Ever wondered if your favourite martial arts movie was ever based on a real person? Or maybe just parts of it like the hero was true but what happened in the movie is completely fabricated. Check out this list of martial arts movies based on fact or truth. I am going to purposely not include Bloodsport because let’s face it. Frank Dux made the whole thing up and made a fortune from it. I will eventually cover him in my Art of Bullshido series.
Fearless
Jet li plays Huo Yuanjia. The Chinese famous martial artists who was a grandmaster in Wushu and founded the Jin Wu sports federation also known as Chin Woo athletic association. He took on and defeated the foreigner Hercules 0’Brien. He also defeated other masters before tragedy strikes driving him into the hills only to return, defeat Hercules O’Brien and founding the Chin Woo athletic association. Shortly after he takes on various other foreigners using different weapons before taking on a Japanese fighter only to be poisoned by the Japanese as they didn’t want their guy to lose. He still lost as Huo Yuanjia breathed his last.
Fact:
Huo Yuanjia was born 18th January 1868 in Xiaonanhe Village in Jinghai County, Qing China. During his early days, he grew a reputation as a fearsome fighter defeating various traveling martial artists who challenged his family and even a bandit leader. He rose to fame when he responded to a Russian strongman challenged calling the Chinese sick me of Asia. After he accepted the challenge the Russian heard about his rep and pulled out. He also answered Hercules 0’Brien challenge and after a bunch of rules stipulations he was said to of defeated him but there’s speculation if the fight even took place. There’s also speculation whether he found Chin Woo athletic association and in fact, it was founded by a committee of persons following his fame a recent death said Huo Yuanjia should be the face of the Chin Woo athletic association.
Fist of Fury/Fist of Legend
Following on from Fearless we have the story of his most skilled and famous student Chen Zhen played by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury and by Jet Li is the remake Fist of Legend. It tells the story of Chen Zhen upon hearing of his master’s death at the hands of a Japanese master decides to find out what happened. He travels to the Japanese dojo and handily defeats everyone there including the master who defeated Huo Yuanjia. He suspects foul play as if he could beat the Japanese master, so would of Huo Yuanjia.
Fact.
While most of the movie is fictitious it is inspired by Huo Yuanjia most skilled student Liu Zhensheng. On top of this, not much is known about Liu Zhensheng other than he did eventually become a master and teacher himself. I also read somewhere a while back he fought another master to a stalemate only for Huo Yuanjia to then fight the master and defeat him.
Ip Man
I think everyone has seen the movie and knows the story of Ip Man. Mainly famous for being Bruce Lee’s Wing Chun teacher. The movie tells the story of grandmaster Ip Man struggle through Japans attempted occupation of China. Being challenged by various masters before having his home taken away from him. Scraping to survive he witnesses his friend fighting Japanese karate black belts for food. Organised by a Japanese General who respects fighting skill. His friend takes on more than he should, loses and is ruthlessly gunned down prompting Ip Man to take on and annihilate no less than 10 black belts at once. The general upon witnessing this wants his shot and happens to be a karate master himself.
Fact
Born October 1st, 1963 Yip Ka-man also known as Yip Man. Most of the movie is fabricated and Ip Man didn’t have even a quarter of the fight depicted in the movie. Naturally, in his younger years, he had various fights with other Kung Fu practitioners and even lost some such as his 2 loses to Leung Bik another Wing Chun master. After his loss, Leung Bik became his teacher. Later on, he had several children with his wife and he became a police officer and even trained some of his fellow policemen in Wing Chun. Moving to Hong Kong with his wife he opened his own Wing Chun school but this wasn’t a great source of income and twice he had to move schools. Eventually, his students became quite proficient in Wing Chun and opened up that own schools. They would go on to spar with other martial artists to compare skills. Victories helped increase Ip Mans fame. In 1967 some of his students established the Ving Tsun Athletic Association mainly to help with Ip Man financial difficulties. This led to him being addicted to opium and even having a mistress who bore him a son. his wife Cheung died of cancer in 1960. Ip’s mistress died of cancer in 1968, and their son would later become a Wing Chun practitioner. Ip Man died on December 2nd, 1972 from throat cancer only seven months before Bruce Lee’s death.
