- 6/4/2025
From bone-breaking techniques to lightning-fast strikes, martial arts cinema has given us some truly savage moments. Join us as we showcase the most intense hand-to-hand combat scenes ever filmed! Our countdown features legendary fighters like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, and Jet Li at their most ferocious.
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00:00Who wants to fight?
00:01I'm going to fight!
00:03Let's fight!
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:07And today we're counting down our picks for the most brutal and or no-holds-barred fights in martial arts movies.
00:23Number 30, Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris, The Way of the Dragon.
00:28Oh yeah, this dream matchup really happened.
00:31Lee's character Tang squares off against Norris' character Colt at the Roman Coliseum, witnessed by only a kitty cat and us.
00:45Their nearly ten minute fight is just two of the world's most famous martial artists in their primes going all out.
00:52While it's even at first, Tang eventually gains the upper hand with some vicious and lightning-fast kicks and strikes.
00:58Even when he's on death row, Colt doesn't want Tang to take it easy on him.
01:07And Tang doesn't, honoring the spirit of gladiatorial combat of their surroundings and reluctantly killing his opponent.
01:14That's right, Bruce Lee was so badass, he killed Chuck Norris.
01:19Number 29, The Operator vs Elena and Alma, The Night Comes For Us.
01:23Carrying on the legacy of another Indonesian action franchise we'll be discussing later, The Night Comes For Us is an ultra-violent crime drama.
01:30This fight sees the mysterious Operator matched against the assassins Alma and Elena to protect a young girl.
01:37After the Operator proves a match against the duo in hand-to-hand combat, the knives and razor wire come out.
01:52The wire creates some tense choreography, and it ultimately leads to Alma dying from her own weapon.
01:58The Operator and Elena's one-on-one fight spills into the blood-soaked hallway and sees both fighters cut to ribbons.
02:05And while the Operator loses a finger, Elena loses a lot more.
02:21The whole scene is one of the most savage fights involving only women ever put on screen.
02:26Number 28, Knife Fight, John Wick, Chapter 3, Parabellum.
02:31This fight shows up a lot on our lists, and that's because it goes hard.
02:35John Wick is typically pursued by his fellow killers and ends up in a shop full of weapons.
02:40After doing a little gun modding to fire a single bullet, John is set upon by more assassins.
02:46Once he disarms the first pair of their guns, the combatants realize there's way more weapons available, and start breaking glass like it's going out of style.
03:05They throw knives at each other in a deadly take on a children's game, and the final kills, particularly the one with the eyeball, are some of John Wick's most brutal kills.
03:22And considering his resume, that's saying something.
03:25Number 27, Sue vs. MMA Fighters, Cradle to the Grave.
03:30When Jet Li's character Sue enters an underground fighting arena in search of some gangsters, the promoters put him in the ring.
03:36When he tries to exit early, a full-on brawl begins, and Jet Li doesn't hold back.
03:49From using the announcer as a weapon, to ripping out a guy's earring, Sue kicks ass and takes names.
03:55Once he's up against a bleach-blonde behemoth immune to his punches, that just decides to hit below the belt.
04:05Even the ring itself isn't safe, as Sue partially demolishes it to perform some more acrobatic moves against his many opponents.
04:12He will not be contained.
04:14Number 26, Hallway Fight, The Raid.
04:17Another frequent guest on our lists, The Raid and its sequel, are the kings of Indonesian martial arts movies.
04:23This particular fight is among the first in the franchise, and sees the protagonist, Rama, backed into a corner in a building run by drug dealers.
04:40Unarmed against the goons wielding machetes, Rama nonetheless unleashes his inner beast.
04:45The choreography is quick and brutal, as Rama desperately tries to stay alive.
04:50The action spills into a nearby apartment after a particularly grisly kill using a broken door.
04:56And this is far from the only beastly fight in the Raid movies.
05:00Much like the conclusion to this fight, we're throwing our one-entry-per-franchise rule out the window.
05:06Number 25, Bakya vs. Dolar, Undisputed III, Redemption.
05:11Scott Atkins doesn't get nearly enough credit, and his starring role in the Undisputed movies offers plenty of chances to show his stuff.
05:18As Russian prison fighter Yuri Bokya, he's pitted against Colombian fighter Raul Dolor Quinones in the finals of an underground tournament.
05:26The many long takes and slow-mo really let the choreography shine throughout the fight.
05:42While Dolor is cocky initially, particularly after attacking Bokya's already weak knee, the Russian makes a comeback after making an improvised brace.
05:50By getting Dolor down on the ground, he can rain blows down on his opponent, though he still gets in a few of his signature kicks.
