Tell about yourself and your background! *
I graduated from music schools, majoring in violin performance, composition and conducting (1994), but I had started stage acting and doing my own stage combats and stunts since 1982 as a youth stage actor in Taiwan. I began my martial arts training at the age of 5 in different styles of Kung Fu, then Judo, Karate, Tang Soo Do and boxing under several masters in my hometown (Tainan City, Taiwan), only for one single reason: to defend myself from local bullies' attacks with my wooden nunchakus in hands. I was the Taiwan champ in Kung Fu and Nunchaku in 1982, then I got chosen to be in the Taiwan National Team in performing Kung Fu for the Reagan Administration in 13 U.S. states in September of 1983. After receiving the Taiwan President's recognition in Taipei, Taiwan, I immigrated to the U.S. the same year for a better tomorrow.
Later, I was taught by Master Daniel Lee (Bruce Lee's close disciple in JKD), Master Steven Chang (Yip Man & Lieon Shon's Wing Chun), Master Delon Tan (Tae Kwon Do), Master John Wong (Wu's Tai Chi), and Master Franco Lung (Yip Man & Wong Tsun-Leon's Wing Chun) in America. As a high school senior from Pasadena Blair High School (classmate of John Singleton), I fought in many open tournaments, and won 10 of them. My last winning fight was the World Cup Open in 1987, and I lied to my mom that I went to study at the library. She called cops to look for me that night, but I came home with a huge trophy. She was very mad at me... I promised her I would never fight again in any open tournaments....then I went to UC Irvine under music scholarships, sponsored by a rich family in Pasadena.
I am also an ex-member of Sho Kosugi Production/Action Team in Japan (2002-2005), and then I "imported" Kosugi-san's action system, mixed with Taiwan government's training methods and Master Daniel Lee's JKD system in one basket to form a lengthy stunt acting curriculum for actors at NYFA (2006-17) and then STUNTS IN MOTION (2017 to current): https://seeiam.wixsite.com/stuntsinmotion/students-we-taught
What inspired you to become a stunt performer?
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chen, Chow Yun-Fat, Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson had inspired me the most. I was a music intern at a recording studio called the STUDIO VII during my music graduate study; a film producer read my resume and he referred me to my very first audition, a HBO feature film called Rage of Vengeance (1982). I got the principal part and did my fight scenes and stunts like many actors in that film. Then, I was hooked to the film business tasting the Hollywood sweet, bitter and sour sauce for the next 3 decades....
What is your greatest skill as a stunt performer, is there a stunt behind it?
https://vimeo.com/212415262 (Single Nunchaku)
https://vimeo.com/334939195 (Double Nunchakus)
As an actor myself, and like many others from Asia, I did all my own fights and stunts in the old-school ways, if needed, productions would hire body doubles to do only flips for me. I've done head/body reactions, fisting, kicking, blocking, falling, throwing, window penetration, rolling, jumping, weaponing, firearm shooting, fire burn, stair falls, bottles, explosions, wired on the hood of a running car, falling on hard floors...…then fight choreography & stunt coordination besides theatrical and commercial acting, VO/ADR & prints.
What is the best part about being a stunt performer?
I always take it seriously as a BUSINESS. The best part of being in this industry is to be able to take care of a family of 6, plus 2 fishes, two turtles and one dog :) I am doing it full-time, from acting, choreography, coordination to actor's action training at STUNTS IN MOTION, plus coaching college (acting) students at a local university as a faculty member. I keep myself very busy in ACTION and I let my agents handle my contracts.
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Tell your all-time favorite stunt story!
I was a newbie who was young, dumb and crazy back in the early 90s: A non-union production asked me to run across the conjunction of FWY 5 and 110 @ LA Chinatown area near the noon time. After the director yelled "action", I did run across the FWY for real, continued to chase my lead actor to the spiral stair case and finished the scene. There was no traffic blocking or any CGI on that set, just me, the real FWY and MANY speeding cars....I was very lucky not to be hit or run over by them....I won't do it again.
What advice would you give other stunt performers?
Keep polishing your skills, knowing your strong parts and focusing on them daily. Be honest to yourself and be sincere to others. Always watch your safety by knowing your limits, don't get hurt during any rehearsals or on sets, or you may be replaced by someone else. Enjoy making your living through what you love to do, give kisses to your hard-earned pay checks, be thankful, then often take your parents and family out for dinners, and even vacations. Most importantly, stay healthy and alive; no alcohol, no smoking, no drugs, less parties, but more business meetings.
Anything else you'd like to tell the community about?
I would like to thank Hunter very much for inviting me here to say Hi to all of you. Thank you very much for spending time reading this article. I look forward to working with you soon.
Please share your social media handles and how we can follow you!
https://www.tiktok.com/@stuntsinmotion/video/6988343083523919110?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
(Boogie with my Double-hand Nunchakus) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-5mEN_DCfU&t=325s (Game Show)
Please include any links to stunt reels or videos you'd like to share!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v_5duMBEjQ&t=37s (Me, as an actor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxCV6B2mShs (Wing Chun Dummy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdjroOZZ7Ng (My warm-ups)
