Martial arts film is a film genre that originated in the Pacific Rim. In Film theory, genre refers to the primary method of film categorization based on similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed The Pacific Rim refers to the countries and cities located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. This genre is a type of action film characterized by extensive fighting scenes employing various types of martial arts. Action movies are a Film genre where action sequences such as fights, Shootouts Stunts Car chases or explosions either take precedence Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. This genre has mainly been produced in China, peaking in the 1970s, and has been dominated by Hong Kong action cinema and its kung fu and wuxia films. The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Hong Kong action cinema is the reason why Hong Kong film industry 's is so well known Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese Martial arts. Wuxia or Wǔxiá ( Mandarin ùɕiɑ̌ Hanyu Pinyin: Wǔxiá, Cantonese Pinyin: mou5 hap6 Taiwanese/Hokkien bu hiap Famous actors include Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Bruce Lee ( November 27 1940 – July 20 1973 was an American-born Martial artist, Philosopher, instructor, Martial arts actor and the Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong Sang, 陳港生 on 7 April 1954 is an Actor, action choreographer, Film director Li Lianjie (born April 26 1963 better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese martial artist (Kung fu Actor, Wushu champion This genre is no longer limited to Asian films - there are many action movies starring western martial artists such as Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mark Dacascos and Steven Seagal. Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10 1940 is an American martial artist, action star and Television and Film Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964, Honolulu, Hawaii) is an Actor and Martial arts expert winning numerous Steven F Seagal (born April 10 1951 is an American Action movie Actor, producer, writer director, Martial artist
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Martial arts film stars
Martial arts film stars can be classified into two types: genuine martial artists who pursued a film career, versus regular actors without martial arts skills who performed in martial arts film under the directions of action choreographers. Stage combat is a specialized technique in Theatre designed to create the Illusion of physical Combat without causing harm to the performers
Asian martial arts film stars
- Chin Tsi-ang became the first martial arts film star at age 16 in 1925, having begun training at age 8. Chin Tsi-Ang ( Traditional: 錢似鶯 Simplified: 钱似莺 Pinyin: Qián Sìyīng 1909 - October 15, 2007) also Sammo Hung is her grandson.
- Kwan Tak-Hing was the original celluloid Wong Fei-Hung, starring as the Hung Gar master in roughly 100 films from the late 1940s to the 1960s, possibly the most prolific movie series ever. Kwan Tak Hing, MBE ( 27 June 1905 - 28 June 1996) was an actor who played the role of Martial artist Wong Fei Hong The Hung Ga curriculum of Wong Fei-Hung The Hung Ga curriculum that Wong Fei-Hung learned from his father comprised Single Kwan himself was a master of Tibetan White Crane rather than Hung Gar and specialized in the use of the whip. Tibetan White Crane Ng Siu-Chung trained with Ng Siu-Chan in addition to Wong Lam-Hoi and Chu Chi-Yiu
- Yu So Chow is probably the best known female martial arts actress of the 50's and 60's. Yu So Chow ( Yale Cantonese:Jy¹ Sou³ Tsau¹ is a Chinese actress born in Beijing on July 9 1930 to a Peking opera family She starred in over 170 martial arts films, still a record among all actresses.
- Connie Chan Po-chu, a Cantonese screen idol who grew up starring in wuxia films during the 1960s and was famous for her male roles. Connie Chan Po-chu was born in 1947 in Guangdong, China to impoverished parents and at least 8 other siblings
- Bruce Lee was one of the most influential martial artist of the 20th century. Bruce Lee ( November 27 1940 – July 20 1973 was an American-born Martial artist, Philosopher, instructor, Martial arts actor and the His movie Enter the Dragon (1973) was one of the films that brought the genre into mainstream Western acceptance. Enter the Dragon ( aka The Deadly Three, originally titled Blood and Steel is a 1973 American Martial arts film directed His fame also helped popularize Wing Chun, the martial art that he originally trained in, and Jeet Kune Do, the martial art that he later created based on one's own personal preferences, applying modified techniques from various styles. Wing Chun ( occasionally romanized as Ving Tsun or " Wing Tsun " (literally " spring chant " or "forever Jeet Kune Do ( Chinese: 截[[Wiktionary 拳|拳]] 道 Cantonese: Jitkyùndou Pinyin: Jiéquándào, lit
- Bolo Yeung practiced martial arts from childhood, and also became a professional bodybuilder. Yang Sze ( born July 3, 1938) better known as Bolo Yeung, is a former competitive bodybuilder and a Martial arts film He also starred in Enter the Dragon. His favorite martial art is Tai Chi. Tai chi chuan (is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for Health reasons
- Gordon Liu martial arts film star, synonymous with the Shaw Brothers. Gordon Liu (劉家輝 Lau Kar-Fai Liu Jia Hui formerly spelled Liu Chia-Hui born Xian Qixi born November 30, 1955) is a Chinese Martial arts The Shaw Brothers Studio ( Chinese 邵氏片場 owned by Shaw Brothers (HK Ltd
- Jackie Chan continued this crossover during the 80s and 90s, finally conquering the US market with Rumble in the Bronx (1995) and the three Rush Hour films. Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong Sang, 陳港生 on 7 April 1954 is an Actor, action choreographer, Film director Rumble in the Bronx (紅番區 Hong faan kui in Cantonese is a 1995 Hong Kong martial arts - action film starring He is renowned for his blend of martial arts and slapstick comedy, but has directed, action directed and starred in over 50 films of almost all conceivable genres. Despite intensive martial arts training from a Chinese opera school, Jackie often tells people that he is an actor, not a martial artist. Chinese Opera ( Chinese: 戏曲/戲曲 Pinyin: xìqǔ is a popular form of Drama and Musical theatre in China with roots going back
- Sammo Hung was a fellow opera school student of Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Sammo Hung is a Chinese Actor, producer and director from Hong Kong, known for his work in many kung fu films He has directed, action directed and starred in numerous Hong Kong films, as well as playing the leading role in the American TV series Martial Law.
- Yuen Biao trained at the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School, with Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, and is the youngest of the three. Yuen Biao (born 26 July, 1957) is a Chinese Actor from Hong Kong. The Peking Opera Schools were boarding schools located throughout Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Sammo Hung is a Chinese Actor, producer and director from Hong Kong, known for his work in many kung fu films Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong Sang, 陳港生 on 7 April 1954 is an Actor, action choreographer, Film director
- Leung Kar Yan : had no formal martial arts training but was skilled at mimicking moves given to him by the action choreographer. Leung Kar Yan (梁家仁 born 20 January, 1949) also known as Bryan Leung is a Hong Kong film actor and director who has played roles in numerous acclaimed
- Lam Ching Ying learned Peking Opera at the Spring and Autumn Drama School in Hong Kong. Lam Ching-ying ( Traditional Chinese: 林正英 real name Lam Gun-bo 林根寶 December 27, 1952 - November 8, 1997) was a Chinese
- Jet Li won the Chinese national wushu championships five times in a row before becoming a movie star, starting with the 1979 film Shaolin Temple. Li Lianjie (born April 26 1963 better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese martial artist (Kung fu Actor, Wushu champion Wushu, also known as modern wushu or contemporary wushu, is both an exhibition and a full-contact Sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts The Shaolin Temple ( Chinese: 少林寺 Pinyin:Shàolínsì is a 1982 Martial arts film directed by Chang Hsin Yen
- Donnie Yen learned wushu and tai chi from a young age and trained in Beijing. Donnie Yen Chi-Tan ( born July 27, 1963) is a Martial artist and Actor, Film director, fight choreographer, and
- Michelle Yeoh : A dancer turned actress. Dato' Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng ( Cantonese (Yale romanization yèuhng jí kìhng born August 6, 1962) is a BAFTA Award-nominated No formal martial arts training.
