My experience of working with martial art action stars - Jean Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, Jackie Chan, Gary Daniels, Tony Jaa, Kane Kosugi and Donnie Yen - compared

I worked with Scott Adkins in Ninja II, doing a 2 min non-stop fight in a Dojo, so everything had to go perfect else we had to do another take. We had great workshops organised by Tim Man and Brahim Achabakkhe, and that's the place where I first met Scott. He spoke very nicely and it was interesting that we had a lot of things in common with our movie/life experience. Scott is very very sharp, kicks hard (but controlled), super nice, never quits, amazing endurance, really great moves.

Scott always takes time to talk to people and for me he's an example of how every actor should be as 'popular' (means people) .. be good with the people. Also he is in total balance great lifestyle and you just feel a lot of power/chrisma in him when you talk to him.
... I still remember the kicks which made me fly in Ninja II, I love it and to be honest. I became a real fan of Scott and I hope to have a bigger fight in a next movie.

To work with Jackie Chan was like winning a lottery as it was my first movie I ever played and I had to to the big end fight in Who am I? Jackie is very very experienced & fast and till now  the most demanding action Star I ever worked with. The team makes combo's 5 minutes before the shoot on the spot and you got to do it full speed, remembering your path, timing, rhythm, acting and precision of the movies as they got framed for the camera's.

That was not easy, especially when its your first movie. Jackie Taught me about Rhytm in fights, and many many tricks they use in action movies, like the powder they put on a shoe to make the impact better. Jackie had some pleasure with the bag of powder which he hit me with at the end of the fight. I still remember me going home getting all the hard bits out of my nose after the shoot. I have to be thankful to Jackie that he took the risk to take me and made a great end fight. When I was picking up with Jackies Rhythm during the shoot, Jackie gave me  a lot compliments and said if I was more experienced I will make it very far in the movie business and at the wrap party he said that the end fight was shocking good.
Jackie was my first and best teacher ever and every movie after Who am I ? was relatively easier, I couldn't have a better teacher in the beginning.


Working with Jean Claude Van Damme was exactly how I hoped the way he would be. He was very cool to me and my friend who had to do a fight in the garage in 'The Eagle Path'. Between the takes he gave us soft drinks, and told us to stand in the fan to get fresh air, he was really taking care of us. The choreography was nice and he had some effective hits on me. 

He took me and my friend Brahim to his trailer and he said a lot in French, later he asked me 'do you speak French?', I said... No..... that was a funny moment...  Van Damme is REAL, he has lots of life experience and I love to watch his behind closed doors series as the movie business is a very special business which is like a heartbeat. He had very powerful kicks and super controlled. JCVD changed the action movie industry in my eyes.

I always say.  Without Van Damme no MMA and No Tricking as the way they do it now. Think about it.

Working with Tony Jaa was a very special experience. The casting agent warned me that Tony Jaa would hurt me. I said really, come on ! I got small part in the end fight of Tom Jum Goong, aka Warrior King in which I got a kick the moon twist kick full in my face. Which was a great experience as it helped one bad teeth a little bit to go out faster a week later. They asked me if they could accept the kick in my face, and I said yes of course.  

Tony is always very humble en after every take always takes care. In between the takes, Tony Jaa just kept on training, doing handstands, yes even some breakdance. I did some moves to warm up in a corner on the set and he came to me to compliment. Tony Jaa is very tough can take loads of hits and gives it back. I actually prefer more impact in movie fights as you can feel it on screen as well. I really wish the best for Tony Jaa. Later I did a commercial for Thai fruit with Tony Jaa and I got a nice knee in the face. It was method acting, it all goes by itself. 

I love Tony Jaa... He put Thailand on the map as an action movie country and that's the reason why I live in Bangkok right now.

Gary Daniels I met already in previous movies like flight 777 and it was already great fun. Then in 2013 I had a shooting in London as a Serbian Mafia in Skin Traffikand I had quite a big acting scene and a nice fight scene later on with Gary. Gary is in one word fantastic to work with, he gave me loads of space in the acting scenes, and in the fight scene we could go quite tough as he is a real fighter as well.


He was hardening his knuckles in between days and we could hit each other quite well, the choreography was perfect for both of us and really we could go full blast... I still remember it and miss it actually.. Gary is a great friend and respect to him a lot. 

Hes super fit, trains very hard also in the days off and that's how everyone who wants to become an action actor should do. 

I met Donnie Yen in Germany for the Tv Series 'Der Puma' in 2000 (Yes 14 years ago) Donnie is a really a mastermind creating all the fight scenes, camera angles in no time. He all has it already in his mind. I learned a lot from Donnie. He first let us train in the gym and he studies the fighters and their best movies, some special moves and later he makes a fight based on these moves, with some techniques in between like keyframes of the fight. 


So the fight is totally optimized for the performer as some other choreographers just tell you what to do and thats based on what they can do and in my eyes totally wrong. So that was very cool because Donnie let me even do some crazy breakdance kicks in the fight, Thomas flare some table legs, doing some 1990's (kind of handstand rotation on one arm) and loads more. Donnie  taught me to be very sharp on set and always be standby. Also he had great assistants like Michael Woods and John Salvitty who is doing great fight scenes right now for action movies. Donnie told me about the golden scissors, that an action director always should pre edit his fight scenes before the real editor is allowed to touch it, so you keep quality control. That's why Donnie is where hes at now.. 

Also Donnie Joined some training and did like quidriple jump kicks on these bags in germany, I bet if these bags could talk they would say 'Pls give me a water'


Kane Kosugi known for his part in Ninja II and loads of Ninia movies in the past in which he was young with his father Sho Kosugi. I remember the scenes in Revenge of the Ninja (Bike scene with smoke), and then already he was an outstanding kid. Now older of course, he got loads of discipline, very very nice person to work with, super controlled, scissor sharp in movie fighting, perfect physique, and I tell you a very promising new Action Star. 


We did a big fight in Tekken II, sadly I cant tell abt the story as its not been released yet, but the shooting went super smooth, as we prepared very very well for the fight scene which was choreographed by Brahim Achabakkhe. He totally optimized us for what we can perform maximum, and we put loads of pressure attacking Kane in the fight to get the good matchmaking fx. 

This is a fight to look out for.