2026 has so far been good and not so good. The latter focuses on the passing of two martial art film icons who were iconic during the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema. In 2004, both actors appeared in the hit comedy Kung Fu Hustle in supporting roles. Sadly, we have lost Yuen Cheung-Yan and Bruce Leung since the year began. Today, we look at these two iconic heroes of action cinema.

Yuen Cheung-Yan passed away on New Year’s Day at the age of 68. A member of the famous Yuen Clan, he is the son of Simon Yuen Siu-Tin, best known for his role as “Sam the Seed” in Drunken Master and had appeared in many kung fu films of the day. Cheung-Yan’s brothers are the iconic Yuen Woo-Ping, Eagle/Sunny Yuen Shun-Yi, Brandy Yuen Chun-Wai, Yuen Lung-Kei, and Yuen Yat-Chor (Simon Yuen Jr.).

As part of the family regiment, Cheung-Yan began training in kung fu under his father and alongside his brothers before jumping into the film world as a stuntman in many swordplay and kung fu films. He would soon join his brother Woo-Ping as a fight coordinator on many films throughout the 70s before the formation of The Yuen Ga Ban (Yuen’s Stunt Team).

In the early 80s, Yuen would begin the rise to not only work as a stuntman and fight coordinator, but become second lead in a series of films. This included playing the puppet master mentor to a debuting Donnie Yen in Drunken Tai Chi (1984) and star alongside his brother Yat-Chor in Taoism Drunkard (1984) in a dual role of the grandmother of the lead character and the master as well.

Throughout the 90s, where the landscape of martial arts was going back to its wuxia roots meshed with the modern day kickboxing style action films, Cheung-Yan continued work as a supporting actor and fight choreographer. In 1999, he was invited to join big brother Woo-Ping to serve as a stunt coordinator and martial arts instructor for the Hollywood sci-fi film The Matrix.

This led to Yuen taking a break from Hong Kong and enjoying success as a fight coordinator and martial arts trainer in Hollywood. His most successful work was seen in the Charlie’s Angels films in 2000 and 2003, where he put stars Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu to work, training them in martial arts and choreography. In 2003, Yuen would work on two sequences for the Marvel superhero film Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck as the blind lawyer turned vigilante hero.

In 2004, Yuen returned to Hong Kong to play a lowly beggar who gifts a young version of the lead character kung fu manuals in the hit comedy Kung Fu Hustle, written, directed by, and starring Stephen Chow. Since then, Yuen had worked steadily before his last appearance in a 2020 documentary, Kung Fu Stuntmen.

He is survived by his brothers, preceded in death by their father, who passed away in 1979.

On January 14, the martial arts world lost Bruce Leung Siu-Lung, a stalwart of the 1970s kung fu boom as an actor and fight choreographer. Trained at a young age in karate and kung fu, one of his teachers was his father, Leung Siu-Chung. Bruce would pass his knowledge on to his younger brother, Tony Leung Siu-Hung.

In the 1970s, Leung made his film debut as an extra in the 1969 film Lotus Camp, which also featured his father’s fight choreography. After appearing in films for Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest, Leung was invited to work with his father as action director on Pursuit in 1972, a wuxia pian for Shaw Brothers. A few years later, Leung would work with and form a friendship with Japanese action star Yasuaki Kurata on a few films where both showcased their skills.

After 1988’s Bless This House, where he played a priest, Leung took a nearly 2-decade hiatus. Until 2004, where Stephen Chow invited him to play the main antagonist The Beast in his comedy hit Kung Fu Hustle. With a sense of his resurgence, Leung decided to continue work in the industry as a supporting actor on many action and sometimes, comedies as well as the occasional action choreography role. One of his last films was as action director on 2023’s Underground Village, a Mainland Chinese horror action film.

Leung is survived by his family, including brother Tony Leung Siu-Hung.

WorldFilmGeek sends its condolences to both the Yuen family and the Leung family. These two’s legacies will never be forgotten to the many generations of martial arts film fans.

Rest in Peace Yuen Cheung-Yan and Bruce Leung.