Here are 10 actors who have been trained in one or the other form of martial arts.
1. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan is an actor, director, stuntman, and martial artist. He is popularly known for his engaging acrobatics stunts, which he performs without a stunt double. Jackie Chan has been trained in various forms of martial arts such as Judo, Taekwondo, Jeet Kun Do, and Karate. Between the age of 7 and 17, Jackie engaged in an in-depth study of mime, acrobatics, singing, and martial arts. Jackie was admitted into the Peking Opera School and professionally trained in acrobatics and martial arts for a decade. Once he entered the film industry, he began learning Hapkido and eventually received his black belt.
2. Wu Jing
Wu Jing is an actor, martial artist, and director. He was first cast in the year 1996 after being spotted by the martial arts choreographer, Yuen Woo-Ping in 1995. He was first featured in the film “Tai Chi Boxer”. Wu Jing has been involved in the martial arts world since his birth. He hails from a martial arts family, and he began training at the 'Beijing Sports Institute' at the tender age of 6. He received his training under the legendary Kung Fu master, Wu Bing. Wu Bing was also the trainer of the famous Jet Li. Wu Bing went on to compete with the Beijing Wushu Team.
3. Zhang Jin
Zhang Jin is a martial artist, actor, and former wushu athlete. Zhang Jin has been trained in the traditional form of Chinese martial arts, Wushu. Zhang Jin is currently one of the most well-known for being a former wushu champion. Zhang Jin had begun working in the entertainment world, working as a stunt actor. "Hidden Dragon" and "Crouching Tiger" rank among some of Zhang Jin’s most famous works. He had also worked as the stunt double for Zhang Ziyi.
4. Yuen Biao
Yuen Biao is an actor, action choreographer, stunt director, and martial artist. He made his entry into the entertainment industry in the 70s, working as an extra and stunt double. In his early days, he had been a part of some widely known productions such as Bruce Lee’s “Fist Of Fury”, “Game Of Death”, and “Way Of The Dragon”. Yuen Biao’s first lead role was in the film “Knockout”. During his time at the academy he enrolled in, he was the youngest student and was nicknamed ‘Yuen Biao’.
5. Jet Li
Jet Li is one of the most celebrated Chinese actors known for his work in the entertainment industry. Jet Li has been a part of the martial arts world since a young age. He won his first-ever National Championship at the age of 11 and went on to become an official member of the Beijing Wushu Team. Jet Li was trained under the guidance of Li Junfeng and Wu Bin and ended up winning fifteen golds and one silver in national Chinese wushu championships.
6. Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is an actor, film director, producer, action choreographer, and martial artist. He is also a multiple-time world kung fu tournament champion. Donnie has been skillfully trained in various Olympic sports, including Boxing, Wing Chun, Wushu, Tai Chi, among many others. He became intrigued by martial arts in his youth and began experimenting with various styles. He began learning about Tai Chi and other forms of traditional Chinese martial arts as well. He slowly got into both Kung Fu and Taekwondo as well.
7. Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a martial artist, martial arts instructor, actor, screenwriter, philosopher, and director. He was the founder of the martial arts style widely known as ‘Jeet Kun Do’. It is often credited with paving the way for modern MMA. Lee is considered to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time due to his contribution to the field. He began appearing in children’s roles in minor films like “Fu Gui Fu Yun” and “The Birth Of Mankind”. The only formal form of training Bruce Lee had ever received was over a period of five years, under the wing of Sifu Yip Man.
8. Zhao Wenzhou
Zhao Wenzhou is a martial artist and an actor. Zhao Wenzhou’s father was a martial arts practitioner, and Zhao initially began training under his father’s guidance at the age of eight, but he wasn’t entirely devoted to it since he was more interested in singing. In the 1980s, Zhao was enrolled in the martial arts academy in Harbin. This was where he finally began to love the sport. He would, later on, become the youngest member of the Harbin wushu team. Zhao Wenzhou was accepted in the Beijing Sport University in 1990 to professionally learn martial arts.
9. Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu is a martial artist and a martial arts film actor. He received his first big break with Chang’s Film Company. Around the age of 15 to 20, Gordon began skipping classes to train in martial arts at Lau Cham’s martial arts school of Hung Gar discipline, without his parents' knowledge. He got a job working as a shipping clerk to make ends meet but always showed a keen interest in the field of martial arts. Eventually, his hard work would pay off when he was offered a role by Lau Kar-Leung.
10. Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is an actor, film producer, director, fight choreographer, and martial artist. He made his debut in the year 1961 film “Education Of Love”. Sammo Hung began working as an action choreographer for the Raymond Chow and the Golden Harvest Film company in 1970. His outstanding work gained extreme popularity, and he caught the eye of King Hu, the Taiwanese director. In the same year, Sammo Hung had gone to South Korea to study Hapkido under Master Ji Han-Jae.
