"Since everything is but an apparition,
perfect in being what it is,
having nothing to do with good or bad,
acceptance or rejection,
one may well burst out in laughter."
-Long Chen Pa
In Khmer, “kru” means teacher but is culturally loaded with
many other meanings. I think it stems from the Indian word that English calls
“guru.” Maybe, maybe not, just my speculation. FYI, Cambodian culture is
greatly influenced by Indian culture.
The “Kru” I refer to today is a spirit/guardian angel that Cambodian
culture believes follows you throughout your entire life. Of course, there are
things you must do to honor your “kru” but I will not get into that.
Some people have 1 “kru”,
some people have more than 1.
and some have none.
As much as I THOUGHT I had one, my dad found out that I DON’T.
When my sister told me this news, many things went through my mind.
“Am I alone?”
“Am I not special?”
“How will this knowledge affect my confidence?”
“Who is it that watches me then?”
“Is the energy I feel all my own?”
“Is acquiring this knowledge not fact but a simple test from
God that will push me to be better?”
I was confused, disappointed, relieved, lonely, sad,
determined, empowered, angry, scared, curious, etc.
As time went on, I worried less about NOT having a “kru” and
more about how determined I am to take this life on alone. That’s what I
thought…
I received a check last Friday that made it possible for me
to replace the last thing necessary for Dary’s wedding. Without it, I WOULD NOT
have been able to do this. It is time for me to change my focus FROM everything
I lack in my life TO all the priceless things money cannot buy. I realized there’s
NO “kru” with me but I’m NOT alone. THERE ARE ANGELS HERE ON EARTH.
I definitely have an idea of who this check is from. I
rejected a few online offers of aid but this one angel is very stubborn, I
don’t know how she was sure it would reach my hands the way it did but it did.
Dary and John says Thank You and I say thank you for being
stubborn but please please please don’t do it again.
Write something that no one else understands but YOU. (Terriyaki or BBQ sauce)
I was suppose to roll it up into the shape of the Earth but I got hungry so i just ate it.
IT
was
good.
i call it... wait for it ... wait for it ... "Eat your heart out Marco Polo" Marco Polo thought up spaghetti after encountering Chinese noodles. The name would make more sense if i actually rolled it up to look like Earth. There's always next meal. (tip for next time: put more meat in it)
I call this my AnD family and I treat it as such. Although showbiz
is a business, this is a part of me that must remain.
This post is about an unfortunate incident that happened to
my family today. Four burglars entered my parents house and stole all the
family heirlooms along with important things tied to my sisters wedding that is
scheduled to occur in 2 weeks.Many
things held sentimental value including necklaces my grandmother left for us
before she died, my father’s Buddha charm made-from-elephant tusk necklace
given by his mother before her loss of speech, and my sister’s wedding money
and wedding rings; adding to a sum of $25K.
If my mom entered the house 10-15 minutes earlier than she
did, she might have been in grave danger. I’m thankful that no one was hurt.
That is everything. Thank you, God.
Our struggle remains as we seek to find the means to replace
everything needed for Dary’s wedding in two weeks. Once again, this mission
will put our hearts to the test.
This internment camp baby will not rest until his little
sister gets the wedding she deserves. Dary is one of those people in this
world that can show you all the goodness of life within 3 sentences. She is the
wind that makes you want to fly. Without her, I would be nothing. Her happiness
means more than any career success in this world. (Well, I can always fall back
on being the best film-fighting homeless that ever lived.)
Right now, it’s not just about a wedding; this is about
integrity, perseverance and the relentless will of a family; this is war... NOT
a war against those that wronged us, NOT a war against financial disposition…
but a war against ourselves, our own frustration, our own pride, our own
weaknesses; for it will test the strength of our unity, our passion, and our
love.
What I DO know is it’s gonna take more than a bullet in the
heart to hold me back. (But if you have 2 bullets and good aim, then please
don’t shoot or don’t aim, one or the other.)
I do not wish for pity or anything, just to share my journey
in hopes that you will share yours. For after everything is said and done in
this world, all we really have is the people shared in this journey (through
thick and thin, thick food and thin food, thick accents and thin accents (Now
you know for sure that I’m talking about AnD people hehe)).
So
first things first, I’ll address the inquiries of the last blog.
Joe Fiorello – William
Shatner Star Trek fight was a classic. Haha.
Flagday – Well like I said, I
cannot put a real martial artist on here and put him on blast. I don’t want to
make enemies… just yet. haha j/k. cuz to be honest, I can criticize even the best
of them just as an acting teacher can criticize an Oscar achieving performance
but wouldn’t that send out the wrong signals? I will steer away from negativity
because though some film-fighting is not good, I do still enjoy it.
MissScarlett – Good point.
It was a little bit insulting when we can clearly see that Collin Chou would
destroy Keanu in a heartbeat haha but I still enjoyed seeing Collin and Yuen Wu
Ping invade the western scene.
