11 Greatest Finishing Moves in Martial Arts Action Movie History

Every great martial arts fight combines talented actors executing impressive stunt choreography with directors finding bold ways to capture the action. Whether they use weapons or battle hand-to-hand, well-crafted fights tell a story. The hero may start to lose, only to find renewed resolve and push through to victory, all while the audience gets a fast-paced flurry of kicks and punches. Still, all good stories must end, and a fight can add a final flair that punctuates a victory.

Many martial arts movies end fights with a final, intense blow. Stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme love to utilize a good kick, finishing opponents in Kickboxer (1989) and Death Warrant (1990) with brutal displays. Others, like Jackie Chan, weave in humor, such as his character tapping into the Miss Ho Drunken Boxing style he originally refused to learn, giving him the edge over Thunderleg in Drunken Master (1978).

As iconic as those moments are, I want to highlight the unique finishing moves that stand out from the pack. Whether they’re memorable for their originality or their violence, these films offer the best finishing moves in martial arts movie history.

‘The Big Boss’ (1971)

Bruce Lee Stabs a Guy With His Fingers

The Big Boss follows Cheng Chao-an (Bruce Lee), who has sworn a vow of peace. He moves to Thailand to stay with family, where he works with his cousins in a factory that turns out to be a front for a drug cartel. When Cheng’s cousins are murdered, he uses every brutal martial arts move in his arsenal to exact revenge.

The film builds to an epic showdown between Cheng and Hsiao Mi (Han Ying-chieh), the local syndicate leader. Cheng’s vow of peace has long been thrown aside, with the fight offering rapid-fire hits and blood-spewing knife wounds. Cheng takes a beating before his opponent tries to end things by throwing a knife at him. He kicks the knife back into the villain’s stomach—already an impressive feat—then leaps to his feet and stabs Hsiao Mi with his bare hands, killing him. The gruesome maneuver brings the fight to a satisfying, brutal close.

‘The Street Fighter’ (1974)

Sonny Chiba Rips Out Someone’s Throat With His Bare Hands

The Street Fighter trilogy follows Takuma Tsurugi (or Terry in the U.S. version), played by legendary actor Sonny Chiba. He’s an amoral mercenary who uses his martial arts skills to serve his own interests. The character is hired to break someone out of prison and kidnap an oil heiress, trying to exploit parties for extra money. While he’s a skilled fighter who isn’t afraid to bite, gouge, and rip people’s groins to shreds with his bare hands, Takuma’s self-serving nature means plenty of criminals want him dead.

The final fight takes place during a torrential downpour, as Takuma and his opponent, Junjo (Masashi Ishibashi), face off in a bloody battle. Takuma is gravely injured, bleeding, and barely able to stand when Junjo knocks him down. Thinking he has an easy victory, Junjo goes for the finisher, but Takuma grabs him by the throat.

Takuma’s grip tightens as blood flows forth, with the antihero ripping out his opponent’s throat with his bare hands. As he lies in the rain next to Junjo’s lifeless body, the audience catches a glimpse of the meaty chunk of flesh, adding a gory note to the brutality.

‘Kung Fu Hustle’ (2004)

The Buddhist Palm

Kung Fu Hustle blends genres, delivering expert martial arts action and Looney Tunes-esque humor in one fell swoop. The plot follows Sing (Stephen Chow), a bumbling con artist who hopes to join the infamous axe gang. Trying to intimidate local apartment residents, Sing catches the gang’s attention, putting innocent people in danger and exposing the legendary fighters secretly hiding out there.

The movie shows Sing repeatedly beaten down and humbled for his con-artist ways, leading to a spiritual awakening that unleashes his epic power. Characters like the tailor harness power with iron rings, and the landlady can harness sound with the Lion’s Roar ability. Sing unlocks the Buddhist Palm.

He first uses it while falling through the sky, forming a massive palm of energy that strikes his opponent down. Sing then demonstrates his power level, blasting a hand-shaped hole through a building, humbling and sparing his opponent, who praises Sing as a better kung fu master. It blends the film’s action and silly antics with a surprisingly poignant emotional journey.

‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2’ (2004)

The Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga is a love letter to martial arts cinema, paying homage to classic films and genre stars. The plot follows the Bride (Uma Thurman), an assassin who wakes from a four-year coma and hunts down her former team, led by Bill (David Carradine). The second film includes a flashback in which Bill mentions the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique that their former master refused to teach him.

The technique comes full circle at the end, when the Bride meets Bill for the showdown. Rather than a drawn-out fight, Tarantino lets Bill learn the hard way that the Bride was taught the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. The two trade quick blows while seated, deflecting hits, until she seizes an opening to deliver the attack.

With a few taps of Bill’s chest, his fate is sealed. The two have a few final words before he walks off, collapsing into the grass and dying. The scene exemplifies the unique martial arts styles often invented for classic kung fu movies, paired with Tarantino’s tense dialogue, ensuring the movie ends in style.

‘Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior’ (2003)

Muay Thai Knee Drop

Ong-Bak follows Ting (Tony Jaa), a rural villager and expert Muay Thai practitioner. When someone steals the head of a sacred statue from his village, Ting travels to the city to find the culprits, only to get caught up in the criminal underworld. The movie was made to showcase Jaa’s martial arts talent, pushing his skills to the limit in every scene. The film went above and beyond to avoid CGI or wire work, making each hit feel like a realistic, bone-crunching blow.

