Leave us not forget "Kung Fu Panda" for an animated version of the martial arts film, with all the previously mentioned attributes. It does have one other theme that frequently plays out in martial arts films, coming of age. The going-away-to-find-yourself notion is blatant in this one, as panda comes back to his "father" a different person than the child he was before. But, the "return to the mentor," supposing it wasn't the mentor that was killed in the inciting incident :), or the "becoming the mentor" is well established in other films as well. I've always sort of thought of "Star Wars" as a martial arts film - sort of space ninjas. :) Another couple to add to the mix might be "Blind Fury" and the "Highlander" films and television series, which were both rather unusual takes on a martial arts film, but certainly incorporated all the usual defining attributes. I guess the "thing" with this story type is the same "thing" as all others, trying to find original ways to present them! In many cases the "new" is just more. Less story, more fighting. Or more weird ways to fight. Or more magically weird ways to fight. The good ones, like all good films, though, are more... organic? There's just more depth to the whole story - The Karate Kid being my favourite martial arts film.