Most talented Kung fu martial artist, other than Bruce Lee

[Jonny]

Who is your favourite Kung fu martial artist other than Bruce Lee .. I have so many .. Don Wong Tao is one of my favourites .. often wonder what it would have been like if he had signed with Shaw Brothers or he had continued his golden Harvest contract & made a better movie than slaughter in San Francisco.. can’t help feel like there was so much more he could have done if he had got the chance. Casanova Wong, for his leg work.. Phillip ko is near the top of the list .. chi kuan Chun & Lo Meng for his powerful presence in movies .. would be great to hear other people’s view. Thanks. 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Jonny

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

Tan Tao Liang, Donnie Yen, old school, new school.

[ShawAngela]

There are so many...

Sammo Hung, Tan Tao Liang, Angela Mao, Chia Ling, Shan Kuan Ling Fung, Chi Kuan Chun, Adam Cheng, Liu Chia Liang, Liu Chia Yung, Liu Chia Hui, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Kuo Chue, Wei Pai, Sun Chien, Chiang Sheng, Chen Kuan Tai...

[sym8]

Where do we begin?Staying away from the usual suspects,I would choose Billy Chong.He only made a handful of films but they are all great entertainment,what could have been if he was at one of the big studios.

[ShawAngela]

Oh, y es, Billy Chong ! 

How could I have forgotten him while he is also one of my favorite actors and martial artist  !

Thanks for having mentioned him !

[AlexanderFu]

I like Chang Yi.  Cliff lok is great. Wang Kuan Hsiung, Tien peng, Phillip Ko, 

 

For Swords, I like Norman Chu Siu Kung, Lau Wing, Lo Lieh….etc

 

Lo Lieh looked good at whatever he did, sword or shape.

 

 

I like a bunch others but cannot think of them all at the moment.

 

All the ladies were great. Judy Chia Ling my favorite and Angela Mao And Shang-kuan Ling Feng...Hsu Feng.....

 

I love Shaws but after all this time I really like the non Shaw actors as much and probably watch mpre of them these days.

 

Lung Fei is great.....Liu Ping, Shan Mao - Tsai Hung, can't forget him...… I could go on a while. Love em all.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Fu Sheng comes to mind. 

[Josh Baker]

My nomination is Sammo Hung probably.

Angela Mao also springs to mind immediately,

Casanova Wong and Hwang in Sik were excellent kickers

Whereas the timing and skill of the Venom Mob is almost as good that of the Peking Opera graduates for my money...

[DrNgor]

1 hour ago, AlexanderFu said:

For Swords, I like Norman Chu Siu Kung, Lau Wing, Lo Lieh….etc

 

Lo Lieh looked good at whatever he did, sword or shape.

IIRC, Norman Chu wasn't an actual martial artist. He was an athletic person who had the ability to do everything the choreographers asked him to do. Leung Kar-Yan was in the same boat.

[DrNgor]

Talking about talented Martial Artists...

Yuen Biao
Sammo Hung
Donnie Yen
Jet Li
Lau Kar-Leung
Scott Adkins
Bruce Leung Siu-Lung
Legendary Superkicker Hwang Jang Lee
Yasuaki Kurata

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

I'm surprised nobody said Jackie Chan yet, lol. Is he not kung fu enough? Or is it cause he's more of a comedian?  Screw it, I'll go Jackie Chan. He is the goat. 

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

I went with Tan Tao Liang as he was literally being goaded into challenging Bruce Lee, and people felt he had a shot at it, at the time. He was a full contact champion at Tae Kwon do, which was much rougher back then. If you are talking about on screen, Jackie was really good, as well as Yuen Biao. Sammo looks good, but a lot has to do with quick cuts and camera angles. If you see him without all that and the undercranking, he isn't as impressive. He's a big dude, so that would help fighting those small guys. 

People mentioned Fu Sheng and Phillip Ko Fei said he was brilliant. But he also said that about Jackie and Jet, but that they were not on the level of a Bruce Lee, as he could fight and film.

