King Hu is one of China’s most influential filmmakers, famous for his historical martial arts films which helped to popularise the wuxia (‘martial chivalry’) genre in the 1960s and 70s with classic films like 'Come Drink with Me' (1966), 'Dragon Inn' (1967), and 'A Touch of Zen' (1971) - the latter of which he received the Technical Grand Prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. His work has inspired directors ranging from Tsui Hark to Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou to Quentin Tarantino, and since his deat...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 8Ep. 108
In the pantheon of great Van Damme action flicks from the 1980s and 90s, 'Hard Target' (1993) undoubtedly stands out as one of his best. As hunky Cajun ex-Marine, Chance Boudreaux, the mullet-wearing 'Muscles from Brussels' struts his more sensitive side while also exhibiting the sort of superhero antics that would put Schwarzenegger to shame, like firing a pistol while standing on a moving motorbike and - famously - punching a snake. He has his director to thank for one of his most iconic roles...
May 05, 2025•53 min•Season 8Ep. 107
Parkour pioneer Sébastien Foucan can be credited for bringing Parkour to the masses. His seminal UK documentary, 'Jump London' (2003) - and its follow up, 'Jump Britain' (2005) - sparked a cultural phenomenon which would see youngsters take to the streets in wild, acrobatic, hair-raising abandon; running, climbing and leaping across their urban environment in scenes we still see on our streets today. For Sébastien, a movie career followed, with stand-out roles in action films including 'Casino R...
Apr 21, 2025•43 min•Season 8Ep. 106
Bren Foster is a man on a mission. Fresh from the positive reactions to his blistering 2024 martial arts revenge drama, 'Life After Fighting' - which also marked his directorial debut - Bren is now keen to show the world a new kind of action hero. The former soap star, who made his name on shows like 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Home and Away', is now capitalising on his incredible martial arts abilities to star in more fight films. His next will be an MMA actioner with Russell Crowe and Luke Hemswo...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 8Ep. 105
Self-made and self-taught, the story of Martial Club - a YouTube channel created in 2012 by Daniel Mah and the brothers Andy Le and Brian Le - is truly inspiring. As kids obsessed with kung fu movies, they would copy the moves, create their own short films and upload them to the internet, purely as a way of expressing their passion for the martial arts. As their filmmaking and on-screen talent progressed - Brian, Andy and Daniel are all incredible performers, combining their martial arts skills ...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 8Ep. 104
For the second of our four live podcasts - co-hosted by the 'Life of Action' author, Mike Fury - we welcome back the British stunt coordinator and former Hong Kong stuntman, Jude Poyer. Jude's first appearance was on Episode 48 back in 2019. Now, in 2025, he is the action director behind Xavier Gens' violent French brawler, 'Farang' (aka 'Mayhem!'), and Gareth Evans' lauded co-collaborator, having worked with 'The Raid' director on his landmark UK crime series, 'Gangs of London', and the eagerly...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 8Ep. 103
For our first live episode - recorded at the wonderful Depot Cinema in Lewes, UK - we welcome back the actor and martial artist Katrina Durden, who first appeared on Episode 12 of the podcast back in 2017. From her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 'Doctor Strange' (2016) and Joey Ansah's fantastic 'Street Fighter' web series, to roles in TV's 'Strike Back', 'Heads of State' starring Idris Elba and John Cena, and the upcoming 'Red Sonja' reboot, Katrina has been kicking-ass in action movi...
Jan 27, 2025•59 min•Season 8Ep. 102
It's that time of year again - the annual Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast End of Year Show returns for its eighth year! Featuring the author of Life of Action Vol. 1 and 2, Mike Fury, we unpack our martial arts movie highlights of the year, discuss the news that has been hitting the headlines, and - because it's the festive season - we also unwrap some martial arts-themed Christmas presents. 2024 has been a particularly strong year for fight-centric action films. We saw the return of many fan favour...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Season 8Ep. 101
Is Scott Adkins the natural successor to Jean-Claude Van Damme? Why did Andrew Koji almost quit acting only months before landing the lead role in the beloved kung fu series, Warrior? And can we expect a rematch between Indonesian action stars Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais? The answers to these questions and many more are revealed in Best of Actors, one of three compilation shows released simultaneously to celebrate the 100th episode of this podcast, which started life back in 2016. Over three episod...
May 20, 2024•59 min•Season 7Ep. 100
The life of a stunt performer is both exhilarating and dangerous, spectacular yet physically and mentally demanding. Stunt performers put their lives on the line every day for our viewing pleasure, yet are seemingly ostracised from the film world, especially in Hollywood where there is still no Academy Award for their service to the industry. Since this podcast was launched in 2016, I have had the pleasure of speaking to many of the leading voices in the stunt world, from stunt doubles and perfo...
