There he taught tai chi and weapons classes to the students of the Tang Soo Karate Academy which was located in the plaza.

He said: "In China, at least you can practice kung fu and attend martial arts competitions, but in the United States, you will find that most of your time in washing the dishes and being a porter.

In 2005, he appeared as a martial artist in House of Fury with Anthony Wong, Gillian Chung, Stephen Fung and Charlene Choi.

In 2012, Tiger Chen played the lead role in Kung Fu Man, alongside Vanessa Branch and Jiang Mengjie.

After years in minor and supporting roles, Tiger Chen played the titular character in Man of Tai Chi, opposite the film's director Keanu Reeves, Karen Joy Morris and Yam Tat-wah.