When one thinks of martial artists in the movies everyone thinks of Bruce Lee and for good reason. He was a trailblazer, pioneer and paved the way for thousands of untold martial artists in film. In today’s Hollywood age very few thespians actually do their own stunts however; martial artist tend to be more inclined to have the desire to legitimately do their own stunts and have a reputation of doing so against director/producer advice.
Here we look at five martial artists who do their own stunts most of the time; one has to keep in mind that due to a variety of factors including but not limited to health and safety it is not always in the best interest of the person to take the risks required to do their own stunts…so please don’t crucify me for that one time when so-and-so may or may not have possibly had a stand in. Therefore, this list is comprised of the best of the very best that are known for doing their own stunts!
5) Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu, who has a well-documented history of doing her own stunts, is as skilled as a martial artist and actress as she is beautiful. Known for her roles in box office hits such as Jerry MaGuire, Payback, Shanghai Noon, and a plethora of others; her defining moment as a true martial arts actress can probably be traced to her role in the Kill Bill films as she prominently displayed her Kali-Escrima-Silat skills.
4) Tony Jaa
Somewhat of a cult icon, this Muay Thai specialist is known for his defining role in Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. For years he was known as a stuntman with his most notable role being that of Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat Annihilation but now finds himself acting right alongside his heroes and inspirational figures Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen. The former Buddhist monk and Muay Thai aficionado is quickly rising to fame and it comes to no surprise that the stuntman by trade is known for doing all of his own stunts.
3) Jet Li
This retired Wushu world champion from Beijing starred in his first Hollywood film in 1998 when he landed a role in Lethal Weapon 4 and very quickly rose to prominence. Starring in films such as The One, Kiss of the Dragon, and the Expendables trilogy his success as a martial arts actor who performs his own stunts is undeniable.
2) Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a mixed martial artist in every sense of the word. He holds the rank of 6th Dan in Taekwondo, a black belt in Judo, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and is a multiple time Wushu world champion; he also does all of his own stunts. Yen is attributed as popularizing the art of Wing Chun for the role he played as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man which led to hundreds of new Wing Chun schools opening in China due to the influx of new students.
1) Jackie Chan
This Kung Fu and Wing Chun master is one of the Asian martial artists who paved the way for an entire generation of martial artists in film and actually got his start as a stunt double for Bruce Lee. With over 150 films to his credit as well as over 50 years of acting experience, Chan has become an iconic cultural figure in martial arts films and was one of the first to become known for his willingness and insistence on performing his own stunts. The rumor is he has never used a double and as evidence of his willingness to sacrifice his body at any costs check out the GIF below in which he was electrocuted, suffered a back injury, burned off all the skin on his hands, and dislocated his pelvis!
