A plainclothes policeman, Chin Tai Ba, is seriously wounded in a fight with some ruffians but is helped to safety by a young wiseguy, Cub. Here he is taught the art of Sleeping Fist by Cub's master Chung Yiu, and the trio march to the Shang Wei martial arts school to take revenge on the thugs. However, in a last desperate attempt to get even, the gang call on Eagle Claw master Kao to sort out the snoozers.

A kung fu fanatic, Yu Ting (Alexander Lo Rei), searching for the ultimate master, saves a young Shaolin monk, Hsu Shi (William Yen), from a group of mobsters and sees it as a golden opportunity to enrich his kung fu skills. He persuades the young novice monk to smuggle him into Shaolin, but Ting's presence isn't welcome and he is driven out, but remains close to the temple, keeping in touch with Hsu Shi. When Ting rescues a girl from the clutches of the Flying Eagle gang, the Golden Wheel Lama and sworn enemy of Shaolin finds the perfect excuse to lead an assault on the Temple. Realizing Ting's devotion, the abbot decides to bring Ting into the Shaolin order and teach him the deadliest techniques to prepare him for the Lama's merciless fury.

After the Mantis Fist school attacks the Eagle's Claw school and leaves their teacher for dead, the dying master passes over his senior student, Chen Tien Chun, to anoint his second most senior pupil, Lee Cheh, as new master. Dejected, Chen joins the Mantis Fist school and wins the affection of his new master's daughter, while his former schoolmates plot revenge.

After Japanese warriors execute the Chinese Jingwu kung fu school's headmaster, Chen Zhen, and raid a number of schools in an effort to weed out Jingwu rebels, Zhen's brother, Chen Shen, vows revenge.

When South China martial artist Pan is defeated and killed by North China challenger Tan in a legfighter duel, Pan's younger brother Pak vows to crush Tan with his own unique style of ferocious footwork.

Ah Chi (Ka-Yan Leung) is obsessed with the martial arts and, more often than not, his kung-fu clowning gets him into trouble. Ending up facing Hsia (Eddie Ko) of the notorious Jade Brotherhood is inevitable. As a result, Hsia forces Chi's martial arts master to expel him. Masterless and working for a fish vendor, Chi meets a crafty kid (Yat Lung Wong), whose uncle Chow Tung (Chin Yuet Sang) is a master of the Insane Mantis style. The Jade Brotherhood aims for control of the small town but Chi is training with a new Master and will not accept bullies in the neighbourhood.

During the Manchurian invasion of China, the son of the Ming Dynasty General takes refuge in the Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts, so that he may seek revenge for his dead father. But he must first endure the rigorous test of the temple's legendary 18 Bronzemen.