- Zhang Ziyi : Another dancer/gymnast turned actress. Zhang Ziyi (born February 9, 1979, in Beijing) is one of the best-known Golden Globe -nominated Chinese Film Actresses No formal martial arts training.
- Stephen Chow is primarily a comedian, though he has starred in many martial arts-themed films. Stephen Chow Sing-Chi, born June 22 1962 is a Hong Kong Scriptwriter, Film director, producer and actor He admits he has received very little training in kung fu, though he did learn various forms of Wing Chun by watching instructional videos on television.
- Tony Jaa from Thailand is highly skilled in muay thai, tae kwon do & swordplay. Panom Yeerum (พนม ยีรัมย์ pʰanom jiːrɑm born on February 5, 1976 in Surin province Isaan Thailand better known in the West Muay Thai ( IPA: /muɑɪtʰɑɪ/ muāitʰāi มวยไทย lit Taekwondo (Korean태권도thɛʔkwʌndo Englishˈteɪˈkwɒnˈdoʊ is a Korean Martial art and the National sport of South Korea Fencing is the art of armed Combat involving Cutting, Stabbing, or slapping bludgeoning Weapons directly manipulated by hand
- Chow Yun-Fat is a Chinese actor from Hong Kong, playing in mostly dramatic movies. Chow Yun-Fat SBS ( born May 18, 1955) is a Chinese Actor. He is one of the most famous actors in Asia and a
- Sonny Chiba is a Japanese martial arts actor famous for movies such as The Street Fighter and Samurai Reincarnation. (born January 23 1939) also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor literally Clash Killer Fist!, is a Japanese Martial arts Film released in 1974 and produced by Toei Company Ltd Samurai Reincarnation (魔界転生 Makai Tenshō) is a 1981 film directed by Kinji Fukasaku and starring Sonny Chiba.
Western martial arts film stars
- Chuck Norris learned Tang Soo Do (tangsudo), a martial art similar to taekwondo, while in Korea as well as his 8th Dan Black Belt in taekwondo. Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10 1940 is an American martial artist, action star and Television and Film Tangsoodo or Tang Soo Do is an empty handed Korean martial art of Self defense. Taekwondo (Korean태권도thɛʔkwʌndo Englishˈteɪˈkwɒnˈdoʊ is a Korean Martial art and the National sport of South Korea Norris also trained with Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris created the mixed martial art, Chun Kuk Do. Chun Kuk Do (천국도 is a Hybrid martial art founded and first taught by Chuck Norris.
- David Carradine : knew nothing about martial arts until winning the lead role in the Kung Fu television series, after which he developed an interest and has become an avid practitioner. David Carradine (born December 8 1936 is an American actor Biography Early life Carradine was born John Arthur Carradine in Hollywood This article is specifically about the original TV series (1972–1975 "Kung Fu"
- Cynthia Rothrock was considered "Queen of Martial arts films". Cynthia Rothrock ( born March 8 1957, is an American actress specializing in Martial arts films She was born in Wilmington She is an expert in Karate and Kobudo, as well as many Chinese martial arts. ( or is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese Kenpō. Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese Martial arts.
- Dolph Lundgren is a karate practitioner, Specializing in Kyokushin, Goju-Ryu, Taekwondo, and Judo. Dolph Lundgren (born Hans Lundgren on November 3, 1957 in Stockholm, Sweden is a Swedish Actor, director is a style of stand-up, Full contact karate, founded in 1964 by who was born under the name Choi Yong-I (최영의 (Japanese for "hard-soft style" is one of the main traditional Okinawan styles of Karate, featuring a combination of hard and soft techniques Taekwondo (Korean태권도thɛʔkwʌndo Englishˈteɪˈkwɒnˈdoʊ is a Korean Martial art and the National sport of South Korea meaning "gentle way" is a modern Japanese martial art ( Gendai budō) and Combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late
- Jean-Claude Van Damme practiced karate, lightkick and Ballet in Europe. Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance
- Mark Dacascos won many karate and kung fu championships between the ages of 9 and 18. Mark Alan Dacascos (born February 26, 1964, Honolulu, Hawaii) is an Actor and Martial arts expert winning numerous ( or is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese Kenpō. Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese Martial arts. [1] He gained international recognition for his role in Brotherhood of the Wolf (which became the second-highest-grossing French-language film in the United States in the last two decades[2]) . Brotherhood of the Wolf, also known by its French title Le Pacte des loups (literally " The Pact of the Wolves " French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
- Steven Seagal is a 7th Dan Black Belt Aikido instructor. Steven F Seagal (born April 10 1951 is an American Action movie Actor, producer, writer director, Martial artist is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies philosophy and religious beliefs
- Wesley Snipes is a highly skilled practitioner of Capoeira. Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American Actor, Film producer, and Martial artist. Capoeira (kapuˈejɾɐ is a brazilian art form that ritualizes movement from Martial arts, Games, and Dance.
