The movie begins with a martial arts tournament, in which fighters are competing for the right to begin a quest to challenge Zetan, who possesses a special book of enlightenment that is supposed to contain all the world's wisdom. Arrogant brawler Cord (Jeff Cooper) defeats every opponent, but is disqualified for fighting dishonorably. Cord decides to follow the eventual winner Morthond (Anthony de Longis), hoping that he can lead him to Zetan.
Wei Fung (David Chiang), a young scholar recruited by the Emperor to infiltrate a group of rebels in the Tien Clan in order to get evidence of the clan's connection to Ming loyalists, the rebel spy network and anti-Ching activities. If Wei fails in his mission, his own well-connected family will be punished.
Yi-Lang est un jeune orphelin élevé dans un temple de Shaolin. Une nuit, le livre des "7 Commandements", un manuscrit ancestral dans lequel sont décrites des techniques de combat très puissantes gardées secrètes, a été dérobé. Un moine aveugle demande à Yi-Lang de découvrir qui est le voleur car lui seul peut rivaliser avec lui en utilisant la technique des "5 Forces"...
A young student named Liu Yude, later known as San Te, is drawn by his activist teacher into the local rebellion against the Manchu government. The government officials suppress the uprising and liquidate the school, killing friends and family members as well. San Te then decides to seek vengeance. Wounded in an attack by Manchu henchmen, he flees to the Shaolin temple and seeks training in kung fu. Initially the Buddhist monks reject him, since he is an outsider, but the chief abbot takes mercy on the young man and lets him stay. One year later, he begins his martial arts training in the temple's 35 chambers and advances more rapidly than any previous student. Along the way, he is depicted as inventing the three section staff.
Hsu Ying Fung quickly makes it known (with some help) that he possesses the "Eight Steps of the Snake and Crane", a martial arts manual illustrating the ultimate fighting style. The book was written by eight Shaolin masters shortly before their disappearance, and Hsu is suspected of killing them, or at least knowing what happened. In reality, Hsu is looking for the man responsible for the masters' disappearance, whom he will know by a certain mark.
The 1978 version uses portions of the original footage married to an entirely new plot involving a new character, Billy Lo,(盧比利) struggling against a racketeering "syndicate" after gaining international success as a martial arts movie star. When Billy refuses to be intimidated by syndicate henchman Steiner (Hugh O'Brian) and his gangs of thugs, syndicate owner Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) orders his assassination to serve as an example to others.
Chan plays a bumbling long haired acrobat named Jiang who really wants to practice kung fu. He finds an advertisement for work at the Mansion as a body guard. Jiang doesn't get the body guard position, but cons his way into a job using his kung fu skills, and gets himself into the middle of some shady business. He is told not to go near the "guest room" where the special guest is staying. A fellow employee tells Jiang that there is an evil witch who lives in the guest room and is not to be disturbed. Jiang of course is caught spying on her and is run off the land. He then encounters two kung fu masters fighting in the woods. He watches one kill the other, and when he leaves Jiang takes the body into town to collect the reward. Using the money from the reward, Jiang tries to fulfill his kung fu dreams and find a master. He is suddenly attacked by the crazy witch and is about to lose until a mystery master shows up and beats her. The master turns out to be a bum, and teaches Jiang kung fu. He then goes on a journey with a princess to find a special jade plant.
Treize super-guerriers, membres du clan du Bateau-de-Fer et surnommé 'les Treize Aigles', commettent toutes sortes de forfaits, sous la houlette de leur père adoptif,le redoutable Hung Yun-Tse. L'un des Aigles, Chi Ming-Sing, ne supporte plus les dérives sanglantes de sa confrérie, et, après une sérieuse blessure, décide de quitter le clan. Hélas, son maître ne l'entend pas ainsi et lance les autres disciples à sa poursuite. Pris au piège, Chi Ming-Sing devra affronter ses anciens camarades, mais que peut faire un homme seul face à un groupe aussi expérimenté que lui ? C'est sans compter sur l'aide providentielle d'un mystérieux et irritant chevalier solitaire, qui refuse de donner son identité.
Husker, is sent to the Shaolin Temple by the Iron Fisted Monk (Chen Sing), after he saves Sammo from a beating by the Manchu's. After being trained by his master (James Tien) he runs away from the temple, only to be confronted by his master and forced to take the four tests. Whilst this is happening, Fung Hark-On is indulging in his passion for raping women, and is virtually above the law as he is a powerful Manchu officer. He begins by raping Liang's (Chu Ching) sister, who then commits suicide and makes Liang a very angry man. Liang takes his revenge by killing one of those pesky Manchus but everyone thinks Sammo is responsible.
The title scene is a battle between Pai Mei and a master of the Shaolin temple in an empty red backdrop (this type of opening is a trademark of director Lau Kar-leung). Here we get the first display of Pai Mei's mastery of internal kung-fu techniques that allow him to retract his privates into his groin. After using his body protection techniques to ward off a clawing attack to the face, he traps a kick to the groin from Master Zhishan and delivers his own coup de grâce.
Ciao Lei est le seul survivant d’une tuerie de toute sa famille. Il a eu le temps, auparavant, de confier Qian Qian sa compagne, à son ami Chuan. Les responsables de ce massacre sont des mercenaires dirigés par Ting, une redoutable combattante. Elle l'épargne et tombe sous le charme de Ciao. Le jeune homme est cependant bien décidé à apprendre le kung-fu avec la compagnie de Ting afin de retrouver son ami Chuan qui découvre que ce dernier est sur le point de se marier avec sa fiancée.
Little Mute (Jackie Chan) is a new Shaolin student who is mute. He struggles to keep up with the other students and to complete the grueling tasks assigned to him by his instructor. He is haunted by the memory of his father's murder at the hands of a masked bandit who was skilled in martial arts.
The film opens with the chief Shaolin Monks realizing that time is not on their side and they must train more fighters to fight the Qings. The monk Hai Hsien (Shan Mao) opposes this as he is secretly working for the court. Outside many men are sitting in front of the temple waiting to be accepted in, Fang Shih Yu (Fu Sheng), Ma Chao-hsing (Tony Liu) and others, as the temple tests the will of potential students by making them wait outside for days, eventually the two are accepted in for "training". Fang Shih Yu becomes frustrated immediately as Shaolin methods of teaching martial arts are rather obscure, although Ma Chao-hsing begins learning the five animal styles from the start.
A brother and sister escape from Japanese-occupied Shanghai to Japanese-occupied Taiwan, to stay with their grandfather who runs a Kung-Fu school there. However, the master of a Japanese Karate school in Taiwan has designs on bringing all other schools on the island under his domination, and part of his plan involves the murder of the siblings' grandfather. Undaunted, the brother and sister reestablish their grandfather's school, leading to a final confrontation with the Japanese Karate master. Jackie Chan plays a young thief who at first does not want to learn Kung-fu, but finally realizes that he can no longer stand by and let the Japanese trample the rights of the Chinese people. He proves extremely adept at the martial arts, and carries the fight to its final conclusion.
After his father refuses to teach him kung fu and he is constantly being beaten around by rival school students, a young Wong Fei Hung (Gordon Liu) must train under Luk Ah Choy (Chen Kuan Tai) to avenge the evils being done by the rival school.