The story follows a young man named Cheng, who is fleeing an arranged marriage because he loves another girl named Mei Ling and his prospective bride is a chubby but intimidating kung fu practitioner. He winds up in Shaolin, hoping to improve his skills and hide from his betrothed.

He meets a number of other men who have traveled wide and far to become disciples at the famous Shaolin Temple, but Master Heng, the scowling teacher assigned to them, does not readily teach them kung fu.

This basically follows a familiar theme that one must train hard developing mental, physical, and even spiritual strength and endurance before tackling martial arts forms and techniques. Thus the students haul water and firewood, work in the kitchen, and do all sorts of menial labor.

Eventually, a kung fu fanatic simply called The Ranger shows up at Shaolin. He was a former student, and a ferocious fighter, but his ambition is to be the best warrior, and not to achieve enlightenment. He attacks and nearly kills several Shaolin students, and humiliates the Abbott and other monks, who refuse to give him a duel for it violates their principles.

Ultimately, Master Heng begins to teach his students more kung fu, especially Cheng, who has the greatest potential. Heng even duels with The Ranger in an attempt to stop the latter's rampage, but the 18 Lohans sent by the Abbott intervene and force Heng to return the temple and be "punished" by sequestering him in a meditation hall. Cheng, who has improved his skills adequately enough, then goes out and defeats The Ranger once and for all in a final showdown.

Anyway, what makes this movie special is the unique "Chop Kick" technique, a really cool move that attacks an opponent's shins and the tendons above the heel, tripping and potentially crippling him. Building up endurance to absorb and deflect the kick is the best counter for it. No other movie I know of shows off this unusual and devastating "Chop Kick" maneuver, and to see it in action is alone worth the price of getting this movie.

This movie has fantastic training sequences, humor, and touching drama as the mean-looking Master Heng, who has a real compassionate nature behind the tough guy persona, cares for his students as a father would love his sons. Highly recommended.