- Michael Jai White is a professional martial arts master in numerous styles with a specific focus in Kyokushin Karate. Michael Jai White (born November 10, 1967) is an American Actor and professional martial artist who has appeared in numerous Films and Television
- Scott Adkins is martial arts practitioner from England ,specializing in Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Wushu, Gymnastics and Kickboxing extensively in which he showcased his skills in Undisputed 2:Last Man Standing.
- Darren Shahlavi is from England he has worked in Hong Kong films such as Yuen Woo Ping's Tai Chi Boxer and Bloodmoon, he now works in American films such as I Spy opposite Eddie Murphy, his martial arts background is in Judo, Karate and Kickboxing. Darren Shahlavi sometimes credited as Shahlavi (born August 5 1975) is a British Actor from Stockport, Greater Manchester Yuen Woo Ping ( born 1945 in Guangzhou, China) is a Chinese martial arts choreographer and Film director, renowned
- Jeff Speakman Trained with Kenpo Ed Parker, Larry Tatum and others, receiving his black belt in 1984. Jeff Speakman born on November 8, 1958 in Chicago Illinois is an American Actor and an accomplished Martial artist is the name of several Martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word " quánfǎ. He has subsequently obtained a sixth-degree rank in kenpo, and also currently holds a 7th-degree black belt in the Goju-Ryu Karate style which he began to study under Lou Angel starting in 1978. He heads the AKKS (American Kenpo Karate System) organization. He starred in The Perfect Weapon which is the best depiction of Kenpo techniques on film. The Perfect Weapon is a 1991 film starring Jeff Speakman. It tells the story of a young man Jeff who is trained in the Martial art of Kenpo
- Jason Statham is from England and has worked alongside Jet Li in films such as The Transporter and War. Jason Michael Statham (born 12 September 1972 is an English actor known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie Crime films Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Li Lianjie (born April 26 1963 better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese martial artist (Kung fu Actor, Wushu champion The Transporter (French Le Transporteur) is a Franco-American action / Crime movie directed by Louis Leterrier and War is a 2007 action / thriller Film, directed by first-timer Phillip G He is a martial arts expert in mixed martial arts, especially Kick Boxing
See also
References
- ^ IMDB bio http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001092/bio
- ^ "Little pictures have a big year", Los Angeles Times, 3 January 2003
External links
This article about a martial arts film is a stub. Mixed martial arts (MMA is a full contact Combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques from a mixture of Martial arts traditions and The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the Cinema of China Bruceploitation is a cultural phenomenon mostly seen in the 1970s after the untimely death of Martial artist and Martial arts actor Bruce Lee in 1973 Wire fu is an element of Hong Kong action cinema, exemplified by the work of Tsui Hark, Yuen Woo-ping, and Jet Li, that has been appropriated The Shaw Brothers Studio ( Chinese 邵氏片場 owned by Shaw Brothers (HK Ltd Golden Harvest ( is a Film production distribution and exhibition Company based in Hong Kong. While earlier Samurai period pieces were more dramatic rather than action-based samurai movies post World War II have become more action-based with darker The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic