Summary
When looking at the fighting styles of the biggestmartial artsmovie stars of all time, one thing that stood out was variety. With so many fighting disciplines from all over the world, the greatest martial artists usually practiced numerous styles but often had one with which they were readily associated. This mixture of styles and practices has helped keep martial arts movies fresh and exciting over the decades, as with each new generation usually comes a unique mixture of styles and disciplines.
Some of the biggest martial arts stars trained since they were small children; others, like Michelle Yeoh, had no fighting style at all as their background came instead from dancing. Thebiggest names in Kung Fu, such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, had such a far-reaching influence that they even helped popular Asian martial arts styles in the West, effectively helping to bridge cultural divides. Thefight styles practiced by the biggest martial arts movie starswere vast and varied, highlighting the actors' incredible commitment to their craft.
Mixed martial arts (MMA)
15Conor McGregor
The notorious UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor came to mainstream recognition long before he entered the movie world in 2024. McGregor, an Irish mixed martial arts fighter, helped popularize the fighting style across the globe as his abrasive personality made him popular with MMA enthusiasts worldwide.McGregory received acclaim for his villainous Knox role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the action movieRoad House, and with this success, audiences should prepare for him to continue to show off his MMA skills in future martial arts movies.
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14Keanu Reeves
Judo
There were plenty ofmartial arts disciplines in theJohn Wickfranchise, but the one style exhibited by its lead actor, Keanu Reeves, was judo. This was just one of the many styles that Reeves trained in for his role in the long-running action series, which he needed to master if he was to be as believable asthe legendary killing machine Baba Yaga. Judo was known for his throwing techniques, which John Wick used to catch his enemies off guard and always come out on top.
13Steven Seagal
Aikido
The action movie legend Steven Seagal helped popularize the aikido fighting style, in which he became a 7th-dan black belt. Before becoming a movie star, Seagal was the first American to teach in an aikido dojo, and spent many years as a martial arts instructor in Japan (viaLA Times.) Seagal has often utilized his skill for aikido, which includes the use of breathing control, throws, and joint locks, and wasseen in his moviesAbove the LawandShadow Man, where he can be observed giving an aikido demonstration.
12Angela Mao
Hapkido
As one of the greatest female martial artists of all time, Angela Mao was a skilled fighter who trained in hapkido and other martial arts from a very young age. Hapkido was a form of self-defense that incorporated hand-to-hand combat but also traditional weaponry like knives, swords, and nunchucks. Mao’s incredible martial arts skills were seen in Kung Fu movies throughout the 1970s, which led to her reputation as “Lady Kung Fu” and even often being referred to asthe female equivalent to Bruce Lee.
11Chuck Norris
Karate
The legendary martial artist Chuck Norris was known for his incredible karate skills, which utilized several styles, including his black belt in Tang Soo Do. Before making a name for himself in Hollywood, Norris won many martial arts competitions and even founded his own discipline called Chun Kuk Do. As a friend and contemporary of Bruce Lee,Norris got his start in movies as a villain inThe Way of the Dragonand soon starred inForce of OneandMissing in Action,which further demonstrated his karate skills.
10Mark Dacascos
Capoeira
The American martial artistMark Dacascos has studied a number of fighting disciplinesand even holds a fourth-degree black belt in Wun Hop Kuen Do. However, one unique style he was known for was capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art, which he utilized inOnly the Strong, a film considered to be the only Hollywood production that showcased that fighting style from start to finish. Capoeira mixed elements of dance, acrobatics, music, and spirituality and Dascasco’s depiction of it brought something incredibly idiosyncratic to Hollywood martial arts moviemaking.
9Jean-Claude Van Damme
Kickboxing
WhileJean-Claude Van Damme started training as a child in karate, it was kickboxing with which he became forever associated. As a talented 2nd-dan black belt in karate, Van Damme went on to fight in kickboxing competitions before showing off his skills in his breakout film role inBloodsport. This turned Van Damme into a major martial arts movie star, where he continued to utilize his incredible fighting skills in everything fromKickboxertoUniversal Solider.
8Cynthia Rothrock
Tang Soo Doo
Cynthia Rothrock made her acting debut alongside Michelle Yeoh inYes, Madamback in 1985 and has consistently showcased her skills across many different martial arts disciplines, like Tang Soo Doo. Rothrock holds a black belt in seven different styles, including Taekwondo, Karate, Eagle Claw, Wu Shu, Northern Shaolin, and Pai Lum Tao Kung Fu. With a truly spectacular list of achievements behind her,Rothrock’s martial arts skills put plenty of her male contemporaries to shame.
7Iko Uwais
Silat
Best known for the awe-inspiring displays of martial arts skills inThe Raidseries, Iko Uwais was the grandson of H. Achmad Bunawar, a silat master who founded the silat school (viaThe Jakarta Post.) Uwais carried on his family’s legacy by utilizing this form of the Indonesian traditional martial arts style across his filmography. As a full-body fighting form that incorporated strikes, grappling, and throwing, silat often looked like an impressive street fight, and watching Uwais take down countless opponents inThe Raidshowed off just how intricate and complex silat was.
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6Gordon Liu
Hung Ka
As a true icon of Kung Fu cinema, Gordon Liu was known for his roles in movies likeThe 36th Chamber of Shaolinand his later appearances in Quentin Tarantino’sKill Bill. While Liu was adept at many different styles and worked as a stuntman in his early career, he first studied hung ga kung fu at the school founded by Lau Kar-leung’s father, Lau Cham (viaAMP.) Hung Ka was a form of Shaolin Kung Fu that dated back to the 17th century, which was appropriate consideringLiu’s famous role as the folk hero Wong Fei Hungin several films.
