Our favourite martial arts movies from Meiji Martial Arts
Friday 27 June 2025
Martial arts on the big screen have been commonplace for as long as we can remember. There have been endless memorable martial arts movies over the years that have starred some of the most famous figures in the world, such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
If we sat here for hours and thought about it, we could spend endless hours debating some of the classics – but we have classes to run for our students, so we don’t have the time to do that (as fun as that would be).
However, we have rounded it down to a few films we think are truly legendary, where martial arts feature heavily. From the sublime to the ridiculous, let’s take a look at some of Meiji Martial Arts’ favourite combat classics on the big screen.
The Karate Kid (1984)
Forget all the sequels, TV shows, and spin-offs. The OG Karate Kid was truly ‘the one’ in our opinion.
The tale of young Daniel Larusso facing up to his Cobra Kai bullies and going on to challenge and defeat his nemesis (at that time), Johnny Lawrence, to win the All Valley Championship, with the help of Sensei Miyagi, is simply timeless.
This has been, for many kids, a great introduction to martial arts, and inspired so many people to get interested in Karate and martial arts in general.
This movie has treated us to numerous memorable lines over the decades (wax on, wax off) that will forever be cherished by martial arts students worldwide.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2001)
When this little-known Chinese film came out at the dawn of the millennium, critics and audiences were blown away by this stunning masterpiece. This fantastical depiction of Qing Dynasty China won it over 40 awards. Impressive for a film that only cost $17 million to make.
But what was most impressive about this film was the action and, in particular, the epic sword fighting between the stars Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh. These fight scenes weren’t just fantastic, they were visually striking.
This film demonstrated how martial arts isn’t all about inflicting damage, but could also be something that can be beautiful.
Kill Bill 1 and 2 (2004)
From the sublime of Crouching Tiger to the insane world that Tarantino created in his two-part femme fatale thriller in Kill Bill.
Tarantino was no stranger to action films, but this was the first time the iconic director had stepped into the martial arts world, where he cast the brilliant Uma Thurman as the main antagonist (the Bride).
What we got was a crazy 4 and a half hours of slick dialogue, brilliant music, and outrageously brutal violence (you need to watch the fight in the Tokyo nightclub), which have ensured that these films have become legendary.
We would certainly never endorse acting out the kind of violence in this film, EVER. Still, for pure entertainment, it’s hard to beat watching Uma Thurman fight hundreds of Yakuza guards with her indestructible Hanzo sword.
The Matrix (1999)
Unlike the films we just listed, which would be categorised as exclusively martial arts movies, it is hard to put The Matrix into that, as it is more science fiction than anything else.
But the amazing fight scenes in this film, which were so groundbreaking at the time, mean that we had to include a film that many consider to be one of the greatest films ever made.
We have to say that Neo fighting Morpheus, in what is meant to be a training simulation, is complete cinematic perfection. Morpheus’s line “you’re faster than this, dont think you are, you know you are” still makes the hairs stand up on the back of our necks, and maybe something might start saying to motivate students during classes.
The Raid (2011)
This 2011 Indonesian flick, which took the martial arts genre to a whole new level. Set in Jakarta, this film follows a police squad who are given the thankless task of raiding an apartment complex, which is under the control of a ruthless druglord.
What transpires is some of the most incredible martial arts we have ever seen on film. We have to give big props to Joe Taslim, whose incredible Taekwondo and Wushu skills are on full display, as the rookie officer who has to navigate the drug-ridden apartment, fighting endless subordinates.
If relentless action is your thing, mixed with unbelievable martial arts, then look no further than this.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
I mean, how could we not possibly put this in? This was the true genesis of martial arts movies for Western audiences. Without Enter the Dragon (Bruce Lee’s final film), one could argue that none of the above would have happened.
Lee plays a martial arts instructor (whose name is also Lee) who is approached by a British Intelligence Officer to investigate a suspected drug lord, who was also a student at Lee’s Shaolin temple.
Lee then goes over to the island where this drug lord is residing, as he is hosting a martial arts tournament as a cover for his illegal activities. We won’t say anymore regarding the plot, but bear in mind it’s the early 70s and obviously a bit cheesy. If we are being honest, just to watch, quite possibly, the greatest martial artist of modern times kick everyones arse, is true sight to behold.
So get your popcorn ready, put your phone away, and simply admire the genius that is Bruce Lee, do what he does best.
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