How to Meet Jackie Chan: Three Close Encounters With Jackie Chan

I’m not gunna lie. Jackie Chan has been a huge inspiration for me in my martial arts endeavors. When someone bought me the book “Jackie Chan : My Story” I read it in 2 days. Police Story I and Drunken Master II were probably my favorite and top inspiring movies of all time. (I also got a lot of love for Jet Li’s Tai Chi Master and Once Upon a Time in China)

Just a few nights ago I wrote down my goals for this year. Let me repost them.

1) Star or Co-star in: A feature film
2) Demo for then work with Jackie Chan in a film
3) Host a Travel Channel show

If you will look at Goal #2… Only a few nights after I wrote those goals, I had a dream that I was talking with Jackie Chan and working with him on some projects. It was very clear and realistic at the time. I already forgot what the subject matter was… because you know how you can’t quite remember your dreams after you wake up? For some reason I remembered that I was talking to him and working on some projects.

Then 2 nights ago, a day after I had that dream, my friend messages me to tell me I might be working on a demo– for Jackie Chan! It seems like it is pretty confirmed. I don’t usually like to mention these things until it actually happens, but this time I have a good feeling.

I’ve actually had THREE close encounters with Jackie. Here they are:

1) 2006 I visited Hong Kong on a layover to Taiwan. I am a huge fan of Jackie so I visited the Jackie Chan Fan Club on Waterloo. I decided to buy a jacket and while I was waiting for the lady to get me my size two stunt men from England dropped by to meet/drop off a demo to a stunt coordinator. I had just finished training in Beijing so we got to chatting and I showed them some random wushu clips I had on my digital camera. they invited me to come back with them in 3 days. They said they were potentially meeting with some people. Unfortunately I had to catch a flight to Taiwan the next day. A week later I get an email from one of the guys saying they met Jackie Chan and a whole bunch of action directors! My first close encounter!

2) During the filming of Rush Hour 3 in downtown LA, I happened to be working at KPMG in downtown LA. I think I was putting in a little extra time on a Saturday when I remembered that Coach Ming said they were filming Rush Hour 3 around the area. I stepped out of my office and went downstairs.. lo and behold they were doing a stunt scene not too far from our building. I walked on over and ran into the awesome and very humble Brad Allen. We chatted briefly about how he trained wushu in shanghai for some time. He had to return to directing some action choreo so I just hung back and watched for a bit. Then the head of security rolled by and asked me what I was doing. I told him I did chinese martial arts and was told they were filming so I came to check it out. He was very nice and said he had studied some military combat and martial arts as well. Then as we ended our conversation I asked “by the way, do you know if Jackie Chan is on set today?” and he replied “Oh, you didn’t see him, he was right behind you and he just got in that car” as I turned my head I see a black car with tinted windows driving around the corner. My second close encounter!

3) Right after the 2009 US Wushu Team Trials I was rejoicing with glee that I made the US Wushu A Team. I decided to stay in Northern California with my family and friends one extra day before driving back down to LA. In 2009 when I was in Southern California I had been training and helping coach at Master Tu’s School in Temple City. Jack Tu (Master Tu’s son) had just recently won “The Disciple” contest to be on Jackie Chan’s stunt team. I drive back down to LA the next day. After I get back of course I pay a visit to the students and talk to Julie (Jack’s sister). She said “where were you? we just demoed for Jackie Chan in Chinatown yesterday.. everybody went!” (me: silence) I responded “I was in nor cal after making the US wushu team… but had you told me I could have came back right after the competition!” Of course I was happy I made the US team, but it was quite ironic that I usually make it to practice every day and help out with demos whenever I am in LA and the one time they demo with Jackie Chan, I was on my car ride back to LA from US Wushu Team Trials. My third close encounter!

So those are my 3 stories.  Hope that I actually meet Jackie Chan next month! Fourth times a charm! (Read about how my first Meeting with Jackie Chan went down!)