While it can be difficult to know where to even start when it comes to old school kung fu movies, has plenty of great classic releases for viewers to check out. With a fantastic mix of underrated hidden gems and undisputed all-time classics, the Amazon streaming service boasts many incredible kung fu titles that can’t be found anywhere else. Whether it's 1960s wuxia releases or iconic Bruce Lee classics, there’s a wealth of titles to discover for those who know what to look for.

Many of the best martial arts movies ever are currently available on Prime Video. Whether it’s going back to where it all started for Jackie Chan, or delving deep into the back catalog of forgotten . The widespread availability of older titles on streaming means that movies that had once festered in obscurity can now be easily found, and viewers who used to fumble with poor quality VHS copies can watch old kung fu movies in HD quality on Prime Video.

When an old kung fu master and an assassin are in need of a new fighter to continue killing for them, they take in a young protegee in The Seven Commandments of Kung Fu. This little-seen 1979 release featured just about everything a martial arts lover could want out of an old-school kung fu movie, as its classic student-master dynamic served as the perfect background for epic training montages, impressive fight sequences, and a compelling story about an inexperienced fighter rapidly advancing in his skills.

Featuring fast-paced acrobats and a thrilling story with a good twist, that distinguished itself through the great performances of Lee Yi Min and Chang Yi. While the story of The Seven Commandments of Kung Fu contained nothing new from a narrative point of view, and kung fu fans will recognize its student-master dynamics from previous releases like Drunken Master, the training sequences alone were enough to make it stand out.

Years before viewers were hooked on the intricate games of life and death seen in Squid Games, old-school kung fu movies like House of Traps delivered the same thrills. With a story based on the 19th-century novel The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants, House of Traps saw a team of skilled fighters navigate a house rigged with an array of ingenious and deadly traps. With a flamboyant and over-the-top style, .

Coming from director Chang Cheh, House of Traps was long considered one of the rarest kung fu films featuring the Venom Mob and, for many years, was only available through poor quality VHS copies. While House of Traps may not be as well-known as some other classics of the 1970s and 1980s, in terms of pure entertainment value, it was one of the most enjoyable releases of its era.

Kung fu legend and martial arts filmmaker . Joined by fellow legends like Gordon Liu and Kara Hui, this story of the Priest White Lotus and his quest for revenge against his brother Pai Mei’s assassins was an exceptional showcase of the incredible talents of its entire cast. With similar themes of revenge and retribution as previous releases like Executioners from Shaolin and Abbot of Shaolin, this was truly a must-watch classic for any self-respecting martial arts fan.

The outstanding fight choreography alone was enough to make Clan of the White Lotus a true classic, which was made even more impactful through the deeply evocative music of its soundtrack. Through a mix of fact and fiction, Clan of the White Lotus was inspired by the death of Bak Mei, one of the legendary Five Elder monks said to have survived the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery. As just one of the many kung fu movies Quentin Tarantino has paid tribute to in his work, Liu’s character in Kill Bill was actually inspired by Clan of the White Lotus.

The 1960s wuxia film Come Drink with Me was a Shaw Brothers classic that helped launch the career of Cheng Pei-pei, who is known as cinema's first female action hero. As a Hong Kong star whose work pre-dated Sigourney Weaver's iconic portrayal of Ellen Ripley in Alien by more than a decade, Cheng utilized her love of Chinese dance to showcase impeccable fighting skills on screen.

Come Drink with Me tells the story of a governor’s daughter utilizing her martial arts skills to rescue her kidnapped brother and take out hordes of criminals in incredibly well-choreographed fight sequences. With a level of showmanship that was well ahead of her time, , which made her future role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon all the more enjoyable.

While Five Element Ninjas only featured one member of the famed kung fu fight crew, the Venom Mob, it carried on the tradition of iconic releases like Five Deadly Venoms. , Five Element Ninjas told the story of an outclassed ancient Chinese martial arts school that was forced to hire ninjas to take out their rivals. However, one member of the fallen school managed to survive, and this lone warrior vowed to learn the ways of ninjutsu before going on a bitter quest for revenge.

