‘Street Fighter’ Star Callina Liang Strapped Resistance Bands to Her Legs and Kicked Until Chun-Li Felt Real

Chun-Li has always been defined by her legs. Since she debuted in ‘Street Fighter II’ in 1991 as the first playable woman in a mainstream fighting game, her kicks have been the heart of her identity. Putting that on screen without it looking like a stunt reel is a tall order.

Live-action attempts have struggled before, with Ming-Na Wen and Kristin Kreuk both taking a turn at the role. Legendary’s new ‘Street Fighter’ bet on Canadian actress Callina Liang to make the character’s fighting style feel authentic, and the film opened on October 16 to a $31 million domestic debut. It has also divided critics, who gave it 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it 82% and a B- CinemaScore.

Now the training that went into that performance is going viral. In a clip making the rounds online, Liang explains how she prepared her kicks for ‘Street Fighter,’ training 4 hours every day for 6 weeks before filming began. She describes wearing resistance bands on her legs and learning to balance on the single leg that kept kicking in and out. The clip has drawn plenty of praise for her dedication.

Callina Liang says she trained kicks for 4 hours everyday for 6 weeks until filming began on ‘STREET FIGHTER’. “I had resistance bands on my legs and I had to learn how to balance on the one leg I was just kicking in & out all the time.” https://t.co/PfWj9lZ7YT

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 18, 2026

According to coverage of the interview, Liang trained 2 hours every day before traveling to Australia for the shoot. Once she arrived, she increased the schedule to 4 hours daily for 6 weeks before cameras rolled on the action. The work included spinning kicks, jumping kicks and a range of other kicking techniques.

The resistance bands made the task harder. Balancing on one leg while the other repeatedly kicked out forced her to build control as well as power. It is the sort of grind that does not show up in a trailer but shows up in every frame of a fight scene.

The kicks were only part of the plan. Liang trained in taekwondo, Muay Thai and wushu for 2 hours a day, and added dedicated leg strengthening on top. She also overhauled her diet, reportedly eating 12 eggs a day to hit roughly 4,000 calories and having a meal every 2 hours.

By the end of the shoot, her thighs had grown by about 2.5 inches. Noah Centineo has said he, Liang and Andrew Koji trained together 6 days a week for 6 weeks. The group effort helped the cast sell the film’s world-warrior tournament.

Liang’s homework started before the gym. She told Empire she downloaded every version of the game onto her PlayStation 5 and recorded Chun-Li’s moves in slow motion on her phone so she could replay them. She has also said she studied martial arts for 2 years in drama school.

The commitment appears to come from genuine affection. Liang told Zero Nine Magazine that she has been a fan since she was 12. When asked about training to move like the character, she said, “It was very intense.” She described a routine that kept going through pre-production and production, with 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.

The on-set demands were just as heavy. Liang recalled fighting for 5 hours at a time with a group of stunt performers while Chun-Li kicked them in the face. She also credited the stunt team, noting that the spinning back kick, Chun-Li’s most classic move, was performed by one stunt performer who began training 6 months before pre-production.

Liang says she can now do one signature move herself. “The one that I can do myself pretty well is her Lightning Kick,” she told Zero Nine Magazine, explaining that she can balance on one leg and kick in a row. She also still trains at least twice a week and calls it a form of therapy.

PERFECT! Watch the New Trailer for Street Fighter, hitting theaters everywhere October 16. https://t.co/jAAPf1k9jf

— Street Fighter Movie (@Street_Fighter) September 1, 2026

‘Street Fighter’ stars Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken, Roman Reigns as Akuma, Jason Momoa as Blanka and Cody Rhodes as Guile. Kitao Sakurai directed the movie. It won its opening weekend with an estimated $51.1 million worldwide, even though that fell short of the $70 million Deadline said had been hoped for.

Whatever fans think of the film overall, Liang’s physical work is earning the kind of praise that rarely gets attached to video game adaptations. Chun-Li’s kicks are the most recognizable thing about her, and the actress behind them spent weeks making sure every one of them counted. For many viewers, that effort is the strongest argument that this version finally gets her right.

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