Biography of Donnie Yen Ji-Dan

"Martial art is a form of expression, an expression from your inner self to your hands and legs." - Donnie Yen

Personally, I cannot but agree with this statement. Many different forms of martial arts in this world evolved as a form of cultural dance, a way of self-defense, a means to overthrow the early emperors in their country, etc.

Being raised as a child under the exposure of martial arts shows, beginning with Bruce Lee… I owe it to my Dad who opened my eyes into the world of martial arts.

My introduction to martial arts first began on-screen, before my brother & I decided to take it further off-screen (during our primary school days)… putting ourselves through a few years of Taekwondo at a Resident’s Committee (RC) near my flat.

At that young age, I faired as an average student, though my younger brother exhibited a bit more talent, resulting in him getting a double-promotion at one of our yellow belt Taekwondo grading test.

In comparison with him, I was very much more inflexible in terms of the stretching & high kicks. However, I faired better in terms of aerobic endurance & explosive power. Over time, both of us progressed to become junior black belts.

Apart from my colorful childhood memory of cartoons, pranks, etc… Martial arts have also formed part of this unique core of my younger days.

Over last year’s Christmas gathering, my uncle Robert lent me a 20-disc VCD series titled ‘The Kung-Fu Master’ starring Donnie Yen, as the lead actor. In this TV series, Donnie Yen starred as Hung Hei Kwun, the founder of Hung Gar Kung-Fu. Erica Chow also starred as Yim Wing Chun, the woman who founded Wing Chun Kung-Fu. These two are not fictional moves like those which involve camera tricks, but the true founders of these real-life martial arts.

Before being introduced to this awesome actor & real-life martial artist; Jet Li & Jackie Chan were, in my perception, the only two main heroes in the Chinese-speaking martial arts movie world. Sammo Hung was another real-life martial artist, but he is so plump that I didn't fancy watching his shows.

This was when my secondary school friend David Tng recommended me to watch this martial arts series titled ‘Fist of Fury’ acted by Donnie Yen, that was played every Thursday from 4:30 – 5:30pm over Channel 8. Since the first day I watched it, I never looked back. Donnie Yen has become my Chinese hero.

Although it might be possible that more people have heard & watched Jet Li’s films, instead of Donnie Yen’s, it’s because Donnie Yen focuses a lot on the China & Hong Kong viewer market. Jet Li began there too, but turned to Hollywood, which thereafter made me feel that his shows were starting to seem ‘off’ with too much of a mix between oriental Chinese culture & Western boxing & wrestling.

Donnie Yen did made a few films like that of Jet Li, but he seemed to stay close to the Chinese market, as compared to Jet Li. Personally, I feel that Jet Li has lost his ‘flavor’ as China’s hero, since the days of Wong Fei Hong.

On the other hand, I find Donnie Yen’s acting VERY much better than Jet Li’s. I always feel at awe & totally immersed into that particular scene of the show when Donnie Yen portrays an intense, convicted & courageous facial expression. The way he twitches his eye brows, grits his lips, frowns his forehead, etc… just makes me feel like I’m right there at that scene…

Needless to say, the music in Donnie Yen’s shows always surge into my heart & giving me intense courage, in admiration of his heroic deeds & expressions.

Here is an excerpt from a website which also expresses my favoritism towards Donnie Yen -

Having developed a bold style of film expression though his years of martial arts training and tutelage under master action director Yuen Wo Ping, Donnie Yen has helped usher in a new era in world action cinema.

Although born on July 27, 1963 (Canton, China), Yen was raised in Boston, Massachusetts where he learned Wushu and Tai Chi from his mother, Master Bow Sim-Mark, who runs the world renowned Chinese Wushu Research Institute. Yen was eventually sent to Beijing where he studied under the same master who had once taught Jet Li.

From there, Yen stopped in Hong Kong where he met Yuen Wo Ping who happened to be looking for a new lead. After proving his skill as a double for various actors in Miracle Fighters (1982), Yen had his first starring role in Wo Ping's Drunken Tai Chi (1984). The film was one of the last "old school" kung fu films to ever be made. His role in Tiger Cage 2 (1990) led to a legendary series of screen battles with Jet Li in Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China II (1992).

Yen was now a widely recognized action star just as a martial arts renaissance was taking place in Hong Kong. A series of memorable roles followed in outstanding films like Dragon Inn (1992) and Iron Monkey (1993). His next film with co-star Michelle Yeoh entitled Wing Chun (1994) began his experimentation with directing that would lead to his groundbreaking work on Legend of the Wolf (1997).

After several more noteworthy directorial efforts with minimal budgets, Yen began to find work as an action choreographer overseas; on a television series in Germany, a film in Japan, and two films in the U.S. which include Highlander: Endgame and Blade 2. More recently, Yen stepped up to co-star in two high profile productions to combat Jet Li in Hero (2003) and Jackie Chan in Shanghai Knights (2003). Add to that a successful re-release of Iron Monkey in the U.S. and offers to return to Japan to direct, Yen's future as an action filmmaker looks brighter than ever.