Martial arts movies don’t come more iconic than this kung fu masterpiece from director Lau Kar-leung. With an acute focus on the disciplines of combat, it’s the ultimate training film, as Gordon Liu’s lithe apprentice eschews the path of vengeance for one of grace and spiritual self-determination.

A pivotal classic that marked the rise of the 1970s kung fu craze, Jeong Chang-hwa’s international crossover hit ruled box-office charts upon its release in America. Starring martial arts legend Lo Lieh, this audacious tale of red-hot vengeance punctuates gravity-defying battles with startling gore.

Gordon Liu would don the white hair of wizened master Pai Mei in Tarantino’s Kill Bill vol. 2, but here he’s the callow apprentice studying a female fighting style to defeat the iconic villain. Directed by King Boxer’s leading man Lo Lieh, Clan of the White Lotus is a quintessential kung fu classic.

An all-time great kung fu comedy from the virtuosic Lau Kar-leung, Dirty Ho boasts singular fight scenes that combine acrobatic elegance and zany slapstick. Facing formidable foes, all played by martial arts icons, Gordon Liu and Wong Yue make for a riotous duo of cheeky master and hapless sidekick.