaw Brothers era through the rough and tumble stunt-filled 80s films through to the Once Upon a Time in China inspired early 90s period revival, so that’s naturally where my choices sprang from.
By MrStew 2007/07/30 - 22:12
Though not entirely within the genre, I totally loved some of the scenes from the Story of Ricki (though way over the top and I suppose Chop Sockey) he performed his stunt work with pretty decent panache and horrendously gory as well. Loved the list, btw, I watched them all for a bit of reminiscence. Thanks!
By rob 2007/07/31 - 08:57
There are a lot of folks out there that dig that film. It’s one of those movies that crosses genre and boudnaries pretty well so you see martial arts movie fans, fans of the orignal manga, fans of gore and splatter films, fans of camp and fans of pretty much everything in-between who have seen it and enjoyed it.
Yukari Oshima plays man in that film, btw. Maybe a scene with her playing a woman would be a good addition to the sequel (goes off to search youtube for Yukari Oshima)
By MrStew 2007/07/31 - 14:53
Yeah, I think I know the woman/man of which you refer: one of the prison guards from the ones that Ricki is not in, the guy/girl that gets raged when the opium greenhouses get destroyed. She was fantastic. By the way, has the gent who portrayed Ricki been in anything else worth noting? I can’t remember his name off hand.
(waiting patiently for the sequel to the sweet list)
By Pete 2007/07/31 - 14:54
Excellent work! Truly brilliant! But don’t forget some of the great fight scenes from “Iron Monkey”. Staring Donnie Yen.
By rob 2007/07/31 - 16:36
Iron Monkey is on the short list for the sequel… if you’re a fan of the film check out the interview I did with Donnie in support of the American release.
By rob 2007/07/31 - 16:41
“By the way, has the gent who portrayed Ricki been in anything else worth noting? I can’t remember his name off hand.”
Fan Siu-Wong. I can’t think of anything really notable.
By Badman 2007/07/31 - 17:51
Great list!
I second what a few others have been noting: thanks for reminding me how awesome Jackie Chan used to be.
It’s too bad so many westerners only know him from the “Rush Hour” and “Shanghai” movies.
By Rick Danger 2007/07/31 - 20:34
Excellent list. I’ve got to agree with Seth on the Jackie Chan/Lau Kar Leung fight from Drunken Master 2. That fight is off the hook. But I guess you can’t have them all, or it wouldn’t be a list of the top ten. Props on the Pedicab clip, though. That’s one of my favorites of all time. Lau Kar Leung is the man.
By rob 2007/07/31 - 22:41
“It’s too bad so many westerners only know him from the “Rush Hour” and “Shanghai” movies.”
Imagine being me, finally getting to meet and interview Jackie and it’s in support of The Tuxedo. It’s the last thing I wanted to ask him about…
By rob 2007/07/31 - 22:43
“I’ve got to agree with Seth on the Jackie Chan/Lau Kar Leung fight from Drunken Master 2. That fight is off the hook. But I guess you can’t have them all, or it wouldn’t be a list of the top ten.”
The good thing is, it’s not a top ten, just a “great ten” so there’s no harm in me adding that excellent fight into my next round.
By rob 2007/08/02 - 21:43
there’s a sequel
By the art of war 2010/01/10 - 22:14
the art of war…
…He wrote that . . ….