Taiwan actor Eddie Peng says that the physical demands on his body were almost too much for him to handle during production of his upcoming kung fu actioner, "Rise of the Legend."

Following in the footsteps of famed action stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Peng plays famed martial artist Wong Fei Hung in this latest big-screen adaptation of Wong's life.

But Peng had to undergo six months of intensive martial arts training before filming, since the star had no previous combat experience.

The actor suffered numerous injuries on set, including a torn ligament in his right wrist.

Peng had to chop through a stone pillar for a particular scene. The actor says that, when he struck the first blow, he felt an intense pain in his hand, but for the sake of the shot, he pressed through the injury and eventually broke the pillar in half.

While he humbly says he wasn't "particularly talented" and had to rely on his resolve to get through shooting, his co-stars and action veterans Sammo Hung and Tony Leung praised his performance.

"Rise of the Legend" punches its way to theaters on Friday next week.

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