The best Shan Mao’s movies

There is no place more hallowed in the martial art world than China's Shaolin Temple. This special place deserves a special epic, which is what the martial arts maestro delivers in this battle between a brave brand of Chinese boxers and literally thousands of Ching troops - complete with betrayals, intrigues, and such novel fighting machines as 108 wooden robots. The conflicts grow in complexity, intensity and even suspense as monks struggle to stay alive in the face of overwhelming odds.

A one-armed martial arts master is being stalked by an Imperial assassin, the master of two fighters killed in the previous film. When the One-Armed Boxer is invited to attend a martial arts tournament, his efforts to lay low are unsuccessful, and the assassin soon tracks him down with the help of his three subordinates: a Thai boxer, a yoga master, and a kobojutsu user.

Tien Lung, the best fighter at the Ching Te martial arts school, gets into a fight with the Hook Gang, part of a local opium-dealing and prostitution ring run by a man named Chao, and easily defeats them. The beaten Hook gang members return to Chao, who is so infuriated that he goes to the Ching Te dojo and challenges Tien's master, Hang Tui, to a fight. Hang Tui quickly defeats Chao, leaving him even more humiliated. Chao plans his revenge by hiring a group of mercenary martial artists from Shanghai; two karate experts and their teacher, a Judo master, a Taekwondo expert, two Thai boxing fighters, a Yoga expert, and two mystic Tibetan lamas. With this group, Chao easily destroys the Ching Te school and all of their businesses, leaving everyone dead except for Tien Lung who loses his right arm. Tien Lung vows revenge and begins his training to destroy anyone and everyone who stands in his way.

Rare was the film in 1973 that incorporated the star's name in the title. One of the few such films was Screaming Ninja, aka Wang Yu, King of Boxing. The story is set in China in the early 1900x. Essentially playing an extension of himself, action-star Wang-Yu spends much of the time defending himself against evil martial-arts masters. He also tries to make sense of a tragic incident in his past.

An honourable carriage driver finds love and death when he battles particularly homicidal street punks

The famous story of the Shaolin Temple's betrayal by the White-Browed Hermit, and the subsequent revenge by Shaolin firebrand Fang Shih-yu, is the stuff of legend. It has been filmed many times by many directors, but few are remembered as fondly as this production. The potent combination of director Chang Cheh and international idol Alexander Fu Sheng caught lightning in a lens.

A young man (Bruce Li) unwittingly gets wrapped up in a money scam. When he refuses to give the cash back, the bad guys kidnap his girlfriend and hold her hostage in the Tower Of Death. Once there, he is given two options. Watch his girlfriend get thrown off the top or fight various martial artists on 7 different levels to win his girlfriend back.

A sort of re-telling of Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”. This time the protagonists are a group of Chinese villagers who must band together to recruit outside help to defend themselves against marauding Japanese pirates demanding protection money. Set in year 1556, it’s supposedly based on true events occurring during the twilight of the Ming Dynasty.

Millionaire Chu Te-Sa (Chiang) invests his considerable wealth into the rebel movement who are intent on usurping the ruling Mongol powers. His goals are impeded by a lack of support though and the supposed allies he has made in the town are merely eager to get their hands on his money. During an attack where these craven 'comrades' flee, Chu befriends three con-artists who relish the chance to show off their fighting skills. The trio subsequently agree to help Chu in his quest to end Mongol rule and hatch a plan to destroy a major munitions dump

Hong Kong superstar Jimmy "One Arm Boxer" Wang Yu stars as the Bamboo blade, China's top swordsman. His services are rendered by the Imperial treasury who want him to infiltrate a powerful gang of Highwaymen and get back the stolen silver bullion. After numerous deadly encounters the gang are beaten by the bamboo sword and only the gang leader remains, however he is a lot tougher than was originally bargained for.

Two policemen try to defeat a drug lord using the ancient art of Kung Fu.