JRS - “Close-ups in film fighting
cover up a variety of flaws” That’s actually a great observation. Not many
viewers know this. American action does this a lot, take for example Batman
Begins however in that particular example, it fits the style. I agree that
martial arts flips cannot compare to gymnastic flips.
“Teach
us, baby!”
…and
show all my secrets?! Hahaha. NO
WAY!
……………………………………………………………..
Okay
so back to the component EXPRESSION.
EVEN
REAL MARTIAL ARTISTS FAIL AT THIS STEP:
Real
martial artist know how to throw a REAL punch, have good core strength and
accuracy depending on their level. Someone like the MMA fighter Rampage Jackson
might kill 3 stuntmen per day, destroy 2 expensive cameras, and break the DP’s
nose in the process… and then still the footage is still unusable particularly
because camera tension is very prevalent amongst non-experienced film-fighters.
Film-fighting
is TEAMWORK. Real fighting is not. In film-fighting, the stuntmen and the
“hero” must have trust, coordination, and chemistry; traits very similar to a BASKETBALL
team. (not talking about the old-school high shorts )
A
skilled fighter can throw a spin-kick very easily. But can he throw the same
exact spin-kick 25 times at 3AM after 8 hours of shooting action with the same exact precision and intent and power and
speed and emotion while knowing where the camera is so he can open up to it and
sell the presence with focus eyes and perfect positioning according to the
directors preference, (not to mention, stop on a DIME if stuntmen stumble too
close)? ::catches air in a hurry::
Most viewers are unaware that in film, there are many takes and film
scenes can be brutal. More often than not, you must throw A COMBINATION of
attacks, not just one and in between each attack you also must sell the
“in-between” without looking like you are waiting (but that’s a different
component).
Just
like in the court of law (ooh I made a connection), INTENT is a very important part of expression. When
you throw a film punch, you must sell the intent to hit him while maintaining
control.This small detail entails
knowing what it is to want to beat a man’s face in. ... and so I'm not sexist, beat a woman's face in also.
Film
fighters must know what it is to be in a REAL FIGHT and the emotion that comes
along with it. Why? Because this IS THE EMOTION YOU MUST SELL. (Now when I say
fighting, I’m not talking about gloves and a ring. I’m talking about NO HOLDS
BARRED on the streets and the emotions that come with that.) For example, small
details like where your eyes are looking when you are film-fighting.
Inexperienced film-fighters focus their eyes on their opponent’s next attack before
the opponent even attacks. In doing so reveals the sequence of CHOREOGRAPHY. That
is bad because it takes away the element of fighting called UNPREDICABILITY or surprise element (separate component discussed later).The eyes should look at the center of the person’s chest so that one can
use the peripheral vision to see attacks from all angles. Is this confusing? haha
Aight
I didn’t know I was going to be circulating AnD. If I did, I would have put on
a shirt and combed my hair for this. … well actually, just the “combed my hair”
part.
At
Flagday’s and JRS’ request.
Next
time I’ll go over "gags and stunts" which is essential for excitement. Maybe I’ll
show some clips from my film… hehehe lessee how high my ego is hoovering at
that time LOL.
After visiting more artists pages on AnD, I’ve been inspired
to write something informative. (dun dun dunnnnnn!) No, the end of the world is
not coming, I just thought after reading useful information at the sites of
Jeanne Hartman, Mark Allen, Bey Logan and many others, I, too, have a field of
study, film-fighting.
This is fueled in a major way by my friends telling me
“Don’t blame people for not being able to tell the difference between good and
bad film-fighting, if you don’t INFORM them!” Okay! So I understand that 4 out
of 5 people aren’t able, just like how I AM NOT ABLE to tell the difference
between good and bad ballet. You get me? There’s no blame here, just hugs and
kisses.
So… I just realized… THIS is my attempt to educate. (inner
monologue: what did I get myself into?) Keep in mind that this is just MY take
on it. One may ask, “What are my credentials?” Long story semi-short, I
couldn’t afford a martial arts school so I first learned martial arts by watching
film-fighting. I would analyze fight scenes for days in order to learn it and
do with friend; not just fighting, but beauty of expression, timing, emotion,
command, and the many components I will explain to in order to compose a good
film-fight. This began when I was 13 so I’ve been doing this along with
coordinating and choreographing shows and film-fights for 17 years. The first
show I choreographed and coordinated was for my high school at age 15. Okay, I
know, I know, enough about me.
(I feel I have to protect myself because people are vicious)
I’m not a writer. I can barely convey myself accurately. As a matter of fact,
I’m totally INCOMPETENT with a hoola-hoop, but film-fighting is the one thing I
DO know. So if you happen to LIKE to pick on people for technicalities/wording
or happen to be a person COMPETING IN MY FIELD (LOL), please leave happily NOW!
I’ve never offered anything here more than some good-old
fashioned salivating but here goes some information “one time for your mind”
that WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU VIEW FILM-FIGHTING.
Key Components to Film-Fighting:
1. Command
– selling the fact that you have the power to damage. There are 2
components to command, core strength and expression.
