Jino Kang Interview
Jino Kang, martial artist and film-maker, talks to Flash-Bang about the making of his film, Fist 2 Fist (formerly known as Hand 2 Hand)...What is your martial arts background? Jino Kang: My father is a Grand Master and it was his legacy to pass down Hapkido to me, so you can say I was born into it. Back in Korea, when I was a toddler, on daily basis my uncle, who was a 5th Dan Black Belt, used to take me to the studio on his bicycle early in the morning when I was still a sleep and I would wake up in the studio with the dobok (gi) already on. My father and his disciples would be training and I would mimic them. When I was ready to receive my black belt in Hapkido (at age 18), my father said: go get a black belt in another style and then I’ll give you a black belt in Hapkido. So I pursued Kyokoshin-Kai Karate and received a black belt in 4 months. Afterwards my father awarded me a black belt in Hapkido and we opened our first school in Concord, CA in 1981. Since then, I have consistently trained in Hapkido and other Martial Arts. Currently, I'm training to get my black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. 
After years of studying the various arts, I founded a style known as Hapki-Jitsu which incorporates Hapkido, Judo, BJJ and Muay Thai. I am currently teaching Hapki-Jitsu at my school, Hapkido USA, in San Francisco and the UFC Gym in Concord, CA.MARTIAL ARTS TITLES: California State Championship – Grand Champion San Francisco Karate Championship – 1st Place Interstate National Championship – 1st Place All California Dynamic Open Championship – 2nd Place MARTIAL ARTS RANKS: Hapkido – 7th Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do – 1st Degree Black Belt Kyokoshin-Kai Karate – 1st Degree Black Belt Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – Brown Belt How did your interest in making a movie develop? JK: Back in the early nineties, I entered a tournament competition and the winner got a part in an upcoming Martial Arts movie. Anyway, I won the tournament and I was cast in Leo Fong and Ron Marchini's "Weapon of Choice". The experience got me hooked. I enrolled at College of Marin's film department and learned the craft of film making. While attending school, my partner and I finished the script "Blade Warrior" and began shooting this no-budget film. Several years later, we finished the film and got it released. It was a huge learning experience, a rollercoaster ride from the elation of finishing a film to the murky depths of dealing with the business side of distribution. How did you go about casting for the film? JK: Bill Duff auditioned via DVD when I posted on the SAGIndie site for Hand 2 Hand (which is now titled Fist 2 Fist). He was still filming the "Human Weapon" TV series and couldn't come to the live audition. But it worked out well. I liked his massive presence (6'5" and 275 pounds of brawn) and his delivery. When he showed up on the set, he was thoroughly prepared - a true professional. Also, as I was researching the materials for the film, I got involved with the renowned Charles Gracie of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, as well as other luminaries like “Judo” Gene LeBell, Armando Ramos (Muay Thai world champion), Eddie "Twister" Bravo, Tim Lajcik (UFC veteran), and many up and coming fighters. They were very gracious and affable. It was a pleasure to shoot them. 
What obstacles did you have to overcome during production?JK: Locations! Locations! Locations! I had to jump through hoops of fire to get some of the locations. One time I had literally 100 people for a shoot and we got shut down because the location supervisor did not get the proper permissions. That was tough and expensive. Getting permission from the state for the Solano Prison shoot was rough as well. I had to claw through the bureaucracy and red tape to get the necessary permit. Even though we had done the necessary preparations months in advance, I literally didn't get the permission until just hours before the shoot. How long did it take to work out the fight scenes? Was it a singular vision or did the participants have ideas about how they would play out? JK: For each fight scenes, we rehearsed at least a couple of time before the shoot. Most players were real fighters so I didn't have to coach them too much. It was a singular vision with multi-interjection from the guys. I wanted to include many eclectic Martial arts as possible, so during the audition, I looked for people's talent, style and strength. For instance, my fight with philippe, who is a Tae Kwon Do Black Belt and my Hapkido student as well, I wanted to include fancy high kicks, so that was incorporated. For my fight scene with Bill, who has a multiple background in MMA and wrestling, so MMA effloresced naturally. The fight scenes are my favorite part of shooting and everyone had a blast filming it. You will see a myriad of styles represented in Fist 2 Fist. Fist 2 Fist has a great central premise - the need for redemption and how that is manipulated by Tokyo Joe - where did that idea come from? JK: I think when we muse about our lives, we often think, if we had the chance to re-do something, we would jump at that chance. I have made many mistakes in my life and if I could have that magic pill for atonement, I would without a doubt swallow it. Of course, nothing to the level of Ken's mistake, but I had to make the story interesting. So on that note, I wanted to tell a tale of redemption. It’s about a guy who made a serious error in judgment and how he is haunted by the pain – reliving it every day. Ken’s former best friend, Tokyo Joe, is diabolical. Tokyo Joe is able to exploit Ken's weaknesses to gain the superior position and carry out his vengeance. 
What would you say your influences were in both film and martial arts? JK: I wanted to tell a good story using exciting visuals and authentic Mixed Martial Arts. When I was a kid I was deeply inspired by classic films such as Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Sanjuro. These films made an indelible impression on me, and this is what I hoped to bring to Fist 2 Fist . During the 70's through the 90's, a lot of Martial Arts films were made, but without plot, substance, or integrity. I believe this branded Martial Arts films as "B" movies, causing them to be shuffled under the rug by audiences and film distributors alike. Great films such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon brought back the engaging story, compelling characters, and fantastic action sequences. On the other hand, my life-long training as a Martial Artist would not allow me to point the camera at "fake fighters" - actors taught just enough for each shot, so that an editor can later cut together a "shaky–cam fight." Every character in Fist 2 Fist who fights is played by an experienced Martial Artist, a seasoned competitive fighter, or has been trained by me to fight at the level appropriate to their character. As a Martial Artist, I believe in never-ending improvement. As a filmmaker, I believe in quality filmmaking. Even on our shoestring budget (compared to the mega budget Hollywood films), I think we were able to capture the characters’ internal struggles, along with some amazing fight sequences. I hope the audiences enjoy the film and it inspires them just as the classics did for me. Are you planning to make another movie? JK: I do have two finished scripts, “Trained to Kill” and “Tenderloin”, which are slated for much bigger budgets. I’m also scripting Fist 2 Fist II. I would like to start pre-production in early fall, but as always, this will depend on the funding. Many thanks to Jino for his time in answering our questions! Fist 2 Fist is available now in the UK and Europe from your usual stockists. Check out our
review!
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