Digital Hug (Part 3)

Three's a charm, and the third post in my "Digital Hugs" series spotlights an unexpected surprise for me!

The hilarious website cracked.com featured a countdown list of 5 Ridiculous Martial Arts Myths You Won't Believe Are Real. And guess who got sandwiched between words about my heroes Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee? YOURS TRULY!

Thanks Cracked!

Digital Hug (Part 2)

For the next part of my "Digital Hugs" series, I'm highlighting ScreenRant.com's post about a fun little project I shot called "Facebook Stalking"

In these modern times when learning someone's story is simply a Google search away, the boys at Just Another Production poked fun at just how creepy social media can be. Facebook has become a new form of background checking (without the messy cups)!

Digital Hug (Part 1)

If the internet had arms, they would have wrapped around me and hoisted me into the air like Patrick Swayze did Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. And yeah, I am having the time of my life!

In the first installment of my "Digital Hug" blogs, I'm featuring the front page of Yahoo.com, which showcases an episode I shot with the uber-talented crew at Altermotion Pictures. Led by the creative minds of Jay Diaz, Brian Thomas Smith, Daniel Marcha, and Tony Joun, the fellas have created the series "The Flip Side" which asks the question, "what if gender roles were reversed?"

Thirtyism

Counting down the short week until I arrive at my 32nd birthday, I've been taking some time to examine my feelings about these thirties thus far. I've now successfully completed a full year as a thirty-something (not counting the 12 months between 30 and 31 as they were the awkward transition period, like the week and a half after a fresh haircut). This officially makes me a so-called "adult." Yay. I gush with glee.

With this newly christened adulthood, I share with you a list of advice and wisdom I've collected so far in these roaring thirties.

So let's start with this appetizer first: 

ADVICE AND WISDOM

• Understand that advice is given by those who feel they know a little better. It comes from a good place, but in the same breath it whispers, "I'm helping you while patting myself on the back juuust a little bit." Keep this in mind when you're receiving and/or giving advice.

(That's a funny place for me to start a list of wisdom and advice, don't you think? Carrying on now...)

1. RELATIONSHIPS

• Be sure to show the family and friends who you love and who love you back that they really are special. Sometimes all it takes is spending some quality moments together...a meal, a laugh, an engaged conversation. Listen to each other, allow the simple silences to nourish you...relationships shape your smile.

• Notice the little things others do, stuff that would commonly be overlooked. That's where the real treasure lies. A single acknowledgement of a minute detail could make a person's entire week. Complain less, compliment more.

• Fire your flaky friends. There are pot stirrers who thrive on drama in this world. And there are also hippies who just coast through life carefree. And there are those who balance it all out. "Under the stars, under the heavens, we are all but one family. It just so happens that people are different." We all have our own stories, all of which have their own cast of problems, pains, struggles, antagonists, and whatnot. No need to dwell on comparison or judgment, just marinate with the ones who bring out the best in you and let the others be. Pay no mind to what others think. You do you.

• Hearts break sometimes. Bruce Lee once broke his body in a bad weightlifting accident that could have rendered him crippled...but what did he say? "Walk on." Keep looking forward, keep moving forward. Allow yourself the time to heal, learn yourself, and - ultimately - love yourself. When you're at that better place in your life, that better person will find their way to you. You deserve to be happy, and someone deserving will bring you that happiness. Just love them and yourself genuinely and honestly.

* Side note: not all your exes will be despised. Face it, you were meant to be together when you two were together. You and her/him needed to learn something from the other in order to groom you to be better prepared for the one who's really gonna sweep you off your feet. Truth is, everything happens when it is supposed to happen.

You won't discover the answers right away, but in due time they'll reveal themselves to you.*Cue heavenly "ahhhhhh" followed by illuminating spotlight.

• Vulnerability. Obviously use discretion with who you trust, but more than likely, good folks will recognize, praise, and appreciate when you open yourself to share something personal and dear. If you open yourself up to the world, the world will open itself up to you.

