When it comes death defying and innovative stunt work in the world of the action cinema there is one name that towers above all else; Jackie Chan.
Throughout the years Jackie Chan and his stunt unit the ‘Sing Ga Ban’ (Jackie Chan’s Stunt Team) have continuously raised the bar for stunt work in film, with examples like with the glass shattering fight sequences in Police Story (also known as Glass Story on set), the death defying bell tower scene in Project A, to the incredibly painful to watch burning coals sequence in Drunken Master II; which Jackie actually did two takes for.
In this behind the scenes extra from Jackie Chan’s documentary ‘My Stunts’ Jackie goes through the design process of reaction moves and how his team prepares for fight sequences in his films.
“We cannot (have) very big muscles, we need to be light & flexible.”
Over the years the team has developed its own vocabulary if you will of moves they can call upon, although Jackie is always open to new innovations for his crew if he feels something isn’t working for the particular sequence.
Check out the training footage below.
Chan Kong-sang, (陳港生; born 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, film director, producer, stuntman, and singer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunt work, which he typically performs himself to critical acclaim throughout his storied career. He has been acting since the 1960’s and has appeared in over 150 films which include such films as Drunken Master I & II, The Rush Hour trilogy and the Police Story franchise. He has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2015, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth to be $350 million. [source : wiki]