May 20, 2024•56 min•Season 7Ep. 99
With financing and shooting schedules shrinking, how hard is it to make a decent action movie on a low budget? How can you make your lead actor look like an action hero if they refuse to train? And is there scope in the martial arts genre for tackling more challenging topics, like homophobia and racism? In 'Best of Directors' - one of three compilation shows available now - I share some of my favourite conversations with directors who have appeared on the podcast since its inception in 2016. Thi...
May 20, 2024•57 min•Season 7Ep. 98
In Part Two of our annual End of Year Show - featuring the author of 'Life of Action' Vol 1 and 2, the action movie expert Mike Fury - we discuss our favourite fight-centric action films of 2023. Which film will be crowned our favourite of the year? We also read out comments from Fu followers around the world who have been telling us their favourite martial arts movies of the year over email and social media. We also discuss some of the films that we disliked in 2023 and look ahead to the martia...
Dec 24, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 7Ep. 97
Ho ho ho and happy Christmas to all the Fu followers around the world! Welcome to Part One of our annual End of Year Show, featuring the author of 'Life of Action' Vol. 1 and 2, Mike Fury. In Part One, we discuss the martial arts movie news that has been grabbing the headlines in 2023 - from Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan's many new projects, to Michelle Yeoh's success at the Oscars and the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death - and remember the famous people we lost this year. We also play clips f...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 7Ep. 96
From Chile to Mexico to Hollywood - and back again - Marko Zaror's incredible rise in the action world reached a new crescendo in 2023. Known as the 'Latin Dragon', Marko's scene-stealing performance as the main heavy, Chidi, in Chad Stahelski's masterpiece, 'John Wick: Chapter 4', saw him duel on-screen with fight legends Hiroyuki Sanada, Donnie Yen and Keanu Reeves; meanwhile, back in his home country of Chile, he reunited with his childhood friend - the filmmaker Ernesto Díaz Espinoza - to pr...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 7Ep. 95
It has been over a decade since we last spoke in-depth to the author and kung fu movie expert, Ric Meyers - the man responsible for introducing much of America to the classics of martial arts cinema over a writing career spanning five decades. His books - including 1985's 'Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to the Ninjas', 1995's 'The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies', 2001's 'Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More', and 2011's 'Films of Fury' project, which involv...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 94
Vincent Lyn's short career in Hong Kong action movies may only span a few years, but his good looks, martial arts abilities and acting skills saw him work with some of the biggest names in the industry, operating at the height of their powers. The list includes Donnie Yen, Yuen Woo-ping, Corey Yuen, Cynthia Rothrock, Cynthia Khan, Simon Yam, and Jackie Chan. He admits he had no idea that the films he was making would go on to become so influential and cherished by generations of action fans arou...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 7Ep. 93
Over the last decade, Germany has become a hotbed of aspiring young martial arts talent who have seen their careers grow from DIY short films on YouTube to massive Hollywood productions. Cologne-born Vi-Dan Tran is a wushu practitioner and Hong Kong movie fan. His passions led to a career in stunts and eventually membership of the hallowed Jackie Chan Stunt Team, working with the man himself on movies like 'The Foreigner' and 'Bleeding Steel'. Nowadays, Vi-Dan Tran can be found behind-the-scenes...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 7Ep. 92
We have a directors double bill on this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, featuring conversations with two filmmakers who have both released independent martial arts movies in 2023. Froukje Tan is a Dutch filmmaker who specialises in telling family-orientated stories which are accessible to all. Her new film - her first in the directors' chair for over a decade - combines her knowledge of child development and the martial arts, herself being a long-time practitioner of southern style k...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 7Ep. 91
The martial artist, instructor, writer, actor, painter, fight choreographer, singer and all-round entertainer Eric Lee got his nickname - the 'King of Kata' - after winning a string of trophies throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s. He has over 100 world titles, and was the undefeated forms and weapons champion from 1970 to 1974. Over the years, his kung fu demonstrations escalated to include music, lighting, comedy, acting and sound effects, and his entertaining mix of martial arts and performance ...
