Ludi Lin Breaks Down Liu Kang’s Fighting Style in Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II star Ludi Lin teaches ScreenRant's Ash Crossan his signature Liu Kang move, Dragon Fatality, in today's episode of Going Method. The sequel follows the 2021 hit, once again directed by Simon McQuoid, but now featuring a larger number of fan-favorite characters from the video games. Several protagonists from the first movie return to fight once more, including the Shaolin Monk Liu Kang, who is one of Earthrealm's greatest warriors. Lin was gracious enough to join Going Method for a demonstration on spinning kicks and stunt techniques, allowing a peek behind the curtain of Mortal Kombat II's movie magic. Watch the training session below to gain insight into Liu Kang's combat moves in a step-by-step tutorial, highlighting the fighter's mindset and the origin of his fire powers.
While the two were deep in martial arts training alongside the actor's precious dog Pax, Lin shared his thoughts on the differences between the previous movie and Mortal Kombat II. He also revealed his favorite aspect of Liu Kang as a character and even shared his hilarious audition story for Power Rangers.
Getting To The Heart Of Liu Kang's Power Moves In Mortal Kombat II
The team behind Mortal Kombat II has made no secret of the fact that they took fan feedback into account when working on the sequel, since the movies are made to honor the beloved video games in the first place. Lin emphasized that fact when discussing what he saw as the biggest differences between the two movies:
Ludi Lin: I noticed that we ballooned in size in every single respect. I think, looking at the cast, they're more stacked. Everyone's bigger, even than the first movie. I think there's just more action, more time devoted to planning the storylines, getting the characters right, and making sure that we really feel like we're in a part of the real Mortal Kombat world that people recognize.
One aspect that gets more recognition in the second movie is the fight sequences, which are the heart of the games. Lin pointed out the hard work that went into recreating the fighting style (as shown in animated movies and computer graphics) for live-action.
Ludi Lin: I have to shout out our fight coordinators, Malay Kim and Mike Lehr, because they did so much research into how he's supposed to move, what his martial arts is based on, and what makes sense for the game. They got really philosophical with it. Where does the fire come from, the Chi, and all that stuff?
They just started teaching me that everything Liu Kang does is circular. You have to imagine holding this invisible ball, and any fire you conjure is going to be [from there]. Just imagine playing with a ball as you conjure up the fire. Liu Kang is very Hung Gar-based, so it's like a southern type of Shaolin Kung Fu. He would bring up his cheek, thrust forward with his fire. This is his spark plug, and boom, the fire's out, and he summons the Chi.
Lin concluded the training session by demonstrating the basics of Liu Kang's brand of martial arts, in addition to his favorite move.
One of my favorites is when he does the Dragon Fatality. Step number one, flame on. Now, turn that flame into a ball like a bowl of fire. Bring it around, and then he summons a double dragon. Dragon up here, dragon down here, and the dragons cross paths and come around. Now, you squeeze in the fire, and then you release.
You just have to put a little bit of cinematic finesse into it. Do the fireball. Have it come around. Double dragon. Compress, and really squeeze in and look at the camera. Focus your eyes and say, "I am Liu Kang, the last son of the dragon, and I will see you burn!" And then you push and squeeze your teeth, and you look really intense and hope that the movie special effects will take care of the rest!
Power Rangers (2017) Lives On In Ludi Lin's Heart
Many fans know Lin best from his work on the 2017 Power Rangers, in which he played the Black Ranger, Zack Taylor. He reacted warmly to the host's love for the project, adding, "As they say, you only realize what you've lost once it's gone. So many people are looking forward to a sequel, but it doesn't exist and will never exist. But it's always held a special place in my heart. I love it."
His audition for Power Rangers was particularly memorable, with hijinks that could have made for an enjoyable story all on their own:
Ludi Lin: I always go through some trial or tribulation on these auditions that I actually get the role in. I remember that one. I was shooting Marco Polo in Indonesia, and I hopped over to Singapore to see a friend. At a coffee shop, my agent calls and is like, "You've got three hours to turn in this audition. They've been looking everywhere. They can't find the right person for the role, and they just reached out." I'm like, "What is for? " And she goes, "It's Power Rangers."
Childhood memories just started flooding into my head of me playing with the little Power Rangers action figures and stuff. I'm like, "Gotta get this done." So, my friend drove me to a Singaporean studio, which she thought would have the right equipment to do the audition. Turns out all they had for us was a broom closet. We found a light, shot it in there, and turned it in. Two weeks later, I got a call from the director saying I had the role.
Mortal Kombat II is now playing in theaters.
Check out our previous Going Method interview with Matthew Lillard for Scream 7.
Release Date
May 8, 2026
Runtime
116 Minutes
Director
Simon McQuoid
Writers
Jeremy Slater
Producers
E. Bennett Walsh, James Wan, Simon McQuoid, Toby Emmerich, Todd Garner
