Overview: Director Chang Cheh introduces the martial art of Muay Thai boxing to Hong Kong cinema in this contemporary actioner starring David Chiang and Ti Lung. Fan Ke (Chiang) is a civil engineer and student of modern Chinese kung fu from Hong Kong who honors his father’s dying wish by traveling to Thailand in search of a long lost brother. He turns out to be Wenlie (Ti Lung), a fighter caught up in a corrupt fighting circuit and desperate to earn enough money to pay for his ailing mother’s operation. When Wenlie breaks rank to beat the current champion – a killer nicknamed Cannon (Ku Feng) – in a fixed match, he’s marked for death by a vicious circuit boss (Chen Sing) and fights back with the aid of Fan Ke.
Unlike most Shaw Brothers productions which were shot on set or in Hong Kong’s New Territories, much of the film’s outdoor scenes were shot on location in Thailand. In addition, popular Thai actress Pawana Chanajit was cast as David Chiang’s love interest. In the film, Ti Lung’s character is identified by an anchor tattoo on his left arm. The tattoo is real and can be seen in most of his roles where he went shirtless.
Chen Sing, long cast in supporting action and dramatic roles in previous Chang Cheh productions steps forth for the first time as the lead fighting villain. Likewise, we get our first notable glimpse of what would become his distinctive, hard screen-fighting style, heavily influenced by karate training.
This film should not be confused with THE DUEL (aka DUEL OF THE IRON FISTS), another similarly titled Shaw Brothers production from director Chang Cheh and also starring David Chiang and Ti Lung.
AKA: The Striking Fist, Kuen gik, Quan ji, 拳擊
Genre: Martial Arts
Companies: Shaw Brothers
Release Date: October 1, 1971
Producer: Runme Shaw
Director: Chang Cheh
Action Director: Tang Chia, Lau Kar-leung
Cast: David Chiang (Fan Ke), Ti Lung (Wenlie), Ching Li (Yulan), Pawana Chanajit, Chen Sing (Chiang Jen), Ku Feng (Cannon)
