Hwang Jang-lee

Hwang Jang-lee (born December 21, 1944) is a Japanese-born Korean martial artist and actor best known for his Hong Kong martial arts films. He is a ninth-dan grandmaster in Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo who began training in 1957. Prior to his acting career, Hwang was a martial arts instructor for the Korean military in Vietnam.

Hwang began his acting career in 1974. In 1976, he was offered employment in Hong Kong by Ng See-yuen, where he appeared in the kung fu film Secret Rivals as the villain Silver Fox, a role he reprised in several other films, most notably Secret Rivals 2 (1977). He gained prominence for appearing in the films Drunken Master (1978) and Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978), both opposite Jackie Chan, and Hitman in the Hand of Buddha (1981), which marked his directorial debut. His other films include The Invincible Armour (1977), Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979), Hell's Wind Staff (1979), Two Fists Against the Law (1980), Buddha Assassinator (1980), Game of Death 2 (1981) and Ninja in the Dragon's Den (1982).

Hwang is a martial arts instructor with the World Tang Soo Do General Federation and serves as technical adviser. Among his most notable students is Roy Horan, who appeared with Hwang in several films.

Early life
Hwang was born in Aomori, Honshu Island, Japan to Korean parents. His father owned a shipping company and moved his family back to Korea when Hwang was a baby.

Martial arts and philosophy
Hwang began learning Taekwondo from age 14 and received a seventh dan (rank) black belt. In 1965 at age 21, he became a martial arts instructor for the Korean and South Vietnamese armies, specializing in taekwondo. In addition, he holds a ninth dan rank with the World Tang Soo Do General Federation.

Hwang still teaches martial arts. He is an instructor with the World Tang Soo Do General Federation and serves as technical adviser. Among his most notable students is Roy Horan, who appeared with Hwang in several films and also directed the instructional video series The Art of High Impact Kicking (1982), based on Hwang's taekwondo techniques. In 2013, Hwang completed a tour of the U.S. and Canada in which he, along with other Korean Grandmasters, promoted the study and practice of traditional martial arts.

Stressing powerful kicks coming from the hips, Hwang said, "You know my legs are just normal, there's nothing special about them. When I train I always use my hips, use the circular motion… the hips is where the power comes from. Then I kick like this… and like this… it's all coming from the hips."

He considers Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Lo Lieh, Ti Lung, and Sammo Hung as the top five kung-fu fighters.

A critic of Olympic Taekwondo, Hwang has stated: "You know this is very different, Taekwondo, you know, it's for killing people… Taekwondo in the Olympics, it's a sport, you know, it's not a martial arts, so I don't really like this style. For me Taekwondo is a martial art."

Acting
Hwang began his acting career in Korea. In 1976, Ng See-yuen offered Hwang employment in Hong Kong, where he first appeared in Secret Rivals as the villain Silver Fox. Hwang had major roles in many martial arts movies, usually playing the villaine. His nicknames "King of the Legfighters" and "Thunder Leg" attest to his use of his legs in a particular way.

In the mid-1970s, Hwang appeared in two Jackie Chan movies, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow as Sheng Kuan and Drunken Master as Thunderfoot (Thunder Leg). In 2002, writer-producer Mike Leeder interviewed Hwang for the Contender Hong Kong Legends DVD series.

Directing
In 1981, Hwang directed his first movie, Hitman in the Hand of Buddha and was credited as Wong Chin.

Other work and retirement from acting
In 1987, Hwang trained German actor Matthias Hues in preparation for the latter's film debut as Yuri the Russian in No Retreat, No Surrender 2. Cast at the suggestion of producer Roy Horan, a student of Hwang, Hues had no martial arts experience and trained under Hwang. Hues enjoyed the experience so much that upon arrival in Los Angeles, he continued training in martial arts throughout his career. In the film, Hwang's opening scene of a firing squad was cut from the U.S. version. Hwang would play Yuri's enforcer, Gen. Ty, who engages in a brief fight against Cynthia Rothrock.

In 1989, taekwondo grandmaster Jun Chong invited Hwang to the U.S. to appear as a villain in the film Street Soldiers. To bring an international flavor to the movie, Hwang is credited as Jason Hwang, using his son's name. In the early 1990s, Hwang returned to South Korea, where he ran a golf tee manufacturer and a hotel in Seoul. He later managed a private security agency. He has since made occasional film appearances such as in Emperor of the Underworld (1994) and Boss (1996). In July 1996, Hwang retired from acting at age 51.

Return to acting
After a long absence from acting, Hwang in 2009 appeared in the TV series The Return of Iljimae. He was also featured in the documentary "The Anonymous King," in which Jon James Hodson examines Hwang's personal life in Seoul, Korea and Hong Kong.

Director

 * Hitman in the Hand of Buddha (1981)
 * Canton Viper (1983)
 * Not Again! (1990)
 * Emperor of the Underworld (1994)

Documentaries

 * Art of High Impact Kicking (1982)
 * The Good Bad Boy (2014)

Television series

 * Shaolin Temple (Taiwanese TV series) (1984)
 * Mighty Weapon (1985)
 * The Return of Iljimae (2009)