The Ip Man series has some of the 21st century’s best hand-to-hand action scenes, with their best fights standing out from almost anything else in modern cinema. The series focuses on Ip Man, a real-life Wang Chun Martial Arts Master. Played by Donnie Yen in the movies, Ip Man is a patient and kind man who nevertheless possesses the skills and will of a true warrior.
His greatest challenges range in combat style, all while Ip Man survives Japan’s occupation of China in World War II, the efforts of corrupt foreign interests to abuse and mock Martial Arts, and the challenges of moving to the United States. These challenges come with plenty of enemies for Ip Man to defeat, with some of the most memorable brawls throwing dozens of armed opponents against Ip Man. Although every fight in the films is wonderfully choreographed, there are some that stand out as highlights of the series. Here are the best ten fights from the Ip Man movies, ranked.
The best fights in the Ip Man series pit a number of dangerous combatants against Donnie Yen’s Martial Arts Master. With his journeys taking him across the world, Ip Man’s enemies range from deadly boxers to expert combatants to Martial Arts Masters in different styles. A great example of the film’s action style can be found in the final entry, Ip Man 4: The Finale. After defeating three other Martial Arts Masters to establish his skills, the openly racist Colin Frater finds himself facing off with Ip Man.
Despite his apparent strength and skill, Frater can do little to keep up with Ip Man’s more precise and effective fighting skills. Their fight is the textbook definition of Ip Man’s style, with the character showcasing mercy while maintaining a brutal touch to his finishing moves. It’s also quietly a new take on the climatic fight of the first Ip Man, pitting Wang Chun against Karate. The fight against Frater comes late in the series but is perhaps a perfect example of how Ip Man operates in a fight
The battle in Hong Kong in Ip Man 3 forces the titular Martial Arts Master to face off with dozens of gang members working for Ma King-sang seeking to burn down a school. The brawl sees Ip Man face off with plenty of fighters on his own, serving as a keen reminder of how effective he is at putting down opponents. More than anything though, the fight serves as a great showcase for Zhang Jin as Cheung Tin-chi. Seeing the chaos spilling out of the fight, Tin-chi throws himself into the fight.
While Tin-chi would later go toe-to-toe with Ip Man in the film’s final fight in a more impressive duel, his fight against Ma King-sang’s gang underscores his similar but brutal take on Ip Man’s own Wing Chun Martial Art style. As a means of establishing how dangerous Tin-chi is ahead of his own duel with Ip Man, his massive brawl with Ma King-sang’s men is perfectly constructed — even catching Ip Man off-guard. It has some particularly impressive beats, and works as a very solid tease of the conflict that later occurs at the end of the film.
The concluding fight of Ip Man 4: The Finale (and the Ip Man series up to this point), Ip Man’s duel with Geddes feels like a proper culmination of all his previous major duels from across the course of the film series. Geddes is a Karate Master with a mix of fighting touches, showcasing Scott Adkins’ versatility. With the same kind of overt racism that defined Twister in Ip Man 2, Geddes is a fitting antagonist for Ip Man’s final movie.
Notably, his experience with karate recalls the final conflict of Ip Man where Ip Man went up against General Miura. Whereas that fight was almost shocking for how quickly it played out and concluded, Geddes’ vicious approach to combat results in a more bone-crunching and memorable duel. Geddes serves as a solid throughline for the series as a whole, reflecting three previous films worth of villains to present Ip Man with one final hulking enemy to overcome.
Similar to Ip Man and Tin-chi’s battle with hordes of men in Ip Man 3, the Market Place Brawl in Ip Man 2 forces the Wing Chun Master and one other fighter into a brawl against an entire gang. However, the Market Place Brawl is a more entertaining and exciting fight, with even some light comedic beats. After discovering his student Wong Leung has been captured by the Hung Ga gang, Ip Man attempts to peacefully arrange for his release.
When the gang refuses to let him go, Wong finds himself alongside Ip Man as his teacher fights dozens of men at once. Ip Man’s quick use of various marketplace items speaks to a creativity of action that feels more in-tune with a Jackie Chan movie than the rest of the Ip Man series, helping it stand out from the other action scenes in the series. Wong’s presence adds an openly comedic element too, especially when he ends up using one enemy combatant as a weapon against the rest of the gang.
