Every Martial Arts Star In Donnie Yen's Ip Man Movies

Donnie Yen's Ip Man movies include many other well-known martial artists throughout the series - here is every one featured in the franchise. Like many Hong Kong martial arts films, the Ip Man kung fu movie franchise takes audiences into a period setting to focus on a kung fu master of great historical significance, namely Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. The world remembers Ip Man as one of the greatest exponents of Wing Chun kung fu to ever live, along with his role in mentoring the young Bruce Lee as an up-and-coming famous martial artist.

Yen was already a big star in Hong Kong with his roles in many martial arts films for the '80s and '90s, but the mid-2000s were where he broke out internationally with both his MMA-based movies Sha Po Lang and Flash Point and the Ip Man series. As a tribute to both Ip Man himself and the art of Wing Chun, the Ip Man films include a cast full of martial arts masters like Donnie Yen, whose fight scenes with Jackie Chan, in addition to the full scope of his career, gives him a deep knowledge of what makes a great fight scene. With each bringing their own skills from different disciplines of combat to the series, the cast of the Ip Man franchise would make it one of the greatest martial arts movie series ever produced.

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With Donnie Yen's famed predilection for blending different forms of martial arts on-screen, it would only make sense that he and the production team of the Ip Man films would want as many fantastic martial artists in the Ip Man series as possible. Yen's opponents, friends, and of course Bruce Lee in the Ip Man movies include legends of martial arts films known around the world, stunt people more readily recognized by die hard martial arts lovers for the memorable secondary and villainous roles they have taken on, and everything in between. Here are the martial artists who comprise Donnie Yen's punching and kicking co-stars in the Ip Man movies.

Hiroyuki Ikeuchi

The role of Ip Man's villain's General Miura is portrayed by Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, who proves to be a formidable opponent for both Ip Man and numerous other martial artists in the film. A black belt in Judo, Ikeuchi is not as known for martial arts roles, but his performance as Miura in Ip Man gave him international recognition as its very strong antagonist. Ikeuchi can also be seen in films like Railroad Tigers with Jackie Chan and the action film Manhunt, directed by famed white dove fan John Woo.

Fan Siu-wong

Ip Man's kung fu rival Jin Shanzhao is portrayed by Fan Siu-wong in the first two Ip Man films, with Jin becoming his ally by Ip Man 2. A wushu practitioner, Fan Siu-wong gained fame in the infamously gory 1991 manga adaptation Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, while his filmography includes another Ip Man film 2010's The Legend is Born: Ip Man, along with the 2014 Donnie Yen movie Kung Fu Killer.

Shi Yan Neng

Shi Yan Neng is also credited on numerous movies as Xing Yu, including Ip Man, and he spent a decade as a monk at China's legendary Shaolin Temple before beginning in movies. Yan Neng appears in Ip Man as the Wing Chun sifu's friend Lin, before returning (credited as Xing Yu again) as Fu in Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. Yan Neng has displayed his kung fu skills to other martial arts films like the comedy classic Kung Fu Hustle, Flash Point, Shaolin, The Wrath of Vajra, and Iron Protector.

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Chen Zhiliu

Wushu exponent Chen Zhihui appears in Ip Man as Master Liu, who has a friendly sparring match with the Wing Chun grandmaster in the movie's first fight scene. Chen was also seen in Jet Li's 2006 movie Fearless as Qin Lei, while he also worked with Donnie Yen again in 14 Blades. Chen's other credits including The Legend is Born – Ip Man as Ip Man's father Ip Chun and Shaolin.

Sammo Hung

A genuine legend of Hong Kong action movies, Sammo Hung first was fight choreographer on Ip Man, and later appeared alongside Donnie Yen in Ip Man 2. Hung grew up in the Peking Opera Academy with Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao, and he was Bruce Lee's opponent in Enter the Dragon's opening fight scene (Hung and Lee's friendly kung fu exchange on-set being among the film's many legends). Hung later lead the two-season American TV series Martial Law as Sammo Law, while Hung's many martial arts films include Magnificent Butcher, Project A, Wheels on Meals, My Lucky Stars, and Sha Po Lang (opposite Yen).

Darren Shahlavi

The late Darren Shahlavi tragically passed away at the age of 42 in 2015, but he left behind a big impression with his work in martial arts films. Shahlavi portrayed the sinister British boxer Taylor "The Twister" Milos in Ip Man 2. Shahlavi is also well-remembered for movies like Bloodmoon and Pound of Flesh, along with shows like Metal Hurlant Chronicles and Mortal Kombat: Legacy as Kano.

Dennis To

Wushu champion Dennis To takes on the roles of Hu Wei and Ip Man and Cheng Wai-kai in Ip Man 2 (nodding to Jet Li's Fearless in one of its big fight scenes). The same year as the latter's release, Dennis To also deliver his own performance as Ip Man himself in The Legend is Born – Ip Man, later portraying Ip Man again Ip Man: Kung Fu Master. To also worked alongside Yen in Bodyguards and Assassins, and he has been seen in other martial arts films like 2012's Wu Dang.

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Lo Mang

Hong Kong martial arts movie fans know the Shaw Brothers studio as an epicenter of kung fu films in the 20th century, and Lo Mang hails from the studio's famed Venom Mob. A practitioner of Tai Chi and Southern Praying Mantis, is famous as Liang Shen, a.k.a. The Toad, in the Shaw Brothers classic Five Deadly Venoms, with countless other kung fu movie appearances to his name. In the backdrop of Bruce Lee becoming Ip Man's student, Lo Mang portrays Master Law in the Ip Man franchise.