Ong-Bak’s final fight takes place in a mountain cave, where a massive Buddha statue is being excavated. Ting unleashes the full might of his Muay Thai abilities, beating down numerous enemies with brutal elbows and knees. Ong-Bak embraces gritty realism, making audiences wince at some of the most heinous blows.

However, Ting brings things to a staggering close when he leaps off scaffolding, grabs both his legs, and drives his knees into an enemy below, sending them crashing through the structure. It’s a mix of great action choreography across an epic set-piece, with Jaa’s impressive knees delivering an unmissable message to the martial arts world.

‘Fist of Legend’ (1994)

Jet Li’s Belt and Sword Combo Kill

Fist of Legend is a remake of Bruce Lee’s 1972 classic Fist of Fury. Jet Li plays Chen Zhen, a martial artist who returns home when he learns of his former teacher’s death at the hands of a rival Japanese school. He becomes suspicious of the story, which fuels his plot to uncover the truth and take revenge.

The movie’s final fight pits Chen against General Fujita (Billy Chow), highlighting the contrast between Li’s speed and Chow’s brute-force attacks. Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix) choreographed the film’s stunts, adding intense violence to the established emotional stakes.

When Fujita pulls a sword, Chen counters with his belt, deflecting the sharp blade. Through a whirlwind of slashes, Chen drives the sword into Fujita’s neck and holds it down with his belt. In one quick motion, Chen pulls the sword with the belt, ending the fight with a memorable, bloody finish.

‘The Raid’ (2011)

Mad Dog Sees the Light

The Raid is constructed as a claustrophobic, Die Hard-style action thriller that follows an elite Indonesian police unit as they assault a high-rise apartment building to capture a drug lord living on the top floors. When the unit hits heavy resistance, Rama (Iko Uwais) becomes a one-person wrecking crew, fighting through waves of gun-toting, machete-wielding henchmen. The film features numerous epic fights, but nothing quite like the movie’s final two-on-one showdown.

Rama and his estranged brother Andi (Donny Alamsyah) face Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian) in a fast-paced, bloody battle to the death. Mad Dog has proven to be an unstoppable force, with two opponents feeling like barely a hindrance throughout. Weary after an epic fight, Andi tries to end things by stabbing Mad Dog in the neck with a long piece of fluorescent light-bulb tube.

What would have killed anybody else only pushes Mad Dog into overdrive. After a few brutal blows, Rama grabs the light bulb and crudely drags it through Mad Dog’s neck, ensuring he doesn’t get back up. It’s a visceral battle, with Mad Dog proving such an intense villain that audiences still expect him to pop up again despite such a heinous finish.

‘Enter the Dragon’ (1973)

Enter the Dragon follows Lee (Bruce Lee) as he infiltrates a secret island under the guise of participating in a martial arts tournament where he spies on the drug lord who controls it. The film’s groundbreaking fight choreography and Lee’s undeniable charisma turned the action movie into one of the first martial arts hits with American audiences, kicking off a genre craze throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The tournament that drives the movie features a few fantastic fights, like Williams (Jim Kelly) vs. Parsons (Peter Archer). However, one of the best is Lee battling O’Hara (Robert Wall). It comes at a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lee, and audiences get to see the actor’s lightning-fast hits as he quells his rage in a commanding performance.

As O’Hara starts to lose, he fights dirty, pushing Lee to unleash a devastating final kick followed by one of martial arts cinema’s most iconic finishers. Lee jumps into the air and slams his feet down on O’Hara in a bone-crunching stomp, his expression saying it all.

‘Five Fingers of Death’/’King Boxer’ (1972)

Iron Fist Technique

Much like Enter the Dragon, Five Fingers of Death helped spur the martial arts movie craze in the early 1970s. Kung fu movie legend Lo Lieh plays Chao Chih-Hao, a dedicated martial arts student who learns the infamous Iron Fist Technique from his master. As he prepares for a prestigious martial arts tournament, rivals hire samurai who attempt to stop him from participating. He’s forced to fight through personal and physical trauma, learning the full force of the technique in the process.

When Chao unleashes the Iron Fist, cinematically signaled by a musical sting and glowing hands, he displays dramatically enhanced strength, letting him break through rock and easily tear through his opponents. While Chao can knock enemies down with a single blow, the film highlights his well-choreographed fights that showcase his overall skill. The final fight is fantastic, but Five Fingers of Death lets Chao flex his abilities in several bouts, with his glowing hands always being a welcome sight.

‘The Karate Kid’ (1984)

The Crane Kick

The Karate Kid follows Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), a teenager who moves from New Jersey to Los Angeles with his mother and gets bullied at his new school. His tormentors attend Cobra Kai, a karate school that teaches them to be ruthless. Daniel decides to learn martial arts and finds an unlikely teacher in his apartment complex’s maintenance person, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). As he learns to defend himself, Daniel finds self-control and learns life lessons along the way.

The film builds to a climactic showdown between Daniel and the head bully, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), at the All-Valley Karate Championship. Johnny is famously told to “sweep the leg,” which leaves Daniel with a devastating injury. Even while barely able to stand, Daniel falls back on everything Mr. Miyagi taught him and remembers the crane kick.

Daniel strikes the iconic pose, raising his arms and one leg into the air, before delivering a match-winning kick to Johnny’s face. The kick has become one of the most recognizable moves in martial arts cinema history, making it an easy choice to include.