Apr 24, 2023•56 min•Season 7Ep. 90
Women have been performing stunts in movies since the advent of cinema, but over the decades, their voice and influence in the industry has become marginalised. From fears of being overlooked, undermined or replaced, to the notion of "wigging" - male stunt performers doubling female characters - and concerns over sexual harassment, safety and security, April Wright's fascinating 2020 documentary, 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story', tells the shocking truth of how women - and other marginal...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 7Ep. 89
Keith Cooke is one of action cinema's all-time greatest kickers. From his explosive triple kicks as Muay Thai instructor Prang in the cult classic, The King of the Kickboxers , to his turns in costume as Reptile and Sub-Zero in the 1990s Mortal Kombat movies, Cooke's poise, energy and talent marked him out as one of the most engaging breakout martial arts stars of the 1990s. It was a phone call from none other than Enter the Dragon producer Fred Weintraub that transformed Cooke's fortunes in Hol...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 7Ep. 88
When Asian action cinema expert, producer and casting director Mike Leeder left his job in a Croydon department store to go on holiday to Hong Kong, little did he know that - 32 years later - he would still be there. Before he fell in love with the city, he fell in love with its movies; a blossoming romance which started with a Jackie Chan double bill of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master , and has led him to working on many of Hong Kong's biggest and best productions over the last t...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 7Ep. 87
The wait is over! We can now finally reveal our favourite fight films of 2022 in Part Two of our annual End of Year Show, featuring Mike Fury, the action movie expert and author of Life of Action Vol. I-II. As is tradition with this show, neither Ben or Mike are aware of what the other person has selected for inclusion in their personal top five list; will there be consensus, or will it end in a bloody fight to the death? Top picks for 2022 include a strong roster of big-budget superhero carnage...
Dec 24, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 7Ep. 86
It's the most wonderful time of the year... that's right, the time when we release our special annual two-part End of Year Show, in which we look back over the best and worst that martial arts movies had to offer in 2022. Podcast host Ben Johnson is joined once again by Mike Fury, film expert and author of 'Life of Action Vol. I-II'. In Part One, Ben and Mike discuss the big stories that grabbed the martial arts movie headlines in 2022, play Christmas messages recorded especially for the show by...
Dec 19, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 7Ep. 85
It was a screening of 1972's 'Five Fingers of Death' (aka 'King Boxer') that would transform the life of Robert "Bobby" Samuels. At that time, he could not have foreseen that he would go on to become the first African American member of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association, a star of martial arts action cinema, a Hung Gar expert training under kung fu master and actor, Chiu Chi-ling, and a close personal friend of Sammo Hung - one of the biggest names in kung fu movies. Bobby's story is one of dog...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 7Ep. 84
Scott Adkins is in a good mood. The response to his latest martial arts movie, 'Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday' - the sequel to his dream project, 2018's 'Accident Man', based on a cherished British comic book he loved as a kid - has been incredibly positive, with many fans claiming it to be one of his best movies. In a gruelling 22-day shoot, Adkins - as producer, story developer, fight choreographer and lead actor - has managed to turn around another action-packed and entertaining indie which ...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 7Ep. 83
When Jimmy Wang Yu died on 5 April 2022 at the age of 79, Jackie Chan took to his social media accounts to pay his respects, stating that "the contributions you've made to kung fu movies and the support and wisdom you’ve given to the younger generations will always be remembered in the industry." But Wang Yu's legacy is a complicated one. Despite being a huge Hong Kong martial arts star in the 1960s and 70s, his international status has now been overshadowed by his contemporaries - especially Br...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 7Ep. 82
As a powerlifting champion, three-time ‘Miss Fitness’ winner in Japan and an action film star, Michiko Nishiwaki has been on quite a journey. When she left school to start working in human resources for the Mitsubishi bank in the 1970s, her life goals were similar to many other Japanese women in her position; to find a husband and have children. But for Michiko - obsessed with gymnastics, karate, fitness, singing and the arts from an early age - she decided to take a different path. Following he...
Oct 17, 2022•57 min•Season 7Ep. 81
There aren't many stunt coordinators and fight choreographers who can say they have helped to change the course of modern day action cinema like Jonathan Eusebio. His work on the 'Bourne' films alone sparked a movement in Hollywood into more realistic, grittier fight sequences, inspired by his background in Filipino martial arts. He took this style into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shaping the grappling movements of Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), and adding his flair to films like...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 7Ep. 80
The wait is over! Find out our favourite - and least favourite - martial arts movies of 2021 in Part Two of our End of Year Show, featuring Life of Action author, Mike Fury. Join in the festivities as we take it in turns to reveal our top five fight films of the year over a few 'snowballs' - a cocktail of advocaat and lemonade. We also take the time to highlight some of the titles which narrowly missed out on a top five position, and look ahead to some of the big movies heading our way in 2022. ...
Dec 24, 2021•1 hr 35 min•Season 6Ep. 79
