He Was More Skilled Than Jackie Chan — But Nobody Remembered His Name

He fought like a wild animal, moved like an acrobat, and helped build classic Hong Kong action cinema — yet almost nobody remembers his name. This is the forgotten story of Chin Yuet-Sang, also known as Chien Yuen, one of the most gifted martial arts performers, stuntmen, action choreographers, and eccentric character actors in kung fu movie history. From his unforgettable Monkey Fist fight in 7 Grandmasters to his dark, emotional role in The Thundering Mantis*, his wild performance in *The Buddha Assassinator*, and his creative work on *Lion vs. Lion and *Hocus Pocus*, Chin Yuet-Sang left fingerprints all over the golden age of Hong Kong martial arts cinema. He trained under Madam Fen Juhua at the legendary Spring and Autumn Drama School, alongside future icons like Lam Ching-Ying, Mang Hoi, Chung Fat, and other performers who became the backbone of Sammo Hung’s stunt team. While Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao became international stars, Chin remained the quiet force behind some of the most physical, dangerous, and memorable action scenes ever filmed. He appeared in over 80 films. He worked with Sammo Hung, Lau Kar-leung, John Woo, Corey Yuen, and Shaw Brothers legends. He helped shape the supernatural kung fu comedy style that later exploded with *Mr. Vampire*. And according to kung fu film historian Toby Russell, his physical skill may have been above even Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. So why did a performer this talented disappear from history? This video looks at the life, career, mystery, and forgotten legacy of Chin Yuet-Sang — the monkey fighter, the insane mantis master, the crazy abbot, the dismembered ghost, and one of the greatest unsung martial artists in classic action cinema. If you love old-school kung fu movies, Hong Kong action cinema, Shaw Brothers films, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Lam Ching-Ying, Mr. Vampire, or forgotten martial arts legends, this is a story you need to know. Watch until the end to understand why Chin Yuet-Sang may be one of the most important martial arts performers who never became a household name. Subscribe to Forgotten Fists for more stories about the fighters, stuntmen, action stars, and forgotten legends who built martial arts cinema from the shadows. 0:00 The Monkey Fighter Nobody Remembered 1:20 The School Nobody Talks About 2:32 The Backbone of Hong Kong Action Cinema 3:26 A Filmography Like a Syllabus 4:11 The Eccentric Character Man 4:48 Monkey Fist With No Wires 5:31 The Thundering Mantis Gets Dark 6:26 The Buddha Assassinator's Secret Master 7:37 Lion vs. Lion — The Film That Flopped and Lasted 8:56 Hocus Pocus and the Genre That Got Stolen 10:18 New Mr. Vampire and the Rival Priest 10:48 Vampire Expert — A Face Finally Gets a Name 11:03 Carrying a Brother to the Crematorium 11:38 After 1999 — Nothing 12:02 More Skillful Than Jackie Chan #ChinYuetSang #HongKongCinema #KungFuMovies #MartialArtsMovies