10 Cool Kung Fu Movie Kicks!

There’s a countless array of awesome kicks demonstrated amongst all the martial arts movies out there, so it’s hard to pin down just 10 out of all the complex, carefully choreographed fight scenes in the movies we all love, but we decided to give it a go anyway! So, dial in and amp up with some of the strongest, flashiest, most memorable and coolest kicks around with these 10 Cool Kung Fu Movie Kicks!

  1. Bruce LeeWay of the Dragon (1972) – Side Kick
  2. In this scene, Bruce Lee performs his side kick against the pads held by a training partner and sends him flying across the screen. No wires, just the sheer power of Bruce Lee’s kick. Incredible.

    1. Tony JaaOng Bak (2003) – Front Flip Kick
    2. Tony Jaa made his international debut with this groundbreaking film. All the fight scenes in this film are nothing less than mesmerizing. In this fight scene, Tony Jaa ends this fight with one spectacularly awesome acrobatic kick to the head. Ouch!

      1. Yuen BiaoTwinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) – 540 Back Kick
      2. An impressive signature Biao side flip into a 540 kick with an added back kick against his opponent, perfectly executed with expert timing.

        1. Hwang Jang Lee – Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978) – Triple Front Kick
        2. A spectacular kick in one of the early Jackie films that catapulted him into international stardom. During the climactic battle, not only does Hwang perform one of his trademark triple kicks, but he follows this up with an almighty devastating jumping roundhouse kick which in reality accidentally knocked out one of Jackie Chan’s front teeth. Hwang explains that and more in our interview below, ouch!

          If you look carefully, you can see the gap in Jackie’s mouth.

          1. Ralph Macchio – The Karate Kid (1984) – Crane Kick
          2. This now iconic kick needs no explanation. It’s the kick that we all practiced (or at least fancied practicing!) in the school playground. So cool to watch but what is more impressive is how William Zabka reacts to the kick and sells it so convincingly. Here it is again, classic!

            1. Jackie ChanWheels on Meals (1984) – Reverse Turning Kick
            2. This is probably one of the best and most memorable fight scenes between Jackie Chan and kickboxing legend Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez. The entire fight scene is incredibly choreographed by Sammo Hung. In this scene, at 2 min, 47 seconds, Jackie Chan lands an incredible reverse-turning kick onto Benny’s head whilst Jackie himself ducks down to avoid Benny’s flurry of attacks.

              1. Ron SmoorenbergWho Am I? (1998) – Vertical Side Kick
              2. This is one of the most impressive displays of onscreen kicking ability. But before the fight between Jackie Chan and Dutch kicking expert Ron Smoorenberg begins, Ron performs the vertical side kick hold in a jaw-dropping manner to capture the audience’s attention before getting stuck in. The entire fight scene is entertaining to watch.

                1. Jean-Claude Van DammeKickboxer (1989) – Helicopter Kick
                2. One of JCVD’s signature moves. Though you’ve definitely seen this kick in many of his films, it’s still a classic move to watch and perfectly executed in the “Kickboxer” training sequence amidst the Thai temple ruins.

                  1. Scott AdkinsAccident Man (2018) – Jackknife

                  2. There are many cool kicks including the triple kick in this awesomely choreographed fight scene between Scott Adkins vs Ray Park and Michael Jai White, but the razor sharp Jackknife kick by Scott at the end tops it all.

                    1. Donnie YenIron Monkey (1993) – Scissor Split Triple Kick
                    2. In this scene from Iron Monkey, Donnie Yen fights a bunch of knife wielding baddies and you get to see his trademark scissor split kick at the end of it along with a huge flurry combination of various lightning-quick kicks…just for umm..kicks!

                      So, there we have it folks, 10 Cool Kung Fu Movie Kicks! Which ones did you try and imitate the most as a kid or an adult; which others (not on the list) most impressed you visually? Let us know in the comments below – we’ll include them next time around. Meanwhile, like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Get more of your Top 10 Kick Fix with our Fu Flix and you can subscribe for videos too!)

William Cheung

Dr William Cheung has a keen interest in martial arts and action cinema. Born to Cantonese parents, he grew up with a love of classic Hong Kong martial arts films. During his time at Birmingham Medical School, he studied Taekwondo as well as founding the University Tricking Society. He gained his first acting credit in the British short film, "The Real Target" and has recently competed in Ninja Warrior UK (series 4) as his alter ego, "The Stunt Doctor".

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