Top 13 Martial Arts Superstars Worldwide

1. Bruce Lee (Lee Jun-fan)

Bruce Lee (Lee Jun-fan) was born in 1940 in the United States and grew up in Hong Kong. At the age of 13, Lee Jun-fan began learning Wing Chun Kung Fu under the guidance of master Ip Man. He then trained in other martial arts disciplines such as Jeet Kune Do, Tai Chi, White Crane Kung Fu, and Shaolin Kung Fu. In addition to mastering Chinese martial arts, Lee Jun-fan also explored Western martial arts. He is the creator of the martial art philosophy Jeet Kune Do.

Regarding his film career, Bruce Lee (Lee Jun-fan) was the first Chinese actor to make significant contributions to Hollywood cinema. He contributed to the global popularity of traditional Chinese martial arts. As a martial arts actor, Bruce Lee (Lee Jun-fan) produced iconic kung fu scenes and became one of the world's top martial arts stars, attracting a record number of fans (around 200 million worldwide). Americans called Bruce Lee (Lee Jun-fan) the king of kung fu. The Japanese referred to him as a martial arts saint, while the Thais called him the martial arts deity.

2. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been at the forefront of America's top bodybuilders. This also became the foundation for him to venture into action movies. Arnold Schwarzenegger began his acting career in 1970. To date, Arnold Schwarzenegger has starred in nearly 20 action films. The action films he starred in were extremely popular and had a global influence. One of the most prominent films Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in is 'Terminator 2.' The film became one of Hollywood's greatest classics, earning the film crew a huge revenue and making Arnold Schwarzenegger the highest-paid martial arts actor in the world.

His highly successful film career has made bodybuilding star Arnold Schwarzenegger one of the world's leading martial arts stars, his name engraved on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Audiences who love action movies undoubtedly know the world-renowned martial arts star Sylvester Stallone. Roles portraying a strong and rugged man are synonymous with Sylvester Stallone. Despite nearing 70 years old with numerous injuries all over his body, Sylvester Stallone remains dedicated, passionately participating in, and promoting action movies.

The The Expendables series is perhaps the most iconic series featuring his involvement. Despite appearing in various genres, audiences always remember Sylvester Stallone as an action movie hero, one of the world's top martial arts stars.

Tony Jaa had an innate passion for martial arts since the age of 10. Consequently, at just 10 years old, Tony Jaa sought his father's permission to begin martial arts training. Displaying exceptional skill and proficiency in numerous disciplines such as Muay Thai, taekwondo, Judo, Wushu, high jump, gymnastics, Aikido, ju-jitsu, fencing, and karate.

Tony Jaa ventured into cinema as a stuntman. Following the success of the film Ong Bak, Tony Jaa swiftly emerged as a new figure in martial arts cinema, one of the world's top martial arts stars. His profound understanding of various martial arts enables Tony Jaa to execute incredibly diverse and unique fight sequences on screen, a feat few other martial arts movie superstars can replicate.

Dwayne Johnson, also known as Dwayne Douglas Johnson, hails from a family with a wrestling legacy. His father, two uncles, cousin, and grandfather were all professional wrestlers. The Rock, as Dwayne Johnson is famously called, started his career as a professional wrestler, winning up to 10 heavyweight wrestling championships worldwide. He rose to fame while wrestling for WWE, always leaving audiences in awe with his performances.

Dwayne Johnson quickly caught the attention of filmmakers and was chosen to star in numerous blockbuster action films worldwide, such as The Mummy Returns, G.I Joe: Retaliation, and Fast and Furious. He is one of the top martial arts stars in the world.

During the 80s and 90s, Jean-Claude Van Damme stood as one of the martial arts stars worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's top martial artist, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jean-Claude Van Damme started learning martial arts at the age of 10, as his body was quite frail and he was often bullied by his peers. He mastered 4 types of martial arts: karate, taekwondo, boxing, and Muay Thai.

Before becoming an actor, Jean-Claude Van Damme had achieved numerous victories and championships in martial arts competitions. In 1984, Jean-Claude Van Damme entered the film industry with his debut movie, Monaco Forever. His influence as a martial arts star extended widely in the Hollywood film capital.

When talking about the martial arts action genre in Hollywood's film capital, we cannot overlook the legendary star – Jackie Chan (Thành Long). Thành Long rose to fame in the late 70s and remained a prominent figure for the next three decades. He has appeared in over 100 films. In any role, Thành Long is highly praised and beloved by audiences. His acrobatic martial arts, fluid movements, diverse improvisations, and creatively dangerous stunts in action films always captivate viewers.