06:02Bokya finishes the fight by breaking Dolor's shin.
06:07It's a brutal and exceptional example of MMA combat in movies.
06:11Number 24, Rooftop Fight, Who Am I?
06:15Jackie Chan always goes for broke in his fight scenes, and this fight is no exception.
06:20You got two dresses. He lost the disc, come off.
06:24Number 2, we take the disc and throw you off.
06:28I like the 3rd choice. I keep the disc, and I throw you both off.
06:33Playing potentially a version of himself that has lost his memory, Jackie battles two henchmen after a disc he has atop a high-rise building.
06:42He faces the first, using primarily fists, and then the other, whose high kicks put him on the back foot.
06:48Jackie then faces both goons at the same time.
06:51Their fights take them all across the roof, with many death-defying stunts, gags, and improvised weapons.
06:57However, at its core, all three martial artists' moves are the highlight here, and they put in work.
07:09Number 23, Donnie Yen vs. Wu Jing, SPL, Sha Po Long.
07:14On his way to take down a big crime boss, Inspector Ma Kun, played by Donnie Yen, is confronted in an alleyway by the boss's right-hand killer Jack, played by Wu Jing.
07:24Armed with a knife and baton, both martial artists lay into each other with a speed that's downright incredible.
07:40Despite Jack's savagery, the Inspector's greater reach and determination ultimately allows him to prevail.
07:46What makes this fight even more beastly is that, barring the blood, it's basically all real.
07:58Behind the scenes info reveals that Yen and Jing essentially just fought until they were told to stop.
08:04Number 22, Bus Station Brawl, The Transporter.
08:08Jason Statham is another Western martial artist who kicks all kinds of ass.
08:12As the epitimus transporter Frank Martin, he's confronted in a bus station by dozens of henchmen.
08:18First, he uses the confined space of a bus to take a group of them apart before locking them in.
08:30Frank next fights a hulking goon, who's soon joined by several of his allies.
08:34In a clever bit of crowd control, he spills some oil on the floor and himself.
08:38With his foes unable to grab him, Frank uses some bike pedals to dance and spin kick them into submission.
08:50At least, until he has to make a quick getaway.
08:52Good thing he ditched the shirt. It would have only slowed him down.
08:55Number 21, Sword Thief Fight, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
09:00This wuxia martial arts movie is loaded with fantastic fights, but this one takes the cake.
09:05After Zhen Yu steals the Green Destiny Sword, she's pursued by Yu Shulian.
09:13While the younger thief is more acrobatic, Shulian is better at close combat once she closes the distance.
09:19The fight switches deftly between the floatier, impossible wire work moves
09:24and the speedier, more grounded hits.
09:27Everyone involved in this fight, from the wire work choreographers,
09:30to martial artists Zhang Ji and Michelle Yeoh,
09:33to the musicians performing the soundtrack, absolutely pops off.
09:37Number 20, Ip Man vs. Geddes, Ip Man 4, The Finale.
09:42The last fight of this martial arts franchise.
09:45This climactic… wait, they're making another movie? Awesome!
09:48Well, regardless, this climactic showdown between Ip Man and Sergeant Barton Geddes
09:53goes full force. Despite suffering from throat cancer and shaking in his hands,
09:58Ip gives his all to take the racist gunnery sergeant down.
10:02Is that it? Huh? Is that all you got?
10:09You see that?
10:11Geddes' high kicks and ferocity initially prove difficult to deal with,
10:15and Ip gets knocked down. But after a second wind, he attacks with renewed vigor,
10:21hitting Geddes with his signature chain punches.
10:24Ip finishes by breaking his arm, and finally delivering the throat punch he's threatened so many others with.
10:31Not only is this an incredible display from Donnie Yen, but his opponent,
10:35the incredibly underrated Scott Atkins, also goes for broke.
10:47Number 19, Warehouse Fight, The Night Comes For Us.
10:51While basically every fight in this underappreciated Indonesian action film is beastly,
10:56and the final battle between Joe Taslim's protagonist Ito and a rare villain part for Iko Uwais was tempting.
11:03Our pick goes to Ito's assault on the warehouse.
11:06Here's what happens in this scene.
11:08The ex-triad member finds a warehouse used by his former employers.
11:12Inside, he proceeds to viciously kill every henchman he comes across.
11:23He breaks legs, he cuts them with machetes, he even uses pool cues and pool balls to beat them bloody.
11:33The violence on display here is often unsettling, but actor slash martial artist Joe Taslim
11:39makes it satisfying to see Ito tear through this gang like a one-man wrecking crew.