• Get to know your family. Learn their story. Prepare to be intrigued and maybe even inspired. Then become a positively contributing character to the story...nay...LEGEND of your lineage.

2. WORK

• For the most part, at 30, you know what you want, you know what you don't want, and you have the finances to do what you want. Like a sculptor with a block of clay, strip away the inessentials and shape your piece until it becomes the artwork you want it to be. And when you take a lunch break from all this sculpting, go buy yourself an awesome sandwich...because you can.

• Make your passion your life's work. Whatever it is that you do for fun - that hobby that you really dig doing - that's what you should try to make a living doing. I was so lucky to realize as a kid what I wanted to do after my sister and I put on a puppet show to distract me from being sad. I discovered while passing cookies out to our audience of neighborhood kids after the show that bringing people together, entertaining them, and then giving a little something back to the community made me happy.

• We perform our best when we really enjoy and love what we're doing. Believe in your abilities and yourself first, and others will follow suit.

• Life is about more than money. Work is important, but remember that you work in order to live more comfortably. You weren't put on this earth to just go to school, go to work, make money, and then dwindle into retirement. Life is about living, so experience the adventure! Money comes and goes, and if you really need it, you'll find a means to make it.

I once was offered a lucrative job but turned it down to spend time with my ailing grandfather. Nothing compares to the love that enriched my heart and soul in those days. The conversations, combing his hair, laughing with him. The thought of passing up the job offer loomed in the back of my mind, but there was no place I would have rather been than sitting next to him, holding his leathery tough hands in my own. Not too long after, my grandpa passed. Sad as it was, I had no regrets because we shared wonderful moments together and the experience added more beautiful colors to my life's journey.

I booked another couple jobs afterward which not only paid incredibly well but also flew me all over the world to magical locations. The point: work will be there but people exist in this world for a finite amount of time. Don't take their presence for granted.

3. LIVING + TAKING CHANCES

• Some questions that ran through my mind occasionally throughout 31 included "Is this it? Is this what you'll be doing the rest of your life? Anything else you'd like to try?"

Like Nike says, "Just do it." Now clearly I'm not encouraging irrational/irresponsible behavior or criminal activity, but use your noggin with this one. This moment before you only happens once...live it up! It's like driving a car at night: your high beams at best can give you visibility for the 200 feet in front of you, so just drive the car and focus your attention on what's in front and around you right now. Don't worry too much about what you've already passed, looking in the rear view isn't gonna help you move forward. Stressing about what's beyond your line of vision is like searching for the land of unicorns...it ain't gonna get you nowhere but it will give you a headache. Just be present and maneuver your best with what's before you.

• The past and future are illusions. The past is made up of images, thoughts, and memories we've chosen to remember in our minds, feelings we've allowed to linger on. The future is an expectation, a daydream that we have of what's to come. So what's real? NOW. Now is the only place where you can take action and shape your life. Be present!

• Try Ethiopian food. Wear different colors. Try a different hairstyle. On the micro level, switch up your daily routine and brush your teeth with your left hand. Change won't just do you good, it's inevitable. Give it a hug and an athletic smack on the ass. The more open we are to adapting to changes, the more efficiently we'll learn and grow.

• Be weird. Silliness might not be nearly as off-putting as you think.

In fact, it may actually open doors. Don't let the fear of judgment or failure cause you to hesitate...they aren't the boss of you! Failure is the peel of an orange, but experience and learning are the actual juicy fruit. Don't be afraid to try out the produce. Strip off that peel. Get into that fruity goodness. Who knows, you may be able to transform that fruit into a fantastic success pie. Everybody loves pie.

4. APPRECIATION

• Of Health: On the note of pie and food, take care of your health. These eyes in my head are the ones I was born with 30 some years ago. These knees are the same I popped out into the world with. Yeah there's some wear and tear, but routine maintenance is paramount. We can indulge from time to time, but poisoning the body you have (the ONLY ONE you get) is like pooping in the one pair of underwear you brought on a weeklong camping trip. Take care of your health, you wanna keep this caboose trucking along for at least 60 more years.

