Actor, trainer, stuntman, fight director - Roger Yuan managed to try himself in a variety of roles in the action industry. His skill and knowledge of martial arts, acquired through years of self-study and constant development, as well as mentoring from outside Chuck Norris, are the reason why Roger remains so in demand, both in front of and behind the camera.
During his forty-year career, Roger has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, in both film and television, on big-budget projects and independent films, on homegrown Hollywood films and various international films.
If you have a favorite movie, rest assured that Roger probably played an important role in its creation, whether it was preparing the actors for the roles of super spies, X-Men, fight in "Cool Walker" or the role of a triad boss in "John Wick 3", he clearly had a hand in this. Roger's evolution in the film business reflects his growth as a true martial artist on a never-ending evolutionary path.
Having worked with people like Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, Daniel Craig и Matt Damon, Roger was chosen to work with a famous French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve over the epic saga - Warner Bros. и Legendary Pictures attracted him to work on the latest film adaptation of the epic saga Frank Herbert "Dune" with a budget of $165 million.
This was an opportunity for Roger to train the film's star cast and choreograph what promises to be one of cinema's most stunning battles. While we were speaking with Roger, Warner Bros announced that the film's release date would be pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roger took the time to talk to Kung-Fu Kingdom for a special, extended, exclusive interview about his life and work in film, including an in-depth analysis of the fights filmed for this highly anticipated sci-fi blockbuster, scheduled for release on October 1st, 2021!
Hello Roger and welcome to Kung Fu Kingdom! It's great that you are with us today.
Roger Yuan: Thank you Ramon, it's an honor.
Can we generally get your thoughts on this site and the title Kung Fu Kingdom (or KFK for short)?
Roger: This is very impressive. You invite real fighters, as well as martial artists, actors, and performers who have great fame and great historical significance. The title itself already sounds like a great script for a film (laughs). It pretty much describes what you want to do in terms of attracting different people from different walks of life. As I understand it, we are talking not only about kung fu, but about all martial arts?
Exactly. Our mission is to encourage 100 million people around the world to take up martial arts for all the positive benefits it brings to people, physically, mentally and socially - what do you think about this goal?
Roger: I think this is a surprisingly important statement. Of course, I only support this idea and the concept itself. I think it's very important that people understand that you don't have to start training in kung fu with a sense of self-importance. What's more important is the art within you that you want to create and what style suits you.
Some people will be more inclined to take up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because the training method is more sensory based and more tactile. There's also Western boxing, which you can learn as an art form, for self-defense, or to keep fit and just feel freer to move. No one is forcing you to get into the ring, right? It's up to you, but having the right preparation and good timing, I think, will never go amiss.
Take, for example, classes in traditional martial arts, such as karate and traditional kung fu, where even just stand-up work and kata work are important. The kata has excellent intensity and also develops breathing, coordination, muscle control, stance work and concentration. So if you use that, but you're not tied to any dogma or any particular style or system, then I think from kata, whether it's from Taijiquan - which is pretty fluid at its core - or from a traditional Japanese or Okinawan system , there is something beautiful to be learned, and I see it as a personal journey.
Background
I agree. I would like to ask you a little about your past. How did you get into martial arts? Who do you think has influenced you the most?
New York: Side kicks while jumping out of bed at age 5!
Roger: I was born in the US, but because my parents went to college in Southern Illinois, after a few months I was sent back to Taiwan, where I lived with my grandparents. I returned to the US when I was about four years old, so I reunited with my parents at that age. They had a one-bedroom apartment in New York, and by the age of five I was jumping from my parents' bed to my own, doing side kicks!
Bruce Lee's influence
I was just watching a TV show at the time "Green Hornet". There was this Asian guy who knew martial arts, and I started using him as a role model, and just to become more confident in myself. There weren't many Asian actors on television at the time, and suddenly this guy comes along - Bruce Lee.
It was then that I became interested in studying martial arts, but at that time my parents were starving students, and since they came to the United States, they have constantly struggled to survive. Since I didn't meet them until they were four years old, I was very embarrassed to put any pressure on them. I often heard them complain about financial difficulties, so I never insisted that they enroll me in a karate class or kung fu school.