Wong Fei-Hung
Rather than say which movie is about Wong Fei-Hung is easier to list the amounts of movies about him. He’s had more movies, tv shows, and novels written about him than any other martial artists. Including Challenge of the Masters, Drunken Master, Magnificent Butcher, and Iron Monkey to name a few but most famously Once Upon a time in China. Once upon a time in China depicts the folk hero as a Kung Fu master who trains men in martial arts to defend against foreign powers already holding Hong Kong and Macau.
Fact.
Wong Fei-Hung was born Wong Sek-Cheung on 9th July 1847 in Nanhai County. He was a grandmaster in Hung Ga style of Kung Fu and a physician. He is sometimes incorrectly identified as one of the Ten Tigers of Canton who none other than Beggar So/So Chan (Drunken Master) was a member of but it was his father Wong Kei-Ying was one of the ten. His father taught him Hung Ga Kung Fu who he used to travel with. Later on, he opened his own school and his family clinic. Around the 1860s or 1870s, he was recruited by the commander of the Black Flag Army to be the medical officer and martial arts, instructor. He also followed them to fight the Imperial Japanese Army during the Invasion of Taiwan. If he had any epic martial arts fights during this time we can only guess. After all, this was done and dusted, he was hired as a guard/bouncer by various businesses. In 1919 he was invited by the newly formed Chin Woo Athletic Association to perform at the opening ceremony. His son who was working as a bodyguard was murdered by a rival who was jealous of his martial arts skills. This made Wong stop teaching his other sons martial arts. He died on 17th April 1925 after falling into depression and illness because his medical clinic Po Chi Lam was destroyed when the Nationalist government was suppressing the uprising by the Guangzhou Merchant Volunteers Corps.
Executioners From Shaolin
The main character that is true in Executioners from Shaolin is Bak Mei (Pai Mei). Also portrayed by Gordon Liu in Kill Bill as the white-haired Kung Fu master. Usually depicted as a bad guy due to his probably sketchy at best true history. He was said to have been a traitor monk who betrayed the Shaolin temple. Executioners from Shaolin starts with the traitor Bai Mei (Lo Lieh) killing the Master of his Shaolin Temple. The Temple is then burned to the ground and the students scattered or killed. It then tells the story of a fleeing monk who meets a young woman named Ying Chun. They fall in love. She is fluent in Crane Style Kung Fu. He is Tiger Style. They have a son. The father trains hard to battle The White-browed Hermit (Pai Mei). He loses and retreats. Trains even harder and returns but this time is killed leaving it up to his son Wen-Ding to find a way to defeat Pai Mei. His mother starts teaching the son Crane style but he also learns Tiger style to take revenge.
Fact:
Born in the 1600s. Pai Mei is said to have been one of the legendary five elders. Survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin temple by the Qing dynasty. There are many accounts of his history. Some versions say the traitor is not Pai Mei but actually Ma Ning-Yee. Other accounts have them working together. Some have him not actually betraying the Shaolin temple but simply refusing to join the fight against the Qing dynasty. One version say he was simply banished from the Shaolin temple because he killed several of his fellow monks when he tried his new style. Historical accounts have him as a traitor. Betraying the current Ming dynasty and supporting the Qing dynasty which eventually destroyed the Shaolin Temple. He escaped the massacre as one of the five elders. They retreated to the nine Lotus mountain temple. According to stories Pai Mei betrayed the Ming at this point, taking information to the Qing but returned with information on the Qing’s plan to attack the temple. After the temple was destroyed, he left and trained an anti-imperial attack force which was captured by the imperial. Pai Mei was forced to train 50000 imperial troops. Following a 2nd attack on the Shaolin temple in Henan, to prevent the monks captured by the troops that followed him being tortured and killed, Pai Mei defeated and killed the invincible Shaolin leader Chi Thien Su in single combat by breaking his neck. This in most accounts is why he’s portrayed as a traitor but according to Pai Mei, he did it to prevent the monks from being tortured to death. As I said previously there are many accounts but with much of the Shaolin Temples history destroyed or lost, we may never know the true story of even if he existed at all.
