“Don’t try this at home” has become a staple warning for movies with intensely choreographed fight scenes, but some martial arts techniques from movies truly deserve this cautionary note. Martial arts movies have long captivated audiences with thrilling fight scenes and mind-boggling stunts, especially martial arts movies that seemingly had no rules. As awesome as these techniques may appear on the big screen, attempting to practice them in reality, without the assistance of professional stuntpeople and choreographers, can lead to serious injury or even worse.
No fighting technique from a movie should be attempted at home, but some of these are so incredible to watch that they deserve their own list, whether they’re from trained martial artists or actors. It is important to remember that all of these stunts are performed by highly trained professionals. They’re still incredible to watch and have provided some of the most memorable and iconic action moments in movie history.
10 Leaping Elbow Smash
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (2003)
Muay Thai is a martial art that places heavy emphasis on the use of one’s elbows, fists, shins, and knees, and Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior helped to popularize this discipline across the world. In the movie, Tony Jaa’s character Ting performs a leaping elbow smash, sometimes known as a jumping downward elbow strike, on his opponent.
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It is a move that knocks the opponent cold, and has since become a signature technique associated with Ong-Bak. However, while it looks easy enough in the movie, in reality elbow strikes can be one of the most dangerous martial arts techniques to perform effectively.
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Director Prachya Pinkaew Release Date January 21, 2003 Cast tony jaa , Petchtai Wongkamlao , Pumwaree Yodkamol Runtime 106 minutes
Particularly when the elbow strike is as brutal as the smash seen in Ong-Bak, attempting to replicate such a move in real life can lead to serious injury. Missing the target could lead to you smashing your elbow onto the ground rather than a softer surface, and especially if there is a leap involved, the force required to execute such a move may lead to a broken bone or two.
9 Flying Kick Through A Windshield
Good Guys Wear Black (1978)
A flying kick is one of the most iconic moves in kung fu movie history. It involves the fighter jumping up from the ground and kicking out with one, or in some cases, both, of their legs. This is a martial arts movie technique that would not be recommended at the best of times, but its use in Chuck Norris’ major breakthrough, Good Guys Wear Black, should not be attempted at home under any circumstances. In the movie, Major John Booker (Norris) performs an intense flying kick through the windshield of a moving car.
It’s best to leave this technique to the professionals, who often use stunt glass, which is designed to break without injury.
This is understandably pretty cool to watch, but the combination of jumping in front of a moving car, into glass, with both legs outstretched, makes this one of the most dangerous stunts to attempt at home. Jumping through glass can cause major cuts and lacerations to the legs, and shards can embed in your skin. In this case, it’s best to leave this technique to the professionals, who often use stunt glass, which is designed to break without injury.
8 Wall Running
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Wall running is a staple of action in popular culture, being used across the genre in video games, movies, and television shows. Perhaps one of the most famous examples of wall running’s use in a martial arts movie comes in the iconic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The movie is famous for its gravity-defying action sequences, particularly the scene that sees Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) chase a masked thief across the rooftops, a scene that includes Shu Lien running up a wall with ease.
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Director Ang Lee Release Date December 8, 2000 Cast Chow Yun-Fat , Michelle Yeoh , Zhang Ziyi , Chang Chen , Lang Sihung , Cheng Pei-pei Runtime 120 Minutes
It does not need to be said that this is an incredibly unrealistic depiction of martial arts, but it nevertheless looks insanely cool. Attempting to wall run in real life will almost always cause injury unless one is equipped with the special harnesses that are so often used in the movies. The human body simply doesn’t have the ability to pull off stunts like these and not get hurt, but that doesn’t make Michelle Yeoh’s martial arts stunt of wall running in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon incredibly cool.
7 The One-Inch Punch
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Kung fu icon and one of the most famous martial artists in history, Bruce Lee, popularized the use of the one-inch punch at the Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964. It is a technique that, as the name suggests, involves the fighter generating an enormous impact in a punch from very close quarters. Perhaps its most famous use in popular culture comes in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 2, where a training montage shows The Bride (Uma Thurman) being taught the one-inch punch by her master, Pai Mei (Gordon Liu).
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R Director Quentin Tarantino Release Date April 16, 2004 Cast Uma Thurman , David Carradine , Michael Madsen , Daryl Hannah , Vivica A. Fox , Ambrosia Kelley , Michael Parks , James Parks Runtime 137 Minutes
Later in the movie, The Bride uses the technique to break out of a coffin after being buried alive. As simple as it looks, the training montage in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 demonstrates just how much training it takes to get right. Attempting a punch on any target from that short of a distance without the proper technique can lead to serious wrist injuries, as generating that amount of power safely is an extremely difficult skill to get right.
6 Dim Mak (Death Touch)
Bloodsport (1988)
Dim Mak (or “death touch” in English) is a legendary concept in Chinese martial arts folklore. It is a concept that describes any martial arts move or technique that can kill a person using a seemingly less than fatal amount of force. In the iconic 1988 martial arts movie Bloodsport, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character Dux demonstrates a variation of dim mak to prove that he has been trained by the legendary Senzo Tanaka.
