This Martial Arts Star Changed The Genre 3 Different Times In His Career

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While Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li are often considered the biggest names in martial arts films, there’s a hugely influential star who doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Many talented actors have contributed to the genre, and this individual is definitely among the most important.

As a longtime fan of martial arts cinema, I have to say Jimmy Wang Yu was a true game-changer. Primarily working in the late ’60s and ’70s, he wasn’t just in great movies, he helped define the genre. We’re talking classics like The One-Armed Swordsman, The Chinese Boxer, The One-Armed Boxer, and the unforgettable Master of the Flying Guillotine – films that still hold up today and really show off his impact.

I’ve always felt that Wang Yu didn’t just create good films—he completely changed the game for martial arts movies. And it’s the same with Bruce Lee, really. He didn’t just ride the wave of kung fu’s popularity in the 70s; with Enter the Dragon, he took it to a whole new level and forged a path for everyone else.

However, Jimmy Wang Yu stands out from other famous stars in this genre. While many actors impact the genre with a single film, Wang Yu did so three times, all within just ten years.

Jimmy Wang Yu Created The Template For A Male Martial Arts Movie Hero

Martial arts films began with the work of Shaw Brothers Studio, which dominated the kung fu scene in the 1970s and 80s. In the 1960s, they produced many ‘wuxia’ films – stories about heroic swordsmen and skilled female fighters – like Come Drink with Me, The Magnificent Trio, and The Knight of Knights. These films often combined exciting action with romantic storylines.

Everything changed for Shaw Brothers with the release of The One-Armed Swordsman. The film featured Jimmy Wang Yu, the studio’s biggest male star, as a warrior who loses an arm after being rejected by a woman. After mastering combat with only one arm, Wang Yu’s character returns to action, defeating his enemies in a violent and spectacular fashion.

This film helped establish several common elements found in martial arts movies, including the now-familiar trope of a hero’s rigorous training before a final showdown. Wang Yu’s performance as Fang Kang also popularized a trend of Hong Kong action films featuring tough, morally ambiguous male leads – a style that remains popular even now.

Jimmy Wang Yu Is Frequently Credited For Making The First Martial Arts Movie

While The One-Armed Swordsman was a significant film, Jimmy Wang Yu’s most impactful work in the martial arts genre was The Chinese Boxer, released three years later. He not only starred in the 1970 film, but also directed and wrote it. The story follows a martial arts instructor who seeks revenge after his school is destroyed.

While the storyline might seem familiar today, The Chinese Boxer was groundbreaking in 1970. It was one of the first big Hong Kong movies to focus on hand-to-hand combat – kung fu – rather than fighting with weapons. Wang Yu specifically wanted to highlight Chinese martial arts with this film, and it quickly inspired a trend, leading to many more action movies emphasizing kung fu over swordplay.

Master Of The Flying Guillotine Was A Huge Influence On Several Martial Arts Movies

As much as I loved Jimmy Wang Yu’s work with Shaw Brothers, especially The Chinese Boxer, it was cool to see his career keep going when he moved over to Golden Harvest. He made a bunch more kung fu flicks there, and one of my favorites is The One-Armed Boxer from 1972. It was a really interesting mix – it took the ideas from films like The One-Armed Swordsman and The Chinese Boxer, but then threw in these crazy, over-the-top elements, like Tibetan monks who could literally blow themselves up like balloons! It was wild and totally unforgettable.

Four years after the success of One-Armed Boxer, Jimmy Wang Yu created a follow-up film, Master of the Flying Guillotine. Released in 1976, this sequel amplified the original’s over-the-top action and imaginative fight techniques. It featured even more unbelievable characters – like an Indian fighter with incredibly flexible arms – and showcased bizarre, creative finishing moves from the hero, his opponents, and the villain.

Many filmmakers now recognize the impact of Master of the Flying Guillotine. Quentin Tarantino has often discussed how it shaped his work on Kill Bill, and popular martial arts video games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat – which have since been adapted into films – seem to have borrowed from its over-the-top action and finishing techniques (according to The Hollywood Reporter).

How Jimmy Wang Yu Influenced The Careers Of The Martial Arts Genre’s Two Biggest Legends

Jimmy Wang Yu had a huge impact on martial arts films, even influencing Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and therefore becoming part of their history. While Bruce Lee didn’t like Jimmy Wang Yu, biographer Matthew Polly suggests Lee was often motivated to outdo Wang Yu, whom he saw as a competitor.

Polly believes Jimmy Wang Yu paved the way for Bruce Lee’s Way of the Dragon – a hugely influential martial arts film – by taking creative control of his own movies, like The Chinese Boxer. Wang Yu’s decision to write, direct, and star in his own projects inspired Lee to do the same.

Wang Yu had a significant influence on Jackie Chan, especially early in his career when they worked together on the film The Killer Meteors. In the late 1970s, Jackie Chan was trapped by a restrictive contract, and Wang Yu helped him break free from it, allowing him to work with Golden Harvest.

Jimmy Wang Yu helped Jackie Chan by taking on tasks that allowed Chan to create some of the greatest martial arts films of all time, highlighting Chan’s significant impact on the genre.

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2025-11-12 21:48