Simu Liu describes feeling inadequate while filming the Shang-Chi fight scene with Michelle Yeoh

Most fans consider Simu Liu’s bus fight to be the most outstanding action sequence in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsThe actor revealed that his training scene with Michelle Yeoh became a personal favorite.

Simu Liu had nothing but praise for Michelle Yeoh’s grace and physicality in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsKnown for Yeoh's impressive performances in martial arts films such as Supercop, The touchAnd Tiger and Dragon – The Hidden DragonLiu recalled her fight scene in Shang Chi bordered on the surreal. Shang-Chi knew how to fight, but had a lot to learn early in the film (as evidenced by his awkward but effective moves during the bus fight scene); Liu told Collider he didn't have to try particularly hard to pull off his clumsy stunts in the film. This was highlighted in Shang-Chi's training scene with Yeoh's character Ying Nan, whose fighting style uses tai chi techniques.

Liu said he was intimidated by Yeoh throughout the sequence. “When we shared our scenes together and I had the opportunity to fight against her, it was more of a dance fighthe recalled. “First of all, I was really nervous and secondly, she is so delicate and graceful and I felt like a big, clumsy piece of meat just flopping around. It was fitting for the scene, right? She's trying to teach me to find harmony with my body and it's very Tai Chi oriented. So it is very fluid, she leads you through, so to speak, and I stumble. I didn't have to do much to get into the role and it's great. Just the absolutely best the kind of person you can spend time with.”

Shang-Chi “A giant leap forward” for the film industry

This scene proved to be crucial to the hero's journey; up until this point, Shang-Chi thought that brawn and brute force were the best means of defeating his enemies. He wanted to learn how to defeat his father Xu Wenwu (played by Tony Leung), who was once defeated by his wife Ying Li (Fala Chen). Shang-Chi sought out Ying Nan so she could teach him the technique; he discovered more than that as his eyes were opened to his heritage and destiny. In an interview with People, Yeoh said she was proud to be part of a milestone in the film industry. She considered Shang Chi “a giant leap forward” for representation, which “has shattered the glass ceiling into a thousand pieces like a ninja.”

“We said, 'We are here to stay,' and that's what we have to do now: keep pushing forward – and not look back and say, 'Oh, we weren't given [the opportunities],'” she claimed. “How do we create the opportunities now that we know the audience wants to see what we have to offer?” Yeoh has appeared in two MCU films so far, in Shang Chi and as a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. Liu loudly expresses his desire to meet Yeoh in a Shang Chi Continued; “She's at the peak of success and just the queen of everything,” he told Collider. Shang Chi 2 has yet to be confirmed, but Liu assured that it will happen.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is streaming on Disney+.

Source: Collider