Although action star Jet Li is proficient in many forms of martial arts, he is a master of a distinct Chinese fighting style. Although actors such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have brought kung fu to the forefront in martial arts films, not all Chinese actors practice this fighting style on screen. Lee, a national champion in his primary style, practices martial arts that are ideal for the flamboyant action films of the wuxia genre.
Lee made his film debut in 1982 with Shaolin Temple, which made him an instant star in China, where the film was filmed.
After that, the actor starred in several more Chinese martial arts films, such as Once Upon a Time in China (1991), The Legendary Fist (1982) and Hero (2002). Finally, the martial arts star took his career to the United States, where he gained fame for his villainous roles in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Kiss of the Dragon (2001) and many others. Lee brought a variety of martial arts styles to these roles, and Wushu was always at the core of his performances.
Jet Li Is A Wushu Expert
Li is a master of the fighting style of Wushu, which means “martial arts” in Chinese. Wushu is a combination of many styles. The main focus of Wushu is on its forms, which appear precise and artistic. This makes Lee’s fighting style ideal for action films, and is why wushu was popularized in Hollywood after the actor was cast in Mel Gibson’s 2004 film Lethal Weapon. Lee began studying when he was only eight years old. Li was a genius at the sport, and in the early 1970s he began competing for the Beijing Wushu team. Li won the title of overall Wushu champion at the National Martial Arts Competition of China in 1974 when he was only 11 years old.RELATED:
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When looking at Li’s filmography, his status as a Wushu champion makes perfect sense. Movies like Shaolin Temple (1982), Last Hero in China (1993), The Warlords (2007), Hero (2002), and Fearless (2006) provided the perfect opportunity for Li’s talents in Wushu.
The discipline of Wushu also puts various weapons to use, and this has been an asset to Li’s film career as well. The 2011 wuxia movie Flying Swords of Dragon Gate saw the star use a Daoshu (broadsword) and Jainshu (straightsword), and the 2006 movie Fearless put Li’s expertise with such weapons to particularly exciting use. Of course, the actor has also done several modern movies, but his Wushu has been incredibly effective in old-school martial arts movies.
Since Wushu is a combination of multiple styles of martial arts, Li is proficient in a great many. Among the most notable is baguazhang, which utilizes circular or spiral movements within its forms. This style is observable in many of Li’s movies since the constant movement of baguazhang is highly appealing on screen. In addition to this, Li is a master in tai chi, which is a self-defense-focused style of martial arts that centralizes balance and meditation to promote both mental and physical health.
Another style Li utilizes on screen is xingyiquan, a quick and aggressive form of martial arts that provides an added flare to onscreen combat. Of course, this isn’t the end of the actor’s expertise—drunken boxing, Eagle Claw, and Northern Praying Mantis are all styles that Li has added to his resume, all of which bring something unique to his performances on screen. With so many styles perfected by the star, including Wushu, it’s no surprise that Jet Li has become the icon he is today.