When it comes to the greatest martial arts fight scenes of all time, a number of cult classics deserve credit for their place in the genre’s history. Films that are often the first to come to mind are Bloodsport with its final bout between Chong Li and Frank Dux, and Way of the Dragon, which famously pitted Bruce Lee against Chuck Norris.

There’s also Wheels on Meals, the original Drunken Master, Ip Man, and Fist of Fury, which all sport an unforgettable martial arts showdown, whether it’s the finale or a battle that takes place somewhere along the way. Due in no small part to these scenes, it’s fair to say these films are among the best the genre has to offer.

In some ways, that makes the likes of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Fist of Legend even more impressive, considering that they have not one – but two – all-time great martial arts sequences.

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The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is a strong contender for the тιтle of the greatest old-school kung fu movie ever made – and for good reason. One is the final battle between Gordon Liu’s San Te and Lo Lieh’s General Tien Ta. After going through nearly an entire movie worth of preparation under the tutelage of the Shaolin Temple, San Te engaged in a spirited battle with the evil general who ruined his life.

As one would expect from one of the greatest martial arts movie directors of all time, Lau Kar-leung put together a spectacular showcase of his talents in action choreography, with Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh making for a great hero-villain pairing, and one that was followed up on later in other films.

But before that, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin had already featured a top-notch fight; that came in the form of the final training sequence where he tested his newly-acquired skills against the chief monk, which made Gordon Liu look like a true master of the three-section staff.

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Fist Of Legend

Being a remake of a Bruce Lee classic, Fist of Legend naturally had a high bar to meet, but did so successfully, thanks to some great action sequences for Jet Li, one of which being the duel his Chen Zhen character had with Ting’en. The speed and sense of elegance to Jet Li’s movements as he dodged his opponent’s attacks made for an amazing sight, and demonstrated his prowess in combat perfectly as he purposely didn’t connect his blows.

As well-choreographed as that was, Fist of Legend’s final fight was a step up from that, with General Fujita actually being good enough to make Chen Zhen fully exert himself. This enabled Fist of Legend to unleash an even more dangerous side of Chen Zhen, and with experienced martial arts actor Billy Chow playing the villain, Fist of Legend had the perfect opponent to challenge its hero.

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Drunken Master II

Ken Lo had large shoes to fill as Jackie Chan’s main adversary decades after Hwang Jang Lee’s unforgettable role in Drunken Master, but didn’t come close to disappointing with his high kicks and unique fighting style. With choreography handled by Lau Kar-leung, there was no surprise that Drunken Master II’s final battle was every bit as intense as the one from the original film.

Like many of the best final showdown in martial arts movies, Drunken Master II let its villain gain an advantage early on, paving the way for an epic sequence where Chan’s character has to go back to his drunken boxing style – despite the risks it brought to his health. In a sense, it was a sacrificial, heroic move.

Further strengthening Drunken Master II’s legacy as a martial arts masterpiece was the teahouse fight earlier in the film. Lau’s personal style of choreography matched up wonderfully with Chan, whose preference for doing his own stunts and using improvised weapons paved the way for some wild moments, with Chan’s character knocking thugs off a staircase and wielding two stools.

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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

There’s a lot to love about Ang Lee’s martial arts magnum opus – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, whether it’s the breathtaking cinematography, the world of wuxia it built for its characters, and, of course, its style of action. The opportunities offered to it were on full display in two fight sequences, one being the battle between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi’s characters.

Yuen Woo-ping choreographed an emotionally intense – yet remarkably graceful – fight between the two women, which didn’t limit itself to just swordplay; it flowed beautifully, as it incorporated new weapons for the characters to take up, not to mention all sorts of acrobatic moves and jumps.

Another fight that stands out is the battle that took place between Zhang and Chow Yun-fat’s characters in the bamboo forest. It makes no attempt at realism, but this mattered little, as by this point, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had already succeeded in immersing its audience into its fantasy world, making it easy to just be amazed as the two characters cross swords in the tops of the trees and elegantly run across the bamboo branches.

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The Protector

After making one of the best martial arts movies in the 21st century in Ong Bak, Tony Jaa tried his hand at a modern-day action film, and though it didn’t match his signature movie’s overall reputation, it certainly exceeded expectations in terms of the choreography. The Protector transitioned from fight to fight as Jaa’s character worked to save his people’s missing elephant.

It’s hard to identify one highlight of The Protector, given that it contained two all-time great fights. To reach his goal, Tony Jaa had to advance up a staircase, beating up minions along the way. It had a strong, side-scroller video game vibe to it, made even better by how Jaa and all the other fighters never missed a beat, in spite of all the moving parts.

Although this spectacular set piece wasn’t the finale, The Protector was still able to end on a high note, via a one-on-one showdown between Jaa and T.K. Some hard-to-believe moves and an incredible degree of athleticism on the part of Jaa – not to mention its ability to work without wire-work – made it a special contribution to the martial arts genre.