The top 5 fight scenes of all time

Here are the top 5 martial arts fight scenes of all time— chosen by no metric other than the sheer entertainment value they provide.

5) Kickboxer

Jean-Claude Van Damme vs. Tong Po

After watching Muay Thai monster, Tong Po, cripple brothers and rape girlfriends for two hours, it becomes quite gratifying to watch Jean-Claude Van Damme beat the ever-loving-piss out of him for the last 10 minutes of the movie. Van Damme is in peak form here. While his skill-set strays a little bit on the unbelievable side, it works well given how over-the-top the rest of the movie is.

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4) Warrior

Brendan vs. Tommy

While the final bout between Brendan and his estranged brother, Tommy, is only a modest attempt to realistically depict the essence of mixed martial arts, the scene definitely pulls-off the raw emotion of a sibling rivalry— a real tear-jerker that is sure to crack even the most stoic and hardened warriors.

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3) The Matrix

Neo vs. Morpheus

Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne are not exactly known for their martial arts savvy, but you would never know that during their virtual battle in The Matrix. Superb choreography and CGI merge here to portray some wicked looking hand-to-hand combat.

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2) Karate Kid

Daniel Larusso vs. Johnny Lawrence

It’s hard to like the Cobra Kai. While it is true that they may never die, there are few things in the world more infuriating than a group of blonde, comically evil, cackling, teen brats. Just when it looks like Daniel is done for, he pulls off the infamous crane-kick that had an entire generation of 80’s kids flopping around playgrounds.

1) Way of the Dragon

Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris

Enter: The Coliseum, where two of the most legendary martial artists of all time go head-to-head in one of the most iconic battles in cinematic history. The scene starts off rather slapstick, but quickly escalates into something darker and perhaps more appropriate. Whether or not the choreography is reflective of a real fight between the two, the dance of death they entangle in is so entertaining and aesthetically pleasing, it’s difficult not to enjoy.