Martial Edge caught up with one of Britain’s biggest Martial Art talents in many a year, super woman Zara Phythian, over 13 times World martial arts champion in multiple disciplines such as Sport Kickboxing, forms, Weapons and the only British martial artist to date to be inducted in to the International Karate and Kickboxing hall of fame.
As you read on, you’ll understand why so many fellow artists feel that Zara has to be one of the busiest business and sports women around in the martial arts today, as she makes the transition from International martial arts athlete to one of the UK’s leading up coming action stars in the movies.
I learnt a lot from Chee and Mark Strange, especially the production side, but also the presence of acting, I should also mention Joey Ansah (from Bourne Ultimatum), we had a great battle on set, a lot of people have mentioned our fight as being so brutal, and it was for real. - Zara Phythian
Blessed with such stunning looks, Zara has mesmerised and impressed martial art masters and legends all over the world with her truly unique martial art skills, a knowledgeable and lethal female martial artist with a presence as soon as you meet her that pours out ‘legend in the making.’
Producer, Avone Keene (BBC), and Raw Force Productions recently followed Zara’s trip to Ireland as special guest at the WOMAA World Martial Art Peace Games as part of a TV documentary currently being featured about her called ‘ Looks Like A Model, Hits Like Bruce Lee’. At the event Zara once again received deserved awards being inducted in to the WOMAA hall of fame for her contribution to the Martial Arts and International Female Martial Artist of the year, along with receiving the WOMAA World diamond ring for still holding the incredible record as the only athlete to win World Triple Grand Champion Title at one event (Germany, 2005).
Nicknamed by a leading martial arts magazine, The UK’s powerful princess, we caught up with Zara on her return to England as she prepares for a calendar of live performances, appearances, workshops around the country, music video shoots, and two independent feature film shoots, all within the next two months.
Martial Edge: Zara first of all thank you for taking the time to talk us today
Zara: No problem, great site by the way.
Martial Edge: Ok, so, Martial Arts Athlete, Action Actor, but what many don’t realise, quite a successful business woman as well. You own a full time academy right? How’s Business?
Zara: Yeah, the personal best academy in Mansfield (www.personalbestacademy.com). It’s about 4,000 sq ft, I opened it 18 months ago now but only in the last 8 months have I really been able to concentrate on developing the business. It was a struggle at first especially with trying to build film projects at same time but I’ve finally found the right balance I hope. I’m fortunate to have great students and staff members as well as family support which have helped the academy grow, especially with me juggling two careers at the same time. The academy is open 6 days a week, sometimes 7 if we have a special workshop or event, so it’s quite demanding at times but worth it.
Martial Edge: What sort of thing do you teach there?
Zara: Well there are different programmes for different needs but basically with the children’s martial arts I developed a programme called CDK (Character Development Karate) which is a blend of Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Sport Karate fused together with a life skills and character development curricular. I took advice from my friends and business advisors at nest management in developing this programme for children aged 4 yrs up to 12 yrs, I’m really proud of the programme and how it’s beginning to make an impact within our community. With teens and adults I have various programmes such as Kickboxing, Moo Gong Ryu Tae Kwon Do and a new system developed by George and Mandy Johnston called Total Combat, a mix of JKD, Kali, Savate, Combat Submission Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Vale Tudo. The Total Combat system is taking over my school ha-ha, the adults love it, I love it, it’s so realistic and I’m fortunate to travel to Glasgow every couple of months to train with sifu George and Simu Mandy in developing my own skills within the system. We also have competition related classes such as Sport Weaponry, Xtreme Martial Arts, Point Fighting and Sport Kickboxing for those interested in national and international tournaments. We have a good team of athletes here, already with national, international and World titles in various aspects of sport martial arts.
Martial Edge: Wow, that’s one busy academy; surely you don’t take all the classes?
Zara: LOL most of them, when I can, but I have a great team of Instructors here like Vic ‘beast’ Marke, Tashi Lee Martin, my dad Andy Phythian and leadership team members Lisa Williams, Steffi Fernandes, Kerry Reeve and Colin Wilcock, without them I’d be lost for sure, it’s a very busy academy I just wouldn’t be able to run it all by myself.
