In 1989, he starred in the Japanese-Hong Kong co-production of "Bloodfight". This was the first of its kind in which English was spoken throughout the entire film. In 1992, Yam gained critical acclaim for his role as the maniacal Judge in the crime film "Full Contact", where he faced off in a bloody battle against Chow Yun-fat's character. In 1993, he starred as "Dhalsim" in the action-comedy film "Future Cops", a parody of "Street Fighter" directed by Wong Jing. In 1996, Yam began his role as Chiang Tin-Sung, the leader of the "Hung Hing" triads in the first three instalments of the "Young and Dangerous" film series.