“I’ve been training every day for 64 years” — Jackie Chan reveals he didn’t need any training for Karate Kid: Legends

Jackie Chan recently revealed that he didn't need extra training to prepare for Karate Kid: Legends, which was released on May 30, 2025. Chan also starred in The Karate Kid, released in 2010. In the latest installment, he returns to teach Ben Wang's character, Li Fong, martial arts. Li is Mr. Han's (Jackie Chan) nephew in the film.

In an interview with Variety published on May 31, the actor spoke about training for the film:

“I don’t need to anymore. I’ve been training every day for 64 years. I’ve been fighting, fighting, fighting.”

However, he admitted that he has slowed down now, saying:

“I’m not liked I used to be when I was 20, and could do a triple kick in the sky. Now, I do one kick.”

The 71-year-old is a beloved actor and martial artist, known for doing his own stunts—which he continued in the latest film.

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Ben Wang on training for Karate Kid: Legends and working with Jackie Chan

"Karate Kid: Legends" – Photocall (Image Source: Getty)

Karate Kid: Legends features Ben Wang as Li Fong. He is forced to move to New York and ends up in the Five Boroughs Tournament after a scuffle with bullies. Mr. Han teaches him martial arts. Meanwhile, Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel LaRusso in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, returns to teach Li karate.

Ben Wang had proper training, as he said in the aforementioned interview:

“I got a systematic a**-kicking."

Wang spent about a month and a half training with the stunt team even before the shooting began. He explained:

“We kept going. It was five days of formal training, from morning to night, and then, I trained by myself on the weekend.”

He also shared that Jackie Chan was always helpful when the shooting began, saying:

“When Jackie showed up, he was nothing but helpful.”

Jackie advised Ben to try to do most of his stunts himself, instead of using a stunt double, as it earns more respect and makes one less lazy.

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Ralph Macchio on his training for Karate Kid: Legends

"Karate Kid: Legends" World Premiere (Image Source: Getty)

Ralph Macchio, who played the original Karate Kid in the 1984 film, also returns as Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid: Legends. When asked about his training method in contrast to Ben and Jackie, he answered:

“It was a different stunt team, and they sent me videos in advance, and I worked on certain pieces."

He added:

“I helped build the foundation to this house, but I felt like I was at somebody else’s house.”

In the film, LaRusso arrives in New York from California to teach Li Fong karate, while Mr. Han teaches him martial arts.

Meanwhile, the film's director, Jonathan Entwistle, spoke about how the movie captures the contrast between American and Hong Kong martial arts. He explained that the former is "about basically punching," while the latter focuses on fight choreography, impact, and more.

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