When it comes to the biggest martial arts fight scenes of all time, there are a number of cult classics that deserve recognition for their place in the genre’s history. The films that often come first to mind are Blood sport with its final fight between Chong Li and Frank Dux, and The Way of the Dragonwhich pitted Bruce Lee against Chuck Norris.
There is also Wheels on mealsthe original Drunk Master, Ip manAnd Fist of Furyall of which deliver an unforgettable martial arts showdown, whether it’s the finale or a battle that happens somewhere along the way. Largely due to these scenes, it’s fair to say that these films are some of the best the genre has to offer.
Somehow this gives results like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin And Fist of Legend even more impressive, considering they have not one – but two – all-time great martial arts sequences.
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The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is a strong contender for the title of greatest old-school kung fu film ever made – and for good reason. One is the final battle between Gordon Liu’s San Te and Lo Lieh’s General Tien Ta. After going through almost an entire preparation film under the tutelage of the Shaolin Temple, San Te engaged in a heated battle with the evil general who ruined his life.
As you would expect from one of the greatest martial arts film directors of all time, Lau Kar-leung put on a spectacular showcase of his action choreography skillswith Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh forming an excellent hero-villain duo, and which was later followed up in other films.
But before that, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin had already presented a first-rate fight; this came in the form of the final training sequence in which he tested his newly acquired skills against the head monk, which made Gordon Liu a true master of the three-section staff.
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Fist of Legend
Being a remake of a Bruce Lee classic, Fist of Legend naturally had a high bar to meet, but it did so successfully, thanks to some great action sequences for Jet Li, one of which being the duel his character Chen Zhen had with Ting’en. The speed and sense of elegance in Jet Li’s movements as he dodged his opponent’s attacks was an incredible sight.and perfectly demonstrated his combat prowess by not deliberately chaining his blows together.
As well choreographed as it is, Fist of Legend The final fight was a step up from that, with General Fujita actually being good enough for Chen Zhen to fully exercise. This allowed Fist of Legend to unleash an even more dangerous side of Chen Zhen, and with experienced martial arts actor Billy Chow playing the villain, Fist of Legend had the ideal opponent to challenge his hero.
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Drunk Master II
Ken Lo had big shoes to fill as Jackie Chan’s main adversary decades after Hwang Jang Lee’s unforgettable role in Drunk masterbut didn’t come close to disappointing with his high kicks and unique fighting style. With choreography managed by Lau Kar-leung, it was no surprise that Drunk Master II the final battle was just as intense as the one in the original film.
Like most of the best final showdowns in martial arts films, Drunk Master II let his villain gain the advantage early on, setting the stage for an epic sequence in which Chan’s character must return to his drunken boxing style – despite the risks this poses to his health. In a sense, it was a sacrificial and heroic gesture.
Additional reinforcement Drunk Master II The legacy as a martial arts masterpiece was the fight at the teahouse earlier in the film. Lau’s personal choreographic style matched perfectly with Chan’s, whose preference for doing his own stunts and using improvised weapons paved the way for some crazy moments, with Chan’s character knocking thugs off a staircase and wielding two stools.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
There’s a lot to love about Ang Lee’s martial arts magnum opus – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonwhether it’s the breathtaking cinematography, the Wuxia world he’s built for his characters, and of course, his action style. The opportunities afforded to him were on full display in two fight sequences, one being the battle between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi’s characters.
Yuen Woo-ping choreographed an emotionally intense – but remarkably graceful – fight between the two women, which was about more than just swordplay; it turned out wonderfully, as it incorporated new weapons for the characters to use, not to mention all kinds of acrobatic moves and jumps.
Another fight that stands out is the one that took place between Zhang and Chow Yun-fat’s characters in the bamboo forest. It makes no attempt at realism, but that doesn’t matter, because at this point, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had already managed to immerse its audience in its fantasy world, making it easy to marvel as the two characters cross swords atop the trees and run elegantly on the bamboo branches.
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The Protector
After making one of the best martial arts films of the 21st century in Young backTony Jaa tried his hand at a modern action film, and while it didn’t live up to the overall reputation of his flagship film, it certainly exceeded expectations in terms of choreography. The Protector went from fight to fight as Jaa’s character worked to save his people’s missing elephant.
It is difficult to identify a strong point of The Protector, given that it contained two all-time great fights. To achieve his goal, Tony Jaa had to climb a staircase, defeating minions along the way. It had a strong side-scrolling video game vibe, made even better by the way Jaa and all the other fighters never missed a beat, despite all the moving parts.
Even if this spectacular setting was not the finale, The Protector was still able to end on a good note, thanks to a face-to-face between Jaa and TK. Hard-to-believe moves and an incredible degree of athleticism on Jaa’s part – not to mention his ability to work wirelessly – made him a special contribution to the martial arts gender.
