A Demo with Jackie Chan – It was Just A Dream 2 Days Ago

Jackie Chan Handprint in Hong Kong

I’m not gunna lie. Jackie Chan has been a great inspiration for me in my martial arts endeavors. When someone bought me the book “Jackie Chan : My Story” I read it in 2 days. Police Story I and Drunken Master II were probably my favorite and more inspiring movies of all time. (I also got a lot of love for Jet Li’s Tai Chi Master and Once Upon a Time in China)

Just a few posts ago I posted my goals in the entertainment world. Let me repost them.

1) Star or Co-star in:

1 HK gangster feature film

1 Chinese Wu Xia Period feature film

1 Hollywood action blockbuster

1 National Commercial

2) Demo for or work with Jackie Chan in a film

3) Host a Travel Channel show

If you will look at Goal #2… Only a few nights after I posted those goals, I had a dream that I was talking with Jackie Chan and working with him on some projects. It was very clear and realistic at the time. I already forgot what the subject matter was… because you know how you can’t quite remember most of your dreams after you fully wake up? well, for some reason I remembered that I was talking to him and working on some projects.

Then 2 nights ago or about a day after I had that dream, my friend messages me and tells me I might be working on a demo… for Jackie Chan! Today I found out it seems like it is pretty confirmed. I don’t usually like to write or tell people about these things because everything is “tentative” until it actually happens.. any number of things could happen, but in any case I have a good/hopeful feeling.

I hope it doesn’t become ANOTHER one of my “The times I almost met Jackie Chan” story. I have 3. Would you care to hear them? I am going to list all the major incidences.

1) 2006 I visited Hong Kong on a layover to Taiwan. I was/am a huge fan of Jackie so I visited the Jackie Chan Fan Club on Waterloo. I decided to buy a jacket and while I was waiting for the lady to get me my size two stunt men from England dropped by to meet/drop off a demo to a stunt coordinator. I had just finished training in Beijing so we got to chatting and I showed them some random wushu clips I had on my digital camera. they invited me to come back with them in 3 days. They said they were potentially meeting with some people. Unfortunately I had to catch a flight to Taiwan the next day. A week later I get an email from one of the guys saying they met Jackie Chan and a whole bunch of action directors! First close encounter!

2) During the filming of Rush Hour 3 in downtown LA, I happened to be working at KPMG in downtown LA. I think I was putting in a little extra time on a Saturday when I remembered that Coach Ming said they were filming Rush Hour 3 around the area. I stepped out of my office and went downstairs.. lo and behold they were doing a stunt scene not too far from our building. I walked on over and ran into the awesome and very humble Brad Allen. We chatted briefly about how he trained wushu in shanghai for some time. He had to return to directing some action choreo so I just hung back and watched for a bit. Then the head of security rolled by and asked me what I was doing. I told him I did chinese martial arts and was told they were filming so I came to check it out. He was very nice and said he had studied some military combat and martial arts as well. Then as we ended our conversation I asked “by the way, do you know if Jackie Chan is on set today?” and he replied “Oh, you didn’t see him, he was right behind you and he just got in that car” as I turned my head I see a black car with tinted windows driving around the corner. Second close encounter!

3) Right after the 2009 US Wushu Team Trials I was rejoicing with glee that I made the US Wushu A Team. I decided to stay in Northern California with my family and friends an extra day before driving back down to LA. In 2009 when I was in Southern California I had been training and helping coach at Master Tu’s School in Temple City. Jack Tu (Master Tu’s son) had just recently won “The Disciple” contest to be on Jackie Chan’s stunt team. I drive back down to LA the next day. After I get back of course I pay a visit to the students and talk to Julie (Jack’s sister). She said “where were you? we just demoed for Jackie Chan in Chinatown yesterday.. everybody went!” (me: silence) I responded “I was in nor cal making the US wushu team.. my other lifelong dream.. but had you told me I coulda came back a day earlier after the competition!” So anyways, I was pretty happy to make the US team, but it was quite ironic that I usually make it to practice every day and help out with demos whenever I am in LA and the one time they demo with Jackie Chan, I was on my car ride back to LA from US Wushu Team Trials. Third close encounter!

So those are my stories for now.  I also mailed out a demo reel to Corey Yuen, Martial Arts Director via my friends referral. Hope I don’t have a “fourth close encounter” and that I actually meet Jackie Chan next month!