Season 1

Their tales are legendary. Hollywood has made them famous: Superhuman feats of martial arts performed with ease by masters like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, done without stuntmen, trick photography, or special effects. How do these fighters combine deadly force, unmatched speed, and unbelievable power into a combination that can shatter concrete and bones with equal ease? Through the skill and talent of an amazing team of scientists, engineers, motion capture specialists, animators, and the best martial artists in the world, we will test, record, and analyze the greatest fight techniques ever brought to bear. This two-hour television special will determine – once and for all – the amazing physics and physiology behind the martial arts.

Raised in a 1500-year-old monastery, warrior monk Shi Yan Ming is considered such an amazing martial artist that the Chinese government declared him a national treasure. He shocked the world by moving to New York City in 1992, marking the first time that a Shaolin monk has ever defected from China. He soon opened a temple in Manhattan, teaching Shaolin martial arts and Chan (Zen) Buddhism. New Yorkers flocked to see the master and his unbelievable physical feats: Yan Ming can shatter bricks on his head, sleep standing on one leg, and lie on a bed of nails while a sledgehammer crushes concrete blocks on his chest. But while the fighting monk embraces pain, his message is peace. See the remarkable story of how one man is transforming an ancient Eastern tradition into a stunning Western sensation.

From iron claws and meteor hammers to deer antler blades and emei needles, ancient Kung Fu weapons range greatly in shape and design, yet they all have only one purpose – to attack. These exotic Chinese weapons became doubly deadly in the hands of some of the world’s most skilled assassins. Even common chopsticks can become savage weapons in the hands of a Kung Fu master. This countdown reveals ten of the deadliest Kung Fu weapons uncovering some secrets of their creation and leading up to the unbelievable story of the ultimate Chinese killing machine.

The blades of old samurai swords sometimes carry a terrifying history: the number of human bodies they have sliced in two with a single stroke. Indeed, each katana, or samurai long sword, has its own unique story of not only a lethal past, but also an exquisite creation. From fiery forging shops to ferocious fighting schools, discover the mysterious process behind the creation of the sword that many experts call the most effective in the world. Generations of metal smiths and warriors have worked for centuries to perfect this process of art and chemistry, trial and honor, discipline and devotion—all embodied in the razor-sharp blade of the katana sword.