About a week ago I came across an intriguing poster for what looked like a piece of cinema in the works. I ultimately contacted the man featured on it, actor, martial artist, instructor and innovator, avid Bruce Lee and Van Damme fan and native New Yorker, Paul Mormando who is currently working on the production for his upcoming webseries, Double Fist, in which he will also use as a plarform to further showcase his own martial arts system, Cha Ki Do. It also turns out he has his own wikipedia page, which intrigued me even further. So I traded emails with him last week to learn more about him.
Paul Mormando: I started training in the martial arts when I was about 12 or 13. I was a very small, skinny kid and extremely shy, so that made me a perfect mark for bullies. After watching Bruce Lee, who was a small guy in stature, take on and beat opponents bigger than him, I decided, it was time to learn how to defend myself, or feel sorry for myself for the rest of my life. So that began my passion, or as my friends say my OCD of the martial arts.
PM: I am a huge JCVD fan. I love his kicks and his finesse with them. You already know that Bruce Lee was my favorite, but unlike most people, I respected his martial arts side as opposed to his acting.
PM: I really had no idea that I wanted to be an actor. I loved martial arts films and I was a huge fan but never thought of being in one. Then one day I was doing a demo for one of my martial art programs, and the editor of the local paper covered my performance, I was jumping some live swords, he liked it and decided to use it for a cover, and then a manager by the name of Ruben Malaret caught it and decided to represent me. Then the acting bug began.
PM: That was great, it was my first small role, and I was cast by Keith Strandberg, the director/producer of No Retreat No Surrender, the vehicle that started JCVD.
I learned a lot and at that time I was a great martial artist, and not so great at stunt fighting, so when I got hit, my reactions were very stiff. So working with the Hong Kong team that they brought over was a great learning experience. But the shooting and the work was very tough, we filmed that one scene for two days!!!
PM: Cha Ki Do is the name of the martial arts style that I created. It is similar to Sigung Bruce’s JKD, in JKD it’s all about self expression, which is fine, but JKD has very little structure, and is all about the student finding what works for he/she.
Cha Ki Do incorporates the same 4 ranges of fighting, Boxing, Kicking, Grappling and Trapping Range, only it’s more systematic, making it a little easier for the student to learn and adapt to. Cha Ki Do started off as a derivative of Tae Kwon Do & Boxing and later incorporated Ju Jitsu, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, Muy Thai, and Wing Chun/JKD…if it works we use.
When I created Cha Ki Do, I was a young martial artist with a passion, and a desire to improve on what was already taught to me by the old masters, I guess change is not easy for traditionalists, so they fought me left and right, and attacked my age, but they couldn’t prove me wrong, and now everyone practices mixed martial arts. So Bruce was the grandfather of MMA, and helped us see the light, and I like to feel like I help contribute to that movement, especially if you read my past articles, I was doing this in the late 80’s early 90’s UFC didn’t come into our lives till the mid 90’s.
PM: Double Fist is a modern day version of the Karate Kid, only Urban Style. It follows the story of an ex military man, and his relationship with a street kid, and the series follow how the relationship materializes into something great.
I can’t give you too much detail as there are many twists, and some of the plot is quite complex. I believe the audience will enjoy it and will not see it as just another remake of the karate kid. The project is designed for the whole family, but adults will enjoy the deep storyline, and the kids will learn lessons from it.
PM: Growing up there were three movies that I watched the hell out of, Rocky, The Karate Kid and No Retreat No Surrender. As a kid who was bullied and the underdog, those films inspired me, motivated me and compelled me to succeed.
I want to do the same with this generation, I love kids and I want to help them by being a positive role model. Too many people of authority exploit their fan base but don’t share the proper message, I intend to change that!
PM: No not at this moment, but you never know in the future.
PM: Not sure, I have a great, great team!!! My producer Leonardo Sanderson and my wife/producer Anna Mormando are putting their heart and soul into this with me, so we hope to make enough noise in Hollywood to bring it to the next platform, so I am passionate about this project, and would love to see this on a cable network, on a weekly basis.
PM: Yes there will be plenty of martial arts in the series, Cha Ki Do is a martial arts theory/system, so there are no real true martial arts techniques that are just Cha Ki Do, but you will get a feel for what it is.
My fighting style on screen, will resemble my mentor Bruce Lee, his intensity was second to none. That’s what I take from him, his intensity in a fight scene, other than that, you will see me flow into different martial styles, as I have a deep appreciation for them all.
PM: Never give up!!! Never ever give up!!! The martial arts taught that if you want something bad enough you set a goal and work for it (like earning your black belt) so I owe all my success to the martial arts, without the arts, I would be nothing.
PM: My school is located on 4626 Flatlands Ave Brooklyn, New York, and my website is www.mormandomartialarts.com; www.doublefist.tv will be the home for the new series.
