10 Untrained Martial Arts Stars You Probably Assumed Were Real-Life Fighters

Summary

• Not all martial arts stars were trained fighters, relying on illusion, intense training, or transferable skills from dance.
• Some actors initially untrained built up martial arts skills over time, impressing in martial arts classics and Hollywood blockbusters.
• Talent, commitment, and adaptability allowed actors like Tony Leung and Maggie Q to excel in martial arts roles despite lacking formal training.

Martial arts cinema was full of incredible performers capable of awe-inspiring feats of human ingenuity, but some viewers would be shocked to learn just how many stars were not actually trained as fighters. With the power of illusion, intense training packed into a few short months, or transferable skills from dancing, some actors convinced the world that they were true martial artists. Of course, martial arts cinema has greatly benefited from the varied skills of its performers, and actors don’t always need to take a traditional approach when it comes to becoming a martial arts star.

Some actors found themselves gaining roles in influential martial arts movies without having previously trained, but then, over the years, built up the skills needed to become fighters of great skill. Others never consistently trained but had other talents that helped them pull off amazing choreography or epic swordfights. This applied to performances in both Eastern and Western productions, as many talented actors managed to appear as if they had a long history as real fighters, only to have gained these skills through other means.

10 Takeshi Kaneshiro

Known for House of the Flying Daggers (2004)

Takeshi Kaneshiro was known for his roles in crime comedies like Fallen Angels and Wuxia romance movies such as House of the Flying Daggers, but many will be surprised to learn his background does not stem from the world of martial arts. Kaneshiro began his career as a pop star in Taiwan before making the leap into film and television. Having released his debut album in 1992, Kaneshiro soon made a name for himself in cinema with Executions in 1993 before working with Wong Kar-wai on Chungking Express in 1994, just the first in a string of collaborations with acclaimed directors.

Without a martial arts background, Kaneshiro has still made a significant impact on the film industries in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. With his innate charisma and striking good looks, Time magazine even dubbed Kaneshiro the Johnny Depp of the East Asian film industry in 2003. Although Kaneshiro does not always appear in martial arts films, it’s impressive that he’s had such success in them despite not being trained as a real-life fighter.

9 Fan Bingbing

Known for Shaolin (2011)

As a Chinese star who has consistently topped the Forbes China 100 list of the highest-paid celebrities, Fan Bingbing has carved out an impressive career for herself despite initially being untrained as a real-life fighter. A hugely influential actress, Bingbing has had major roles in Chinese productions like Shaolin and international films, including X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, this does not mean Bingbing does not prepare for her roles, as she’s undergone training and even intense physical transformations to immerse herself in her characters (via Facts.)

With appearances alongside martial arts greats like Andy Lau and Jackie Chan, Bingbing has established herself as an important actress worldwide despite not having lifelong martial arts skills. As a global force to be reckoned with, Bingbing has effortlessly traversed the worlds of acting, modeling, singing, and even martial arts in her journey toward becoming a major star. Although Bingbing’s tax evasion scandal briefly paused her career, she’s still a major figure in China and internationally.

8 Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Known for Hero (2002)

Named by CNN as among the greatest Asian actors of all time, Tony Leung Chiu-wai will be familiar to viewers for his work with Wong Kar-wai, particularly his incredible performance in In the Mood for Love. However, Leung has also succeeded in martial arts classics like Hero and the MCU production Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Despite an impressive career that’s littered with martial arts performances, Leung’s background was not in martial arts, as he’s focused primarily on acting his entire career.

This lack of real-life martial arts experience made Leung’s leading role in The Grandmaster all the more impressive. This was where Leung played the legendary Wing Chun grandmaster, Ip Man, in a groundbreaking modern Kung Fu film directed by Wong Kar-wai. Although Leung did not have a lifelong devotion to martial arts, he portrayed the grandmaster with an incredible skill that proved his stern commitment to the roles he played and his ability to deliver spectacularly choreographed fight sequences without training as a real fighter.

7 Zhang Ziyi

Known for Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

Zhang Ziyi gained international recognition for her role in the Wuxia martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, although her background came primarily from the world of dance. While it was impressive to see someone without training as a real-life fighter give such an extraordinary performance, it made sense, as Zhang studied at the Beijing Dance Academy since she was 11 years old (via CSC). While it may not be initially obvious, the intense commitment to dance and the complex choreography of martial arts filmmaking have so much in common that they complement each other well.

Having proved herself able to deliver martial arts performances despite being untrained as a real fighter, Zhang gained subsequent roles in martial arts movies like The Grandmaster and even made her Hollywood debut opposite Jackie Chan in Rush Hour 2. A success in Asia and Hollywood, Zhang’s commitment to her roles made her a major star. While not a martial arts film, viewers may also be familiar with Zhang for her lead role in Memoirs of a Geisha, which she co-starred in alongside Michelle Yeoh.