• Of Running Water: Spill juice or cola into your hands. Then, for a full minute, tightly ball your hands into fists. Open them and stare at the dreadful stickiness. Then, don't wash your hands for ten minutes after all this. You will now appreciate running water and other simple, everyday luxuries.

• Of Fear: Fear is a misunderstood friend. Kind of like that one kid that smells in gym class. But if you take a chance to get to know it, you'll realize that it has its positive qualities and fear can be a great motivator.

• Of "What Is": Don't spend too much time poring over the what ifs. Rather, enjoy what is. Time after time, folks ramble on and on about what they want, losing sight of the awesome gifts they have right there in front of them. Let those kids play in their mind with that anxiety, you go play with those super cool toys around you in the sandbox.

• Of Communication: Read more. It helps to have an arsenal of vocabulary readily available when you want to clearly articulate your thoughts and feelings. And with that, you'll realize that communication is such a blessing. It's how we take a thought or feeling from within our mind, heart, and guts, manifest it into a medium that another person could understand, and then share it as the words leave the channel of our mouths. Words can spark battles as well as uplift nations, so be mindful of the words you choose to speak.

*Notes from a training session w/ my acting coach

• Of Pain and Patience: "Time heals all, and heels hurt to walk in." One of modern hip hop's most insightful lines...oh Drake, you wise sage, you. Breathe a soothing breath and practice patience. Sometimes we need to go through a little pain to stand taller, but discomfort will give way to growth.

• Of The Moment: A friend once told me that stuntmen live the lives they do - pushing the limits, traveling to the brimming edges of excitement - because at some point in their lives, they had to face mortality and realized how valuable every second we're above ground counts. The little things matter, every second is worth it. Live wrapped in a blanket of gratitude and share that warmth with the people around you.

• Of Your Smile: Laugh. Watch things that make you laugh. It cures every kind of ailment. Be around people who keep a smile on your face. Every so often, look in the mirror and smile at yourself. You're pretty damn awesome.

5. PURPOSE

• My Saturn has returned and guess what I've realized: we're all aliens from outer space. Ok, maybe not the Orson Wells kind of aliens, but we come from something bigger than us. And with that in mind, that bigger thing that we come from also lives inside us. We're a part of something bigger, and we all have a bigger purpose.

• Everybody - and I mean EVERYBODY - possesses special gifts. We're all Clark Kents with extraordinary powers waiting to be revealed. Sometimes you gotta give it time, stop staring so hard, just let go, and let yourself be. Who knows, maybe you'll surprise yourself.

• Take responsibility for yourself, your words, and your actions. All this talk about living free and giving your best in the moment, they all mean very well. But ultimately, we were put here on this earth, with all these people, for a reason. And this is where "adulthood" has really resonated.

I once worked with an actor named Will whom I admire immensely. Whenever he walked onto set, you felt the energy shift. Will had a way to infect the entire cast and crew with his charismatically contagious smile. He once said in an interview, "your life will become better by making others' lives better."

This guy...

We all have a personal and social responsibility, our actions affect other people...maybe even people we wouldn't think it'd affect. The South Africans call it "ubuntu", which means "I am because you are." In the grand masterpiece of life, we are all connected.

Think about it. Scientifically, we're made up of millions and billions of atoms. Atoms are balls of energy. So essentially, we're composed of energy. Our every relationship with others is an interaction of energy. It flows back and forth, my energy affects yours and yours affects mine. So be mindful of the energy you put out there into the world. You're responsible for your happiness, but also know that your happiness can bring others happiness, too.