Not only a famous martial arts star, Jackie Chan (Thành Long) is also a cultural icon of the world, honored on the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

When it comes to Bruce Willis, audiences immediately recall the iconic roles in a series of action-packed films. Thanks to his masculine appearance, strength, muscular physique, and toughness, Bruce Willis is always the top choice for producers of intense, dramatic action films.

Despite his age, Bruce Willis shows no hesitation in participating in risky action scenes. Most recently, at the age of 52, he directly performed daring, dramatic stunts in the Die Hard film series. A top martial arts star admired by everyone.

From childhood, Jason Statham has been fascinated by various sports, especially martial arts (kickboxing and karate), diving, and soccer. He was even selected to represent the British diving team for competitions. This paved the way for Jason Statham to enter the film industry.

Jason Statham has built his on-screen image as a muscular man, with a perpetually stern face, often portraying assassins or antagonists, anti-heroes in Hollywood. Most notably, and recently, is the role of 'transporter' Frank Martin in the blockbuster film series The Transporter. This is considered the most outstanding and distinctive role in the film career of the world's top martial arts star Jason Statham.

Wu Jing is currently the most prominent name in Chinese martial arts films. The star of Wolf Warrior 2 is even considered the 'heir' of Jet Li.

Born in 1974, Wu Jing began his martial arts journey at the age of 6. The actor studied under Master Wu Ban - the mentor of many famous names such as Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and Vincent Zhao. Thanks to diligence and rigorous training, Wu Jing was highly regarded by his master and affirmed to be the most worthy inheritor in both martial arts skills and spirit from his senior, Jet Li.

Wu Jing possesses an impressive acting portfolio with many famous martial arts films in both cinema and television such as: Shaolin Temple, Southern Shaolin, The Legend of Zu, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Wolf Warrior, True Legend... In recent years, Wu Jing's career has achieved remarkable success with billion-dollar grossing blockbusters like Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth.

As the two big names, Jet Li and Jackie Chan, have passed their prime and cannot perform eye-catching action scenes anymore, Wu Jing has emerged as the worthy 'successor' of Chinese action cinema. However, due to suffering many injuries during filming, the actor born in 1974 is gradually transitioning to work behind the scenes as a director cum investor.

Jet Li started practicing wushu at the age of 8 under the guidance of the same master as Jackie Chan. From a young age, he showed exceptional talent and qualities to become a martial arts master. Jet Li's name gained worldwide recognition in 1974 after performing for President Nixon at the White House.

In his film career, Jet Li became known for his role as Giac Vien, the Shaolin monk, in the movie Shaolin Temple. This led to iconic roles in renowned films that are celebrated across Asia and the world. Jet Li (Lý Liên Kiệt) is one of the top martial arts stars in the world worthy of our admiration.

Donnie Yen (born July 27, 1963) is a Chinese actor, director, martial artist, and film producer. He is renowned for his roles in both television and film, often portraying leading martial arts figures in Asia. In terms of acting, Donnie Yen has been nominated for the Golden Horse Award twice. He is considered one of the youngest and most outstanding martial arts directors in the world, having won numerous awards for martial arts direction at film festivals in Hong Kong and Asia.

Over his 37-year career, Donnie Yen has appeared in a total of 78 martial arts films. Among them, the Ip Man series has brought him tremendous success, establishing him as a leading martial arts star in China and the world. In his homeland, he is often referred to as the 'Ip Master' by the public.

Chow Yun-fat was born on April 10, 1972, in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. His father was a martial arts master, so he was exposed to martial arts from a young age. After graduating from Beijing Sports University in 1994, he decided to stay and become a martial arts instructor. However, due to his busy acting schedule as a movie star, he only taught martial arts for three months before quitting.

Hailing from the Shaolin Temple, at the age of 17, Chow was invited to join the cast of the 4th installment of the Wong Fei-hung series. After impressively portraying the powerful martial arts master Phap Hai in the film 'The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom' alongside Vincent Zhao and Fan Bingbing, he established his name among the most beloved martial arts movie stars in Asia after Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

In June 2006, Chow married Zhang Danlu. The couple welcomed their first daughter in September 2007. Chow also has a son from a previous relationship (with Xiao Lian), born in 2002, named Chow Yu Dat. Currently, the actor enjoys a peaceful and happy life with his wife and children. He says, 'I am very satisfied with my current life. If there are films to shoot, I will shoot them, otherwise, I will take a break and spend more time with my family. My daughter likes to paint and often gives me her paintings, which makes me very happy.'

In addition to acting and representing famous brands, Chow Yun-fat also invests in real estate. He currently owns 10 villas in Beijing.