6 Charlene Choi

Known for Butterfly Lovers (2008)

Charlene Choi first gained recognition as a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Gillian Chung, but has also had several impressive roles in martial arts movies. Despite not being trained as a real-life fighter, Choi showed off her skills in films like The Twin Effect, Drunk Kung Fu, and The Sorcerer and the White Snake. As a consistent performer with more than 70 acting credits under her belt, Choi may not be trained as a real-life fighter, but over the past two decades, she has gained a lot of experience in martial arts.

One of Choi’s most significant martial arts movie roles came with the release of Butterfly Lovers in 2008, in which she played a woman disguised as a man in order to learn martial arts. Butterfly Lovers saw Choi take up intense training, not just in hand-to-hand combat but also in showing off her sword fighting skills. As a Wuxia film based on the Chinese legend of the Butterfly Lovers, this encapsulated Choi’s commitment to martial arts despite not being initially a trained fighter.

5 Uma Thurman

Known for Kill Bill (2003/2004)

Kill Bill was the most well-known American martial arts movie ever made and acted as director Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to the genre. Released in two volumes, Kill Bill featured several iconic martial artists, but its lead star, Uma Thurman, was untrained as a real fighter when she was cast in the role of the Bride. However, this did not mean that Thurman’s fighting was accomplished with special effects or stand-ins, as she rigorously trained for three months (via Slash Film) to be ready to play the part.

Thurman had already shown her acting skills for Tarantino in Pulp Fiction, and with Kill Bill, she proved she was willing to go the extra mile to prepare for the film’s highly complex choreographed action sequences. Not only was Thurman required to study martial arts for Kill Bill, but she also practiced swordsmanship and Japanese for the part. Production on Kill Bill also had to be halted for several months after Thurman became pregnant and Tarantino refused to recast her role.

4 Chow Yun-fat

Known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Despite being well-known for martial arts films, Chow Yun-fat had no formal martial arts training and has reportedly stated that he was a “fake” who relied on “illusion” (via Digital Spy.) Although Chow has appeared in John Woo action films and even the epic Wuxia Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he has said: “I am not at all athletic. I am not like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, I promise you. It is an illusion.” Chow gave extra credit to the stunt coordinators who created beautiful acrobat movies that made him look like a superstar.

With a reputation for playing honorable tough guys on both sides of the law, it’s impressive that Chow has had such an acclaimed career without the martial arts credentials to pack them up. However, this was part of the magic of cinema, as sternly committed actors can make it appear like they have skills and abilities far beyond what they could accomplish in day-to-day life. Chow’s success proved that actors don’t have to be trained to make it big.

3 Maggie Q

Known for The Protégé (2021)

The American actress Maggie Q began her career in the Hong Kong film industry and has consistently performed martial arts in action movies despite not being trained as a real fighter. However, that’s not to say she does not have major martial arts credentials, as the greatest Kung Fu star Jackie Chan considered her a protege and helped impart his ethos of stuntwork and intensive training. Q even stated in an interview with New York magazine: “I had never done a day of martial arts in my life when I started in the business. I couldn’t even touch my toes.”

Before entering the film industry, Q was a model but soon appeared in major action movies like Naked Weapon, Mission Impossible III, and Live Free or Die Hard. Starring roles like in the action-thriller The Protégé showcased Q’s intense commitment to performance and highlighted impressive martial arts skills, considering she was originally untrained as a real fighter. Q has been a consistent action star for the past 20 years, so it’s no surprise that she picked a thing or two during that time.

2 Cheng Pei-pei

Known for Come Drink with Me (1966)

Cheng Pei-pei was considered to be the first female action hero of cinema who, although she was not formally trained as a fighter in childhood, went on to join the Shaw Brothers Studio in the 1960s, which started her life in the world of martial arts. Known for her appearances in the 1966 King Hu film Come Drink with Me and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Cheng was readily associated with the Wuxia genre. With a background in dance, it made sense that Cheng was able to quickly transfer her skills toward martial arts.

Cheng’s filmography included a litany of Hong Kong movies as she played into her reputation as a notable female action star during a time when few women showcased these types of skills on film. After moving to California in the 1970s, Cheng returned to her first love of dance and began teaching Chinese dance classes (via ELAC Campus News.) However, she never fully said goodbye to martial arts movies, as she appeared in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the recent Mulan live-action remake, and countless other films.

1 Michelle Yeoh

Known for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

As one of the very best martial arts movie stars out there, it may come as a total shock to learn that Michelle Yeoh has no formal martial arts training. Instead, she has relied on her dancing background and onset trainers to prepare for parts in movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Everything Everywhere All at Once (via GQ.) As a ballet dancer since age four, Yeoh has the discipline and transferable skills needed to deliver exceptional performances in martial arts movies.

Equally acclaimed in Hong Kong and the West, Yeoh has starred opposite Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop and was a notable Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies. As the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, Yeoh has broken down cinematic boundaries and stands as one of the greatest action heroines of all time. With countless iconic roles, Yeoh has proven you don’t need to be a martial artist to have a kick-ass career.

Sources: Forbes, Time, Facts, CNN, CSC, Slash Film, Digital Spy, New York, ELAC Campus News, GQ