11:44Number 18, Mall Fight, Police Story.
11:48Often considered one of Jackie Chan's finest films, including by the man himself,
11:52the final fight in Police Story sees Sergeant Chan Kakui go all out in pursuit of justice.
11:58When crime boss Chu Tao and his goons pursue his former secretary, Selena Fong,
12:12Kakui does his best to keep her and her stolen incriminating data safe.
12:17The ensuing fight not only sees Jackie Chan's usual level of polish in his choreography,
12:22it also demolishes most of the mall, or at least its glass.
12:27The great fight and its death-defying stunts make this a landmark of action cinema.
12:33Number 17, Gabe versus Yulaw, The One.
12:44How do you make a Jet Li fight even more epic?
12:47Add another Jet Li.
12:48After this, there will be only one.
12:53I won't be the one, but neither will you.
12:56The final fight of this early 2000's action flick sees Gabe Law pitted against his multiversal counterpart,
13:03Gabriel Yulaw, an interdimensional killer.
13:06Yulaw seeks to kill himself in every universe, absorbing the energy of his doppelgangers to become a superhuman.
13:13Jet Li pulls double duty as both hero and villain here, utilizing different styles for both fighters.
13:19Although Yulaw has the advantage on the catwalks, once they drop down to open space,
13:24Gabe manages to overcome his villainous double.
13:27Sparks really fly in this fight, literally and figuratively.
13:31Gabe, get out! Get out! Get out!
13:35Number 16, Prison Yard Riot, The Raid 2.
13:39Like we said already, The Raid movies are the kings of Indonesian martial arts movies.
13:44And while Hammer Girl and Baseball Batman's fight is awesome, we went with this messy brawl.
13:49Protagonist Rama is a police officer sent to prison to go undercover in a crime boss's organization by befriending his son, Ucho.
13:58When Ucho is attacked during yard time, Rama comes to his defense.
14:09However, this sparks a full-blown riot in the muddy yard.
14:13But grimy, lethal violence throughout is a sight to behold.
14:17Still, Rama's actor, Iko Uais, manages to shine amid all the mud.
14:23He breaks a man's leg, hits a defeated foe over the head with a rock,
14:27and his final charge to come to Ucho's defense sees him take down prisoners and guards alike.
14:32What savagery!
14:34How does it feel?
14:36It's different.
14:37Number 15, Off the Leash, Unleashed, aka Danny the Dog.
14:43Game, game, game.
14:49This oft-forgotten Jet Li film sees him play Danny,
14:53a young man raised by a loan shark named Bart to act like a dog.
14:57When his leash comes off, Danny attacks those who won't pay up.
15:01The opening fight scene illustrates this perfectly,
15:04with Danny violently beating up a group of thugs.
15:07The way he leaps on one of them and repeatedly headbutts him is brutal.
15:12While there's some martial prowess at work, like many of Lee's fights,
15:16this one certainly has more of an animalistic edge to it
15:19that makes it a particularly ferocious beatdown.
15:23You borrow money from me, you're expected to pay it back.
15:26We pay it back, the color stays on.
15:28You don't pay it back, the color comes off.
15:30A simple set of rules.
15:32Number 14, Prison Fight, Blood and Bone.
15:35This underground fighting film sees the often overlooked Michael Jai White
15:39play the titular Isaiah Bone.
15:41Although Bone's fight with Price nearly made the cut,
15:44the match doesn't quite go hard enough to make our list,
15:47even with incredible choreography.
15:50Instead, we're looking earlier when Bone is imprisoned.
15:53You got to the count of five.
15:55Surrounded in the bathroom by inmates led by Kimbo Slice, Bone gives them a countdown
16:01before unleashing hell on them.
16:03His rapid and vicious takedowns are fantastic.
16:06Double mid-air kicks, shank stabbings, even a downward mid-air chop.
16:11In just a few minutes, Bone goes from potential victim to king of the prison.
16:17Badass.
16:18I need you to deliver a message.
16:20Number 13, Liu vs Twins, Kiss of the Dragon.
16:24Jet Li strikes again.
16:26This fight scene sees Inspector Liu Jian pitted against a pair of twins in an office.
16:31While the more marshally inclined twin fights Liu head on,
16:34the other lurks in the background, attacking at random.
16:37Although Liu initially has a hard time in the path between cubicles,
16:41once he gets the primary twin in closer confines, he really lays into him.
16:46The way Liu hits his opponent repeatedly, even faking him out, is fantastic.
16:51He eventually manages to flip his opponent, using the position to break the twin's neck.