Fun Hak-On

The Ip Man series saw Fun Hak-On join in Ip Man 2 as Baquazhang sifu Master Cheng, one of Ip Man's opponents in the film's table-top smackdown. Fun Hak-On's career began in the '60s, with the kung fu movies he's appeared in including The Chinese Boxer with Jimmy Wang-yu and Dragon Lord with Jackie Chan. Fun passed away in 2016, with his final appearance being 2014's Philip Ng-led Once Upon A Time In Shanghai.

Max Zhang

Ip Man 3's semi-antagonist Cheung Tin-chi is played by wushu champion Max Zhang, who later reprised the role in Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. Zhang was also seen as Sa Man in Wong Kar-wai's Ip Man movie The Grandmaster. Additionally, Max Zhang can be seen in films like SPL II: A Time for Consequences, Pacific Rim: Uprising, and in Sylvester Stallone's Escape Plan series, specifically Escape Plan: Extractors.

Simon Kuke

Ip Man 3 treated audiences to the Wing Chun dynamo taking on a Muay Thai fighter, with Simon Kuke trading kicks and elbows with Donnie Yen in their fight. Inspired to get into stunt work by Tony Jaa, Kuke (also known by the Thai name Sarut Khanwilai) would go on to work with Jaa and his mentor Panna Rittikrai frequently in movies like The Bodyguard, Tom Yum Goong, Ong Bak 2: The Beginning, and Skin Trade, doubling for Jaa in the latter three. Kuke also worked alongside Iko Uwais, Lewis Tan, and JuJu Chan Szeto in the 2022 Netflix movie Fistful of Vengeance.

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Leung Kar-yan

Ip Man 3's Tin Ngo-san is played by Hong Kong's legendary Leung Kar-yen, commonly known by the nickname of "Beardy." In contrast to the years of martial arts training Donnie Yen brought to Hollywood and his Hong Kong roles, Leung is a true anomaly of martial arts film legends, having lacked any formal training before beginning his career in Hong Kong movies like Return of the One-Armed Swordsman and Five Shaolin Masters. Despite that, Leung's talent for picking up movements quickly has served him extremely well in his long career in movies from Warriors Two to True Legend.

Michelle Yeoh

One of Asia's best known action stars, Michelle Yeoh portrays businesswoman Tso Ngan Kwan in Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. Yeoh's career in Hong Kong action movies is vast, including movies like Yes Madam, Police Story 3: Supercop, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Yeoh's Western work includes Tomorrow Never Dies, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, as well as the TV series Star Trek: Discovery.

Tony Jaa

The release of Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior brought Thai martial arts marvel Tony Jaa to worldwide acclaim with the film's heart-stoppingly real stunts and Muay Thai fights, which Jaa followed with the two Ong Bak prequels. Jaa boarded the Ip Man franchise with Master Z: Ip Man Legacy as Said the Warrior. Jaa has also set the bar high in Asian action films the Tom Yum Goong films and SPL II: A Time for Consequences, and he's done the same in Hollywood movies like Skin Trade, Furious 7, Triple Threat, and Jiu Jitsu.

Dave Bautista

Former professional wrestler Dave Bautista portrays the imposing villain of Master Z: Ip Man Legacy, Owen Davidson, taking on Yan Neng and Zhang in some very hard-hitting fight scenes. Though Bautista is not primarily known for his roles in Jackie Chan-style martial arts films, he has nonetheless made notable appearances in ones like The Man with the Iron Fists, Kickboxer: Vengeance, and The Warrior's Gate. Outside such martial arts antagonist roles, Bautista is best known as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bautista also anchoring Army of the Dead and portraying Glossu Rabban in Denis Villeneuve's Dune films.

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Yuen Wah

Beginning with stunt work on Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon, Yuen Wah appears in the Ip Man series as an Agent in Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. Yueh was also one of the students dubbed the "Seven Little Fortunes" in the Peking Opera Academy, which included Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Wah's extensive career in kung fu movies like those of Bruce Lee includes numerous movies with one or all of the three like Heart of Dragon, Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars, and Millionaire's Express. Wah also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Guang Bo in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Danny Chan

Famous for his uncanny resemblance to Bruce Lee, Danny Chan joined the Ip Man franchise as the man himself with Ip Man 3, later reprising the role in Ip Man 4: The Finale. An exponent of Lee's martial arts philosophy Jeet Kune Do, Chan also played Bruce Lee in the series The Legend of Bruce Lee, while his other notable roles include Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. Chan's spot-on portrayal of Bruce Lee and use of Jeet Kune Do would make him one of the most memorable elements of Ip Man 3 and Ip Man 4.

Wu Yue

In Ip Man 4: The Finale, the Wing Chun grandmaster faces some philosophical differences with San Francisco-based Tai Chi master Wan Zonghua, played by Wu Yue. Having previously played Chen Zhen in the 2001 TV series Huo Yuan-Jia, Wu also appeared with Jackie Chan and Steve Yoo in the 2009 historical movie Little Big Soldier. Other martial arts films in Wu Yue's career including Cat and Mouse and Paradox.

Mark Strange

Bruce Lee's big fight scene in Ip Man 4 sees him take on a karate exponent in an alleyway, with Mark Strange donning a gi and breaking out his kicks and nunchaku similarly used by Bruce Lee in his fighting style for the fast-paced alley fight. Strange has done stunt work and fight choreography on movies like The Medallion and Zombie Diairies 2, while his on-camera roles have included working with Scott Adkins on 2019's Avengement as Clif, headlining the horror-action movie Redcon-1. Though Strange is not as widely recognized due to primarily appearing in stunt or secondary roles, his Bruce Lee fight scene in Ip Man 4 is nonetheless one of the movie's most memorable action scenes.

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