The Lost Bladesman
The historical martial arts story of legendary Chinese hero Guan Yu played by Donnie Yen. It tells the events of Guan Yu crossing five passes and slaying six generals. Temporary serving Cao Cao while waiting for news of the whereabouts of his sworn brother Liu Bei. Upon receiving news of Liu Bei whereabouts Guan Yu promptly leaves against Cao Cao wishes. Even though Cao Cao said not to engage Guan Yu he still encountered resistance and defeated all who tried to stop him which consisted of five generals Kong Xiu, Han Fu, Meng Tan, Bian Xi, Wang Zhi, and Qin Qi.
Fact
The movie loosely followers the events of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms which in turn is part historical, part legend and mythical. Also, the game Dynasty Warriors features Guan Yu with all other characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and follows the events of the novel. Guan Yu served under warlord Liu Bei who was he sworn brother with his other sworn brother Zhang Fei. He played a pivotal part leading up to the end of the Han dynasty. While serving under Liu Bei he was captured by Cao Cao who respected Guan Yu so asked the emperor to make him lieutenant general. Serving under Cao Cao he slew the general Yan Liang’. After this Cao Cao knew he wouldn’t serve under him long as he was loyal to Liu Bei, he instructed his men not to persue Guan Yu when he left. He had far too many battles to list here but one notably battle was against the legendary unbeatable warrior Lu Bu. His sworn brother Zhang Fei had already battled 50 rounds to a stalemate. Guan Yu picks up his Dragon Blade and joins to assist his brother. The three fighters battled another 30 rounds before their 3rd sworn brother Liu Bei joined the fray. Still, they couldn’t defeat Lu Bu taking it in turns to attack him from different directions. Lu Bu realising, he could not win managed to escape.
Fighter in the Wind
Based on the legendary martial artists Mas Oyama. A young Korean man Choi Bae-dal longs to be a fighter pilot so stows away to japan to fight in the war. Only things don’t quite work out like that. After numerous beatings from Japanese officers and Japanese gangsters and when his master is killed, He vows never again to lose a fight and retreats to the mountains to train. He trains day and night, lifting tree trunks, running, hardening his body with makeshift training equipment and fighting spirit. He returns wearing the same ragged Gi he went to the mountains with, changing his name to Masutatsu Oyama and challenges the best fighters in Japan. Wearing his rags and looking like a caveman he soundly defeats all he comes up against with only one blow.
Fact
For the most part, a lot of the movie is true. Choi Yeong-eui (Mas Oyama) was born in Japanese Korea on July 27, 1923. He left for Japan to become a pilot. Sometime during this time, he chose his Japanese name Oyama Masutatsu. After the war, he contacted the Shotokan dojo (Karate school) operated by Gigō Funakoshi, the third son of karate master and Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi. This is where he began his lifelong career in Karate. During this time being angry at American actions in the war he started many fights with US servicemen. Eventually, he retreated to the mountains to train his mind and body. One of his students accompanied but couldn’t hack it so snuck off one night. He stayed in the mountains for 14 months and returned stronger and fiercer than ever. He won the Karate Section of Japanese National Martial Arts Championships and then returned to the mountains as he intended to stay for 3 years. 18 months later he returned to open his own dojo named Oyama Dojo. He still travelled around giving live demonstrations, wrestling Bulls and knocking them unconscious with his bare hands. He also invented the Kumite which Oyama enjoyed testing himself in. Over the course of three days, Oyama fought 300 sparring matches, one after the other, and defeated all comers. He made a 100-man battle the requirement for getting your fourth-degree black belt in Kyokushinaki Karate. Later in life, he suffered from osteoarthritis but never gave up training. Oyama died at the age of 70, on Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 1994, of lung cancer, despite never being a smoker.
There is probably a whole bunch more but I’ve not seen every movie. Let me know in the comments.
