We also see you are doing training
videos, what do you feel our readers
will get out of them?
Yes, they are very popular because I show my
personal training routines, À exibility, kicking,
punching, and self defence for everyone
regardless of your martial art style, age, or
ability. After training, and still training, for 50
years it is nice to share and help people with
their training.Although you have starred mainly in
martial arts movies, you are acting in
purely dramatic roles as well. How did
this come about and what do you feel
about them?
That’s right. I am now doing movies of all kinds.
MW Films Inc, who I am contracted to, liked
my acting and directing in my earlier movies.
Now they are giving me roles in supernatural,
western, science ¿ ction, action and dramatic
movies. I like the diversity of acting because it
truly challenges you to be another person and
show feelings that are not your own. Acting is
demanding and yet rewarding.Can you tell us more about the ¿ lms you
are working on now and how soon will
our readers be able to see them?
I am currently working on Fears – a
supernatural movie, Karate Spirit – a martial
arts movie, Matador’s Cape – a drama, After
the Thunderstorm – a SciFi movie, all to be
released late 2018 on NetÀ ex and dvd. The
locations for ¿ lming have included the UK,
Spain, Poland and USA.Thank you for your time, Gary.Impact: How did you get into the
martial arts movie business?
Gary Wasniewski: For many years students
and spectators thought
I should be in movies
showing my kicking skills
but I was always too
busy doing seminars and
training. I was doing a
seminar in Los Angeles
USA in 2005 and I was
approached by a Chinese/
American man who asked
me if had every thought about starring in a
movie? That man was Leo Fong Director/
Writer and personal friend of Bruce Lee.
How did you get involved with Bruce
Lee’s friend Leo Fong?
Leo Fong then invited me to his home and
showed me all the letters and photos from
his friend, the legendary Bruce Lee, I was
honoured to see all this. Leo then said he
was amazed at my seminar and looks and
wanted me to be the star in a movie. Leo
said after seeing me kick, “Your kicks are
like thunder and lighting, I would like you
to star in a movie which I will write and call
Thunderkick”.
Did Leo talk to you about Bruce Lee
and his eɣ ect on the martial arts ¿ lm
industry today?
Yes, he told me many stories about Bruce
Lee’s love of training and passion. Leo also
told me, “Bruce Lee would have loved to kick
like you!” I was very humbled and moved by
this.
Who inspired you to perform martial
arts in the movies?
Elvis Presley. In 1965, aged 10 years old I was
taken to see a movie called Roustabout. In
the movie Elvis beat up three guys and then
said, “That’s Karate,” I
thought this is great, as
it would help me ¿ ght
the bullies at school and
then I started training.What is your
speciality in action and acting that you
bring to the screen?
I think kicking skills in action and intensity in
acting.For martial arts action fans, the ¿ nest
moment in any action ¿ lm is the one-
liner. Do you get to say any in your
movies?
My favourite line is from my second movie
Kill Factor where I play a kicking cop, and
before I beat up three thugs taking drugs and
drinking I say, “Let me take you on another
trip without the pills and bottles! Down to the
city jail! How about that!”How much training and what type of
training do you have to do for your
movies?
Plenty, physically - À exibility, kicking,
sparring and speed punching and mentally- script learning, pausing, focusing and
expressing all kinds of emotion.
With a ¿ lm like Thunderkick, what was
your favourite moment?
Working with Leo Fong and Mel Novak
(Game of Death) and knocking out a
professional stuntman with one kick, who
before the ¿ ght scene said, “I like it rough and
I can take any kick”.PDUWLDODUWVLOOXVWUDWHG_
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