Everyone has heard of the six degrees of separation (aka the Human Web) right? refers to the idea thateveryone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in six steps or fewer. It was originally set out by Frigyes Karinthy and popularized by a play written by John Guare. {1} quoted from Wikipedia.
Well it is because of my love for martial arts cinema that I have somehow gained access to the worlds greatest martial artist past and present. You might be thinking that I am nuts, or seriously off my gourd, but I will explain it for you in a way that is easy to understand.
For example. Take Nathan Masters and Loren Avedon. Nathyn is a film maker from Chicago who when
making films who casts Chicagoans for cast and crew. When he was working on Wages of Sin, he had a young and talented martial artist named Shawn Bernal working with him as an actor/fight choreographer. Me and Shawn became friends over the years. As for Nathyn, well he is the exec producer of my first film, and was one of the first to read the screenplay. That's saying something. Here is where it gets interesting.
From Nathyn or even better from Shawn. I can trace a line though not close, to virtually any superstar within six steps. Say Jean Cluade Van Damme for instance. Well the breakdown would be like this.
Shawn to Ming Na (episode of ER) Ming Na to JCVD (Street Fighter the movie)
Now for my second six degrees list. I go with one of my favorite and most inspirational martial artist. Loren Avedon starred in two particular films that really impressed me back in the nineties. Enough that I would watch one of them when ever it came on Channel 50 on Fridays. That film was called No Retreat No Surrender 2. "Tell him to try his mother." was one of my favorite lines. Well over the years, I'll never forget how much I enjoyed that movie, definitely better than the first which incidently was one of the first films to star JCVD. Since I was a fan and appreciated Loren's work, I reached out to him. Loren being the great guy he is, reached back. I was able to add him as a friend on facebook.Now here is how my connection to Loren reaches all the way to others in the martial art cinema hall of fame
Bruce Lee...
Loren to Cynthia Rothrock in NRNS2. Cynthia to Richard Norton, Richard Norton to Jackie Chan, Jackie Chan to Bruce Lee.
I could go on and on, but you see the connections.
Many of the best martial artist past and present have either worked together or worked with someone who worked with someone else. Either as an actor or a stunt performer.
For instance...
Recently I was able to add Lateef Crowder to my friends list because of some of my other FB friends.
Lateef has worked with in recent memory...Tony Jaa in Tom Yung Gong, Micheal Jai White in Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, Scott Adkins in Undisputed 3, Gary Daniels, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and John Foo in Tekken. I mean the list goes on and on.
All of these great martial artist through a few connections on a website meant to bring connect people.
How great is that?
I'm curious as to how Social Networking has put you closer to the people that you admire. If you have a story to share then leave a comment below.
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