A Spotlight on the Original Matrix Film & Martial Artist’s Yuen Woo-ping’s Contributions

The Matrix

Directed by: The Wachowski’s

Starring – Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving

The Matrix is a film about a young man named Thomas Anderson, who awakens from his reality to find out that everything he previously thought was real – is not. After learning the truth, he joins with a band of like minded freedom fighters to battle against the tyranny of an oppressive system that utilizes pervasive forms of control.

If you like futuristic sci-fi with mind bending physics then The Matrix is a film for you.

The fight scenes were choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping 袁和平 who has worked on countless martial arts films as a fight choreographer since the 70s, including but not limited to:

Drunken Master, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Matrix Trilogy, Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2, The Bloody Fists, Ip Man 3.

Yuen Woo-ping has also directed features, Drunken Master (1978), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016), Tai Chi Master (1993), Tiger Cage (1988), Iron Monkey (1993), and many more.

Below are some photos of Yuen working on the first Matrix film and some of his other projects.

Hope you all enjoyed this spotlight on one of the most prolific martial artists working behind the camera in Hollywood.