10 Martial Arts Movie Moments That Must Be Seen To Be Believed

Over the years, a number of movies in the martial arts genre have offered some truly unbelievable action sequences. While some of the best martial arts movies do opt for realism, over-the-top moves that would be impossible to perform in real life have become a long-time staple of the genre. They can come across as silly in certain instances, but when handled correctly, they can add extra levels of excitement to the action.

Such moves are particularly common in the traditional kung fu movies that were pumped out by studios like Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers in the 1970s and 1980s. They’re often associated with the careers of martial arts stars like Jackie Chan, Gordon Liu, and Alexander Fu Sheng. Sometimes, they can lead to a moment of brevity, and in other cases, they can be used to execute an epic finish to an intense fight scene.

10 The Ten Tigers of Kwantung – Phillip Kwok Kicks A Bad Guy’s Head Off

The Ten Tigers of Kwantung was a 1980s kung fu movie that united several of Shaw Brothers’ biggest stars for an Avengers-like team-up. It culminated in a final battle where the villain – after killing one of the heroes – was quickly intercepted by Phillip Kwok’s character. After flipping the villain into the air and having his feet trapped in the ceiling, the hero jumped into the air and quite literally kicked off his opponent’s head.

9 The Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter – A Monk Strips Two Men Of Their Teeth

In The Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter, one of Gordon Liu’s best movies, the title character has to convince peaceful monks to fight against their aggressors. Unwilling to take a human life, they compromise by using the same tactics they employ against wolves; taking away their teeth. A shot of several bloody teeth stuck to a monk’s staff made for one of the movie’s most memorable moments.

8 Police Story – Jackie Chan Slides Down A Light Pole

Dangerous stunts are laced into Jackie Chan’s identity as a martial arts movie star, with Police Story being one of the films that helped craft that image for him. In the Hong Kong kung fu classic, there was a scene where Jackie Chan’s character had to slide down a pole. The distance he had to cover on its own made it impressive, but what really made this moment so extraordinary was the number of lights attached to the pole. Chan broke each one of them on his way down, clearly taking a huge risk with this real-life stunt.

7 Tom Yum Goong – Tony Jaa Kicks A Lamppost

In a moment that paid tribute to a Bruce Lee scene in Way of the Dragon, Tony Jaa pulled off an amazing kick in Tom Yum Goong. To intimidate a thug, Jaa jumped into the air and bust the light from a lamppost, one that was hanging directly above him. How far away the light was from where he was standing, not to mention the angle, is a testament to the talents of the Thai actor.

6 Bloodsport – Jean-Claude Van Damme Does The Splits In Mid-Air

Jean-Claude Van Damme has done his signature move – the splits – numerous times in his martial arts movies, with one of the most breathtaking instances coming at the end of Bloodsport. In the midst of his epic showdown with Bolo Yeung’s Chong Li, Van Damme’s Frank Dux did the splits in mid-air to dodge an attack and hit his opponent with a devastating attack.

5 Jackie Chan & Yuen Biao Kick Two Thugs Off Their Motorcycles

Jackie Chan and frequent co-star Yuen Biao (an actor similarly renowned for his acrobatic skills) performed an exhilarating stunt together in Wheels on Meals their characters took a stand against a pair of thugs on motorcycles. At the same time, Chan and Yuen jumped up and delivered flying kicks, successfully unseating their opponents from their motorcycles.

4 Fist of Fury – Bruce Lee Takes On An Entire Dojo

Fights where one person holds his own against over a dozen enemies are quite common in martial arts movies, but the battle that took place at the Japanese dojo in Fist of Fury holds a special place in the genre’s history. The speed in which Lee’s Chen Zhen plowed through the karate students cemented its status as one of Bruce Lee’s best fight scenes ever.

3 Masked Avengers – Chiang Sheng & Phillip Kwok Kill The Main Villain With Four Spears

Masked Avengers, one of several movies that starred the acting team that made The Five Deadly Venoms, ended on a gravity-defying act. A two-on-two spear fight saw the villain scoop up four spears and throw them into the air, one by one. Somehow, each one didn’t fall until the two heroes – played by Phillip Kwok and Chiang Sheng – trapped him with their weapons, allowing all four spears to descend on him at once.

2 Flying Guillotine – The Flying Guiolltine Cuts Off People’s Heads And Places Them In Baskets

One of the most incredible killing moves comes courtesy of the Flying Guillotine, a weapon designed for the purpose of execution. Thrown like a frisbee, the bladed weapon ensnares the target’s head, decapitates them, and leaves their head in a basket. The sinister function of the Flying Guillotine has set up some of the goriest kills in kung fu movie history, a pattern that began in 1975’s Flying Guillotine.

1 Clan Of The White Lotus – Gordon Liu Beats Lo Lieh’s Pai Mei By Stabbing Him In The Hand

Shaw Brothers delivered one of the best kung fu movies of the 1970s when it produced Clan of the White Lotus, which told a story where Gordon Liu’s character had to find the weakness of the seemingly invincible Pai Mei, who was so powerful that he could even shrug off attacks to the groin. At the end of the film, the hero settled on acupuncture as his best possible weapon against Pai Mei and carefully placed needles over all his body. Pai Mei shockingly forced them out of his body, only to die when one pierced all the way through his palm, which turned out to be his true weak spot.