Spiritual Kung Fu

Spiritual Kung Fu is a 1978 Hong Kong action film about a mischievous young monk named Yi-Lang who is blamed when a sacred martial arts manual is stolen from the Shaolin temple. The stolen book holds the secret of a deadly fighting style, and the thief intends to use it to dominate the rival clans. The only technique capable of matching it is a lost style known as the Five Fists, and Yi-Lang is the one who must learn it. His unlikely teachers turn out to be a group of ghosts haunting the temple library, who pass the forgotten techniques on to him. What follows is his confrontation with the man behind the theft.

Jackie Chan stars as Yi-Lang, with James Tien Chuen, Wu Wen-Siu, Kun Li, Dean Shek and Lee Hae-ryong in supporting roles. The film was directed by Lo Wei, a veteran of Hong Kong action cinema whose earlier work includes The Big Boss and Fist of Fury. Spiritual Kung Fu was released in 1978, placing it shortly after To Kill with Intrigue and before Dragon Fist in the order of the director's films. The screenplay was written by Pan Lei, and Hsu Li-Hwa produced the film for Lo Wei Motion Picture Co.

The film runs 99 minutes. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6 out of 10 from 102 votes, suggesting a modest but lasting level of interest among viewers.