Shining Supah-stars

Season two’s finale of  Supah Ninjas airs tonight on Nickelodeon and it overflows with action! As this season has been wrapping up, I’ve been reflecting on the amazing times I had working on this show, the memories shared between me and so many members of the cast and crew, as well as the indelible mark the experience has left on me.

Firstly, the privilege of working alongside old friends certainly enriches my life. When I started out in the entertainment business, Hiro Koda took a chance on a total noob and hired me to double an actor on a show he coordinated. Since then, we’ve worked together on several awesome projects, from Ninja Warrior commercials to The Hangover 3, and the hilarious stories we’ve accumulated have grown exponentially. This time around, instead of wearing his Stunt Coordinator hat, he’s sporting his finest Director pants, as Hiro took the reins and directed this episode ("The Floating Sword") of Supah Ninjas. To say I’m proud of him would be an understatement...make sure to check out tonight's episode!

Behind-the-scenes: Some downtime between takes on "The Floating Sword"

Me, Glenn, and Tim in "Finding Forster"

Secondly, I value the friendships that my run on Supah Ninjas established. Doubling Brandon Soohoo was a riot (scarily, he reminds me of a younger me), fighting on the docks with my preppy brothers Glenn McCuen, Tim Eulich, and Nicholas Verdi in the Finding Forster episode created unforgettable memories, and training/goofing around with my homie Ryan Potter continues to be a blast. The philosopher Albert Schweitzer said, “we should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” These friends, as well as many others I made working on this show, certainly fuel the flames that keep my fire burning strong and I’m eternally grateful.

Thirdly, Supah Ninjas showcases a culture regularly overlooked in the world of entertainment media. The lead of the series, Ryan Potter, is of Asian descent. His father in the show, Randall Park, is Asian. And his grandfather in the show? You guessed it: Asian. Not only is Gramps Asian, but he's George Takei, a pioneer for Asian Americans in film for almost 50 years now!

Alex and George and ninjas...Oh my!

So many prominent Asian-Americans permeate the entertainment world. Behind the camera, we have visionaries such as Justin Lin (Fast and Furious 5, Community, Better Luck Tomorrow) and Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Step Up 2, Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never). Quest Crew and Poreotics, all Asian dance crews, won America’s Best Dance Crew. People of all races jam out to the sounds of Far East Movement. On camera, backstage, on the dance floor, and in music, the Asian-American entertainment community is making a strong, positive impression.

These successes make me proud as I’m sure everyone I’ve just described never sought out to be the greatest Asian-American actor/producer/director/dancer/musician/entertainer, but rather just to become the best actor/producer/director/dancer/musician/entertainer that they can be! Let’s make some noise for these outstanding role models who not only deserve recognition for their achievements but who also inspire a new, younger generation coming from diverse cultures/backgrounds to passionately pursue their goals.

Strive for your dreams and goals...live in greatness because greatness lives within you!

Slapstickin' to the script

Buster Keaton spoke volumes without stretching a vocal chord. The Three Stooges thrived from slipping on oil slicks and bonking each others' noggins. Physical humor is an internationally recognized language that requires no translation!

A few weeks back, Deni Jordan of Denmark's The Stunt Group called me in to shoot a comedy sketch with him and his team. Under the shade of the real trees of Beverly Hills, we fought over the affections of the lovely Katie Soo. Without giving too much away (I'll definitely share the video with you all when it's released), let's just say the action gets so wild that I received an unexpected shiner!

Me and Adam, circa 2004

Deni found me through an old friend affiliated with Reelkick, Adam Brix. When we first all got together and trained at All Olympians Gymnastic Center, Adam would come out and stunt with the best of them! Years later, after achieving great success in the Danish entertainment world, he still remembers little old me! That serves to remind: good friendships always pass the test of time!

"Be true to your work, your word, and your friends." Henry David Thoreau

Ninjas and zombies and ReelKick...oh my!

These days, ninjas and zombies reign supreme in the entertainment industry. So naturally, this ninja had to get in on the action and zombify himself!

Under the supervision of my ReelKick brother Thayr Harris, me and a handful of zombies broke out of a warehouse in Downtown LA while my teammate Holland Diaz and his army of SWAT officers fought off an infestation. Police cars swerved, prop guns fired off, and zombies (such as myself) were tossed to and fro, only to bounce back up and rip away for a glorious turning bite of humans.

Fun as the project was on its own, nothing compares to working together with ReelKick. Over nine years ago, we were all newbies in Los Angeles, navigating the overwhelmingly exciting world of the movie business. By some grace, we all came together - strangers from all over the country (and world) - and trained under the same roof.

Me, Thayr, and Holland

Those some years ago, the ReelKick Stunt Team was firmly established between friends who shared a common passion for filmmaking. We would grab meals together, share wild ideas and wilder jokes, analyzed every aspect of movies at each others' apartments, produced imaginative screenplays, choreographed experimental action sequences, and then partied hearty on the weekends...and we still do to this day! Movies were and are the common interest, but friendship is the real tie that binds.

2013 :: The View From Now

Mounted atop a glorious horse, overlooking the Pacific Ocean from a mountain summit in Malibu, I made this mighty discovery: 

HOLY MOLEY, I HAVEN'T BLOGGED AT ALL IN 2013!

Where are my manners? I blame Instagram...it's the social medium that's found a hard line in my veins and kept me hooked! Sorry to keep you waiting, and if in fact you've been in any holding pattern at all to catch up with my life activities via this blog, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I appreciate any and all of you who share your precious time to read my ramblings, so allow me to start you off with a tantalizing appetizer :)

This year's palette has begun covered with all sorts of goodies, one being my soaring around the set of Paramore's latest music video. Their track "Now" reintroduces the music world to Hayley Williams and her band mates and also features the expertise of Stunt Coordinator Robert Alonzo.

Assembling a handful of some of Hollywood's most talented and wittiest stunt guys, Rob coordinated an action team that left no moment dull. It's always much easier to give your best performance when you're in a good place within, and this group brought out the very best. Consequently, it reflects in the end product, as his epic cinematic action sequences - paired with the artistic genius of director Daniel Cloud Campos - elevate the music video production game to a whole other level!

Cloud is actually the reason I gravitated toward this project. As you may remember from a couple entries back, he and I have known and worked with one another for some time now. From the days of catapulting off the spring floors of LA Valley college's open gyms to snake charming in the faux-Saharan deserts of a soundstage in Sylmar for Britney Spears, Cloud, his wife Tamara, and I have shared a friendship colored with creatively imaginative hilarity.

They're fellow dreamers who also began their careers expressing artistry through their physical talents. Cloud is among dancer royalty, Tamara's a dynamic Olympic rhythmic gymnastic legend. Combine that with my US Wushu team kungfu fighting and you've got yourself a dangerous gang of misfits! Truly though, it's a real blessing to witness the growth of our artistic careers together and watch grand ideas manifest into reality.

I think it's best captured in a quote that Tamara posted on Instagram:




"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."