[danthemandmv]

Everyone has listed so many impressive talents; let me add Shinichi ''Sonny'' Chiba plus his proteges Hiroyuki Sanada & Etsuko Shihomi (technically karate I know, but awesome martial artists nonetheless ; also, they've appeared in  some kung fu flicks through the years...)

[CT KID]

4 hours ago, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

I went with Tan Tao Liang as he was literally being goaded into challenging Bruce Lee, and people felt he had a shot at it, at the time. He was a full contact champion at Tae Kwon do, which was much rougher back then. If you are talking about on screen, Jackie was really good, as well as Yuen Biao. Sammo looks good, but a lot has to do with quick cuts and camera angles. If you see him without all that and the undercranking, he isn't as impressive. He's a big dude, so that would help fighting those small guys. 

People mentioned Fu Sheng and Phillip Ko Fei said he was brilliant. But he also said that about Jackie and Jet, but that they were not on the level of a Bruce Lee, as he could fight and film.

I would include Benny Urquidez in there too, he looked awesome in his two fights with Jackie and he was one of the greatest full contact fighters of all time. Bruce wouldn't have stood a chance with the Jet in his prime, even though he didn't have the charisma of Lee.

[paimeifist]

Lau Kar Wing.

 

Ain’t enough of him on the screen, but what’s there always looks so masterful.

 

@danthemandmv Nice on mentioning Hiroyuki Sanada.

[DrNgor]

1 hour ago, paimeifist said:

Lau Kar Wing.

 

Ain’t enough of him on the screen, but what’s there always looks so masterful.

From DVD Talk's review of Shaolin King Boxer (1979):

Quote

There are many simple, beautiful things in this world, snowfall on a full-moonlit night, water running over smooth river stones, the look on a woman's face when she's in ecstasy, and the way Liu Chia [Yung] can fight with two broadswords

 

[DrNgor]

7 hours ago, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

Sammo looks good, but a lot has to do with quick cuts and camera angles. If you see him without all that and the undercranking, he isn't as impressive. He's a big dude, so that would help fighting those small guys.

Yeah, I'd respectfully disagree with the above. While his 80s kickboxing does have a lot of that, there's no denying the man's skill. And he's indeed an awesome martial artist knowledgeable in a lot of styles: hung gar (as seen in Magnificent Butcher and Ip Man 2), wing chun (Warriors 2, Ip Man--he choreographed, Gambling Ghost), hapkido, mantis (Shaolin Traitorous), tai chi (Kung Fu Cult Master and the Tai Chi 0/Hero films he choreographed), monkey (Encounter of the Spooky Kind and Knockabout), etc.

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

4 minutes ago, DrNgor said:

Yeah, I'd respectfully disagree with the above. While his 80s kickboxing does have a lot of that, there's no denying the man's skill. And he's indeed an awesome martial artist knowledgeable in a lot of styles: hung gar (as seen in Magnificent Butcher and Ip Man 2), wing chun (Warriors 2, Ip Man--he choreographed, Gambling Ghost), hapkido, mantis (Shaolin Traitorous), tai chi (Kung Fu Cult Master and the Tai Chi 0/Hero films he choreographed), monkey (Encounter of the Spooky Kind and Knockabout), etc.

Watch him in Tiger of The Northland against the star. You can see the real difference between a real champion athlete and a classical martial artist. The difference is striking. But I love Sammo's movies.

[Yihetuan]

Very few names left to mention as the previous posters pretty much nailed them all. The one that pops in my head is Carter Wong. I always enjoyed watching him. He wasn't the most talented or athletic but he had a prolific career. I'm not well versed on his background but I know he was trained in multi-disciplinary martial arts encompassing TM, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai and Hapkido among others. he's trained the Royal HK police, FBI and DEA and even Hungarian military police in fighting techniques. So he definitely has "real world" talent and not just an onscreen fighter.

https://www.scmp.com/article/322578/master-carter-wong-ka-tat

[sym8]

12 hours ago, danthemandmv said:

Everyone has listed so many impressive talents; let me add Shinichi ''Sonny'' Chiba plus his proteges Hiroyuki Sanada & Etsuko Shihomi (technically karate I know, but awesome martial artists nonetheless ; also, they've appeared in  some kung fu flicks through the years...)

