The One-Armed Swordsman
The One-Armed Swordsman
獨臂刀
Overview
"Fang Kang, a dedicated student of the Golden Sword sect, loses his right arm when his spoiled master's daughter cuts it off in a fit of rage. Rescued by a humble peasant girl, Fang learns a new, unique style of combat utilizing a broken sword and an esoteric half-manual to compensate for his missing limb, just as a rival gang utilizing 'sword-locking' weapons threatens his former master."
Iconic Tracked Scenes
- ▶
In an emotionally charged scene in a snow-covered clearing, the arrogant master's daughter angrily attacks Fang Kang, accidentally severing his right arm entirely.
"getting his arm cut off""snowy woods amputation" - ▶
Living as a humble farmer, Fang teaches himself an unconventional left-handed fighting technique using a half-burnt training manual and a short, broken blade.
"training with the broken sword""learning to fight left handed" - ▶
Fang returns to save his master, bringing his broken sword, which is uniquely capable of slipping past the intricate sword-locking weapons of the Long Armed Devil's gang.
"fighting the sword lock weapon""one armed swordsman finale"
Why It's Remembered
- ★The shocking, tragic severing of Fang Kang's arm in the snowy woods.
- ★Fang Kang discovering the burnt half-manual and training himself to fight left-handed with a broken blade.
- ★The bloody final battle where Fang's short, broken sword is immune to the long-armed enemies' sword-lock weapon.
Cultural Context
- ◈The first Hong Kong film to gross over 1 million HKD at the local box office.
- ◈Invented the modern, bloody, 'angsty male hero' archetype for Shaw Brothers, shifting focus away from female-led wuxia.
- ◈Director Chang Cheh's breakthrough film, establishing the 'macho bloodshed' aesthetic he became famous for.
About the Action Elements
The One-Armed Swordsman is widely celebrated among martial arts cinema fans for sequences involving severed arm, snow, tragedy, betrayal, amputation. One of the most memorable sequences features Jimmy Wang Yu naturally executing getting his arm cut off, where the choreography and unique set pieces become the unexpected highlight of the film.