The concluding battle of Ip Man 3, Ip Man’s duel with Tin-chi is one of the clearest mirror match-ups in the series. Established as a rival Wing Chun Master who actively seeks to discredit Ip Man’s own school in a bid to highlight his own, Ip Man’s duel with Tin-chi is impressive for the variety of elements that come into play. Facing off with a fellow Wing Chun Master means Ip Man can’t just surprise or overwhelm his opponent. Instead, the pair initially duel with weapons including blades and staffs, showcasing their similar styles.
It’s a wonderful showcase for Max Zhang and Donnie Yen’s variety of skills. In the end, though, their fight comes down to fists and endurance, with Ip Man ultimately winning through the use of the now legendary one-inch punch. An exciting duel that focuses on the underlying elements of Wing Chun Martial Art, the fight (and Ip Man 3 as a whole) was impressive enough that Zhang’s Tin-chi ended up with his own spin-off movie as a result, Master Z: Ip Man Legacy.
Ip Man’s duel with Master Shin is one of the earliest duels in the four-film series, and the first true showcase of Ip Man’s skills. While he’d already shown off his abilities in a friendly restrained duel with Master Lin, the battle with the boisterous and aggressive Shin highlights the compelling balance of precise action, effective drama, and unexpected levity that elevate the Ip Man movies. Having defeated most of the other local Martial Arts Masters, Shin’s battle with Ip Man is a fast-paced and impressive battle.
It’s also a shockingly silly fight, with Ip Man using a duster to counter a sword and Shin openly apologizing for breaking his vases. However, the fight is a vital one for the series. It establishes Ip Man’s skill set and his dedication to his loved ones, as it’s only after Shin insults Ip Man’s son that the master reveals how effective of a fighter he really is. Ip Man’s battle with Master Shin highlights his versatility and skill, and does a lot to fully establish the tone of the character after earlier scenes introduced the character.
Ip Man 2‘s climactic battle with Twister is one of the most brutal fights in the series, and one of the closest Ip Man ever comes to defeat. The film plays their battle with huge dramatic stakes as a result. Seeking to avenge his respectable rival Master Hung and protect the image of Martial Arts in the face of Twister’s overt racist dismissals, Ip Man is forced to fight someone nominally strong enough to brush off his typically overwhelming assaults.
Making matters worse for Ip Man, the rules of the boxing ring prevent him from using kicks, severely limiting his typical style of combat. It’s an exciting fight because of the thematic weight behind it and the challenges it presents to Ip Man. It’s also one of the few fights where Ip Man truly relies on an external advantage — in this case, remembering analysis from Hung’s duel with Twister — to finally defeat the British boxer. The pair bring different fighting styles to the ring, underscoring the unique qualities of the fight. The only thing that detracts from the fight is the way it’s forced to limit Ip Man to underscore the intensity of the situation.
In comparison, Ip Man’s duel with Frank in Ip Man 3 is functionally similar to his brawl with Twister. Ip Man’s faster combat skills are pitted against a physically stronger force in Frank. Played by boxer Mike Tyson, Frank challenges Ip Man to a three-minute duel. Lasting 180 seconds against the crime boss will ensure he leaves Ip Man alone. Unlike Twister’s more public brawl, Frank doesn’t force any limitations onto the martial arts master, allowing both fighters to utilize their differing styles to full effect.
The result is an exciting duel that quickly and repeatedly shifts in advantage multiple times over the course of three minutes. It’s just a cool brawl, with Ip Man unleashing a flurry of blows while Frank’s endurance and more concentrated boxing efforts outpace even Twister. Tyson’s Frank is one of the more memorable elements of Ip Man 3, his quiet appreciation and eventual respect for Ip Man’s skills make him an ideal foil for Ip Man to take on in a fight.
One of the most iconic moments in the entire Ip Man series, Ip Man’s fury over the murder of a former rival propels him to challenge ten of General Miura’s students at once. The ensuing battle is absolutely staggering, one of the most impressive showcases in the series. Especially compared to his more merciful attitude in most fights. Ip Man painfully brings down many of the fighters with a brutal edge.
Ip Man breaks bones, kills people with precise blows that shatter their skeletons, and all around operates in a more ruthless manner than he typically does in the series. The fact that Ip Man commits so fully to the fight and embraces a harsh edge that’s usually absent from his more genial moments underscores how dangerous he really is, heading into the climax of the film. Ip Man’s fight with ten men is the ultimate showcase of what the fighter is capable of and remains one of the most impressive sequences in the entire series.