It’s a pity Chiba didn’t really get into the Hong Kong scene but I think his style of fight choreography was more suited to Japan,but saying that Sanada did Ninja in the Dragons den and later Royal warriors and looked good doing that style of choreography 

8 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Yeah, I'd respectfully disagree with the above. While his 80s kickboxing does have a lot of that, there's no denying the man's skill. And he's indeed an awesome martial artist knowledgeable in a lot of styles: hung gar (as seen in Magnificent Butcher and Ip Man 2), wing chun (Warriors 2, Ip Man--he choreographed, Gambling Ghost), hapkido, mantis (Shaolin Traitorous), tai chi (Kung Fu Cult Master and the Tai Chi 0/Hero films he choreographed), monkey (Encounter of the Spooky Kind and Knockabout), etc.

Have to agree,like Jackie said “200lbs and moves like a monkey”

[ShaOW!linDude]

Not much I can add here.

Leung Kar Yan was always impressive to me though he was not a classically trained martial artist, but the guy was an excellent mimic, and had a knack for copping fight choreography and selling it onscreen. 

Sammo, Chan, and Biao are all amazing, and the more I watch, the more I appreciate Sammo's talents as a fighter, tumbler, choreographer, actor, and director. In his hey day, the guy was phenomenal. But any of the three is impressive and accomplished in their performances and depictions of martial arts styles.

Donnie Yen is a freaking beast. That dude is scary on screen. 

Can't forget Gordon Liu. 

And I can always watch Hsiao Ho. Wish that guy had done some modern actioners. 

Oh, and Wilson Tong, anyone? You must be impressive when Sammo dubs you the "Foot Doctor" for your kicking skills.

Personally, I never was all that impressed with Dorian Tan or his protege John Liu. Their screen presence was very hit and miss, depending on the film, and while obviously talented, their fight sequences typically became very repetitious very quickly. Fu Sheng was always hit and miss with me, too. Some films he looks great, and others I find him sort of underwhelming.

 

[JackieRome]

Jackie (who is my absolute reference point), Sammo, Yuen, Liu Kar Lueng, Donnie, Wu Jing, Jet Li (not everything); they are the only martial artists whose fights I can always see without ever doubting "just once" their skills. Which is what happens to me with all the others who at least let me have a laugh, or they don't convince me at all by stopping to see the film.

[HyperDrive]

For old school, it would have to be Hwang Jang Lee, Kwon Young Moon, and the Long brothers.

For modern day, Phillip Rhee was on the US Olympic TKD team and Yukari Oshima trained in Goju-Ryu Karate.

[DrNgor]

While not one of my favorites, Michael Chan Wai-Man is an authentic martial artist with a lot of tournament and street fighting cred. He did boxing (or kickboxing) and Northern styles--he frequently uses Ying Jao Pai in his movies. And he does weapons well on film--and has apparently gotten in his fair share of knife/chopper fights, too.

[Jonny]

Thanks for all the replies.. a lot of people on here certainly know their Kung fu .. I read over these & think, why didn’t I choose him.. it’s impossible to choose a favorite.. two I did see that stood out for me .. Alexander Fu Sheng, who’s one my favorite from Shaw brother movies & Billy Chong.. very talented.. I wonder how many more Kung fu movies he would have done, if he appeared on the scene earlier. He actually did an Indonesian movie a few years back.. but the name of it escapes me. Once again.. Thankyou for all the excellent replies... one more question that I’ve always wondered about .. why did Wong Tao completely give up martial arts in the mid 80s .. I’ve heard numerous story’s .. one that he injured himself.. if anybody as any info on him.. I’d like to hear.