Fight Clip Club: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Let’s watch some women fight for a change, yeah?

It’s been a right sausage fest and hot dog cart here at Fight Clip Club so far, hasn’t it? Time to remedy that. Today’s fight scene for my expert analysis is the epic armed fight between warrior Shu Lien and Princess Jen, in iconic wire-fu flick Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The plot of this movie is so Byzantine as to be almost at soap opera or Game of Thrones-level drama. To help us navigate where this fight is in said complexity of action and relationships, here’s a section of the plot summary, the part of the story that occurs just before this fight breaks out. I yoinked this from Wikipedia:

“Jen runs away from her husband on their wedding night before the marriage can be consummated. Disguised in men's clothing, she is accosted at an inn by a large group of warriors; armed with the Green Destiny and her own superior combat skills, she emerges victorious.

Jen visits Shu Lien, who tells her that Lo is waiting for her at Mount Wudang. After an angry exchange, the two women engage in a duel. Shu Lien is the superior fighter, but Jen wields the Green Destiny and is able to destroy each weapon that Shu Lien wields, until Shu Lien finally manages to defeat Jen with a broken sword. When Shu Lien shows mercy, Jen wounds Shu Lien in the arm.”

Make sense? Clear as smoke? Good. Let’s watch the fight: