hybrid academy

THE HIT LIST – July 20, 2015

Well, I’m certainly proud after last night. I don’t get to have too many adventures with stunt professionals, but when I do, they’re all inarguably some of the most fun experiences I continue to have. I guess I can only hope to share those experiences with even more people I include in the weekly Hit List…for now though, distance and affordability are my disadvantages. But that doesn’t stop me from bringing the action where it is, so… …let’s get this shindig started with a new playlist of stunt and action demo reels. The names here include Alfred Hsing, Bonnie Pisciotta, Janelle Beaudry, David Ausem, Michelle DeMond, Petra Sprecher, Alvin Hsing and Julien Briau. I thought I’d advance things a bit with the inclusion of a couple of parkour videos this week since content is a bit low. Plus, sometimes I do include freerunning videos to spice things up seeing as […]

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Hybrid Academy Unleashes Its 'Wrath' In A New Campaign Video

Lee B. Golden III

The folks over at Glasgow-based Hybrid Fight Academy are continually putting out some impressive independent skits to further showcase the athletic, stunt and screentalents talents of its students, along with its instructors, George Johnston and Mandy Bhari. As the two continue their long-running practice of instructing their pupils with a variety of martial arts styles incorporated in their brand of hybridized training, they have also incorporated screenfighting classes in their syllabus and are open to teaching anyone with a shared interest in fight design and action performance, which brings us to their latest campaign video, Hybrid Fight Academy Wrath – Part 1, shot and edited clean and crisp by the folks from Controlled Image. The two companies recently collaborated on several short videos before during the year, including Trapped and Hybrid, featuring Bhari and Johnston respectively. The latest video showcases the two demonstrating choreography and coordination, along several brief confessionals […]

Mandy Bhari Fights Her Way Out In The New Hybrid Academy Promo, TRAPPED

Lee B. Golden III

Actress, martial artist, instructor and stuntwoman Mandy Bhari is back with the folks from the UK’s Hybrid Academy in the new promotional shortfilm, Trapped. The shortfilm is their fourth collaboration with Stirling-based film and photography studio since July, and their second after recently airing their first shortfilm venture, Hybrid, with fight choreographer and instructor George Johnston, and stunt performers David McCallum and Alan MacEwan. It’s a pretty good shortfilm that showcases more of what the independent industry has to offer when it comes to action, particularly with cinematography courtesy of Miroslaw Czubazek. It also makes for a great self-defense dramatization, even though most instances won’t be as filmic and would require less camera-friendly techniques. In that case, that’s where Hybrid Academy comes in, so feel free to drop them a line and get in touch with Hybrid Academy if you’re in the Glasgow area want some lessons. In the meantime, […]

George Johnston Takes Out Two Armed Cops In New Mini-Fight Short, HYBRID

Lee B. Golden III

35 years martial arts veteran, 14-year instructor and aspiring actor and fight choreographer George Johnston took to the web on Saturday to share a small gem he worked on with a fellow instructor and student from his Glasgow school, Hybrid Academy. Shot a few weeks ago, his latest mini project, Hybrid showcases a small taste of what he teaches at his school, on par with his own vision for action direction and stunt fighting. The project is his third stint at screenfighting and choreography since last year, having previously coordinated the stuntwork in the 2012 shortfilm release, Rough House starring actress, martial artist, stunt performer, fellow Hybrid Academy instructor and avid Bruce Lee fan, Mandy Bhari. The clip is very short at about a minute and a half, shot just a few weeks ago well under an hour, but remains nothing short of convincing that with the right crew, budget […]

Mandy Bhari Fights Her Way Out Of Captivity In ROUGH HOUSE (2012)

Lee B. Golden III

Mandy Bhari has been practicing martial arts for over 25 years. She co-owns and operates the Hybrid Academy Of Martial Arts in Glasgow where students practice physical fitness, learn self-defense and ultimately train in the same field of martial arts philosophy founded on the inspiring principles founded by the late iconic martial arts legend and Jeet Kune Do founder, Bruce Lee, of whom Mandy is also a devoted fan. Having just recently gotten back into acting in the last few years, Mandy is also an accomplished stuntwoman and actress who applies her versatility while engaging in screenfighting workshops with her students, choreographing and executing skits, and even shooting shortfilms. I recently managed to catch one of Mandy’s shortfilms by writer/director Johnny Herbin, Rough House, where she served as the producer and starred as the main actor along with fight choreographer George Johnston’s stunt team. I got to talk to Mandy […]