Ryan Stride interviews actor and martial artist super star Loren Avedon Loren Avedon is an actor who has earned a loyal following of action fans for his work in martial art films such as No Retreat No Surrender 2, No Retreat No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers and King of the Kickboxers. Born and raised in California, this talented martial artist has impressed movie watchers all over the world with his super fast high kicks, flexibility and impressive stunts. Loren has acted alongside some well-known martial artists including Matthias Hues, Billy Blanks, Cynthia Rothrock, Keith Cooke, Olivier Gruner and Sammo Hung. A high ranking Black Belt who has been training in the martial arts for 40 years with years of experience in Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, Loren even trained at the school of Simon Rhee and Philip Rhee who both starred in the film Best of the Best. Loren recently featured in actor Scott Adkin's excellent show on YouTube, The Art Of Action, and kindly agreed to do this interview for The Peace Dimension. In it, he discusses what it takes to develop the flexibility of a master kicker, his memorable fights scenes and other anecdotes from working in the film industry. RS: Loren welcome to The Peace Dimension. How is 2020 treating you so far? LA: Thank you Ryan for the opportunity to share some of my personal life with you and your readers. The beginning of 2020 ushered in change in all of our lives because of the global pandemic. My heart goes out to all affected by COVID-19. As a peaceful warrior, I view all lives as precious and although I haven't been really affected, just inconvenienced, in some ways as we all have. I have also had the good fortune to find ways to help others and continue moving forward with life. To be clear, I have been tested for Covid several times but I have not been exposed to the virus. Plans have had to change but "being flexible" also means allowing for contingencies and putting others first. In that way, I can always look in the mirror and like what I see. I recently married my wife Marija in Kragujevac, Serbia and spent 3 months in Serbia and a couple weeks in Croatia for our Honeymoon. We were not able to have the reception and celebration, and had to settle for marriage in front of a judge separated by distance, wearing masks and with only her brother and sister in attendance. There have been necessary sacrifices, but I believe in turning obstacles into opportunities. All of us have been affected by the virus. but I see the best in people and find through all obstacles, ways to help others and continue to pursue a purposeful life, always looking at the bright side. I am one of the lucky ones, but never a day goes by without a challenge, but I find through listening, giving and taking action, the journey may be harder but I, you and all humans who adapt gracefully, will prevail. 2020 isn't over yet but, so far, so good. RS: Yes I like your philosophy regarding being optimistic and adapting gracefully. Great to also hear that you still managed to make the marriage happen despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. LA: Yes, we met on Instagram of all places. She knew me from those films as her younger brother was a fan. We connected almost instantly, it was/is a magical connection. We talk for 6-8 hours every day. Its hard to explain, but we both love each other deeply. I think of her before I think of myself, and she does the same. Respecting each other and sharing everything. I have spent most of my life as a bachelor and a single father and only son. However, I am totally committed to Marija, and our connection is almost supernatural. I have spent a lot of time alone but never been lonely. Its only after knowing Marija, that I truly feel love that has no superficiality. She is truly my partner, my wife, my love. There are qualities in the Serbian culture that seem to be lost in the modern world, but Marija and I share the same values, and we value the same qualities in each other. I admire her, she is strong and smart but she is more interested in showing her love to me, and giving all her life to our union, while still being a strong business woman and paying attention to all the needs of her family, her clients, friends and all people she interacts with. RS: That sounds so nice, like you have a deep journey ahead of you. Ok so I am going to dive in now to your film career as I know people will want some more stories as you shared on Art of Action. I enjoyed your interview on there and think it is great what Scott is doing- in helping to give exposure to all these stars from earlier films. No Retreat No Surrender 2 is regarded, like the original, as a martial art classic. To me it is like a cross between a Hong Kong Kung Fu film and a Chuck Norris action film. Any funny stories that happened while filming? LA: Here's a couple things that I can share with you that I think are not just funny but absolutely true. When I arrived, I had no idea who Corey Yuen was, I hadn't seen No Retreat No Surrender, and even though I was in Bangkok I still didn't really have the job, until midnight of the night of my arrival when I met Corey Yuen in the hallway of the 5th floor of the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok. Roy Horan asked me to do some reactions and kicks for him, as the Chinese value the action far more than the dialogue. Corey Yuen watched me and said "ok"... that was it. Matthias and I did a screen test in the parking lot of the Hotel the next day and they printed the film and saw that we looked good on "film". I met Max Thayer and we started running lines together. The very first scene we shot was looking over the camp where my girlfriend "Sue Lin" was being held by Matthias' Soviet Russian character and the communist NVA; as her father was a general in the South Vietnamese Army. Of course this is 1986 and the Vietnam War had been over for 14 years, but the story of a boy from the mid west falling in love with a beautiful Asian girl was a perfect set up for an action movie. So back to the scene... Max and I deliver a believable performance on that mountain top and that first scene was all we shot that day, that and some other establishing shots had been on the schedule for most of the day. So the light was just right and we shot the dialogue scene, and Corey Yuen called "action" and "cut" on a few angles and smiled and said the only word he knew in English... "Jesus" and we all laughed. Then the next weeks were all the end fight scenes, in some very difficult conditions. I had the advantage of not knowing the Hong Kong Film Royalty I was working with, but after every good take... Corey Yuen would yell "Cut!" and smile and put give the thumbs up and say "Jesus". One last anecdote that I swear is absolutely true. On a Sunday we were shooting in Bangkok, and the Thai van drivers are very serious about the vehicles that have been blessed by the Buddhist monks for safety. No touching the dash board except the radio, as each van had been blessed, and adorned with icons and one van had more than a thousand feet of string around the steering wheel- each wrap a prayer from a monk. The Chinese want a P.O.V. shot and need to put a camera mat box on the dash board of a van to get the shot. The Thai driver refuses to drive the van so a Chinese stunt man gets in to drive the van. Now, remember we have been traveling very dangerous roads for months with no incidents. Not more than 2 minutes went by and BAM! The van is hit from behind by a box truck sending the $300,000 Airiflex 35mm movie camera through the windshield and smashing it on the road. After that all the Chinese bought buddha's and gold chains and wore them throughout the production. RS: That last anecdote is an especially interesting one! You also got to act alongside martial arts actress Cynthia Rothrock. You are both very skilled at the acrobatic aspects of the martial arts. Did you discuss about your techniques and different approaches to the arts? LA: I knew Cynthia from her days with the "West Coast Demo Team" from Ernie Reyes Sr.'s Martial Arts School. Ernie Reyes Jr. of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fame was just 5 years old at that time I first met Cynthia. At that time she was a world champion at Chinese weapons forms and part of the West Coast Demo Team. I admired her as I was just a green belt when I saw her and the team at a Jun Chong TKD tournament I was competing in. She was/is amazing. She did a long whip chain form as well as a Chinese sword form at the tournament. When we met again years later, she was so nice and down to earth we just worked well together. An amazing martial artist, so nice and ready to do her very best. She knew if I was good enough to earn the starring role in this action packed film I had the chops, no pun intended, and she saw it first hand. We both did the hard work that got us there. She is a great martial artist and wonderful person and we worked well together and would always recommend me to other producers in films she made in the future as her co-star. RS: I am sure many fans would agree that the final fight between you and Matthias is still the show stealer. As you know we had Matthias on here not so long ago and if I can just say what a great guy- humble, open minded and with a great run of films. I would also say that his role as the villain in NRNS2 I think was Matthias conveyed at his best, in terms of his screen presence and level of conditioning. You both were a good contrast with your speed and agility up against his power and strength. Did you have much input into how that fight was choreographed? LA: Yes we worked together very well together, and the Chinese were very open to the organic fight ideas we came up with, using what we had around on the dressed set. Of course the Chinese stunt team had phenomenal choreography for us. Matthias is an incredible athlete, a pentathlete representing his country (Germany) and body builder. Although he was not a highly trained martial artist, he had no problem doing the fight, and bare chested! He is one tough guy. My boney little arms would swell up his arms and legs, as his muscles were not used to the trauma of impact as a body builder. He was in a lot of pain but never complained. He was so willing to do anything to get the shot. I mean its hard to double a 6' 6" white guy in Thailand! So he did most, if not all, of his own stunts. Matthias was such a good sport and so humble as you said, truly a classy guy. I nicknamed him "Shotze" which in German means "sweetheart". I have the utmost respect for Matthias and we are still friends today. RS: That's great to hear. With your ability to kick so high and pull off all those jump kicks you are clearly very flexible Loren, especially with your legs. I know Tae Kwon Do puts a lot of emphasis on stretching and working the legs. Could you share a few brief insights into how you developed your flexibility? LA: When I began at JCTKD I was a distance runner and thought I was in shape. The first 6 weeks my ribs hurt from breathing so hard. I have a slight edge as I am supple and I was so eager and trained so hard, every day. I learned how to use isometrics and allow my muscles and tendons, and joints to achieve power at extension as well as balance and control. I am also blessed with very fast reflexes. A lot has to do with genes. My father's call sign in WW2 was "Deadeye" because he was so accurate when he shot at his targets while in dog fights with Zeros hurtling in his fighter plane at hundreds of miles an hour. He was a double Ace plus. My mother was 2nd in the nation in college at long bow archery. So I guess genes have a lot to do with it. But if you wish to achieve flexibility and power, it requires hard training, pain, and of course the ability to exercise mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter! Seriously, its just hard work and I wanted to be the best. I had the best examples a young martial artist could ask for. I simply worked hard and pushed myself to be the best, and Tae Kwon Do is by far the best kicking martial art in the world. In those days you joined a Karate school to learn self discipline, but more so to learn how to fight. Footwork, flexibility and hard training, and truly hard work. There is no substitute. Granted some people are naturally gifted, but for me those gifts took years to develop. Proper breathing, posture and no short cuts. You control your body, mind and spirit. If you want to be the best, you train train train. RS: How often do you train your flexibility? LA: Being a fighter and a stunt professional I train constantly. Even when I'm on an airplane I go to the bulk head door and stretch. I'm 58 years old so I can't do what I used to, of course, and I have had quite a few injuries, but again, you're as old as you feel. I keep as supple as I can, but I also don't subject my body to the impact and trauma I used to, but I keep moving. You stop moving, you start dying. Also its a mental thing, Ryan. Think about a cat, relaxed and ready to pounce. So every day I stretch, and if I don't have time to go through a full workout I at least stretch for 20 minutes. Also breathing is very important. Core training and mental concentration combined with proper form and breathing... mind, body, spirit. RS: Yes, I am with you on the relaxation, keeping supple and proper form Loren. I talk about relaxation quite a bit in my book The Peace Dimension: Ten Meditations for Testing Times. Now, you were one of the first westerners to really show the type of acrobatic skills that was mainly conveyed in the Hong Kong film scene, in earlier times. Was it Philip Rhee who taught you the jump kicks such as the rebound off the wall kick that you make look so easy? LA: Master Rhee and his brother Simon did teach me jumping kicks. The Rhee brothers were some of the best kickers I had ever seen. Of the wall kicks is something I learned from training Hap Ki Do. It was something that no one was doing at the time. So I just added it to the choreography. Jumping kicks were my thing. Level change, footwork, and being able to fly. White men can jump! lol... However the greatest at the time was Billy Blanks. He was and is truly a gifted athlete. When we did King of the Kickboxers that man could fly. He is a One percenter... born with amazing athletic abilities that he developed as a professional martial artist. As a professional athlete, you have to learn and practice acrobatics and develop vertical awareness. Make friends with the ground cause its the hardest thing to hit. Hap Ki Do training helped a lot with that. Learning to do a Hong Kong twist at that time was a choice, learning to sell hits and prepare for impact and take shots is expected in an action film. I prided myself in the ability to take a body shot. That was all part of being a fighter, but I've also had stomach reconstruction surgery. I had torn my diaphragm on both sides, had my stomach pushed up in my chest and had had a hiatal hernia, and a surgeon saved my life. I've also had 5 other hernia operations. I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for Dr Edward Phillips at Cedars Sinai. I think he's still a chief surgeon at the Susan B Komen Breast Cancer center. At the time he reconstructed my stomach, he was the man who wrote the book on Bariatric surgery. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be alive today. You play... you gotta pay. RS: Can you still do those jumping moves? LA: Not like I used to, but name a 58 year old that can. It's not the jumping; its the landing, Ryan. I have torn my Achilles tendon on my left leg twice and once on my right leg. I have scar tissue from those tears that is usually only found on ballet dancers. Luckily my Achilles was never completely torn through entirely on either leg, or I wouldn't be able even to walk today. RS: You have definitely taken some damage it seems and its good that your share this Loren, as it let's fans know what you had to endure to make all those fight scenes. Now when Phillip did Best of The Best 2 he had a final fight against Ralf Moeller which had that same agility versus power dynamic that your fight with Matthias had. Phillip showed a lot more of the Hapkido wrist throws and takedowns in that film. Some also might not be so aware that the art of Hapkido also has a distinct holistic side to it with practices for energy development and meditation. Is this a side to the training that you practise, Loren? LA: Yes it is, I used to be Master Rhee's demo dummy for Hap Ki Do cane technique. Again the hardest thing to hit is the ground, and the bigger they are the harder they fall. Hap Ki Do redirects that power and strength with strikes to vital nerve areas and the knowledge of joint manipulation. That is why small joint manipulation is not allowed in MMA or the rear naked choke could be stopped by breaking a finger. I got my 9th dan in Combat Hap Ki Do. Hap Ki Do is a hybrid martial art, it is tremendously effective if the technique(s) can be executed with proper timing, balance and distribution of weight and strength, as well as "line" for leverage. Using your opponent's strength against him. Hap means "Go" and also means "Harmony", Ki "Internal Power", Do "the Way". RS: Taking this a step further what are some of the ways you like to relax? LA: I love nature, the beach, the ocean, I grew up in California, I built a house in Hawaii, on the big island, sold it 8 months before the lava flow. I like to relax with music of all kinds, except anger metal, and I don't like most rap, or EDM. A good conversation, meditation, a good action movie as well the good old black and white movies, silent films, old cartoons, like Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, a good Disney movie, positive films, a well written story, tv show, novel, a good documentary, slapstick comedy, reading the classics, and the best of all, doing all these things with my beautiful wife. RS: What really comes across in some of the interviews on Scott's Art of Action show is just how intense the nature of filming and the contact that the fight actors have to endure. Hearing Richard Norton, who is clearly a tough guy, talk about his fight scene with Sammo Hung, it really makes you appreciate the discipline and the dedication you guys have to your business. So Loren what was your toughest fight scene? LA: All of them... but the most intense... King of the Kickboxers end fight. RS: How is the body treating you after all these years of training along with the filming? LA: As a martial artist you make friends with pain, you condition your body, your mind, your spirit. Time is the master of us all. I am constantly reminded of the abuse I put myself through. Would I do anything different if I could change things. Hell NO! Doctors ask me with my spine the way it is, how do I walk. I joke with them and say, usually by standing up and putting one foot in front of the other. I try to avoid training on hard surfaces. I can still kick and do it, but just not for 12 hours a day. RS: You have acted with some really good martial artist actors- are there any in particular whose techniques you saw and thought 'hey I wouldn't mind adding those ideas to my own body of knowledge' or were there any other traditional styles that inspired you to pursue further? LA: Silat is a very effective martial art. I have studied all types of weapons. I love the Filipino and Indonesian arts like, Escrima, Arnis, Kali. As for martial arts actors, of course, the immortal Bruce Lee, a younger Mark Dacascos, Scott Adkins, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, Sho Kosugi, and the immortal Toshiro Mifune. RS: Yes, all talented gentlemen. Keeping on this theme, Loren are there any traditional styles that you would like to see in front of the camera? LA: Shaolin Kung Fu... all animal styles. As well as 90's full contact Tae Kwon Do kicking and foot work mixed with some Wing Chun close quarters hand technique, and some good old fashioned bare knuckle Boxing. RS: Ok cool. You are to this day regarded as one of the best kickers to appear on screen. In King of The Kickboxers you had two other super kickers appearing- Billy Blanks and Keith Cooke. What was it like working with them? LA: Phenomenal... both extremely gifted, incredible lines to their technique, so beautiful to watch, and work with. Billy Blanks was a dream to work with. In that film both men made me better. Fantastic abilities, control, speed and power. Humble but confident, superb athletes and great men. RS: Another talented kicker I noticed from your Instagram account that you have a connection to is Peter Malota who has his own interesting kicking style as demonstrated in The Quest with Jean Claude. How do you know Peter? LA: Master Malota was one of my instructors at JCTKD... or Master Peter Luljuraj as I knew him then. He was one of the most powerful kickers I have ever seen. I once watch him do a perfectly executed standing jumping front kick with his right leg back jumping straight up in the air snapping it perfectly switching his hips and tucking his left leg and with the ball of his right foot killing a fly in mid air on the mat at Jun Chong. Truth! I saw it with my own eyes. He used to swing the 60lb small heavy bag perpendicular to his stance like a pendulum. Execute a sliding hook kick with his left leg and would hit the bag so hard it would fold the bag at the top lifting it up in the air, making a noise like a baseball bat, stuffing coming out of the seams, he'd slide back as the bag fell sideways parallel to the ground, deformed where his foot had impacted the bag, falling down stopped only by the chain that I was always expecting to snap from the bag dropping. He had such great control. Everyone knew if he wanted to, if he hit someone with that power it would break not only their skull but snap the opponents neck like a tooth pick. I think he knew, as he always used control when sparring. Men with that kind of power scare themselves. I know that feeling. I would use my jump back kick like a battering ram when sparring, or slowly throw my right leg spinning heel kick, almost hypnotizing my opponent and put my heel on the opponents jaw and ball of my foot on his temple. I knew if I hit someone with that kick at speed I could kill him. I've broken arms with a simple round kick to the body that they tried to block, wearing pads. Snap! Its scary knowing you have that power. I realized long ago the tremendous responsibility I have because of what I have learned not just about technique, but about myself. That is the torment of the warrior. I would never allow myself to be hurt, or those I love, or others I don't know at all be beaten, if I could stop it, but hurting someone else is a horrible thing to live with. RS: Having been in the martial arts film industry for so long you must look at fight scene with your own expectations and standards. Are there any recent films that really caught your attention? LA: I love watching Scott Adkins... as for pure gun fu and combat action "Extraction" and of course "John Wick". RS: Out of all of the martial artists you have worked with who is the one you would least like to face off against in a dark alley? LA: In his day, Billy Blanks RS: Just moving away from your acting career, can I ask you Loren how has your training helped you in life? LA: It has allowed me to master myself. I was an angry young man. I used to think that in another century I might have fought a lot of duels. I have learned to use my energy and deadly skill to help kids, at risk youth, and to teach others about their power. To uplift the spirits and instill and inspire others to believe in themselves. To know the answers to so many questions about what I would do, what I am capable of, who I am. What is important. To know peace. To know what runs me is not selfishness, although we are all selfish in some ways. That I can be of service. That I am not afraid, except of failure to help when I could have. RS: Has 2020 made you think about life in different ways or changed the way you approach life? LA: I can only say that it is a year that I will never forget. I fell in love and married a woman who genuinely loves me. I feel peace, because I raised a good daughter, I took care of my mother until her passing. That the greatest thing about life is to know you've made mistakes but that's why we're here, to learn. To understand I always have the opportunity to make a difference, and until my last breath, I will. RS: I was going to say it sounds like you were blessed with brave and caring parents. Respect also to your grandfather and father for serving in two of the most costly wars ever- WW1 and WW2. So Loren what projects are you working on at the moment? LA: That's for another conversation Ryan as I have so many possibilities. My biggest project is to be a good husband, continue to be a good father and a good friend. A good person. RS: When I wrote my book The Peace Dimension: Ten Meditations for Testing Times I was keen to share some tips that might be helpful to people as we all face this strange global issue. Is there a brief message you would you like to share with people around the world who may be finding the events of this year to be testing? LA: We are all allowed to be human. Peace is found when we accept what we can change and that we always have a chance to act as long as I/we have life. We are never alone. Give, never stop. Rest if you need to, go if you need to, be the possibility you want to be. Be the change you want to see in the world, and never stop giving. What is important is to love yourself, not perhaps in the ways that the media or modern culture has flaunted, but to spiritually and mentally be in action in that pursuit. To always know the simplest thing is just to forgive, to love, to let go and get going. Never stop believing in the best in yourself, and the best is inside you, let it out with love, don't be afraid, as long as you always used your moral compass. Know that the way you are can always lift someone up, stay in action in your own way, but always with your whole heart. Do unto others, and all will be well. Believe it and receive it. RS: Something my book explores is this idea of The Peace Dimension as something deep but open to different interpretations. I see it as a state or even a place of quantum possibilities. Loren can you say what The Peace Dimension symbolises to you? LA: That truth is always worth working for, worth fighting for, worth living for, worth sacrificing for, because we are all one. One race, one light, one love. There is only one constant, that nothing is permanent. Embrace life and begin each day with possibility. RS: Loren I want to thank you for doing this interview and wish you all the best for the future. Do keep in touch and you know what, I think it is time for No Retreat No Surrender 4! LA: Me too, thank you again Ryan for the opportunity to share. Peace be with you and may the world be infected by the paradigm of love and possibility. Loren Avedon's instagram profile can be found here:: @lorenavedonofficial Loren's interview on the Scott Atkins YouTube channel. The Peace Dimension by Ryan Stride is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk Copyright © Ryan Stride 2020 All rights reserved Comments are closed.
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AuthorBorn in London, England, Ryan wishes to share with people how the mystical can be found in the moment, allowing great things to happen. Ryan is also a writer and social commentator who is currently working on a script and several new book titles. ArchivesCategories |