As well, the plot is stupid. [spoilers follow] The hero works for the Qings, so at the very end, out of nowhere, his father declares loyalty to the Mings and poisons himself and his son. It's convoluted throughout.

Don't waste your time. The only thing this film offers is a scene with the development of Mantis style; however the training is very short and unimaginative and the technique is never passed on and hardly even used in subsequent scenes.

It seems somewhere in the boon time of the mid and late 70s, a terrible formula developed where the creative team would come up with one or two clever hooks for a movie (in this case telling the story through flashbacks and an Achilles' heel up the star's ass), then build a by-the-numbers film aorund it. We've all seen them--huge fights where most of the extras just stand there, weak choreography, nonsensical plot developments (hey, here are a bunch of poles, let's fight on top of them!).

Unless [you're a completist], don't waste your money.

So: good fights, great acrobatics, not a must-see but well worth it.