16:56Liu breaks his brother's neck soon after, though with a kick this time.
17:00The close porters and grisly finishers help Jet Li go especially beastly in this fight.
17:06Johnny Johnny, I'm disappointed in you.
17:09Coming to Paris for the first time and instead of enjoying yourself,
17:13you're doing all this useless running around.
17:16I don't like to get bored.
17:18Number 12, Fight Club Scene, Ong Ba Muay Thai Warrior.
17:22Although the final fight of Tony Jaa's breakout film is a close second,
17:26our pick goes to the fight club scene.
17:29Jaa's character, Ting, is goaded into participating in one match after another at a club.
17:35Next fight! Big Bang! And Ting Manu Piu!
17:42His first foe may have size on his side, but Ting quickly brings him down.
17:46His next foe has some fancy footwork, but Ting's proves fancier.
17:51Finally, he faces an opponent who fights dirty, involving the crowd and using whatever is at hand against him.
17:58But, after fighting all the way to the owner's room, Ting sends his foe falling to the floor below.
18:04The creative use of space, as well as the many flying knees and elbows, make this a breakout fight in Jaa's debut.
18:16Number 11, Death in the Lab, The Raid.
18:20The secret to this scene's success, unlike others on our list, doesn't necessarily hinge upon a one-on-one matchup,
18:35but instead is more about the sum of its parts.
18:37Ikul Weiss' Rama has reunited with part of his police squad as they make their way through an array of thugs.
18:52The camera is almost a separate character as it captures all of the incredible choreography on display,
18:58from every punch and kick to a varied array of improvised weapons.
19:02This one truly goes all the way.
19:15Number 10, Final Fight, Shaolin and Wu-Tang.
19:19It's no secret that rap heroes The Wu-Tang Clan are heavily inspired by classic kung fu flicks from the 1970s and 80s.
19:27If what you say is true, the Shaolin and the Wu-Tang could be dangerous.
19:32This film in particular, however, has been heavily sampled by hip-hop artists across the globe.
19:38But Shaolin and Wu-Tang isn't just about retro kitsch.
19:41Tak-chi.
19:42My brother.
19:43Brother Tak-chi, you have studied out kung fu with exemplary beggar.
19:51Instead, this final fight scene featuring director and star Gordon Liu starts in overdrive and reaches a fever pitch,
19:57thanks to some world-class skill.
19:59Liu and his co-stars tell a story of murder, jealousy, and miscommunication all within their deadly ballet of martial arts.
20:06With Liu in particular able to balance comedic lines and incredible acrobatics with ease.
20:12This kung fu matinee is totally legit.
20:14Number 9.
20:23Donnie Yen vs. Makwe Chung – Legend of the Wolf, aka The New Big Boss.
20:29Genre legend Donnie Yen directed, produced, co-wrote, and even starred in this late 90s flick.
20:35Also known as The New Big Boss, it features this ridiculously frenetic fight between Yen and an opponent utilizing a monkey-style fighting technique.
20:43The scene is straight bananas, opening with a flurry of punches from actor Makwe Chung, with the sound design on their impact sounding like thunder claps from the heavens.
21:02Meanwhile, the choreography between the two men ramps up its pace to ludicrous speed, leaving both Yen and Wei Chung looking like total badasses.
21:19Number 8.
21:20Jackie Chan vs. Benny Yorkides – Wheels on Meals.
21:34Jackie Chan's love of physical comedy and silent era cinema has been well documented, with many of his productions making the most out of some death-defying stunt work and captivating visual style.
21:44This match between Chan and fellow legend Benny the Jet Yorkides starts off fairly serious, with the Paris martial arts ballet gradually increasing intensity before taking a turn.
22:08The Wheels on Meals score turns decidedly funky, and Chan begins to incorporate a more light-hearted approach, even tickling the Jet at one point.
22:26Don't think for a second that either man phones it in from here, however, as this extended fight features Chan besting the Jet with an incredible double shot, before finishing him off with an equally incredible flying knee.
22:44Donnie Yen vs. Colin Chow – Flashpoint There's a sense of realism with our next entry, a stark contrast to some of the more fantastic examples on this list.
23:03Perhaps this is due to reports that Donnie Yen was inspired by mixed martial arts during the production of Flashpoint in 2007.
23:22This could explain why this final fight between Yen and Colin Chow feels so wince-inducing and dangerous.
23:38Sure, there's plenty of fleet footwork to be had, but the vibe overall fits the beast mode idea perfectly, with both men giving their all to the scene.
