Top 10 Martial Artists Who Changed the Film Industry

1. Bruce Lee.

Almost anyone will acknowledge that Bruce Lee is on the top of any list when it comes to martial arts. Yes, his life was short because of brain oedema caused by an allergy to a medication (although some have different theories otherwise), but we can never deny that Bruce Lee made the biggest contribution to the film industry. Even up till today, his name is still renowned and still continues to influence different aspects of society, not just the film industry. His martial arts prowess made him star in different martial art movies and even in Hollywood. He basically introduced martial arts to the world and became the reason why Asians and anything related are somehow accepted in the Western part of the world.

2. Jackie Chan.

Who doesn’t know Jackie Chan is totally missing out on someone great. EVERYBODY likes Jackie Chan. Who doesn’t like a legend? He’s famous, funny and a really effective martial arts actor. Wait, he’s not just an actor, but a director as well! Trained at Peking Opera School, Chan is a Hong Kong actor famous for his funny acting skills and doing his stunts by himself, without any double. He has broken too many bones in his body. You’ll be surprised he’s still kicking! He has starred in many movies, all of which are great and highly anticipated by almost everyone. Like other martial art actors, J.C. was already well-versed in martial arts. He was a stuntman and soon after became one of the biggest martial art actors of all time. He also had one of the biggest contributions in creating a golden age for Hong Kong’s cinema in the 1980s. Chan is highly appreciated for his unique fighting style and fun way of delivering it.

3. Jet Li.

Another star who made a huge contribution to the film industry is Jet Li. He is an actor, producer, martial artist and wushu champion. Born on April 28, 1963, Li is an award-winning martial arts actor known for his critically acclaimed films. Hero (2002), Once Upon a Time in China (1991-1993) to name a few. He also starred in numerous non-Chinese films such as Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Romeo Must Die (2000), Unleashed (2005) and so many others. Jet Li has not just influenced the film industry. His notable name was also recognized by other organizations and was appointed Ambassador of Good will by the World Health Organization. He was also the Red Cross Society of China’s Philanthropic Ambassador. Aside from this, he also runs a foundation, One Foundation and contributed some of his earnings for different charity projects.

10 Great Martial Arts Movie Stars That Aren’t Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee

4. Tony Jaa.

Tony Jaa is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, director, and traceur. His films include Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (2003), Tom-Yum-Goong (2005), Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (2008), Furious 7 (2015) and SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015). In his youth, Jaa watched films by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li which inspired him to learn martial arts. He practiced the techniques in his father’s rice paddy. Jaa initially worked as a stuntman for Muay Thai Stunt for 14 years, appearing in many of Rittikrai’s films. He doubled for Sammo Hung when the martial-arts movie actor made a commercial for an energy drink that required him to grasp an elephant’s tusks and somersault onto the elephant’s back.

5. Donnie Yen.

Have you watched Ip Man? If yes, then you’re probably familiar with the male lead. Donnie Yen. (Maybe) one of the reasons why he himself is a master of martial arts is because his mother, Bow-sim Mark, is also a master of Kung Fu. During his teenage years, he didn’t want to be overshadowed by his parents’ achievements so he decided to level up his own skills by learning different fighting styles, Japanese Karate, Korean Taekwondo, Western Boxing and even took up breakdancing and hip-hop. Yen has brought change to the cinema and film industry by bringing mixed martial arts (MMA) into mainstream cinema through his superb choreography in many of his films. Some of the best and most celebrated movies of Donnie Yen are IP Man (Installment), Hero, Fist of Fury, and many more. As of today, Yen is one of the most in-demand martial arts choreographers in the world of action cinema.

6. Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Aside from his cool name, he is also cool in many ways. Let’s not talk about his acting skills and just focus on his fighting style and his contributions to the film industry. *wink* van Damme, as he is most often called, specializes in Shotokan karate, having learned the martial art at the early age of 11. He then took weightlifting and ballet and soon after, won the championship for the middleweight division of the European Professional Karate Association. He pursued his acting career in the 1980s and made some of the most hit movies such as The Universal Soldier, Bloodsport and many others.

7. Sammo Hung.

Before his venture into the film industry, Hung was already trained in martial arts. Just like Jackie Chan, he also had his martial arts training at Peking Opera School. Sammo Hung is a stuntman-turned-actor-turned-director and has directed and choreographed hundreds of martial arts films including Paradox. He was even named the Filmmaker in Focus during the 2019 Hong Kong International Film Festival. Hung is undoubtedly one of the strongest pillars in the Chinese Film Industry due to his innate talent for both martial arts and film, with his most substantial contribution as director for some of the biggest and greatest films in China.

The 5 Best Martial Arts Fighting Styles In Movies ( And 5 Of The Worst)

8. Bolo Yeung.

Yeung met Bruce Lee while the two were filming a Winston cigarettes commercial. A friendship emerged and Lee invited him to star in Enter the Dragon, after which he became known as “Bolo”, the name of the character he portrayed. The two became close friends during the filming of Enter the Dragon, in which Lee and Yeung worked very closely on technique training. Yeung once stated in an interview, many years after Lee’s death, “There will never be another Bruce Lee; I am privileged to have had the honour of calling him my friend.” Yeung met Bruce Lee while the two were filming a Winston cigarettes commercial. A friendship emerged and Lee invited him to star in Enter the Dragon, after which he became known as “Bolo”, the name of the character he portrayed. The two became close friends during the filming of Enter the Dragon, in which Lee and Yeung worked very closely on technique training. Yeung once stated in an interview, many years after Lee’s death, “There will never be another Bruce Lee; I am privileged to have had the honour of calling him my friend.”

9. Steven Seagal.

Steven Seagal is yet another successful actor who conquered the industry with his fighting prowess. He began his martial arts journey as a martial arts instructor in Japan. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal, opened up aikido judo in Japan (making him the very 1st foreigner to operate in Japan) while pursuing his career in acting. Seagal helped train Brazilian mixed martial artist Lyoto Machida, who credited Seagal for helping him perfect the front kick that he used to knock out Randy Couture at UFC 129 in May 2011 He was born in Lansing but is now known across the world for his various movies which mostly centres or features his talent in martial arts. Among his greatest films are Under Siege, Above the Law, Hard to Kill and Exit Wounds.

10. Keanu Reeves.

Last on our list, but definitely not the least. Keanu Reeves. “We’re all stardust, baby!”. If you’re familiar with this line, then you’re cool (just like what his first name suggest)! Though he doesn’t hold any black belt, he was trained in Judo and Brazilian Jiujitsu for his role as John Wick. Keanu Reeves has made some of the most famed movies of all time, John Wick, the Matrix, Speed, Man of Tai Chi (he played the bad guy on this one but man, he carried it out so perfectly!), and many others, all of which made wonderful contributions to the film industry. In real life, he is a soft-hearted man who cares a lot for humanity. Most of the time, people see him walking around the streets with simplicity as reflected in his attires, or riding the subway, bus. He even donated 70% of his earnings from the Matrix.