• Above all, live in love. Imagine something you love: your family, your best friend, your spouse, your pet, your career, a piece of music, a piece of pie (there it is again), a good laugh...anything! How do you feel when you experience that thing you love? Pretty great, huh? Well, take this moment, close your eyes, and surrender to that feeling of love. Let it course through your veins, feel your heart warm with every beat, acknowledge the tingly exhilaration it brings you. Now open your eyes. It's still there, because the LOVE is still inside you. 

Now smile. You're now sharing it with others.

When we feel great, we can all do great things. And all we need to feel spectacular lives within us. It's love. Love is the resolution to any conflict, the answer to every question. Love is the beginning of life, love is what we leave in this world. Love is everything. Live in it all. 

Live in love!

Office Space Antics

In this corner...towering over us at six-feet-three-inches, a wall of muscle who's taken down professional wrestling champs such as Hulk Hogan...the undisputed, unforgiving....ULTIMATE WARRIOR!

And his challenger...weighing in at a mere 145 pounds (wet) and standing five-foot-nine (on a good day)...the King of the Cubicle: ME!

***

Seems like an even matchup, right? Well in the world of WWE2K14, you can test your skills against the legendary Ultimate Warrior when you pre-order the game.

The hilarious Mitchell Stuart brought wicked positive energy to the set as he directed this crazy fun spot, and my amigos and I were led into the fight by another great legend, Mr. James Lew. Our geek squad may not have beat the Warrior, but this commercial definitely won the battle for some good laughs!

Working up a summer sweat

Coachella w/ Gyroe and Ferny

Summer has smiled brightly upon southern California. Although the heat index has revealed that I can sweat from more pores than I ever knew existed (my shins can sweat?), the sun's toothy grin has bronzed over getaway vacationers, overseas tourists, and sun-bathing locals as the color saturation in their complexions dialed up a couple notches.

So how in the world am I so pale this year?!

My tan has maintained a tame hue while the pounds have dripped away via hiking the hills of San Francisco, go karting rallies with Princess Peach in Las Vegas, and a three-day cardio workout by way of rocking out in the Coachella desert. These weekend outdoor adventures aside, most of my summer has been spent secluded indoors, tending to one of the things I love the most: my action-packed career lifestyle!

The season kicked off at the Taurus World Stunt Awards Show, held at Paramount Studios. There wasn't a lot of falling down, but we ReelKick stunties definitely got down! We had plenty of reason to dance, too, as we proudly celebrated one of our very own, Sam Hargrave, who brought home two awards that night!

Taurus' Hardest Hit Champ

Next, I reconnected with a bunch of my friends from previous projects on a ninja movie. Playing the chief of a rogue tribe meant enduring the one of the toughest challenges in acting: sitting still while the makeup department paints your face! Through their patience and diligence, I survived, and the on-camera result is pretty killer. I'll elaborate on "Ninja" in a future post, as the experience was chock more full of goodies than a Halloween piñata.

A lazy weekend (well, at least lazy to me) brought my buddy Matt Berberi and I to our roots, as the Los Angeles International Wushu Invitational was being held in our Santa Monica backyard. Reunited through the chants of "jiayou," we watched a new generation of young Wushu athletes fly across the air, landing solidly on the evergreen carpet. The highlight of the tournament for us though was spending time with two legendary actors from Chinese martial arts cinema: Hu Jian Qiang and Ji Chun Hua aka "Bald Eagle" (The ShaoLin Temple).

Martial arts cinema legends!

Topping off the top of summer were two projects helmed by my great fight choreographing friend, Vlad Rimburg. His once underground work has risen to the surface in recent months, as his original shooting style paired with classic Hong Kong action choreography refreshes the palate of martial arts film enthusiasts the world over. When the phone rang, Vlad asked me if I'd be interested in sharing the camera frame with two super awesome individuals, Dennis Ruel and Ken Quitagua, in their soon to be released feature "Unlucky Stars." I didn't blink before I responded with a resounding, "HECK YEAH, BUDDY!"

