Jet Li

Trained in old-school wushu since the age of 8, read more about this humble hero…

Name: Li Lian Jie
(Mandarin name: Li Lianjie, Cantonese name: Lei Lin-Git (or Lee Lin-Kit).

Date of Birth: 26 April 1963

Height: 5ft 6in (1.68m)

Weight: 66 kg /145.5 lbs

Birth Sign: Taurus

Country: China (Beijing)

Training background: Wushu (literally translated: “wu”, means “martial” and “shu” means “arts”.  When it was first developed, its primary purpose was for survival. Hunting animals, procuring food, fighting against aggressive wildlife, surviving harsh weather conditions, and so on.  By itself, “wu” is just a way of fighting and military-based attack, but combined with “shu” it transcends that level and becomes a much more complex and valued skill.

Jet was trained in “old style” wushu. Back in Jet’s day, they learned all of the Eighteen-Arms, internal styles, external styles, completely.  The Eighteen-Arms consists of: sabre, spear, sword, halberd, axe, battle axe, hook, fork, whip, mace, hammer, talon, trident-halberd, cudgel, long-handled spear, short cudgel, stick, and meteor hammer. Everyone had to compete in broadsword, spear, straight sword, cudgel, and empty-hand forms.

NB: These days, one associates the word “kung-fu” with punches, kicks, martial arts champions, and combat, yet the original meaning of “kung-fu” was never meant to describe martial arts in any way.Kung-fu simply referred to the long devotion, time and energy spent in learning and developing something.

Main influences: Wu Bin. He is a world-renowned wushu coach who has produced more wushu champions than any other coach in China, author of some 18 books and is one of only 19, 9th level duan masters in China.

Filmography:

2012 The Expendables II
Yin Yang (unconfirmed)

2012 New Dragon Gate Inn 
Chow Wai-On

2011 The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate Inn

2010 The Expendables
Yin Yang

2010 Ocean Heaven
Xing Chang

2009 The Founding of a Republic
Chen Shaokuan

2008 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor/Emperor

2008 The Forbidden Kingdom
Monkey King/Silent Monk

2007 The Warlords
General Pang Qingyun (as Lianjie Li)

2007 War
Rogue

2006 Fearless
Huo Yuanjia

2005 Unleashed
Danny

2003 Rise to Honor (Video Game)
Kit Yun (voice)

2003 Cradle 2 the Grave
Su

2002 Hero
Nameless

2001 The One
Gabe Law / Gabriel Yulaw / Lawless

2001 Kiss of the Dragon
Liu Jian

2000 Romeo Must Die
Han Sing

1998 Lethal Weapon 4
Wah Sing Ku

1998 Sat sau ji wong
Fu

1997 Once Upon a Time in China and America
Wong Fei-Hung

1996 Black Mask
Tsui Chik / Black Mask

1996 Mo Him Wong
Chow Si-Kit

1995 Shu dan long wei
Kit Lio

1995 The Enforcer
Kung Wei

1994 Fist of Legend
Chen Zhen

1994 The Bodyguard from Beijing
Allan Hui Ching-Yeung/John Chang

1994 Hong Xi Guan: Zhi Shao Lin wu zu
Hung Hei-Kwun

1993 Yi tian tu long ji: Zhi mo jiao jiao zhu
Chang Mo Kei (as Lin-kit Lee)

1993 Twin Warriors
Junbao

1993 Fong Sai Yuk juk jaap
Fong Sai Yuk

1993 Claws of Steel
Wong Fei-Hung (as Lin-kit Lee)

1993 Fong Sai Yuk
Fong Sai-Yuk

1993 Once Upon a Time in China III
Wong Fei-Hung

1992 The Master
Jet

1992 Once Upon a Time in China II
Wong Fei-Hung

1992 Swordsman II
Ling Wu Chung

1991 Once Upon a Time in China
Wong Fei-Hung

1989 Long zai tian ya
Jimmy Lee

1988 Abbot Hai Teng of Shaolin

1986 Shaolin Temple 3
Zhi Ming

1986 Born to Defence
Jet

1984 Shao Lin xiao zi
San Lung

1982 The Shaolin Temple
Chieh Yuan

Trivia:

• On Jet Li: “He has a very good control of the strength of every fist and kick. In the past, he used too much strength, those that get hit would be in great pain. He’s the archetype of power. Yes, he’s still the best.”  —Yuen Woo-Ping (martial arts choreographer).
• Once, as a child, when the Chinese National Wushu Team went to perform for President Richard Nixon in the United States, he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, “I don’t want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!“. This earned him much respect in his homeland.
• He has said: “I never say to myself I’m the best fighter in the world. If someone learns martial arts solely to pick fights on the street, to lean on it as a keystone weapon in conflicts, to use it to bully and intimidate others – then that person, in my opinion, cannot be considered a true martial artist”.
• Jet Li has taken up Singaporean citizenship for a peaceful life for him and his daughters without interfering paparazzi, journalists and reporters.

Did you know…?

• The name, “Jet”,  was first given to him as a young student because of his blazing speed and grace while training with the Beijing Wushu team.
• Interestingly, Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce. They compared his career to an aircraft, which similarly “takes-off” quickly, so they placed the name “Jet Li” on his movie posters.
• According to Li, all he has ever wanted to tell the world can be discovered in three of his films: the message of Hero is that the suffering of one person can never be as significant as the suffering of a nation. Unleashed shows that violence is never a solution and Fearless teaches that the biggest enemy of a person is himself. Li thinks that the greatest weapon is a smile and the greatest power is love.