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Director Newt Arnold Release Date February 26, 1988 Cast Jean Claude Van Damme , Leah Ayres , Forest Whitaker , Donald Gibb , Roy Chiao Runtime 92minutes
Dux strikes at a stack of bricks in front of him with the utmost precision and specific force required to only break the bottom brick. While this is an unforgettable martial arts movie moment, it should not be replicated by audiences under any circumstances. Hitting bricks without the proper training can cause serious hand injuries, and, as Dim Mak when fighting other people is based around the importance of pressure points, could seriously injure one’s opponent as well.
5 Flying Armbar
Never Back Down (2008)
The flying armbar is one of the most technically impressive techniques of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It is a move that involves the fighter grappling their opponent by using their legs as a wedge by which they can bring the opponent to the ground. A flying armbar is incredibly difficult to pull off in the real world, a feat demonstrated in the 2008 movie Never Back Down, where Jake (Sean Faris) attempts to perform the move on his opponent during the party fight scene, and is instantly overpowered and beaten up.
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Director Jeff Wadlow Release Date August 15, 2008 Cast Sean Faris , Djimon Hounsou , Amber Heard
When done correctly, the flying armbar is a very effective fighting move that has earned itself a legendary status in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but it takes years of professional training and experience to even attempt it safely. It’s a move that, when done incorrectly, can cause broken arms and dislocated shoulders, as well as the risk of spinal injuries if the fighters crash awkwardly to the ground. Overall, as Jake found out, it’s best to leave this one to the professionals.
4 Scorpion Kick
Yes, Madam (1985)
As the very name suggests, the scorpion kick is a martial arts technique that is inspired by the movements of a scorpion’s sting. It involves the fighter getting up close and personal with their opponent, before lifting their leg above their head and kicking their opponent in the face. In Yes, Madam, Cynthia Rothrock’s character Carrie performs an incredible scorpion kick on Willie (Dick Wei), cementing her status as a legend of martial arts.
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Director Corey Yuen Release Date November 20, 1985 Cast Michelle Yeoh , Cynthia Rothrock , John Sham , Tsui Hark , Dick Wei , Mang Hoi
However, like a scorpion itself, the move is very dangerous for a non-professional to execute safely. A scorpion kick requires extraordinary precision and almost inhuman flexibility in order to achieve the range of motion demanded of it. It is a move that can cause serious muscle strains, dislocations, and back injuries just from the awkward positioning that the scorpion kick requires.
3 Bicycle Kick
Mortal Kombat (1995)
This is a move that is simply impossible for an amateur to even try and attempt. In the 1995 movie, Mortal Kombat, based on the video game series of the same name, Liu Kang (Robin Shou) engages in a fight with Scorpion (Chris Casamassa). During the fight, Liu Kang runs and jumps towards Scorpion, kicking him repeatedly as he makes his way through the air, as if peddling a bicycle. It may be unrealistic, but it is always great fun to watch.
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Director Paul W. S. Anderson Release Date August 18, 1995 Cast Robin Shou , Christopher Lambert Runtime 101minutes
In real life, the ability to kick multiple times while midair is pure fantasy. Attempting a series of flying kicks like this will certainly lead to dangerous falls and lost balance, potentially resulting in broken bones. Even if such a move was possible in real-life combat, it would leave the attacker vulnerable to strikes from the side and the back, as they remain airborne for an extremely long period of time. An homage to the 1995 original bicycle kick was also included in the 2021 remake, Mortal Kombat.
2 Pole-Assisted Spin Kick
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
One of the coolest martial arts moments in movies ever comes in The Matrix Reloaded. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is surrounded by a seemingly endless army of Agent Smiths (Hugo Weaving), armed only with his fists and a metal pole. In a moment of pure genius, Neo slams the pole into the ground, using it as an anchor from which he lifts himself up and kicks away at the onslaught of clones that are attacking him. The “Burly Brawl” has since become one of The Matrix franchise’s most iconic.
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Director Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski Release Date May 15, 2003 Cast Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , Ray Anthony , Christine Anu , Helmut Bakaitis , Steve Bastoni Runtime 138 Minutes
With enough core strength, such a feat may well be possible in the real world, but it is also a move that would require incredible levels of training. The accuracy and precision alone would take months to prepare for, with perfect timing being a crucial element of any successful spin kick. Losing balance or falling from the pole would dislocate a knee at the very least, and it also creates an opening for one’s opponent to strike from the back.
1 The Crane Kick
The Karate Kid (1984)
Unfortunately, the most iconic martial arts movie technique of all time would not be one that could be recommended to practice at home. In the climax of The Karate Kid, Daniel (Ralph Macchio) is fighting Johnny (William Zabka) for the All-Valley title, and needs one point to win. Daniel stands up on one leg and performs a perfectly executed crane kick, striking Johnny in the head and claiming the title in the most dramatic of fashions.
The Karate Kid 
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Director John G. Avildsen Release Date June 22, 1984 Cast Ralph Macchio , Pat Morita , Elisabeth Shue , William Zabka , Martin Kove , Yuji Okumoto Runtime 126 minutes
While not as unrealistic as some of the other martial arts techniques on this list, the crane kick is a deceptively risky move. Standing on one leg is incredibly precarious, especially in a fighting scenario, making it incredibly likely for the fighter to be knocked off balance. Even if the fighter isn’t knocked over, leaping like Daniel did can cause serious leg injuries if their foot were to land awkwardly, or if they were to miss the opponent. Nevertheless, it’s an incredibly cool moment and solidified The Karate Kid as one of the greatest martial arts movies ever.