Solid Snake

Yuen Baio is really underrated. Sammo and Jackie totally overshadow him. I'd still kill to get a film with all the HK greats in there.

Tony Jaa is a marital artist but...well his films suck. He's sooo unconvincing in his films. Plus...how do we know he's all that great if it's only a movie? His little public promos of him "defending" himself aren't even great. I mean, even Bruce Lee fighting was different from his actual martial artistry. They do it to sell the motion of it. Where a straight forward punch or kick would work....how about a roundhouse kick to the face? and etc etc. Based off his films, he's not a great martial artist. As a stuntman? Fuck yeah...he's great at that. And therefore...why he's not a fav.

Dr Mabuse

Well favorite is one thing, and for that my choice it Jet Li.

Most legitimate is another thing, and Jet Li also takes that. I forget how many gold medals he won at the Chinese Wushu championship but it was way over 10. He is a prodigy at the stuff. He was defeating older, far more experienced people in his early teens.

mrhan

Yeah, I agree; really underrated. I'm sure even Bruce thought he was a badass since Yuen doubled for him and worked on his movies.

mrhan

Yeah, but that was the non sparring side of it. I have clips of him as a kid in competition. He never did full contact Sanda.

Edit: Here's the DVD of the clips I was referring to.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Kung-Fu-J...1160141&sr=8-1

newginafets

Perhaps you could provide with the picture of each

Lastdaysofrain

Tai Chi is a fighting system. I think they say with Kung Fu you can learn to fight in a year, but with Tai Chi you can learn to fight in ten years, but you'll be a great fighter.

The great thing about "the One" is that Jet Li uses a different fighting style for each character to seperate them during fights. It's pretty nerdy, but also really cool.

UAIOE

I gotta go with Sammo, I've seen more fights with him and more of his fight choreography.

devilshalo

Alexander Fu Sheng

Norm de Plume

The Brucester, alone for the purity of his fight scenes, not to mention his virtuosity as a fighter. No wires or other nonsense.
The others have all had great moments, especially Biao, Yen, and Li.

costanza

What if he lost that fight to Tom Po?

Maxflier

That would have changed everything

dino88

Do cage fighters count?

wm lopez

Well, you gotta understand Chuck is using his Karate Champion skills and not wire-fu like Jet Lee .

Bandoman

Fuck, I accidentally voted for Jet Li when I meant to vote for Bruce Lee. Hands down the best martial artists on that list.

visitor Q

Since this is all about film then I'd have to base this on more than just martial art skilz - screen presence, acting ability, martial artistry ..and lastly, fucking attitude (of course only when appropriate).

Bar none - Bruce Li

Jet Li is my personal favorite however - super fast and amazing martial artist skills, but he does not have the chops (no pun intended) in acting or screen presence in most cases. His facial expressions/reactions remind me of a lost child some times and I can't explain why. Not bold enough.

Donny Yen can raise the attitude bar, has the skills and insight, and is utterly bad ass but his acting ability is the shit (imho) - and I mean the bad version.

Tony Jaa is powerful and has the skills, but everything else is weak, weak, weak. He's essentially a heavily flawed Jackie Chan Muay Thai rip-off artist ...which is fine, but in the grand scheme end of day sort of way leaves him flailing away with no back up.

Jackie Chan has charisma, style and acting ability ...but I just haven't seen enough of his works to put him up top. Most of the films I've seen him in (latter half of career) I just don't take the guy serious enough ...or with enough attitude to get me behind him.

Sammo Hung is a talented martial artist. I still can't believe he moves as well as he does for his size. Phenomenal! And the boy can act. But the screen presence just doesn't do anything for me ...old or new films (Magnificent Butcher to SPL). I would admit that I haven't seen enough to put him up top, but I respect the guy for his abilities and the impact that he has had on the martial art film world. The only problem is that if Bruce Li had not been taken so early on ...the impact would have been greater.

Any others, with respect, I haven't witnessed enough for an opinion. Bruce Li suits every criteria I have in mind as a blend between martial artistry and film - easily.

devilshalo

Bruce Li came along as the Bruce Lee impersonator.

As far as real martial artists, none match Bruce Lee. However, in his onscreen fights, he has even said himself, that they are over-exaggerated movements. Other than the face off with O'Hara, I don't really care for most of his film's fight choreography.

visitor Q

Regardless of the name argument, on screen martial arts should be what is most debatable. The reference between "Lee" or "Li" is secondary I would think. Then again .....

shanester

Bruce Lee is in a class by himself!

He IS a legend!

SPiRAL

Sho Kosugi

Osiris3657

Jet Li is an 8 time wushu world champion and was a member of the Chinese Olympic team when he was younger

Osiris3657

You should really check out his stuff like Wheels on Meals, Dragons Forever, Operation Condor 1 and 2. That will change your mind about his skills

mikelowry

Sonny Corinthos

Norm de Plume

Some of the choreography wasn't the best. For instance, in The Chinese Connection, although I love the scene near the beginning when he clears the Japanese dojo, it's dead-obvious that his opponents are basically walking into his roundhouse kicks one-by-one, rather than attacking him en masse.

Possibly my favourite Lee "moment" is from his fight against Bob Wall in Return of the Dragon. The move in which he, in a matter of a split second, kicks Wall's ankle and then his head, is just stunning skill and speed.

visitor Q

Oh I don't doubt Chan's skills - I just don't take the guy serious enough. But I appreciate the recommendations ...I really need to see his earlier works. Are the Drunken Master films some of his best highlights?