From their early beginnings, they have been billed as the greatest duo to ever grace a kung-fu screen. Duel of the Iron Fists was the 2nd Kung Fu movie to be released in the United States and after the release of 5 Fingers of Death, Americans were begging for more. After Jimmy Wang-Yu left Shaw Bros' over "Creative Control", they were groomed to be his replacements. Chang Cheh had made the 1st million dollar movie with One-Armed Swordsman, so he devised a similar plot and used David as the New One-Armed Swordsman, with Ti Lung as a gallant knight gives up his life helping Chiang.

As they started to become famous, David would be the media favorite. This is also because he was closer to director Chang Cheh than Ti Lung was, so he would received much more favorable treatment. When paired together, David would almost always play the "Hero", while Lung would be the "Sidekick". But, it was very apparent at that time; David was clearly the better actor. No slouch in the acting department himself; Ti Lung was a fine actor. His appearances along side David seemed to "enhance" his abilities as a leading man, while calling attention to Ti Lung's great screen presence and versatility.

David Chiang started out as the favorite of the ladies and was the main "focal-point" of most of Shaw Bros' attention, though skillful as well, acting was more his forte. David would win a Golden Horse (Oscar) for his role in the movie Vengeance (Ti Lung dies early in the film). He would win a 2nd Golden Horse for the film Generation Gap (one of the reasons Chang pushed the "Youth Oriented" films during that time).

But, it wouldn't be until Ti Lung played the villain in Blood Brothers (Dynasty of Blood), would he receive praise (and a award) for his acting. They gained so much clout, that they were the only male stars that were granted first choice of movie scripts and they were paid more than their follow actors. As other stars were added to Chang Cheh's stable of actors, none quite stood out like David Chiang and Ti Lung did, so their positions was safe (for a while at least).

When Chang Cheh's last group of actors Venoms, started turning heads with their "Over-the-top" performances in each their movies, it was apparent that their position as the main stars of Shaw Bros action department was in a way, beginning to slip. After the making of Naval Commandos, they refused to be on the same screen together. Along with then, rising star, Fu Sheng, they began to argue over who would get "Top-Billing" on movie marquees, even though each was a star in his own right. Time had finally begun to separate them. Ti Lung was beginning to come into his own as an actor/fighter and people were beginning to take notice as well. He would start doing films with director Chu Yuan, who would actually use him in ways that Chang Cheh never really explored with him.

With a new director and new sense of self, Ti Lung would see his star rise higher than ever before. He was now moving into another stage of development. By the time people realized his potential, it was already too late, because he was well on his way to becoming such a household name. There wasn't a movie that he didn't star in (or co-star in), that wasn't in a hit. Skilled with weapons ranging for the Staff (Long Pole) to the Sword, he came into his own working with Chu Yuan and Tang Chia, he was featured in numerous films that showcased his acting like never before. He was now working with people who saw him as the Heroic lead and not the "Sidekick/co-star" he had played for so many years.

In fact, once he started working with Chu Yuan (and later Sun Chung), his movies actually surpassed those that were being made by David at the time. Yet, though not appearing with David anymore, he could not escape him fully. Director Chu had taken another young Shaw actor under his wing - Erh Tung-Sheng (David's younger brother), and cast him in a series of films along side Ti Lung. It seemed, in some ways, he was hoping to capture some the magic that Ti Lung shared with David (and it worked, up to a point), but, Lung's skill and presence overshadowed him whenever they were on the screen together.

David started trying to find the type of work that would still show his acting ability, as well as set him apart from what he did with Ti Lung. He found that in a project with master director Liu Chia-Liang in the movie Shaolin Mantis, and he never looked better. After also working with director Chu Yuan in the Swordplay movie Murder Plot, David left Shaw Brothers.

Working with Independent film companies, he didn't actually slow down, because his film output was consistent, but there weren't as many choice roles as before. New stars were being discovered all the time, which made it somewhat difficult to fit in as before. Films like Blooded Treasury Fight, Bloody Tattoo, King of Fists & Dollars, and Deadly Challenger showed he still had what it took to keep his name circulating throughout the film world. With such production, he had basically severed all ties with Shaw Bros' (and Ti Lung).

Yet, when David left Shaw Bros', Ti Lung's career seemed to go into overdrive. Films like Magic Blade, Sentimental Swordsman, The Kung Fu Instructor, Iron-Chain Assassin, and Soul of the Sword gave us some of his best work. It would actually take director Chang Cheh to get them together again for small roles in his movie Shanghi 13, which featured most of the stars he helped made famous. Each had small roles throughout the picture, this way everyone was featured and no one could say that one person was overshadowing another.

While they both appeared in the film, they didn't share a scene together. Which is a shame, considering a scene together would have brought them "Full-circle" from their beginnings together, their split (rumored when Ti Lung received the better part in Empress Dowager), and their reunion with director Chang. Through it all, they would still remain the greatest "Fighting Duo" that Shaw Bros' has ever produced. Lucky for us, what they shared was captured on film, so that we can still share in some of their best onscreen moments again and again. And, though they would eventually go their own ways, when they were a "Team", they brought fans more joy then they could ever imagine.