6 of the best female martial arts stars, from Michelle Yeoh to Zhang Ziyi and Lady Kung Fu

From ancient Shaolin techniques to iconic movie stars like Bruce Lee, delve into the history, philosophy and cinematic impact of kung fu with our martial arts series.

From Michelle Yeoh to Angela Mao, here are six female martial arts movie actresses who left their mark on the entertainment industry with their powerful punches and flying kicks.

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh first gained fame after appearing in Hong Kong action films in the 1980s and 1990s. Known for doing her own stunts, Yeoh had her first lead role in Yes, Madam, a 1985 film in which she played a police inspector alongside American martial artist Cynthia Rothrock.

“When she was young and came to Hong Kong, we trained her as an action star,” Norman Chan, once the production controller at D&B Films, told the Post in 2023. “She didn’t know kung fu at all and trained tirelessly to become a female action star – her whole body would get hurt, but she never ever gave up … It’s very rare to find a talent like her.”

After a five-year hiatus following her marriage to first husband Dickson Poon, Yeoh returned to the silver screen with Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), and other action films such as Tai Chi Master (1993) and Wing Chun (1994).

She gained international fame after appearing in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies – her combat abilities led her co-star Pierce Brosnan to describe her as the “female Bond” – before starring as the heroine in Ang Lee’s acclaimed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

In recent years, Yeoh has continued to showcase her martial arts capabilities in various films, including the superhero movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and the surreal comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), for which Yeoh won the Academy Award for best actress, becoming the first Asian to do so.