Martial Arts films have been around for over half a century and have entertained us for multiple reasons. The fight scenes, the stunts, the lore, and the icons that the genre has given us. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Tony Jaa, are names that all had crossover success between the United States and Asia. These films are always being produced, even if they don't seem to be dominating the market. One of the most interesting things about Martial Arts films is that some of them are based on true stories.
Some films draw from stories from different dynasties in ancient China. Others are based on true events that double as great biographies and action films. Either it is a Shaw Brothers-produced film or something by Golden Harvest. It can star Bruce Lee, or be about the story of his master, or be the redemptive tale of a man who lived hundreds of years ago. These kinds of films are deeply rooted in powerful character studies with incredible arcs, and some of them are actually true.
Bloodsport (1988)
It is potentially one of the biggest titles on this list, and it stands out because it was produced in America and can easily be lumped in with a lot of action films of this era. Bloodsport stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux, a U.S. soldier who arrives in Hong Kong to fight in the Kumite. A highly dangerous underground fighting tournament. As he is given an opportunity to fight in the tournament, he is also being followed by government agents (one of whom is Forrest Whitaker in an early role) who believe he has gone AWOL.
Van Damme's character, Frank Dux, is apparently a real person who was a Vietnam veteran who crossed paths with Bloodsport screenwriter Sheldon Lettich. The real Frank had told him stories about a secret, no-holds-barred fighting rings he had fought in throughout the 1970s. One of which was called the Kumite. Some plot points were adjusted for the film, but Frank was apparently a real person.
The Lost Bladesman (2011)
Donnie Yen will be appearing a few times on this list. The Lost Bladesman is a historical war biopic and action film. It's about Guan Yu and based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is grounded in historical facts about Guan Yu and how he slayed six generals and played a key role in the fall of the Han Dynasty. A film full of epic battle scenes and fierce fight sequences. The Lost Bladesman is another fine example of why Donnie Yen is one of the standout martial arts masters of the genre.
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
An overlooked biopic of maybe the biggest icon of martial arts films, Bruce Lee. Yet, by 1993, Bruce Lee had been gone for two decades, so Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story feeds its audience information about Lee that they may not have been known at the time. Jason Scott Lee plays the title role well as we follow a young Bruce Lee from childhood to the moment he leaves China for Hollywood to become a martial arts teacher, which then leads him to his first acting role on the acclaimed series Green Hornet.
Hero (2002)
Hero is based on a true story about something that happened in 227 BC. The Jet Li-led film was the first Chinese film to hit number one at the box office in America. A film loaded with gorgeous cinematography and color palette, as well as imagery that can prove any cinephile wrong who thinks it's just another film with sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat. Hero is loosely based on an assassination attempt on the tyrannical king of Qin by a group of assassins.
The Grandmaster (2013)
Although Ip Man stands alone as its own franchise, The Grandmaster is its own take and interpretation on the story of the man who would eventually become the trainer of the great Bruce Lee. The film takes place during the fall of the last Chinese Dynasty, which was an era loaded with violence and chaos. Ip Man was a man whose path of peace gets thwarted. The highly stylized aesthetic look of the film complements the brilliant fight scenes. However, there are a lot of debates on what is fact and what is fiction in the film.
The Executioners From Shaolin (1977)
A classic Shaw Brothers-produced-kung fu film from the 1970s. A movie adored by Quentin Tarantino and mentioned in lyrics by the Wu-Tang Clan. The Executioners of Shaolin is a revenge tale that spans multiple generations. After the death of his father, a kung fu master, he learns both fighting styles of Tiger and Crane. He uses both of these fighting styles to wage war against the evil priest who was responsible for the death of his father.
The film is based on the true account of Shaolin hero Hong Xiguan. A man who survived the destruction of his temple by priest Bai Mei (a character who is played by Gordon Liu in both this film and Kill Bill Vol. 2). The film is highly fictionalized but is based on folklore drawn from what is believed to be actual events.
Fist of Fury (1972)
Next to Enter the Dragon, a lot of people refer to Fist of Fury as one of the best Hong Kong martial arts films that stars Bruce Lee. Fist of Fury may have a reoccurring plot that we see in martial arts films, but it never suffers from it. Lee plays Chen Zhen, a man who is seeking vengeance for the death of his master. As a whole, Fist of Fury is a work of fiction, but Chen Zhen's master, Huo Yuanjia, is believed to have been a real Kung Fu master who even got his own film about him (more on that shortly).
It's rumored that Lee's character is actually based on Yuanjia's most skilled student, Liu Zhenssheng. The film differs from other films of this era in that it takes place years earlier and seems to have a lot to say about Japanese imperialism. It has one of the best fight scenes ever, with Lee taking on several unarmed Japanese soldiers. And if you pay close attention, you may catch a young Jackie Chan as an extra in the film.
Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
Wong Fei-Hung is a grandmaster in Hung Ga style. There have been countless films, TV shows, and novels written about him over the years. He's had more adaptations of his life for storytelling purposes than any other martial artist ever. One of the most identifiable films is Once Upon a Time in China and its two sequels, which star Jet Li. A film that speaks a lot about China at the time in terms of the imperialism of other countries. The film depicts the master as a man who trains men to defend themselves against foreign threats.
Fearless (2006)
Jet Li plays Huo Yuanjia in the Ronny Yu-directed Fearless. A film that follows Yuanji's countless victories in martial art battles with opponents from all over the world. But the glory goes to his head, and tragedy strikes as he exiles himself to rural China. He seeks redemption upon his return and goes about life in a more humbling manner, especially against his opponents. As mentioned above in Fist of Fury, Huo Yuanjia was a real person, born in January 1868. He had a reputation as one of the most fearsome fighters in history. Fighting Russians and U.K. fighters during times of imperialism in China.
Ip Man (2008)
Ip Man has become one of the most recent martial arts film franchises of the past few years. With most of the films streaming somewhere, you are bound to learn a lot about Bruce Lee's Wing Chun teacher. Like a few other films on this list, Ip Man takes place during China's struggle during the Japanese takeover. A lot of the fighting in the film packs a punch based on the choreography and the sound design of the hits landing. But a lot of the fights and scenarios are fictionalized. Ip Man was born Yip Ka-Man.
He would be a fighter in his younger years, but eventually became a cop and trained other law enforcement officials in martial arts. He moved to Hong Kong to open a school to teach Wing Chun to students, and the rest is history. Ip Man lived to see his most famous student, Bruce Lee, become a star in movies. But sadly, he died of throat cancer in 1972, seven months before Bruce Lee's death.