Page 3 - Anyone seen Drumline

Steven Segall is a 6th Dan in Aikido, a martial art founded this century in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba. Aikido means Way of Harmony and is part philosophy part martial art. The art involves no striking, as you use the opponents momentum and force against them. Ki (or Chi in chinese) is internal energy that flows through your body. Aikido is not made for the screen, and although I don't think Steven was so bad (he is chubby now) I wonder if he has forgotten about the philosophy of the art, his film characters certainly don't understand it

I've done some film work and film fighting is very difficult that real fighting - trust me

There will never be another Bruce Lee, is founded the martial arts film genre that we know today, and Enter the Dragon was literally years ahead of its time. Jackie Chan and now Jet Lee (although Jet does need some acting lessons ) are both also cool. Jackie trained in a very strict martial arts school/threatre school in China and you can see that in his discipline. Jackie does *all* his own stunts which certainly earns my respect.

Just got my tickets to LOTR, for Monday in the Embassey Wellington. We're in for an experience all right, all though I did see some of the footage from Helm's Deep and I tell you guys forget all you crappy horror flicks, when you see us kiwi brothers dressed up as Uruks marching in the rain you'll have your scare

Awesome, Z.

Z -
Am I to understand you were in the scene at Helm's Deep (mebbe just a wee bit slow I am...)? Which side?

No boasting, or anything, it was just background fighting

I was actually on all three sides, believe it or not. My Hine made me go to the audition and they ended up short of fighting elves. Since I look a little like one and have some fighting exp I got picked. Then they were short of Uruks and Rohan so I played them also. Pretty crazy time with Uruks running at you all holding flaming torches and knowing that they can't see properly, trying to do fight movements, I can tell you. Amazing set and cool atmostphere as it was all filmed at night.

The rain towers sucked though. So when you see all those scary uruks in the rain spare a thought for those who got hypothermia. We were all drenched from the start of the night to the end in those scenes. Tell you what though I learnt some cool songs from my Maori brothers though, nothing gets them folk down I can tell you. Bet you'all never expected Uruks to sing real well

Pretty tough keeping the day corporate job though, living on 1 hours sleep a night. But I can tell you not only was LOTR a hell of a lot more fun, it paid better I did six weeks of filming and then I had to give it up. But as you all know the corporate job lasted only a month or two longer

Of course there are many kiwis who can claim this

After being an elf I liked the hair so much, I decided to grow my own

Z.

It's quite a step from an elf to an Uruk.... I mean.. you'd figure what, a 100 pound weight difference? THAT'S a lot of freakin' makeup! So is there any point in time you're discernible as a dying warrior or do you not know yet?

Lol Uruks had full body suits made from rubber (prosthetics is the correct term). Took ages to get into them I can tell you and were hot as, unless you were standing under a rain tower.

I was just cannon fodder Lol