23:46Knees on the ground, arm bars, and triangles make the most out of the close quarters setting, while a brief break in the action only serves to amp things up for a brutally physical finale.
23:57Number 6, Bonebreaker – Tam Young-gung
24:18Arguably Tony Jaa's most famous film, though maybe you know it as The Protector, has plenty of exceptional fights.
24:25And while he certainly goes berserk in that one-shot staircase fight, it's not quite as brutal as this one.
24:32When Jaa's character, Khan, learns one of the elephants he's been seeking is dead, he takes out his grief and rage on the goons sent after him.
24:40He proceeds to savagely take them all down with gusto.
24:44Along with a few stabbings and bites, Khan basically breaks at least one of each of their bones.
24:49He gets creative with them too, trapping legs, twisting them, and generally destroying any limb that comes within reach.
25:04Their mob doctors will have their work cut out for them.
25:08Number 5, Jet Li vs. Billy Chow – Fist of Legend
25:12Remakes don't always live up to their source material.
25:15But this Jet Li vehicle did an admirable job of updating Bruce Lee's classic 1972 film, Fist of Fury.
25:31Lee takes on the role of Chun Zhen in Fist of Legend, squaring off against the mad General Fujita at the film's climax.
25:37The scene between Lee and co-star Billy Chow is a masterclass in choreography, style, and grace.
25:49Equal parts classic kung fu with a modern cinema aesthetic.
25:52Chow cuts a particularly imposing figure, barely recognizing the damage taken until Lee finally gets the upper hand.
25:59Eventually ending Fujita's reign of terror with a belt and a well-timed twist on the General's own katana.
26:05Number 4, Kitchen Fight – The Raid 2.
26:17The final fight of The Raid 2 is often cited as one of the best and most savage fight scenes of all time.
26:24And it is.
26:25Rama confronts the unnamed assassin played by Chesep Arif Rahman in a kitchen.
26:35The duo first engages in simple punchok salat, before escalating to using objects around the kitchen to injure each other.
26:42Things go up a notch when the assassin breaks out his karambit knives.
26:46Every blow could lead to one of them being grievously injured.
26:53Between that and the numerous blows they both take to the head, the build-up to the bloody, gnarly final blows gets positively nasty.
27:01Rama comes out on top, but both combatants go all out in this legendary, deadly duel.
27:08Number 3, Tipsy Terror – Drunken Master 2.
27:12In case you were wondering, yes, drunken boxing is a real style of martial arts, with roots dating back to Buddhist and Taoist monks.
27:20Jackie Chan's Drunken Master series is considered by many to be some of his best work, and this final fight from the second film provides plenty of evidence to back up that claim.
27:41Chan's Wang Feihong is a curious mix of comically tipsy and uncharacteristically feral at points, attacking Ken Lo's John with a full-bore head-on attack.
27:58The drunken style's unpredictability makes for an entertaining watch, while Chan's performance is over-the-top and genre-defining in a way that only he can deliver.
28:07Number 2, Dojo Attack – Fist of Fury.
28:25There's a very good reason why the iconic Bruce Lee is so pissed at the climax of Fist of Fury.
28:30The film's core is very much rooted in anti-Chinese sentiment, with Lee's Chun-Zhen facing off against an abusive rival school of Japanese martial artists.
28:48It all comes to a head when Lee's character confronts these students in their dojo, initially besting a couple in one-on-one fights before being surrounded by the clearly outmatched group.
28:58Bad idea.
29:07Lee punches and kicks his way through the opponents with ease before busting out a pair of nunchaku and getting down to beast mode business.
29:14It's an intense, entertaining, but also very personal scene that makes the most out of Lee's definitive martial arts skill.
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29:43Number 1. Ten Black Belts. Ip Man.
29:49I want to fight ten people. This is the demand set forth by Donnie Yen's Ip Man in this 2008 film, an act that would probably spell certain doom for anyone else.
30:00Give me ten of them! You crazy? Please don't! I want to fight ten!
30:07But, thanks to this pic's placement, you can probably figure out what happens next.
30:20The tension ramps up to an almost unbearable point before Yen explodes with a performance that barely controls its rage.
30:27The titular Ip Man is surrounded by ten karateka and spares no one, breaking limbs and destroying anyone in his path.
30:35This scene may not be as long or drawn out as some of the others in our list, but Yen is ruthlessly efficient in his work,
30:42leaving an impression on the viewer that will not soon be forgotten.
30:46Is there a beastly martial arts movie fight we forgot? Break it to us gently in the comments.
30:52Good luck, Mr. Wick.
30:58Thanks, Doc.
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