This film always contains something in the description about Jackie being a favorite amongst the Shaolin Monks. He is certainly not a favorite and is nearly kicked out more than once, at least in the beginning.

The movie opens with the students in the midst of "training", and we discover he is a mute. Shaolin training requires such things as hauling water and chopping wood. This is to build up the body, but Jackie is impatient and frustrated he has not learned any real kung fu yet. He meets a Buddhist nun who implores him to continue to practice, and he increases his efforts. One night he happens to discover there is a strange man living underground as a prisoner. His curiosity gets the better of him and he meets this mysterious person. The prisoner agrees to teach the mute boy real kung fu in exchange for some favors and Jackie quickly agrees.

Training with the man and nun he learns the best martial arts and the ethics that go with it. When he feels his skills are good enough he challenges the final hurdle of his training: defeating the Wooden Men.

(There has been a great deal of confusion in regard to the final challenges of wooden men, bronze monks, etc. The statues were only the representation of the actual human monks and the skills they would use against a challenger.) To enjoy this movie, cast aside expectations of a kick-ass Jackie Chan movie and enjoy it for what it is: a 1976 martial arts flick with a very young (pre-cosmetic surgery) Chan doing what he had always wanted to do! Jackie shows he can do anything physical! Some of the acrobatic/martial arts are truly amazing, especially when there are no wires, no FX, only talent that can't be denied. There is an absolutely gorgeous view of a waterfall as Jackie does forms. This was a relatively dangerous scene but it was worth it!

The fight scene in the inn is atrocious. Chan looks like he is going to burst into laughter any second. Sammo Hung plays the innkeeper's son, and if you look closely you will see Yuen Biao as one of the villains in the Green Dragon clan. The fighting is all terrible, with the exception of the final fight when we discover who the mute monk really is and his purpose for training so hard and so long. The final fight allows Jackie to show his stuff, and though it may be terrible in production value it's obvious this kid is going somewhere! Seriously, you don't want to miss this one.