Martial Edge: You’ve recently had the legend of kickboxing Benny ‘Jet’ Urquidez visit your academy which left a great impression on him, how was that?
Zara: A great honour. He was brilliant, still got the moves. I was fortunate to train with him twice as my friend Sensei Lee Charles, Benny’s UK Ambassador and Student organised a great tour. The students loved every minute of his workshop and he gave me a lot of good advice with regards my film career aspirations as well as my kickboxing format at the school. I’m hoping under the guidance of Lee Charles to help develop the Benny Jet UK system at my school and I’ve been able to implement many of Benny’s format in to our own curricular already.
Martial Edge: How did you break in to movie work?
Zara: By accident really. In 2005 I was competing at the USA National Title belt championships where I won their title belt and an indie film producer over there approached me and gave me his card. At first I didn’t think much to it, people prior to that had also shown interest in me doing some stunt or action sequence work for them but nothing came of it. Then when I returned to England I got a call from a UK producer wanting me for a music video, I really enjoyed the experience, and around the same time that US Producer emailed me offering me a non action co star part in a US Sci Fi film. At the time I was unsure, acting? Me? But they paid for me to go over for a few months; I spent that time obviously filming but also studying film fight choreography and indie film making and production. I made wonderful friends such as Shelia Wise (Actor) and Mike Reddy (Actor / producer) who helped me so much to make that transition to acting on set. The film was called Crops, not sure if it ever got released over there, but it was a great experience.
Martial Edge: So you didn’t have aspirations to act?
Zara: No, the thought of it a few years ago would have been crazy. But once we returned to England I was so hooked. It was weird, it seemed nothing could give me more of a buzz than competing abroad at International tournaments until this came along, I was so hooked, not only with acting but with the whole Indie film industry and the comparisons between US film making and UK film making. Once I returned I was quite surprised how much the screen fighter industry had been developed over here, I had never noticed it before quite simply because I wasn’t aware of it. Obviously my first love was still the martial arts, and always will be, but I love the film industry challenge, what it takes to make a film in front and behind the camera.
Martial Edge: So what happened after returning to England?
Zara: Well I still competed internationally, and at the same time got more small parts and some TV work and became aware of the growing interest martial artist’s had for screen action fighting and how to get involved. A lot of my time was taken up (and still is) in workshops around the country and USA teaching how to screen fight. After a couple of gigs I got a part in my biggest project so far, the UK’s no 1 indie martial art film, ‘Underground’ directed by Chee keong Chong. That was an amazing experience, and was the final reminder that I really wanted to get involved more in the industry.
Martial Edge: What did you learn on Underground?
Zara: I learnt a lot from Chee and Mark Strange, especially the production side, but also the presence of acting, I should also mention Joey Ansah (from Bourne Ultimatum), we had a great battle on set, a lot of people have mentioned our fight as being so brutal, and it was for real. Joey is probably one of Britain’s biggest talents in this industry and he’s always got time to give advice and help out, one thing I learned from Joey was the way he focused totally on his character, especially out of dialogue, he gave a presence, something I could relate to when competing and catching a judges eye prior to performance. Yes he is great at choreography and action but more importantly he is a very good actor, something I think many of us screen fighters don’t work hard enough on or understand. The whole team of fighters on the movie were just world class, it was amazing to have the opportunity with working with everyone and I can only hope to have another chance to work with those individuals again on other projects, Britain has such an amazing array of action actor talent. I also met Matt Rout ledge on set, and I’m hoping to work with him on a really cool actioner in the near future with him too.
Martial Edge: Most people who’ve seen Underground would agree the fight scene between you and Joey Ansah was quite memorable
Zara: I think all the fight scenes were brill in the film, and Underground set a new standard in UK Martial Art movie industry for sure. Our fight, yeah that was as gruelling as it looks, the story goes that some of the girls (production) turned their head away from the screens because it looked so real, it was a great bit of directing from Chee, and Joey and I really got in to it. If you check out the bruises on Joey on the following scene, they are nothing to do with make up hahahaha.
