Donnie Yen
甄子丹
Hong Kong actor and action choreographer, a student of his mother Bow-sim Mark in taijiquan, who played Ip Man in the eponymous film series from 2008 to 2019.
Quick Facts
Hong KongBiography
Donnie Yen, in Chinese 甄子丹 (Yen Chi-tan), was born on 27 July 1963 in Guangzhou. He is an actor and action choreographer.
He learned taijiquan and wudangquan from childhood from his mother Bow-sim Mark. At sixteen his parents sent him to Beijing to train with the Beijing wushu team at the Beijing Sports Institute; after returning to the USA he won gold medals in wushu competitions. He reached 6th dan in taekwondo, a black belt in judo and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He also trained in Jeet Kune Do, hapkido, MMA, Muay Thai and sanda. Between 2007 and 2008 he studied Wing Chun under Ip Chun for nine months.
At eighteen he tried out in Hong Kong for the action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, which launched his film career. He made his debut in Drunken Tai Chi (1984). He played the breakthrough role of General Nap-lan in Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) and also appeared in Iron Monkey (1993). Between 2008 and 2019 he played the lead role of Ip Man in the films Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2 (2010), Ip Man 3 (2015) and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019); for the role he lost over 14 kg down to 54 kg, to emphasise technique over strength in the Wing Chun style.
In 1997 he founded the production company Bullet Films, focused on action choreography for Western films, and choreographed the fight scenes for Blade II and Hero (both 2002). In Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010) as choreographer he incorporated elements of Jeet Kune Do as a tribute to Bruce Lee. He has won three Golden Horse Awards and five Hong Kong Film Awards. His Golden Horse Awards for action choreography came from, among others, Flash Point (2007) and Dragon (2011), and his Hong Kong Film Award for action choreography from SPL: Sha Po Lang (2005) and Ip Man. In 2019 he was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum's hall of fame.
Associated Martial Arts
A collective term for the Chinese martial arts, not a single style. It includes sport wushu (taolu and sanda) and traditional schools. It has no founder, and Bodhidharma is a legend.
MMANotable figure→A full-contact sport combining strikes and wrestling standing, in the clinch and on the ground. It has no belts and is contested under several rule sets (Unified Rules, ONE, IMMAF).
Tai ChiNotable figure→A Chinese family of internal martial art styles with slow forms and tuishou, documented from the 17th century in Henan. Zhang Sanfeng is a legend, UNESCO 2020.
Ranks and titles
- 6th danTaekwondo
Filmography
A screen role does not mean the person actually practises the art — that is listed above.
Actor — Wong Kei-ying · Kung Fu (portrays the art on screen)
Hero2002Actor — Long Sky · Wushu Taolu (real practitioner)
Ip Man2008Actor — Ip Man · Wing Chun (portrays the art on screen)
Ip Man 22010Actor — Ip Man · Wing Chun (portrays the art on screen)
Ip Man 32015Actor — Ip Man · Wing Chun (portrays the art on screen)
Ip Man 4: The Finale2019Actor — Ip Man · Wing Chun (portrays the art on screen)