A couple weeks later, he popped up on my caller ID again as he requested my participation in a viral online series for Youtube's Flow Channel, called "The Hunt." In it, I challenge an incredibly talented up and coming stuntman, Gui Da Silva, to a battle involving lots of kicks and magical mysticism. Imagine David Copperfield with Van Damme's big legs and Karate. When you're done imagining that unicorn of an image, check out the final product:

That's my summer so far. I haven't been sunburnt so much as of yet, but the heavens have certainly spotlighted me with the experiences of thrilling work and memorable stories with my good friends and family. These past months have been illuminated by blessings that have kept me smiling upward...and I didn't even need to wear sunblock!

A Momentous Night for a Lifelong Hero

The stunt team sat around a lunch table and traded stories from past work experiences as I listened intently, absorbing every word. After all, this was Pirates of the Caribbean 3, and this group consisted of seasoned stunt professionals with loads of credits under their belts. This would be among my first credits, as Pirates was my first big movie experience ever. Inspiration engulfed me, there was lots to be learned.

Right then, a black SUV pulled into our lunch area on the Universal Studios backlot. The windows were darkly tinted so I couldn't make out who sat inside. Then, as some of the stuntmen slowly made their way over to the truck, I overheard the words:

"It's Jackie..."

I darted up from my chair and dashed quickly over to the vehicle, tossing my entire lunch tray into the garbage. I knew exactly who it was. As he stepped out from the darkness of the truck, I met him. He was literally at arm's reach away from me. Barely two feet in front of me stood one of the most influential people in my life.

I tried so hard to speak but years of admiration and respect rendered me speechless. If ever one was starstruck, I believe this was my moment. He said hi to me. I waved while trying to remember how to talk.

My mentor, who stood next to me, asked if I wanted a photo

Jackie and Geoffrey Rush

with him, but I was paralyzed. After shaking hands with superstar actors who came up to greet him, he waved at all of us and disappeared back into the vehicle. I stood there in wonder as the SUV pulled away, still awestruck by meeting one of my childhood role models.

Jackie. Chan.

Growing up, humor was always my escape. If ever I felt sadness or discomfort or fear, I knew a good laugh would provide a healthy getaway. Cosmetics companies probably make a killing off of me these days because of all the products I use to make these smile wrinkles less obvious. All that said, this made focusing in school difficult. My focus needed more focus.

My family enrolled me in the martial arts to keep me healthy (as I was a sickly child) and to discipline my mind. I remember how much I loved all the movement and exciting kicks but despised sparring. There wasn't an aggressive bone in my body. I wanted to figure out how to cleverly resolve conflicts rather than punching the resolution out of someone. The training conditioned my body, but it also unlocked a treasure chest of creativity in my mind. Soon I began choreographing fights with all kinds of styles and weapons, and the end of the fights always included some kind of comedy to leave the audience smiling. The flavor was reminiscent to one that had marinated in my mind from all the great movies I watched as a kid.

Jackie Chan combines action and humor, deterring away from violence when he can. Where Bruce Lee would punch his opponent and stand fierce with his fist shaking, Jackie would flap his punching hand in hilarious slapstick pain. Simply put, Bruce gave me inner strength, Jackie gave me soul inspiration.

His work motivates me to make great movies that entertain the world, but it's his story that convinces me that my humble beginnings can and will reap marvelous rewards. My dream is to work alongside Jackie Chan in one of his movies, maybe even be blessed enough to take a comedic jab from him so we can hear the world laugh. I make movies not just to make a living, but to make a difference.

Last night, my hero received a long overdue honor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I was right up front, waving to him once again, to celebrate this great achievement in his presence.

Congratulations and thank you, Jackie...

"I don't know where the power comes from..." [pats his heart]  - Jackie Chan

Drumroll please...

Welcome to my interwebular symphony!

As the audience settles into their seats, the ensemble of musicians position their instruments. The conductor taps his baton...

Ahem.

The orchestra tunes their instruments...

IMDB :: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2153954/

The opening sonata warms up to adagio...

TWITTER :: https://twitter.com/Huynh_Alexandre

A captivating first movement...