Martial Edge: It is said that you hit hard on set, is that true?
Zara: No harder than the other guys, but if you mean as a woman, yeah I expect to be hit and hit equally as hard as any fighter on set, so expect me to hit you as hard back, I believe in selling the fight for real, I get really annoyed sometimes especially when I see large budget movies and subconsciously the audience must be seeing that that female really couldn’t knock that guy down with that blow. If you want me to sell the kick, kick me hard. Going back to Underground, every fighter on that movie gave everything they had and more, why shouldn’t be the same for me, being a female has nothing to do with it, I was a fighter on set, like everyone else. Again it was a great experience working alongside and learning from all the screen fighters involved in that movie.
Martial Edge: You recently co produced and starred in Furor, can you tell us a little bit about that?
Zara: Furor was a non budget action thriller that was to help me, my partner Vic and best friend Rob Ho Yiu Fay learn how to develop a film from beginning to end, a kind of experiment before we took on the challenge of bigger things. Furor ended up being one amazing life experience for many of us involved in the film. The main cast had little if any experience, we had a 13 day shoot schedule in Glasgow, Nottingham, Mansfield and Bristol, no money, one camcorder and we wanted to complete the film final edit within a few months of the final shoot day. CRAZY! …it was really a truly memorable experience, everyone on set got on so well, friends were made for life, and a new production company was formed through it. Yes furor was non budget, but what went in to making it happen after so many people said it couldn’t be done was just outstanding. The actors, the crew, everyone involved just had this energy that sometimes you’d just forget it was non budget and think u were in a little piece of Hollywood. I remember watching the film at Cinema in front of a packed audience and realising that how captured everyone was, they were even coming out the cinema doing some signature moves from my characters fight with Rob Ho. I think what Vic did was amazing considering the resources. NB pictures and films were formed from this project, and I can’t wait to work on their first budgeted project.
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Martial Edge: So you are going to produce films as well?
Zara: Yes definitely, I like what Mark strange has done to develop his films out there, obviously I want to act, in as many projects I can get my teeth into, but yes I also want to develop some of my own film projects through as a producer too.
Martial Edge: What projects do you have coming up?
Zara: Film wise, I’ve just finished on a film with Peter and Heather Hallett of Utopia Pictures which I’m hoping to get a look at soon, I’ve done a couple of music videos for TV lately, and at present working on a new film called ‘NUI LUNG – A new Game of Death’ which I cant wait for, it’s the toughest fight schedule on film I’ve done, and hopefully will highlight George and Mandy Johnston’s total combat system through my character. Rob Ho and Vic are producing this one, and we have some amazing fighters lined up for it such as first film appearance of Russian martial artist and champion Vadim Kolganov and World Champion Lee Charles. I think this film is going to be something special within the UK Action Indie Industry
Another project I’m really excited about, which is coming up as well within these next few weeks is being involved in Cecily Fay’s ‘Babes with Blades’ show in London (www.babeswithblades.com ) When I got the call to work with Cecily and Helen Bailey I jumped at it, and after meeting them both for the first time at a rehearsal recently I’m even more excited, they are great martial artist’s and very creative women. Cecily has come up with a gem of a show, and I hope the UK martial art public will support this event as well as investors. I think people who attend the show will be amazed with what they see.
After that it’s straight back to film, I’m working on a horror film, yippee, a really nasty piece called Tribal, I’ll be co producing that one, so can’t wait!
Martial Edge: Zara thank you for taking time out of your obviously busy schedule for us.
Interviews 
Martial Edge caught up with one of Britain’s biggest Martial Art talents in many a year, super woman Zara Phythian, over 13 times World martial arts champion in multiple disciplines such as Sport Kickboxing, 
woman as well. You own a full time academy right? How’s Business?
screen fighter industry had been developed over here, I had never noticed it before quite simply because I wasn’t aware of it. Obviously my first love was still the martial arts, and always will be, but I love the film industry challenge, what it takes to make a film in front and behind the camera. 
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