Words,
opinions, ideas and statements always
have more meaning when they come directly
from the source, rather than when
they’ve been run through the filter
of a second or third-party’s
personal opinion or conditioning. To this
end, Inside Kung-Fu has enjoyed the very
privileged position among martial arts
publications of being able to bring to
its readers Jackie Chan’s own words,
opinions, ideas and statements about his
life, art and career.
Whereas other
magazines have had to rely on
"insider’s" opinions,
prejudices and preferences in attempting
to bring their readers more information
on Jackie, we’ve been able to go to
the source–Jackie
Chan–directly, and frequently, over
the past 20 years. To this end, I was
fortunate to enjoy a very large
"comfort level" with Jackie
when I interviewed him, wherein he speaks
freely and openly with the result that
you will learn some things about Jackie
Chan that are sure to surprise you. For
one thing, unlike most "action
stars," Jackie Chan is a very
eloquent man. He speaks seven languages
and communicates thoroughly, engagingly
and succinctly. He is also very
stimulating intellectually and
emotionally, as he will speak his mind,
even if that means cutting firmly against
the grain of popular opinion or political
correctness. This makes him that most
rare of human animals–the honest
man.
Where necessary I have probed deeply,
asking him questions about God, success,
peace, and his self-imposed role as an
ambassador of global goodwill, his
considerable work for charity, and his
views toward racial tolerance and social
responsibility.
Being a martial
arts publication, we have also recognized
Jackie’s immense talent and
experience in this realm, and have asked
him to state his views on the state of
martial arts today, his own training in
the arts, and what techniques he has
found to be the most useful and practical
over the years. His answers to these
questions, I believe, will prove very
useful to all martial artists. And then
there is the issue of health and fitness;
how is a human being capable of
performing all the incredible stunts and
martial arts action sequences that Jackie
Chan has demonstrated to us year after
year? What does he do to keep in shape
both at home and on the road to create
and maintain such an incredible peak of
condition?
This interview
will reveal to you–in Jackie
Chan’s own words–why he is who
he is, and how he came to be that way.
His words will inspire and educate you,
and, more importantly, you will come to
know Jackie Chan–the real Jackie
Chan–in a deeply personal way,
rather than in the often cold and
detached manner that many film critics
and scribes from other magazines employ.
believe that when you have finished
reading this interview, you will have
come to appreciate and respect Jackie
Chan in a way that transcends his
considerable physical prowess. You will
come to appreciate his mind, his
dedication to excellence in filmmaking,
and above all his love for people of all
races and religions. In other words, you
will come to know, respect and love
Jackie Chan–the man behind the
legend–as we at Inside Kung-Fu have
for well over two decades.
–John
Little
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