The transcript below is from the video “IP Man vs Ong Bak | Wing Chun vs Muay Thai” by Brutal TV.
Brutal TV:
Hello there and welcome to our channel. Once again, we’ve put together another enthralling match up. This time around, we’re pitting Donnie Yen’s Ip Man up against Tony Jaa’s teeing in the hit movie series Ong Bak. So, who do you think would come out on top in a fight between these two characters? Let’s find out!
But before we step onto the canvas, be sure to hit that like button, subscribe to our channel and click on that bell icon so you never miss any of our upcoming videos. With that done, let’s turn our attention to this super fight.
Ip Man and Ong bak are two of the most loved martial arts movies of all time, starring Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa respectively, two equally talented actors and martial artists. In this hypothetical match-up, we’ll be considering the characters that both men portrayed in these movies and their abilities within the context of their plots to determine who would come out on top in this fight. That said, let’s meet Donnie Yen’s Ip Man.
Brutal TV:
The character Ip Man is based on a real life person named Yip Man. He was a master teacher of Wing Chun and he was no ordinary teacher. Yip Man is noted for being the martial arts teacher of the legendary Bruce Lee. In the first Ip Man film, released in 2008, we see Ip Man as a renowned martial arts teacher who refuses to take any more disciplines. He is also distant from his family. However, in 1937, following the Japanese invasion of China, Ip Man is forced to fend for his family as a coal miner. He later learns of fighting matches staged by the Japanese between their Karate fighters and the former martial artists of Ip Man’s native Foshan.
In one of the duels, Ip Man’s friend loses his life. In anger, Ip Man launches a vengeful spree destroying 10 Japanese pugilists. His demolishing job draws the attention of a Japanese general, General Miura. Miura captures Ip Man and challenges him to a fight for his freedom. If Ip Man wins, he would be freed. Otherwise, he would become a martial arts teacher for the Japanese military. The next day, Ip Man beats the general and he supposedly dies. He then manages to escape with his family to Hong Kong.
Brutal TV:
Donnie Yen portrayed Ip Man in the 2008 movie resulting in a critical and commercial box office hit. The Hong Kong actor was well suited for the role, being a martial artist himself. Yen is well versed in several martial arts including Tai Chi, Boxing, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wing Chun and Wushu. Oh yes, the dude is an all-around martial artist. His interest in martial arts stems from his family. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, was a Tai Chi grandmaster and an internal martial artist. At a young age, Yen began to experiment with various martial arts styles. And at the age of 9, he focused his training on Kung Fu. At 14, he dropped out of school and began practicing Wushu.
Although Yen and his family had settled in the usa his parents sent him to Beijing on a 4-year training program with the Beijing Wushu Team. He currently holds a sixth degree black belt in Taekwondo, a black belt in Judo, a purple belt and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a series of gold medals and Wushu competitions. Yen is one of Hong Kong’s top actors and one of the highest-paid actors in Asia.
The character Ip Man, played by Yen, is considered to be the best martial art master in Foshan and he possesses unmatched skill in Wing Chun. Ip Man is extraordinarily fast, agile and has lightning fast reflexes. Despite his small size, he possesses lots of physical strength and durability to fight against any larger and more physical opposition.
Brutal TV:
The film Ong Bak tells the story of a man called Ting who lived in a small and peaceful village. Then, one day, the head of a sacred statue of Buddha called Ong Bak was stolen by a drug dealer. Ting took it upon himself to track down this drug dealer all the way to Bangkok and bring back the sacred head of Ong Bak. Ting, a martial artist himself, well skilled in the art of Muay Thai, arrives in Bangkok funded by the contributions of his village people.
In Bangkok, Ting showcases his excellent fighting skills on his way to tracking down the head of Ong Bak. He teams up with his cousin, Humlae, who ultimately sacrifices himself to help Ting complete his mission. In the end, Ting returns the head of Ong Bak to his village as he is received with much fanfare.
Tony Jaa portrays Ting in the movie, reveling in his role as a Muay Thai fighter. The project was dear to Tony Jaa as he himself is a Muay Thai martial artist. For the movie, Jaa was choreographed by his mentor and veteran director Panna Rittikrai.
Brutal TV:
Jaa grew up learning Muay Thai at the age of 10. When he turned 15, he requested to become a protege of Panna and that was where his devotion to Muay Thai began. Under the instruction of Panna Rittikrai, Jaa was enrolled at the Sarakham College of Physical Education where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree. He would later work for Panna Rittikrai as a stuntman for over 14 years. For the movie Ong Bak, Jaa and Rittikrai were looking to bring Muay Thai to the mainstream. The duo struggled to raise money to produce a demo reel for the movie but somehow, they pulled it off. Ong Bak became a worldwide hit and it launched Tony Jaa into stardom, drawing comparisons between him, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Now that we have met our two characters and the superstars behind them, let’s get into the real business. To determine the outcome of this fight, we will judge the characters Ip Man and Ting as acted by Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa across 4 major categories. These are; fighting pedigree, physique, skill and improvisation. For each category, we’d award a maximum of 10 points to each fighter and in the end, the fighter with the higher cumulative points will be declared the winner. So, let the fight begin!
Brutal TV:
Fighting Pedigree
Ip Man trained Bruce Lee – that’s pretty much all that needs to be said. This man is a martial art legend and there’s no way Ting usurps him here. More so, Donnie Yen brings his immense wealth of martial arts into the character, delivering a performance for the ages. So, without much ado, Yen wins this bout. It’s an impressive 9 points to Ip Man and a modest 7 for Ting.
Brutal TV:
Skills
Ting is a highly skilled individual and he displays his Muay Thai skills with aplomb. Tony Jaa also does justice to the role as his natural Muay Thai training evidently comes to the fore. However, it would take a lot of work to dislodge Donnie Yen and his Ip Man character in the skill department. Ip Man demonstrates an array of techniques that are simply unparalleled. Again, Ip Man scores a 9 and Ting comes closer with 8.
Brutal TV:
Physique
Tony Jaa’s Ting stands at 5’8″ inches and weighs 60 kg, all of which is lean muscle thanks to his athletic build. Donnie Yen’s Ip Man also stands at 5’8″ but weighs 68 kg, 8 more kilos than Tony. Both actors have the athletic physique, ideal for any talented martial artist. We’ll call it a tie here. 8 points to both men.
Brutal TV:
Improvisation
Ip Man is a supremely talented fighter with incredible speed and reflexes and an uncanny ability to use his environment to his advantage. It definitely gives him the edge over Ting and gives him the win in this category. It’s 8 points to Ip Man and 7 to Ting.
Brutal TV:
The Verdict
With 34 points, our winner is Donnie Yen’s Ip Man, who outdoes Tony Jaa’s and Ting’s 30 points. Do you agree with our verdict? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. And with that, we’ve come to the end of this video. Thanks for watching till the end. We’ll see you next time.