BLOG :: http://immystuntdouble.blogspot.com/

Followed by a minuet...

YOUTUBE :: http://www.youtube.com/rawkout101

A rising crescendo...

LINKED IN :: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alex-huynh/6b/49b/553?trk=pub-pbmap

Into the pièce de résistance!

WEBSITE :: http://alex-huynh.com/

As the drums roar and the cymbals smash, I whip my coat tails around to face you all to say "thank you" for taking part in this social media celebration with me! So please Like, Follow, Tweet, Bookmark, and keep up to date with me...let's ride on this melodically awesome adventure of life together!

The Hangover 3

The Hangover 3 debuts in theaters across the country this weekend. The experience of working alongside my two mentors, James Lew and Simon Rhee, is always a blessing to me, but it's the time I shared with an unexpected star that really enriched my experience.

Without these two, I have no idea where I'd be in this movie business

**********

I sat in my jail cell with two of my prison mates, Fernando Chien and Sam Le. Every hour, on the hour, we would cycle between doing thirty pushups and thirty crunches. Prison Fit. It's how we stayed looking tough in the Thai Prison we were locked up in together. Well, at least that's how we stayed looking fresh for the camera!

We were shooting a scene for the newest installment of the Hangover franchise, The Hangover 3. In it, criminals (like myself, Fern, and Sam) climb out of our jail cells from makeshift-ropes to join a massive riot against the prison guards. Filling the frame were a hundred or so background performers, who yelled and threw toilet paper and caused a ruckus.

The top of the hour approached and it was time to get pumped for the scene. As I finished my last five pushups, I noticed somebody observing us. A small-framed elderly Asian man stood there at the doorway, hands clasped behind his back, smiling bright from his eyes. Rounding out the workout, I rose and smiled at the gentleman and offered him my seat inside the tiny cell. He grinned and took up my offer.

"I remember living in one of these," he said to me in Vietnamese.

He told stories of how he was captured during the war and imprisoned for over decades. He described experiments tested on him, metal implanted under his skin beneath his forearm and skull. He showed us his maimed hands, missing fingers, from the torture he endured. Watching us work out reminded him of times when he was commanded to perform pull ups over a pit. If he gave up, he would fall to his death.

Respect flooded my heart as his voice spoke so sincerely. Never once did he ever speak with malice or anger. In fact, he spoke very wholeheartedly, with incredible strength shining through his vulnerability. It was his past, his back story, and it brought him here to this day. In front of us sat a smiling, frail, older Vietnamese gentleman, and also one of the strongest men I had ever met. He's the real star.

I translated the story to my fellow stuntmen and us three tough guys marveled at his courage and peaceful demeanor. When I asked him how it felt to be in this jail cell, he remarked, "You guys are fun. This time is much more fun!"

I came to work that day ready to be strengthened by the toughness of my job as a stuntman. Scaling ropes. Dodging fires. Fighting off guards twice my size. Never would I have imagined that what would be most enriched was my mind and heart.

•••

"My past is my wisdom to use today. My future is my wisdom yet to experience. Be in the present because that is where life resides." - Gene Oliver

Make way for the Big Show 2013!

"Aren't we lucky that we found a line of work that doesn't require growing up?" 

- Dick Van Dyke

It's not every day that an actor gets to test out his chops on a wide range of characters. However, on the day of the Big Show, I transformed from the world's greatest comedian to a mutating nosey villain to a world famous soccer star to an accident-prone robber!

Afforded the opportunity by my long time friend Helen Porter and her team of charismatic mentors, myself and nine other fantastic actors brought to life original screenplays written by the creatively talented writers of La Ballona Elementary School in Culver City, CA. We dove deep into the oceans of make believe to take their words from the page to the stage, and the audience's response rose the energy of the auditorium through the roof!

Thanks again for the good times La Ballona Elementary and Young Storytellers Foundation!

Special thanks to this cast of wild characters!