Here at Martial Edge we like to bring you exclusives. That’s why when the opportunity to spend fifteen minutes interviewing one of the world’s finest martial arts actors came up – we jumped on it. So sit back and enjoy Donnie Yen talking exclusively to Martial Edge on the U.S release of his movie, Flashpoint.
Martial Edge: In Flashpoint you play Inspector Ma Jun, taking on a hardened Vietnamese Gang. Where did you get the inspiration for the character?
Donnie Yen: I get inspired by people I've met in Hong Kong over the years, real local cops, and, I have to admit, by characters I've seen in American cop movies. Its not one guy. Its a combination of influences.
Martial Edge: Flashpoint has been described by some fans as a veiled sequel to S.P.L., would this be accurate?
Donnie Yen: Its not a sequel as such, but maybe its in the same vein as S.P.L., or Killzone, because its a cop thriller with MMA style action scenes. I feel we took the action one step further in this film, and I hope audiences enjoy it as much, or more, than they did S.P.L.
Martial Edge: Collin Chou plays one of your adversaries in Flashpoint. What was it like working with Colin?
Donnie Yen: First of all, Collin is a great guy, a really nice person, a family man. He worked harder than anyone I've ever worked with. He has great martial arts skills, and I was really proud that we got to shoot such a memorable fight scene together.
Martial Edge: In the last few years we have seen a move towards more realistic combat in movies such as the Jason Bourne series. With basing the fighting sequences on Mixed Martial Arts in Flashpoint is this a signal that Hong Kong Cinema is making the move towards this style of fighting?
Donnie Yen: I don't know about Hong Kong cinema as a whole. Personally, I'm a huge fan of MMA, and with Flashpoint, and SPL, I was trying to express MMA techniques in a cinematic setting. You have to apply the style that fits the script. My new film, Yip Man, is all kung fu fighting!
Martial Edge: Training for the movie must have been gruelling. What kind of fitness regime did you have in place to ensure that you were in top condition for the start of filming?
Donnie Yen: When I'm going to be shooting a specific scene, I train accordingly. Diet is very important in terms of how you look on camera. For the Flashpoint fights, I trained MMA techniques with my stunt team, combination kicks, punches, takedowns and so on. I do light weight training, more for function than bulk. Luckily, after all these years, my body responds pretty fast.
Martial Edge: Was training ongoing whilst on set?
Donnie Yen: No, I had absolutely no time to train on set. I was starring and action directing, so I barely had time to sit down!
Martial Edge: With Flashpoint you are teaming up with Wilson Yip again. What attributes as a director do you admire and what makes the partnership so successful between you both?
Donnie Yen: Wilson is a very calm person, very introspective. I tend to be more energetic, so that makes us a good team. I tend to focus on the specific scene, and he's very aware of the script and the story as a whole. We've just started Yip Man, which is our fourth film together, so something must be working!
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