Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently featured in training scenes and other sequences in addition to fights. Martial arts films commonly include hand-to-hand combat along with other types of action, such as stuntwork, chases, and gunfights. Sub-genres of martial arts films include kung fu films, wuxia, karate films, and martial arts action comedy films, while related genres include gun fu, jidaigeki and samurai films.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to martial arts:
Yuen Woo-ping is a Hong Kong martial arts choreographer and film director who worked in Hong Kong action cinema and later Hollywood films. He is one of the inductees on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. Yuen is also a son of Yuen Siu-tien, a martial arts film actor. He attended the China Drama Academy for one year as a day student of Master Yu Jim-yuen as well.
Chin Ka-lok, sometimes credited as Chin Kar-lok, is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, and television presenter.
Richard Norton is an Australian martial artist, actor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, security consultant, and fight choreographer. He holds a 5th dan black belt in Gōjū-ryū karate, a 6th dan black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, an 8th dan black belt in Chun Kuk Do, and a level 6 ranking in American kickboxing. After high school, Norton worked as a bodyguard in the entertainment business before pursuing an acting career.
Philip Kwok is a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He rose to fame as a member of the Venom Mob, an ensemble of highly-talented martial arts actors that starred in several films for Shaw Brothers Studio in the 1970s and 1980s. Younger audiences may also remember him as "Mad Dog", the main villain's powerful henchman with high morals in John Woo's Hard Boiled from 1992.
Hsiao Ho, is a Hong Kong martial arts film actor, stunt performer and action choreographer. A Hakka, he has acted in many films directed by Lau Kar-leung, including Mad Monkey Kung Fu and Legendary Weapons of China. In 1985 he portrayed legendary kung fu warrior Fong Sai-Yuk in the Lau directed action-comedy, Disciples of the 36th Chamber and also took a lead role in Fake Ghost Catchers, directed by Lau Kar Wing. Fake Ghost Catchers is marketed by Celestial Pictures as being made two years before Ghostbusters. Hou is also known for portraying the "disfigured swordsman" and doubling complicated action scenes in 1993's Iron Monkey. He was also the action director for the movie Shaolin Avengers (1994). In 1982 he was nominated for Best Action Choreography for the movie Legendary Weapons of China at the Hong Kong Film Awards alongside Lau Kar Leung and Ching Chu who also provided choreography for the film.
Darryl M. Chan is an accomplished Hollywood stuntman, martial artist, and actor of Chinese descent. He grew up in San Francisco as the second of four boys. His career spans from the early 1980s to the present. Chan has worked with virtually all the leading Asian actors and filmmakers, and counts Brandon Lee as one of his closest friends at the time of Lee's death. Darryl is also a sports medicine specialist, and has trained many of the entertainment industry's actors and musicians to prepare for roles and world tours.
Choy Gar, also Caijia Quan, is a Chinese martial art deriving its name from the Cantonese-born founder, Choy Gau Lee (蔡九儀), and is one of the five main family styles of Kung Fu in Southern China. It was taught to him by a monk named Yi Guan. This style, founded in the 17th century, is a combination of rat and snake styles emphasizing on swift footwork and rapid strikes.
George Kee Cheung is a Hong Kong actor and stuntman with an extensive career in American television and film dating back to 1975, often playing Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Mongolian parts. His career has focused primarily on television work, though he has had numerous supporting roles in films such as Rambo: First Blood Part II, RoboCop 2, Under Siege, and Fist of the North Star.
Leo Fong was a Chinese-American martial artist, actor, boxer, and Methodist minister who had been making films, acting, and directing since the early 1970s. Fong was still acting in action films right up until his early 90s.
Hung Yan-yan is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman and action director originally from Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. He was the stunt double for martial arts superstar Jet Li.
Cheung Wing-fat, also known as Mars, is a Hong Kong actor, action director, stuntman and martial artist. He is one of Jackie Chan's best friends.
Doc-Fai Wong is a master of tai chi and the Hung Sing branch of Choy Li Fut kung fu. He was born in 1948 in the Guangdong province of China, specifically, the Wangshan village in the Doumen District of Zhuhai. In April 1960, he and his mother immigrated to San Francisco, California to be reunited with his father. He arrived as a third-generation citizen of the United States of America since both his grandfather and father were already citizens. He sought out his first kung fu teacher - Lau Bun (劉彬), the founder of the first Hung Sing Kwoon of Choy Li Fut in America, after encountering taunting and bullying due to language and ethnic difficulties after his arrival. When Lau Bun died in 1967, he started teaching and opened his first school when he was 19 years old.
Phillip Ko-fei was a Hong Kong based actor, screenwriter and film director.
Eagle Han-ying, Korean name Kim Young Il (김영일) was a South Korean actor and martial artist, who rose his fame in South Korea through various Korean drama series from the 90. Outside of Korea, he is best known with his appearance with many kung fu films from the range of Korean, Hong Kong and Taiwanese production.
Chung Fat is a Hong Kong-based actor, choreographer, producer, and director. He primarily stars in jiangshi fictions and martial art movies.
Mang Hoi was a Hong Kong actor. He won the Best Supporting Actor at the 5th Hong Kong Film Awards. Mang died from oesophageal cancer on 9 October 2023, at the age of 65.
Chui Chung-San was a Hong Kong actor, director, choreographer, martial artist and stuntman. He was known for being an action director and stuntman. Chui was known for films such as The Rebellious Reign, Kung Fu Vs. Yoga, Two Fists Against the Law and 7 Grandmasters as well as other various Taiwanese television shows.
Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine is a 2017 American science fiction film about a group of mercenaries who embark on a mission to rescue a prince and princess from an evil tyrant on a far away planet. It was directed by Mark Steven Grove, and stars Casper Van Dien, Cynthia Rothrock, James Lew, Brit Laree, Sara N. Salazar and Sarah Sansoni.