With a fun premise that leaned into the tropes and cliches of classic kung fu, Five Element Ninjas was elevated by its over-the-top fight sequences and emotionally involved characterization. With a bloody final battle that saw the pair of ninjas fight it out in an intense, non-stop 20-minute fight sequence, Five Element Ninjas was almost cartoonish in the way it embraced violence and excess.

Crippled Avengers featured the return of four members of the Venom Mob, a group of martial arts actors who gained prominence in The Five Deadly Venoms. While not an official sequel, Crippled Avengers was marketed in some regions as The Return of the Five Deadly Venoms and was an attempt to appeal to fans of that old-school kung fu classic. As a Shaw Brothers production led by Chen Kuan-tai, Crippled Avengers told the story of injured and disabled men coming together to learn martial arts and defeat the vindictive, tyrannical leader who had abused them.

With classic themes of revenge and retribution, Crippled Avengers saw Kuan-tai play Dao Tian-Du, the ruthless warlord known as Black Tiger whose village was too afraid to speak out against him. As a powerful story of good versus evil, it was thrilling to watch these disenfranchised men stand up for a noble cause and push back against the powers that be. With great fight sequences and lots of fast-paced action,

Along with Drunken Master from the same year, . With a classic story about a student surprising the training of his master, Chan played an orphaned boy who was relentlessly bullied at his kung fu school and who was desperate to prove all his detractors wrong. Through the guidance of his wise, old master Pai Cheng-tien (Yuen Siu-tien), viewers watched as Chan learned the ways of Snake Kung Fu.

With a unique fighting style that allowed Chan’s Chien Fu to rise above all those who had mocked and ridiculed him, the blend of incredible choreography and slapstick comedy here laid the groundwork for Chan’s bright future as a global superstar. Through the use of his ‘Cat Claw’ technique, it was incredible watching Chien take out the high master of the sinister Eagle Clan and open the world up to one of the few martial arts movie stars whose appeal could rival legends like Bruce Lee.

As Jackie Chan’s breakout movie, Drunken Master laid the groundwork for the incredible career of this all-time great martial arts star. Drunken Master tells a fictionalized account of the stories of Wong Fei-hung and Beggar So, Chan played Wong, the young man who practices under the guidance of his drunken master. The mix of incredible fighting skills and slapstick humor on display in this work showcased Chan’s unique style fully formed as the young student reluctantly came to accept his master's wisdom and learned a fighting style that nobody could predict.

With a blend of pure action and comedy, watching as Chan mastered the Drunk Boxing style known as “The Eight Drunken Immortals” was a hilarious take on classic stories of wise old masters and young, talented students. , which eventually helped springboard his career as a major Hollywood star. While Chan did return for the sequel Drunken Master II in 1994, the original movie was the pinnacle of the kung fu franchise.

In the history of kung fu cinema, a select few can live up to the incredible legacy of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. As the crowning achievement of Shaw Brothers Studio, this influential classic starring Gordon Liu as the legendary Shaolin monk San Te saw him training to fight back against the oppressive Manchu government in 18th-century China. As San Te made his way through the many chambers of the Shaolin temple, he was faced with one extraordinary challenge after another.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin not only kickstarted an acclaimed trilogy but has also had a pop culture influence far beyond the realm of kung fu cinema. With a title that even inspired the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan’s debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), everything about this classic release was top-tier. From its jaw-dropping fight choreography to witnessing the way , The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was one of the most influential kung fu movies of all time.

Even those who know practically nothing about old-school kung fu will understand the importance of Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon. As Lee’s final movie before he tragically passed away at just 32, . With the perfect blend of espionage, spy thriller, and classic kung fu, the genre-bending appeal of Enter the Dragon means that it has remained the benchmark by which all other martial arts films are viewed, more than 50 years since it was first released.

From its stylish aesthetic, top-tier choreography, and iconic mirror room fight sequence, Enter the Dragon has been copied and parodied countless times across the history of cinema. With fast-paced action and a leading man who oozed movie star charisma, it’s sad to think just how much great work Lee would have done after this film had he lived. While there have been plenty of great kung fu movies over the years, Enter the Dragon represents the perfect place to start for apprehensive viewers looking to discover the wonders of old-school kung fu on .