In addition, my paternal grandparents often made important decisions regarding the entire family, and since I was the eldest grandson, they did not allow me to do everything I wanted. I remember trying out for little league baseball when I was eight or nine years old, and suddenly I was doing pretty well.
Then they called my mom in Taiwan and told her to stop me from playing baseball because some kid in Taiwan got hit in the head while playing baseball and went into a coma and died. It was a strange situation, and so from a young age I knew that if I wanted to study martial arts, I had to do it on my own.
Self-study with books from the library and films about kung fu in Chinatown
So how did you learn martial arts?
Roger: From about age 5 until I was 17, I had no formal martial arts training. I always trained myself, looked through books from the library on karate and judo, and studied photographs. On weekends, I would go to the New York Chinatown movie theaters and watch kung fu movies, just to see and try to imitate the movements that way.
When I was in elementary school and even up to a certain point in middle school, I was very shy, but I tried my best to overcome that shyness and make friends with other kids who were learning martial arts and ask them to show me their styles.
First steps in karate at 17 years old
It wasn't until I turned 17 that I joined my first official Kyokushin karate class and started paying for the classes myself. When I had money, I bought issues of "Kung Fu: Inside View" , "Karate Illustrated" and other martial arts magazines. I even read The Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee, which I had no real understanding of at the time, but I studied the diagrams and tried to understand the philosophy of what he wanted to express.
Between watching movies, reading magazines, and sometimes stealing magazines (ages 8-12) when I had no money, I came up with a way to try and match all the different moves, taking a lot from Western boxing, traditional karate, some... that of kung fu and taekwondo. I tried to copy what my friends were doing. I think one of the reasons why I was so successful in the film industry is that I developed the ability to read movements very accurately.
Chuck Norris's entry into the karate school - now a black belt, 4th dan
A couple of years later, when I went to college in Los Angeles, I was free and free to do what I wanted. There was no Kyokushin school in Los Angeles, so I took the bus and just drove from my uncle's house in Torrance, California, looking for a school. I saw a big sign that said "Chuck Norris Karate" and remembered that this was the same guy who fought Bruce Lee in "Ways of the Dragon". I also knew that he was a six-time karate champion, so he obviously knew what he was doing. I was going to try out his system, I wanted to see how good his black belts were.
I walked into the studio in Torrance, which was run by two of his students, both black belt holders, and Chuck himself was there often on weekends. Of course, I didn't know it, but that day when I came, who do you think I met? Chuck Norris taught that day; he was working with one of his black belts and they were developing a new black belt form for his own system that he wanted to use by combining elements of Shotokan Karate as well as his Tang Soo Do, which he had studied in the Air Force while serving in Korea.
In general, I’m sitting in the observation area, watching their training. And suddenly he turns around, looks at me, comes up and says: "Hi, how are you? I'm Chuck." Slightly stuttering, I began to tell him that I was continuing my studies at the University of California, that I had a green belt in Kyokushin, but I could not find this Japanese style here.
Here Chuck tells me that his style was originally Tang Soo Do, but with hand techniques similar to Shotokan and Kyokushin, and I can see that some of the forms are quite similar. He said, “You should train here.” So, Chuck Norris recruited me to train according to his system, and now I already had a black belt, fourth dan.
I also trained with Benny "The Jet" Urquidez in his "Jet Center", where he became the main sparring partner for such people as the world champion Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham. At that time, Sensei Benny was filming "Diner on Wheels" с Jackie Chan and worked on a couple more films.
He wanted to move away from his fame as an invincible record holder and kickboxing champion and switch to working in films, training actors and doing fight choreography for films. When I first came to him, he suggested that I fight professionally, since I had all the necessary skills. But I refused.
Benny "The Jet"'s right hand man
Don't get me wrong, I love martial arts and would love to compete in the ring, but I was quite happy with my professional, championship level of training, and I was glad to have the opportunity to just spar with all these great people. So I was able to understand how high my level is. I told him that I was thinking about a career and, being a creative person, I would like to work in films. Sensei Benny made me his right hand man and we started a Saturday fighting class to train his best fighters.
The influence of Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Don "The Dragon" Wilson
I received so much intimate knowledge and the chance to personally meet all of these champions who visited the Jet Center: Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, Don "Dragon" Wilson and even with boxing champions. At the same time I stayed with Chuck Norris and participated in its international tournaments, and from 89 to 96 he began to win the middle and lightweight championships.
I jumped from one weight category to another, because I was not very interested in trophies or winning championships, it was important for me to gain combat experience. Sometimes it’s all about size and cunning, but in the case of other fighters, the ability to keep distance is important. I remember Sensei Benny saying that sometimes, when he started winning victories, he would deliberately fight a big opponent just to test himself.
I found this quite interesting. The idea that there is no ideal scenario for a fight, you just have to fight.
Study of Western Boxing, Kung Fu, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Over the years I have studied various systems. I trained in Western boxing, Muay Thai, a little Shaolin kung fu, and I'm also a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Of course, I don't do this for the belts, but rather for training and to expand my knowledge and understanding of how best to use them.
Career
Tell us how you got into the film business. What was your first job as a stuntman?
Roger: My first job was on a TV show "Animal Man". He got me involved in this work Aaron Norris, Chuck's brother. He was a coordinator on several shows, but for me this was the first such experience.
I directed a fight scene with the main actor Simon McCorkindale. During that time, I met other people who are now also luminaries in the martial arts world. I remember how that day I met Jeff Imada, who by that time had already gained a foothold in Hollywood, staging stunts. Horror "House" was one of the first films in which I took part as a stuntman.
Working in the financial sector quickly became boring, training with Chuck Norris was a completely different matter!
I got into cinema again through Aaron Norris. And then one day he says to me: "Hey, Rog, if you're ready to fly to the Philippines, I'll hook you up to work on this movie." It was one of Chuck Norris's films "Missing". In general, I refused. Deep down, I really wanted to get this job, but I also promised my parents that I would finish college, while I was still studying at the University of California. I had one more year left to graduate with a degree in mathematics.
So I decided before I do anything else, no matter what my dream is, I have to be a good son, focus and at least get my degree. After graduating from university, I started working in various financial positions, but I quickly got bored. This was when I was still studying at Chuck Norris's karate school and started teaching. Yes, I had a nine-to-five job, but I still couldn’t wait to get into the studio and start training. Then I realized that this is what I wanted to dedicate my life to, so I started making acquaintances with people who I thought could help me.
Roger's Big Break as a Fight Coordinator
My big break came with "The Vanishing Son". My name was mentioned among many other people who were fight coordinators on this show.
I was in Los Angeles, the producer called me, Oscar Costo and said, "Hey, listen, there's an actor here, Chi Mui Lo, you need to train him. You can? Can you train him a few weeks before he goes to Virginia?" I agreed and asked what style I should teach him? He replied: "Yeah, it doesn't matter, kickboxing... whatever, as long as he looks good in frame."
So, I trained him, shot some footage and sent the video to the producer. Those shots of him moving were great, but apparently when he got to Virginia he was a little lost.
He had forgotten a lot of the moves, so Oscar called and asked if I would like to fly out to be the fight choreographer for this TV show. I replied: “Of course, yes!” I went to Virginia and took with me JJ Perry. He had just returned from the army, and this was his first experience working in film and television. I used him as a stunt double Russell Wong. Then I worked on four more action films, and one 13-episode series in San Diego. I think for me it was perhaps one of the fateful moments when I became more famous for my skills.
Trailer "Vanishing Son"
Working with Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris
It's so cool! In addition to stunts, you later branched out into acting yourself, and have since shared screen time with some of the biggest names in the action industry, including Jackie Chan in Shanghai Noon, Bolo Yen in Hard Knock, and you were also cast as Chuck's adversary. Norris in the TV series "Cool Walker, Texas Justice". What are your fondest memories of working side by side with your mentor?
Roger: Part of what drives me is fear. And as a martial artist, it forced me to try to learn more and go deeper into my craft. That's why I switched to acting and got several roles. The break came while working with Jackie Chan over "Shanghai noon".
Roger on screen as Lazarus
Chuck watched this movie and also noticed my signature handwriting in "Vanishing Son", so, whenever possible, he also began to give me some work, including small episodes in "Cool Walker", plus behind-the-scenes work to help with choreography in some action sequences. I was asked to play the role of Lazarus right after I finished with "Shanghai noon"
It was a two-hour episode, and it was a real honor to have one of the episodes named after my character. It was a pleasure because I was able to come up with the movements for Lazarus that I myself liked.
I worked with Vic Quintero и с Eric Norris, who was the stunt coordinator and also worked as part of the second team that filmed the action scenes with our participation. I had to fight with Chuck and his stunt double Chip Wright, with whom I usually competed in the tournament arena. So it was really cool to stick together as a family in that sense.
Chuck has always been a huge supporter of all my endeavors and is a great friend and mentor. We have a lot in common, so when I started working on choreography for "Cool Walker", he was very pleased and wanted me back. I think Lazarus was a prime example of how he treated me, and it was so much fun to come up with that fight and then put it on screen with my teacher.
In addition to acting and stunt work, you also began to train people quite famous in the entertainment industry. How did this happen?
Roger: It all started when I was living in Ireland, I didn't have much work at the time. As I got older, I began to notice that constant hard, high-intensity training, be it boxing, kickboxing, running at maximum strength, or playing basketball, gradually took its toll.
My knees, Achilles tendons, back, shoulders - everything started to hurt. It was then that I realized that I had to not only switch to other martial arts, but also reconsider my physical training methods if I wanted to prolong my career and my own health.
I focused on less intense activities like swimming and yoga and returned to more traditional martial arts. I realized that doing things at a slower pace could produce results, and that by flexing the right muscles, I could generate more energy and use it sparingly. That is, I could recover much faster and with less effort. That's when I started getting calls asking for private training.
Workouts for Henry Cavill, X-Men, Daniel Craig and Matt Damon
I coached Henry Cavillhelping him get into fantastic shape for the film "War of the Gods: Immortals", which later led him to the role of Superman. I also coached Jason Fleming (for the role of Azazel) and the entire cast of the film "X-Men: First Class", and, of course, Daniel Craig for "Skyfall". Then my manager from America called me and said that there was a musician and singer who wanted me to train him. I declined because I wanted to focus on my film work, but he suggested that I talk to him on the phone before I said no.
Turned out to be a musician Tim McGraw. Overall, I'm done with "Skyfall" and started working with him. This is the third prong of my trident - acting, stunt work and training.
I enjoy all three of my activities and know that each has its own nuances, but they all challenge me creatively in one way or another.
James Bond: Developing Daniel Craig's Boxing Skills
You have acted as a combat trainer in various films, including the aforementioned James Bond Skyfall and the Jason Bourne films. And how did you turn guys like Daniel Craig and Matt Damon from actors into "lethal weapons" with their bare hands?
Roger: Well, in the stunt coordinator's notes Gary Powell, it has been said that Bond has no particular style and does not move like a martial artist, but simply like a man who knows how to fight.
Daniel's training included mostly boxing techniques; I taught him to move correctly, hit his paws, and he got the hang of it pretty quickly. Then I taught him to use his elbows to block and counterattack. Showed him how to close the distance.
He's learned to throw the left hook and jab, but what if he has to get into close quarters, like in a phone booth, where he can't use his skills? I taught him to generate energy from the center of his body, so he could perform any technique I showed him with his body, hips and shoulders. I also choreographed some of the fight scenes, but what I'm most proud of is teaching Daniel to feel confident using boxing techniques.
Jason Bourne: Bringing Sophistication and Versatility to Matt Damon's Moves
Matt Damon was already trained in Filipino martial arts, as well as dirty boxing and trapping, which he used in the first three Bourne films.
In the fourth film (Jason Bourne, 2016), I wanted to use some of these elements, but I also realized that Jason Bourne is older, so now he is much more effective. We also knew that the final fight between him and Vincent Cassel It's going to be tense because they were both the first Treadstone agents, they're kind of prototypes.
Besides, there was so much hatred between these two ever since Cassel's special character killed Bourne's father and Bourne found out about it. This means that their fighting should be much more visceral, less technical and much more brutal.
Matt brought his boxing trainer with him, Matt Baiamonte. I told his trainer during Matt's training, "Look; he looks really good, his arms and body are moving great. Now, to show a little more on camera, I want you to make sure that whenever Matt performs a technique , his knees, hips and toes were in line and moving in sync. Now the focus is not just on the core, I want you to get his whole body moving."
In one of the fights, there is a moment where Bourne breaks a chair to use it as a weapon. In all the films, Bourne usually takes something in his hands and turns it into a weapon; simple things like a rolled up magazine or even a pen.
In this scene he was attacked with a barbell and weights were thrown at him. So what was available to him this time? Furniture. So I asked him to pick up this chair and break it to use as a weapon. This shows that he has impressive strength and creates his own weapons rather than just grabbing whatever he can get his hands on.
Bond and Bourne are similar in many ways, they're like two sides of the same coin. However, Bourne, thanks to his programming, is subject to brainwashing, which allows him to reach this level of struggle. He doesn't even know why he does it, it's just a reflex.
Bond is much more organic, a man who understands that 007's life expectancy may not be very long, so whatever he puts his mind to, he'll go for it. With both Matt and Daniel, I definitely used Tai Chi to refine their movements and help them internalize the principle of energy generation.
The way Bourne was filmed is completely different from the way Sam Mendes recorded "Skyfall". Daniel had to learn more and go through a whole learning process. Bourne, on the other hand, is more frantic, and the camera constantly moves to create many different angles. So, here it was more about short action fragments. Action scenes were created based on the characteristics of the characters, and the actors were trained taking into account how the scene would be filmed.
"Dune". Exclusive: the art of epic battles
Amazing. Okay, for those unfamiliar with the story, Dune contains detailed descriptions of many fighting styles. How did you come up with the combat systems for the film?
Roger: Creating specific fighting styles for the emperor's guard, the Sardaukar, the Atreides and the Harkonnens, is basically what we focused on in this first film. We haven't even gotten to Paul Atreides himself (played by Timothy Shalame), training the Fremen, since this will already be in the second film.
For the Atreides, since their weapon is a bit like a short sword, I used more Filipino styles: kali and escrima. The Sardaukar are more of a group, a cross between Viking berserkers and samurai.
Finally, the Harkonnens, because of their bestial and sadistic qualities, they remind me of the barbarians of antiquity, like Genghis Khan and the Mongols, even in the way they move - they are effective, but not very precise and their style is rough.
The Atreides, on the contrary, move more clearly, and their technology is tailored precisely to the weapons with which they fight. These are the three types of combat systems that we wanted to showcase in the film, which we hope will give the audience a feast for the eyes and they will notice some nuances for themselves.
Regarding the "strange way" fighting style Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Paul Atreides' mom, there is a scene where she teaches him the hidden blade, and in order to survive, he must rely on the Bene Gesserit fighting style. I don't know if it made it into the movie, but I think we'll see his knife fighting skills.
Freedom of creativity
How much freedom did director Denis Villeneuve give you when creating the action scenes, training program and fight choreography?
Roger: Denis was great and of course he gave me clear instructions on how he wanted the film to look, I followed all his notes as to what he wanted and what it was "Dune". I had more creative freedom when it came to working on motion capture footage. We shot motion capture scenes in Los Angeles for two weeks, which consisted mostly of basic computer-generated action sequences and also included dream sequences for Paul Atreides, who became Freeman.
Denis was nearby and watched the filming process. He really liked some of the episodes, even the ones I filmed as previews for test screenings. Then COVID hit and we had to stop filming. We had already been preparing for two weeks and we had another week to shoot in Los Angeles, we didn't know when everything would open again.
I discussed different options with the producer Joe Caracciolo Jr.. At first they wanted me to oversee a motion capture shoot that could be filmed there in a studio used for video game cutscenes, meaning I would watch and take notes remotely while they were filming. But I said no, because I needed to be there physically to direct the actors and, along the way, adjust the choreography to get it all in order and bring all the episodes together.
Facing COVID and Moving Forward
Another option was to fly to Budapest and film it all live in full gear. The third alternative was to film in Los Angeles, but at that time no one knew when Los Angeles would open for filming projects. In general, Denis wanted me to be there in person, and he himself would watch what was happening via Skype and through a remote camera.
Los Angeles opened in June, we were ready, we had all the protocols in hand. By the way, "Dune" became the very first film in America to return to production immediately after the lockdown, with COVID protocols in place. We were a test case, essentially lab rats! We were checked three times a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - we had to strictly monitor that everyone was locked up, in quarantine and did not go out anywhere.
Rehearsals at 87Eleven Action Design
During the first week of production we returned to "87eleven" to our previous rehearsals and training, but with new notes regarding what Denis wanted. We had to prepare the main sequence, which was the fight scenes with Paul Atreides. Denis was in Montreal and watched everything happen through his camera. In general, everything we filmed was subsequently sent to Denis.
He watched it all and used to say: “I’m happy if Roger is happy.” He completely entrusted me with control over the action sequences that would be included in the film. Denis is an amazing visual storyteller and I knew whatever action choreography I chose for the film would have to be taken into consideration first; does it fit into the story? And does it suit the character according to his concept and vision?
It wasn't about how flashy I could make a particular action sequence, or how badass I could make any of the actors look, but rather how frantic, engaging and believable we could make the action scenes in this film .
Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa workouts
Amazing. You had to work with actors who are no strangers to playing roles in action films - Oscar Isaac (Star Wars), Jason Momoa (Justice League, Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Deadpool 2) and Rebecca Ferguson ( "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" / "Fallout").
What tasks did you have to give them and how well did they cope? Can you name your most memorable moments (no matter how unexpected or bizarre they may have been)?
Roger: Josh Brolin (who plays Gurney Halleck) was here in Los Angeles, and I sent him to practice Kali with one of my friends, Shioshi - one of the guys Dana Inosanto. I then flew in with backup Timothy to start training Josh about a week before he flew to Budapest. He had just had a daughter and, in his own words, was so close to sending Denis an email saying: “I can’t do this movie, I can’t, I can’t!” (laughs)
His training fight with Paul at the very beginning is a very complex episode that flows from training to an almost real fight, as Gurney does his best to make Paul understand that on Arrakis it is a matter of life and death. This is one of the most intense episodes, and Josh handled it well. He is brilliant and also such a perfectionist. Jason Momoa moves well, he has participated in many combat episodes, and he knows firsthand how to wield swords.
I like to tailor actors according to their strengths and weaknesses so that we don't overextend certain areas. For example, if someone has a bad knee or shoulder, I'm not going to force them to do high kicks or overexert that particular limb.
Among other things, I create character, look for the strengths of the actors, and it is not easy, but each of them was ready for such a task and intended to work hard. I think they felt better when I explained that memorizing fight choreography is like memorizing a phone number.
When you memorize a phone number, you know that first comes three, then four, so try to think of it that way, if you can, don't try to imagine the whole picture.
Memorizing steps and linking them together
Josh wanted to see the whole picture. After he trained in Los Angeles, I began to hone his movements. He had to learn by heart (mechanical or habitual) movements, like dance steps. You learn all the steps first and then link them together. I began to connect thought, movement and intention from the very beginning. I wanted him to do it at a slow pace at first, so he would have time to adjust and understand how the center of the body was moving.
I said to him, “If you were a tennis player, would you always have a perfect shot? No. And given that, wouldn't it look weird if you hit the ball out of bounds over the fence several times in a row before you properly , will you practice the blow?"
“You have to give yourself that time, that opportunity to make mistakes, but now because we do everything in slow motion, you also learn at a faster pace, even if you think you're going slow.”
At first, they all think that nothing will work out for them, because they do everything slowly. And I tell them, “Now everything seems like a forest, but there is a path, there is this path. And before you go through it, you have to take your machete to clear the path. Then you step onto the path that you have just cleared several times, and once it becomes clearly visible, then you can learn."
That is, moving initially at a slow pace, and increasing the density by 10%, you gradually accelerate. I want them to catch this flow, so that they feel the dance. And I think part of that is the learning process; it's how quickly we can achieve such a level of ease and refinement of movement that we don't have to think about it. So that this becomes a lightning-fast reaction.
I think my job as a fight coordinator - someone who works with actors - is to achieve a level of confidence and ease so that the body knows exactly how to perform a particular movement.
"Dune". Release date October 1, 2021
Warner Brothers has announced that Dune will be released on October 1st of this year. Have you seen the finished film yet? And are you satisfied with your work there?
Roger: I haven't seen the finished film yet, just the trailer, and it looks amazing. I've seen some of the action sequences, the visual effects are almost complete, and it all looks great. I'm happy because I think that's what Denis wanted. I also saw several sword fights performed by Jason and Timothy, and a training fight between Timothy and Josh - I think they showed themselves very well.
Working on the film, working closely with all these actors, I became very close friends with them. I think they will be very happy to see themselves on screen, and I hope the audience will be happy too.
Upcoming projects...
I wish I could see it already! So Roger, what other projects do you have in the pipeline?
Roger: Denis wanted me to play a role in the film, and if the first film works - and we hope it will - and we finish the book, then I will already be back as the character Lieutenant Lanville. I will have a fight to the death with Feyd-Rautha, who is in the book.
There were several projects that I was ready to take on, but due to COVID, they were all postponed indefinitely. In general, I have a couple of projects, but so far nothing specific that I have absolutely signed up for. I’m still waiting for new offers, but overall I’m enjoying life and training.
I also have a film coming out - "Paper Tigers" with my brother Ron и Yuji Okumoto of "Karate guy", in which I play Sifu Chung. It's getting a quick release in theaters before being released on DVD, so don't miss it!
Ambitions and plans for the future
What other dreams, goals and ambitions are you striving to achieve?
Roger: I see you know some of my friends, for example Chad Stahelski, who went all the way from martial arts practitioner and film set worker to someone who tells a story on screen through directing. I watched Denis's work, how accurately he guessed which decisions were good visually and which were not, and how he directed the actors.
I find it incredibly challenging and scary. And I myself am not averse to doing this, since I consider it a part of life, and, ultimately, another form of creativity. I would love to be able to tell a story through directing, whether it be film or something for television, I would really like to try.
My daily goal is to try to be a better person, to become a little better every day. I've always had this mindset, and not just as a martial artist; but also as a father, as a partner, a brother, a son and a teacher. I think if I can do it, it can also be a kind of creative process for me that is mentally rewarding because I believe in challenging myself every day.
Roger's parting words to all KFK followers and fans
Roger, you are a very thoughtful person and a true philosopher. What parting message, be it warrior wisdom, quote or philosophy, would you like to leave with KFK followers and your fans around the world right now?
Roger: I voiced this idea to my daughters. Just do what your soul dreamed of before you came into existence. This philosophy guides not only me, but also my daughters. I believe that our souls are immortal. Therefore, just be what your soul dreamed of becoming before you came into this world.…
This will certainly be a real revelation for many... a revelation that can help people change their lives and gain spiritual freedom. Thanks again Roger for taking the time to talk with Kung Fu Kingdom.
Roger: Thank you for inviting me. It's an honor for me.
Official source: kungfukingdom.com
Date of publication: 12.03.2021
Translation: Black Dragon
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Tags: 87eleven, Benny Urkides, Peter Cunningham, Roger Yuan, Chuck Norris
Tags: 87eleven, Benny Urkides, Peter Cunningham, Roger Yuan, Chuck Norris
Thank you so much for translating such a detailed interview! Lots of interesting information for any action movie fan.
Danil Chupakhin,
Please. ) I'm glad that the interview was useful and informative. And in general, it’s nice to know that in 2Q21 people are still reading letters. It seems to me that now many people only recognize the video format, but are somehow too lazy to read. There will be an interview with Brahim a little later.
Black Dragon,
Maybe it’s just young people. Although...