14 things you may not know about Martial arts icons

1. What are Jackie Chan’s best movies?

Check out our picks of his 10 best films. Learn more

Jackie Chan (left) and Chor Yuen in a still from his 1985 film Police Story, one of the martial arts star’s 10 best films.

2. How did Gordon Liu come to be the star of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), directed by Lau Kar-leung?

Gordon Liu studied the hung ga fighting style under Lau Kar-leung’s father, Lau Charn, and moved into films at the director’s behest. Learn more

Gordon Liu in a still from the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, in which he plays a mythical martial arts teacher in ancient China. The Lau Kar-leung-directed film contains some of the best kung fu scenes ever filmed.

3. What did A Touch of Zen star Hsu Feng think about the Palme d’Or that her film won at Cannes?

'I was impressed with the respect that filmmakers were accorded on the Croisette in Cannes,' she said. Learn more

Bai Ying (left) and Hsu Feng in a still from A Touch of Zen, King Hu’s 1971 film, which won a technical prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1975. Hsu returned to the Croisette 18 years later and won the festival’s Palme d’Or as producer of Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine.

4. Jimmy Wang Yu excels as the lone hero in a martial arts film inspired by the 1967 Hong Kong riots. What was the movie?

The 1967 film The Assassin. Wang, a heartthrob thanks to his role in One-Armed Swordsman, explores a more nuanced role in Chang Cheh’s historical tragedy with a modern tinge. Learn more

Jimmy Wang Yu in a still from The Assassin, a 1967 film its director, Chang Cheh, said was inspired by that year’s Hong Kong riots.

5. Why were martial arts actors David Chiang and Ti Lung the perfect double act at Shaw Brothers studio?

Hits like Vengeance! and The Heroic Ones, both released in 1970, turned the two men into big stars, with the cheeky and charming Chiang attaining superstar status. Learn more

Ti Lung (left) and David Chiang in a scene from The Anonymous Heroes (1971). The pair played major roles in Shaw Brothers movies of the 1970s and formed a popular on-screen partnership.

6. What exactly inspired Stephen Chow to make Kung Fu Hustle?

'I’m the number one fan of Bruce Lee and martial arts, and to make a kung fu film has always been a goal,' he told us. Learn more

Stephen Chow (in white shirt) in a still from Kung Fu Hustle, the 2004 film that made him an international star. He also wrote and directed the film, a blend of cartoons, wuxia, CGI, and action.

7. How did Cheng Pei-pei, martial arts actress of Crouching Tiger fame, first see stardom?

Cheng is well known among martial arts fans for her skilful performance in King Hu’s groundbreaking 1966 wuxia film Come Drink with Me. Learn more

Cheng Pei-pei in a still from Come Drink with Me (1966), the first of her many martial arts films. Shaw Brothers boss Run Run Shaw picked her for the film after seeing the actress dance. Photo: Shaw Brothers Studio

8. Who is the martial arts actress who outsold Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon at US cinemas?

Angela Mao did just that with the 1973 film Lady Kung Fu. Learn more

Angela Mao in a still from Enter the Dragon (1973), in which she plays Su Lin, the sister of Lee’s character. A trained martial artist, she had an intense screen presence.

9. How did Michelle Yeoh get her start as an action star?

'I dared them to cast me as an action heroine. The action world was very male dominated in those days,' she told us. Learn more

Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh in a still from Tai-Chi Master.

10. How much do you know about Bruce Lee?

Don't miss our comprehensive explainer on the kung fu legend. Learn more

11. What are Jet Li’s best movies?

Check out our picks of his 10 best films. Learn more

Jet Li in a scene from Once Upon a Time in China (1991). Director Tsui Hark’s film was a reinvention of the martial arts genre and turned Li into a major star across Asia.

12. What does Brigitte Lin think about her violent characters in the martial arts fantasy films?

‘I hate violence. But audiences love it,’ she told us. Learn more

Brigitte Lin in a still from The Bride with White Hair (1993). She says that personally she hates violence – but that her fans love to see her perform it.

13. What are Sammo Hung’s best movies?

Check out our picks of his 10 best films. Learn more

Sammo Hung in a scene from The Prodigal Son (1981). Hung is one of the hardest-working filmmakers in the history of Hong Kong cinema.

14. How much do you know about Donnie Yen, star of the Ip Man series?

Yen’s mother is also a martial arts master, for instance. Learn more

Donnie Yen playing the piano in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010), directed by Andrew Lau (back).