bruce lee / Sifu Mimi Chan

243. Brett Chan on fight choreography, stunts and Warrior

Brett Chan is a 20 year veteran of the film industry with a background in Kinesiology, human kinetics, and 30 years of experience in martial arts.

Brett has traveled the world as a stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and 2nd unit director. I enjoyed talking to Brett about his vision for some of the shows he has worked on like Warrior, Marco Polo, Snow Piercer, and Kung Fu.

225. Perry Yung on racism, listening and HBO’s Warrior

Perry Yung is best known as Father Jun in the HBO series Warrior and fan-favorite Ping Wu in Steven Soderberg’s Cinemax show The Knick.
He was the founder of the Asian American performance collective SLANT Performance Group and is also a traditionally trained Japanese shakuhachi flute craftsman and musician.

132. Matt Fraction on writing comics, hard work, and empathy

If you look up Matt Fraction, you will find a bio that sounds a little like this: Matt Fraction writer of: (writer): SEX CRIMINALS (Image), Jimmy Olsen (DC), CASANOVA (Image), HAWKEYE (Marvel), and NOVEMBER (Image) writes comic books out in the woods and lives with his wife, the writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, his two children, two dogs, a cat, a bearded dragon, and a yard full of coyotes and stags. Surely there is a metaphor there.

69. Matthew Polly on Bruce Lee

Has anyone ever heard of Bruce Lee? I’m guessing… yes. Today I chat with Matthew Polly on his new book, Bruce Lee, a life. This is the first authoritative biography on Bruce’s life which Matthew took over 6 years researching and interviewing those closest to Bruce. We chat about his discoveries and the process of writing the book. Matthew is also a fellow martial artist who has chronicled his experiences in his other works: American Shaolin, where he studied for 2 years at the Shaolin Temple and Tapped Out, where he trained for and fought in an MMA fight.

39. Derek Johnson on law enforcement

Sifu Derek Johnson is a kung fu instructor of the Jow Ga system, former marine, and retired law enforcement officer. For over 25 years, he served in numerous law enforcement specialties. He was assigned to many agencies in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, such as: violent crimes, undercover narcotics, community outreach, leadership as a Patrol Commander, internal affairs, and worked with the DEA and FBI departments. I have been outraged for the families that have lost loved ones to senseless shootings, and wonder why is this happening? Do officers need more training or stricter screening and guidelines? What is the problem? Derek sheds light on the training many law enforcement officers receive and what can be going through their minds in these high stakes situations. He also shares my frustration, and speaks openly as both a black American and a law enforcement officer on the Black Lives Matter movement. I strongly believe in the movement and was grateful that Derek was so open with me on this sensitive subject. I also wanted to understand the protocol for officers in aggressive situations, and what we can do to help change the perception of law enforcement officers in the community.

24. Adisa Banjoko on blending hip hop, chess, and martial arts

Adisa Banjoko, founder of the Hip Hop Chess Federation, developed a unique approach to helping youth embrace and apply alternative strategies to obstacles in life by providing an engaging, interactive program that helps youth cultivate the necessary life skills for success. At his center, they teach a blend of chess, hip hop performing arts, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The center is open to all youths, but is especially programmed for those in violent neighborhoods. I had a fascinating conversation with Adisa about the intersection of hip hop, martial arts, and chess, and found the work he is doing to bring non-violence through these mediums remarkable.