Core strength: the ability to stay
in balance while you perform the moves. (Basically: Your spine is your core.
The muscles around your spine make it tough.)
Good example:
Jet Li probably has one of the
toughest cores ever expressed on screen; pulling difficult moves while
maintaining good balance; the best wire worker in my opinion (Myth: people
think wirework is easy). Of course, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen all
have great cores. That is why they succeed well in it.
Anti-thesis: Gymnasts have super
core strength but cannot achieve this, because they lack other components.
Bad example: Sonya from Mortal Kombat
1995
I can pick on real martial artist
but that would be mean. I will not.
2. Expression
(the other component for command, I separated to keep clear) – this gives
the audience a feeling and just like in acting, a real human emotion is
not simply black or white, happy or sad, excited or angry. Within one
second humans have many emotions simultaneously and so it is also true for
the expression in a film-fight. Aggression (next component I will get to) can
fall within this category however the expression in a film fight can go further
than just aggression. Bruce Lee was a master at this. He always preached
about emotional content and so far no one has reached his level of
emotional expression in my opinion. Poses such as Jet Li’s Wong Fei Hong pose
fall into this category, it can inspire one to feel proud, confident and
so on.
This step is probably the toughest
step. THIS IS WHERE NON-MARTIAL ARTISTS FAULTER. For how can one convey a
MARTIAL SPIRIT, if one is not a martial artist? They can only imitate… and often the imitation
is simply a CONCEPT of martial spirit that is created in their MINDS, not authentic.
It’s like, I am NOT from England
but I can SORT OF imitate an English accent. I may be able to fool an American
but will I be able to fool someone from England? Maybe not the best example
but anyways.
EVEN REAL MARTIAL ARTISTS FAIL AT
THIS STEP: zzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz
I’m tired… to be continue on the
next episode of Film-Fighting 101.
u said 'kru' was a guardian and a teacher or some sort rite? well if i was to put it together in my culture it would be almost the same as a kru... i think. we all have 13 spirits watching us. i can't name all the jobs they do but for example; 1 is for recarnation, 2 is for wellness (if it leaves ur site u'll get ill), 3 is for strength(maybe xD). kru=guardian angel. Even in American culture we believe we have sometimes more than 1 angel guiding and protecting us.
despite all, i believe every religions. I believe there's only 1 God, we human just kind of fall on own way... maybe worshiping the God of waters or God of wind or something lol and started to seperate our beliefs, dont u think so?
....besides....there's nothing wrong with pimpin' ones favorite up and coming actor! ;-P By the way, that's the 5th time I've used that fan sign video ending. ::smug smile::
Oh, and somebody really wise just recently told me to not be a hater....h8r!
I can't really attest to their sobriety or lack thereof. All I know is by that point I was just grasping hold of the nearest person to keep from falling off the earth.
Hey! Need any more cheering up? If so, watch the SECOND video in my latest blog. It's a 2 minute "quickie" that has some sped up footage from our taiji sword form workshops.
Hey i hope you arent busy next wednesday the 18th for some food :D well except you have to pay for it.. but its for a good cause! my sorority is having a fundraiser, well its more like my fundraiser.. cause my girls need money
so i hope you can make it out.. its in irvine, no worries.. at Original Buffalo Wings. Print out the flyer from the facebook group :
Half of the Cambodian population was being murdered as D.Y. let out his first cry. As refugees, his family escaped the communist regime and fled to Thailand, the Philippines and, eventually, to America where he was raised in Long Beach, California.
Love for martial arts was recognized early in D.Y. At age seven, a visit to a karate school dazzled and amazed him, but martial art training was a luxury his family could not afford. To make up for it, his dad watched the karate class from afar and tried to draw the techniques for DY to learn. Time passed, and so too did D.Y.’s hopes of train in martial arts. He would have to settle for watching and imitating figures like Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan. Inspired to imitate and create movements in the martial spirit, little by little, he began opening up to life and abandoning the violent lifestyle he had taken on.
READ MORE AT http://dysao.com/page_bio.html
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Perspective
My passion is not simply acting, martial arts and film. My dream of revamping the martial spirit through the media is an intervention. I want to use the media to reach the world and my message is one of unity.
My dad says America is his saving grace since it was America that saved us in our moment of desperation during the flee of the Cambodian Civil War. His three one time starving children are now college graduates and, in one way or another, aspire to give back to humanity. While some curse the American government, my father praises it. He says it’s not about a right or wrong perspective, it’s about what perspective brings the best out of you. What makes you get back up when life beats you to the ground, buries you under the heaviest rocks and tries to destroys every hope you have? And it is about discovery. Mine for that gold that exist in your soul, no matter what dark places you encounter along the way. Discover that one thing, the will of your life, that keeps your ship steaming, no matter how long it takes for the shores to arrive. On that shore stands the hope worth fighting for. Lastly, what perspective gives you the courage to pay it forward? With empathy, comes courage. In your weakness, you find your strength and in sacrificing yourself, you find yourself.
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