Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa To Bruce Lee: 5 Best Martial Artists Who Also Acted In Movies & Inspired Us

We often have a role model to follow up to or an extraordinary narrative to be inspired by. Movies are also a great source of motivation and inspiration for us to train harder. No one can deny that movies have the special potential to move and motivate us, whether they are dramas, based on actual stories, or pure fantasy. The people who have acted in the movies are known to perform their own stunts which inspire a lot of our young generation to pursue martial arts.

Here are 5 best martial artists who also acted in movies and inspired us.

1. Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen has been making films for 35 years and is a renowned Asian celebrity. As a martial arts expert, he juggles a lot of different skills. The 55-year-old actor played the guy who coached Bruce Lee in the wildly successful Ip Man (aka Yip Man) series which helped promote the martial art across China.

2. Jet Li

When it comes to onstage fighting, Li is a materialist. In actuality, unlike the huge fistfights we witness on TV, a real battle could be finish in less than 2 minutes. He began his martial art lessons at a young age, like many of his on-screen peers. Shaolin Temple, his first picture, was allegedly one of China’s largest hits ever when it was released in 1982. Despite the action in his films, Li is a peacemaker at heart who thinks in the noble usage of martial arts.

3. Jackie Chan

Over the previous 57 years, the 64-year-old has produced numerous films and performed numerous daring feats. Chan is most known for comic action movies such as Drunken Master from 1994 and the Rush Hour series, but he also took a serious turn in the 2017 vengeance film ‘The Foreigner.’ He continued to work even after an on-set accident placed him in a coma during shooting of Armour of God in 1986. In 2012, he was awarded the Guinness World for “Most credits in one movie” and “Most stunts by a living actor.”

4. Tony Jaa

Tony Jaa, the youngest living human on this chart, is a 43-year-old Thai martial artist and performer with a wide CV that comprises filmmaker, action choreographer, and stuntman. Muay Thai, Wushu, Tae Kwon Do, swordplay, and gymnastics are among his athletic abilities. Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li have all impacted Jaa, and he says he aims to combine the best of all of their techniques into his own.

5. Bruce Lee

Despite the fact that Bruce Lee is undoubtedly the greatest famous martial artist of all time, most people have only watched or heard of Enter The Dragon, his sole Hollywood feature from 1973. It helped him prove his worth before his unfortunate loss from cerebral edoema at the age of 32 the following year. He has done all of his action sequences by himself and has made a name for himself in the martial arts film industry.

Also Read: Jason Statham 5 Action Movies That Inspire Us To Learn Martial Arts