Donnie Yen-King of Kungfu in China

Donnie Yen-King of Kungfu in China

Background：

Born to a newspaper editor and a martial arts master, Donnie Yen(甄子丹Zhēn Zǐdān) began practising tai chi and wushu(武术wǔshù) at the age of four. At 16 he was sent to the Beijing Wushu Academy, wher he studied under the master who taught Jet Li. Upon graduating he moved to Hong Kong and was discovered by action director Woo-ping Yen, the man responsible for making Jackie Chan a superstar. Success eluded Yen for a few years, until he made once Upon A Time in China II in 1992, which paired him with Li in a fight scene that revolutionised the genre and is still widely regarded as one of the best ever committed to film. Less than 10 years later he was making films in Hollywood - Blade II.

What’s he up to now?

Playing Bruce Lee’s mentor Ip Man in the biopic of the same name. Yen being a big fan of Lee’s, it’s a sweet role for him to play. However, it required Yen to learn a whole new martial art, wing chun, the venerable(a venerable person deserves respect because they are old and wise) less-is-more fighting style characterised by short, powerful punches.