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Martial artsTV show often go bitingly underappreciated , with many excellent serial focusing on Eastern script - to - hired man scrap devolve by the wayside over the years . Thebest soldierlike arts moviesprove the literary genre as one of the most omnipresent in the intact mass medium of cinema , with legion of fantabulous installments coming out of both the East and West . However , TV show are often under - represented when it comes to martial arts , with the good of them often being tragically unsung .
Granted , somegreat soldierlike graphics TV showshave managed to arrive at a nearly mainstream story of achiever . But the difficulty of consistently arranging impressive hand - to - hand fight scene choreography on an episodic base can try out to be a taxing challenge , especially to keep up in the long foot race . To this Clarence Day , far too many amazing series sport excruciating displays of martial arts mastery and strenuosity have gone woefully under - appreciated .
7Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
A modern reboot of a 70s classic
It was still early on enough in the popularization of martial art media in the West in the 70s that the originalKung Fuwas able to nail such a generic title . pull doubled duty as aWestern idiot box seriesas well as a martial artistry show , Kung Fufeatures David Carradine ofKill Billfame as a former Shaolin Thelonious Monk wandering around the Wild West . In his risky venture , he puts his impressive kung fu skills to good use against a variety of hebdomadary bad guys .
Despite the badly - elderly element of David Carradine , a white human , playing a half - Chinese martial artist in a clock time catamenia in which East Asians were maliciously oppressed in the United States , Kung Fuwas bring up in 1993 withKung Fu : The Legend Continues . Here , a descendent of the original protagonist , Kwai Chang Caine , undergoes similar risky venture as his herald in the modern 24-hour interval . Just as full of philosophical musing and thrilling unarmed fighting , Kung Fu : The Legend Continuesis certainly suitable of the legacy it inherits .
6Wu Assassins
A shining example of a movie actor transitioning into TV
Despite airing comparatively of late , Wu Assassinsis still an undersung martial arts show that needs more attention . Martial creative person and actor Iko Uwais ofThe Raidfame stars as Kai - Jin , a simple chef in San Francisco ’s Chinatown district . Jin see he is destined for combat due to his out of sight inheritance as a Wu Assassin , interpenetrate with the ability and skill of 1,000 monks who place their collective consciousness in a mysterious amulet . It ’s up to Jin to arrest the five Wu Warlords , modern - day criminals using ancient great power of classical Chinese factor to wreak havoc on the humankind .
As always , Iko Uwais is vibrate here , leveraging his very real soldierlike arts skill to its full vantage with many electrifying fighting scenes . The supernatural element also permit for some orotund - than - life story superhero - shell battles that get creative with the surroundings and bet . The patch might not be much to write home about , butWu Assassinsdeserves more credit for the excitation of its military action setpieces alone .
5Xiaolin Showdown
Should have become a beloved cartoon
It is n’t only live - action martial arts serial that go unfairly drop by the general pop culture zeitgeist . EnterXiaolin Showdown , a creative westerly cartoon that fill laboured inspiration from Wuxia soldierlike nontextual matter movies , combining their solicitation with traditional soda water culture . LikeWu Assassins , the show orbit around a mathematical group of elemental warrior diffuse with hefty gifts .
Omi and the rest of the Dragon Warriors battle the violence of Heylin evil over the Shen Gong Wu , artifacts that grant a wide variety of dissimilar powers . These battles were often in the form of a Xiaolin Showdown , a mystic sort of biz that would activate upon two sides claim a Shen Gong Wu at the same clip . Between the creativity of the contest - point fights , the worldbuilding , and the ahead - of - its - time humor , it ’s a crying shame thatXiaolin Showdownis one of themost underestimate enliven showsever released in the West .
4The Master
Proved an old dog can learn new tricks
The famous westerly mavin Lee Van Cleef might be better known as the steely Angel Eyes in Sergio Leone’sThe Good , The Bad , and the Ugly , but his TV career took a far different route . The Masterposits Lee Van Cleef as a ninja lord teaching a promising student the artistic creation of ninjitsu . Not unlike then - contemporary seriesThe A - Team , most episodes feature the duet driving around in a secret van foot helping out those in indigence and admit out bad guys .
It ’s incredibly fun to see Lee Van Cleef in a more epic role , passing on his knowledge to a younger , more impulsive bomber . The serial is n’t just low-pitched - brow action at law either , focusing on a wide mixed bag of philosophic concept that come with the territory of warlike liberal arts . But it ’s the master - bookman dynamic between Van Cleef ’s grapheme and his protege that keepThe Masterrelentlessly entertaining , even if it is a tad derivative of other popular appearance at the meter of its conception .
3Street Justice
An underrated showcase for an action movie legend
The iconicfilmography of Carl Weathers , sporting such gems asPredatorandRocky , might be the far more recognizable place to regain the beloved natural process flick star . However , few are privy to Weathers ' guileful warriorlike art seriesStreet Justice , which run from 1991 to 1993 . The show feature Weathers as Adam Beaudreaux , a mysterious vigilante bull who doles out his own thought of justice to criminal using his impressive martial arts skills .
With so many crime procedurals issue forth out in the early 90s , it ’s no wonder thatStreet Justiceisn’t better screw . This is a real disgrace debate just how charming conditions is in the function , navigating tense cases and chop up bad cat with his impressive physique . Still exciting even by modernistic standard , Street Justiceis a expectant sentry for anyone seeking some adrenaline - fueled martial arts action on a idiot box scale .
2Highlander: The Series
Fixed the ruination of a franchise
It is n’t just handwriting - to - hand fighting that falls under the umbrella of warlike arts , with play being another valuable aspect of the literary genre . After the release of the fateful sequel , Highlander II : The Quickening , the famously sword - heavyHighlanderseries desperately needed a win . Luckily , Highlander : The Serieswas there to peck up the slice , wipe away the damage done by the cinematic sequel and starting a new continuity following the oddment of the first film .
Christopher Lambert ’s immortal Connor MacLeod briefly come out in the first episode to evanesce the reigns to his relative , Duncan , who is secretly revealed to be a younger immortal of about 400 year of age . After living in concealing among the human beings , Duncan is finally forced into the deadly biz of cat - and - mouse swordfights across story that the other ancient warriors revel in . Perhaps there should have been only oneHighlandermovie , but the TV show is a worthy follow - up that feature some impressive bladework and becharm dramatic play .
1Chop Socky Chooks
A lesser known kung fu comedy from Aardman Animations
Though theworks of Aardman Animationsare often more popularly represent by adorable English stop - motion films likeFlushed Awayand theWallace & Gromitseries , the studio in reality stepped a dependable tidy sum out of its solace geographical zone with a little - have intercourse 3 - D animate warriorlike arts series . Chop Socky Chooksis a bizarre series that takes position in a giant city - sized shopping mall called Wasabi World , own and mesh by the evil Dr. Wasabi .
The Chop Socky Chooks themselves are a plucky trio of chickens who fight with various styles of kung fu , putting a stop to Dr. Wasabi ’s insidious scheme whenever they can , as well as battle various other scoundrel . The animation style and absurd Earth ofChop Socky Chooksmay be far from focus - group - tested , but that does n’t stop the show from being a fun and exciting celebration of various martial arts movie figure of speech . It ’s good to say there will never be anothermartial artsseries quite like it .
Custom Image by Alex Valentino
