The Finest One-on-One Fights in Martial Arts Films, Ranked

Whether or not it comes initially, the top, or someplace in between, each nice martial arts movie has not less than one spectacular one-on-on battle scene. Perhaps it is the hero lastly squaring off in opposition to the primary villain, or an exhibition between grasp and pupil, or two lifelong rivals dueling one final time. Both manner, the one-on-one battle is a staple not solely of martial arts cinema, however of the motion film style as an entire. For this listing, we have compiled and ranked eight of the perfect examples of blood-pumping, mano-a-mano fight.

8 The Approach of the Dragon – Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris

The Bruce Lee vs. Chuck Norris battle scene in The Approach of the Dragon has attained true cult standing. In case your familiarity with Chuck Norris begins and ends with the jokes that includes his identify (or with Walker, Texas Ranger), it’s possible you’ll be stunned to see him holding his personal on this handsomely choreographed duel. After all, Bruce Lee is a martial arts legend, however Norris is a worthy opponent. Highlights embrace Lee ripping off Norris’s chest hair, and the spectacular backdrop of the Colosseum.

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7 Ip Man – Match with Common Miura

We cannot fake that that is the best battle in Ip Man. That honor goes to the unforgettable battle between Ip and ten black-belts. However this high-stakes exhibition is a detailed second. Ip is extra restrained in opposition to Miura than a few of his different opponents, though that is probably as a result of he is being monitored by armed guards. It is necessary to notice that this battle is not merely about defeating Miura, as Miura represents everything of the Japanese army power occupying (and oppressing) China. Ip Man’s victory is a blow in opposition to tyranny.

6 Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee vs. O’Hara

Enter the Dragon is without doubt one of the biggest martial arts films of all time, a standing owed partially to Bruce Lee’s starring efficiency. This is able to be Lee’s last accomplished movie position earlier than his tragic demise in 1973—the identical yr Enter the Dragon was launched (per Selection). A part of the movie’s enduring legend is because of the battle between Lee (Bruce Lee’s character) and O’Hara, a burly, bearded bodyguard who bears duty for the demise of Lee’s sister. It is an emotionally charged battle, to say the least, one wherein O’Hara tries to cheat by wielding damaged glass bottles. Lee’s victory stays one in every of Enter the Dragon‘s defining moments.

5 Hero – Jet Li vs. Donnie Yen

The battle between Jet Li and Donnie Yen in Hero is hardly a battle in any respect. The truth is, the 2 warriors commerce blows within the enviornment of the thoughts, in order that in actuality the 2 have fought valiantly with out ever making contact with one another. If this sounds odd, understand that the movie nonetheless exhibits the 2 males combating in a fantastically choreographed wuxia sequence. When it comes to cinematography, no different battle on this listing can measure as much as this one.

4 The Matrix – Subway Combat

It might appear unusual to incorporate a battle from The Matrix that includes firearms, however the subway scene is at its greatest when Neo and Agent Smith drop their weapons and battle hand-to-hand. It is a beautiful, completely structured brawl, choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping, who labored on among the biggest Hong Kong martial arts movies ever made (Fist of Legend, anybody?). The subway battle is elevated by Agent Smith’s superhuman power, which permits him to punch by means of absolutely anything.

Associated: How Keanu Reeves Epitomizes the Fashionable Motion Hero

3 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – The Duel

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a movie identified for its stunning cinematography, rating, and performances, but it surely has distinctive motion sequences too. The very best is a multi-weapon duel between Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) and Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi). It is a wildly spectacular battle, with clashing swords, acrobatics, thrusting spears, and extra. You’ll be hard-pressed to discover a higher weapon-based martial arts battle wherever else.

2 Legend of Drunken Grasp – Remaining Battle

We have at all times wished Jackie Chan had carried out extra easy martial arts movies. Legend of Drunken Grasp is maybe his greatest, and it is a contender for greatest martial arts movie ever made, too. All through the movie, Chan’s character, Wong Fei-hung, makes use of a method referred to as Drunken Boxing, and the drunker he will get, the higher he fights. In his last duel, he faces off in opposition to Ken Lo, whose lethal kicks push Fei-hung to his limits. The sequence features a death-defying stunt by Chan, who fell onto sizzling coals and suffered extreme burns within the course of.

1 The Raid 2 – Rama vs. The Murderer

The Raid 2 isn’t solely among the best martial arts films of the final 10 years; it is one of many biggest motion movies in latest historical past (per IndieWire). Its prequel, The Raid: Redemption, had its fair proportion of stellar battle scenes, however the sequel’s kitchen brawl between Rama and The Murderer tops all of them. The Murderer wields two wicked-looking Indonesian curved knives referred to as karambit, however the battle begins with hand-to-hand fight. The 2 fighters make use of the setting in addition to their fists, and depart the kitchen a bloody mess after almost seven minutes of brutal mano-a-mano battling. The choreography needs to be seen to be believed (after which seen once more).