Cradle 2 The Grave Jetli.com Interview Part4Jet Li
Mark Interview
Jetli.com
DATE: 2003/02/24
URL: Jetli.com
mark dacascos - part 4
Jetli.com: What in your life keeps you driven? What underlying experience or philosophy creates in you the desire to improve and progress as a martial artist, actor and human being?
Mark D.: Well, you know I think one of the ... it's a huge question though. Okay, I will try to make is as concise as possible.
My family, my friends, my teachers, help me grow ��
The wonderful thing is, I've been so fortunate because I feel that I've had so many wonderful actual teachers that have been wonderful people. For example I have Jiang Hao Quan and I went to his birthday party a few months back. He turned 86 years old. This man is 86 years old, from mainland China, and he can still do the splits. He's been married one time �� he has a bunch of kids �� he still practices and teaches martial arts. He is such a warm, gentle and kind human being. He's my teacher and grandfather wrapped in one. A lethal grandfather because if you don't do it right he'll kick your butt. But it's wonderful you know?
"I've been so fortunate ... I've had so many wonderful actual teachers ... " And I've been fortunate that I've had my mother, Malia -- she's the mother that raised me. I have two moms. One is Moriko McVey, she is my biological mother. But Malia Bernal, she's my father's second wife - she raised me. She's a very strong, motivated person and a wonderful martial artist, but she was level-headed all at the same time. She trained me a lot of the time. She taught me how to be disciplined and to work hard. That was her way of showing me that if you want to do something, you have to do it yourself. You have to train hard, whether that be academically, in business, martial arts �� y'know?
My father, Al Dacascos, is to me an incredible martial artist, and also a very kind and loving man. It seems that the people who are really good at what they do are also the nicest. Because they're so secure. They don't pretend. They're from the heart. Like Jet! He's so nice. He's sitting down in his chair, talking, he looks like a little kid. And then you see him "HAIYAIAIII!" and he kicks butt, you know what I mean? It's like that.
So I just feel like I've had so many wonderful teachers and just meeting Coach Eric and Debbie Chen in January was Serendipity. I was looking for someplace that was closer than the location of Teacher Jiang Hao Quan's school, because now I have a baby and a wife so I don't have the time to drive the distance, and also I can't train on the weekends -- I need some family time. So I went on the websites and I asked people and one of my good friends, Mike Yee, who is also a student of Teacher Jiang, he recommended that I check out Coach Eric and Debbie's. And I went down there and I was just blown away. I thought it was just incredible. Number one, they are two very kind people. Number two, they teach very disciplined, regimented classes. Three, the skill level is just amazing. And four, they have classes during the weekdays so I can still have family time during the weekends. And that was the problem with Teacher Jiang's. I love being his student and training with him, but between work and training I need time for my family. I needed to have the weekend so I needed to switch.
Mark in a scene from Cradle 2 the Grave And the thing is, I look for teachers that can obviously teach and do their stuff but have a heart. Because I think that's more important than the kick or punch. - to have a heart. So that's why I've gone out and searched. And my teachers have been a huge inspiration and motivating factor. I'm still in contact with my Capoeira teacher, Amen Santo, who taught me for the film Only the Strong.
And Jackie, Bruce and Jet. There's not a day that goes by when I train when I don't think of one of them or all three of them. Because watching their movies it's like 'wow' �� you know we were all teenagers once. Jet was a big reason why I went to Taiwan. I was going to be a monk. I saw Jackie and Jet do all these things and I wanted to be like them in the movies. It was a childhood fantasy. I've been a huge fan of these men, so for me to be sitting in a trailer with you, and you designed Jet's website, and I'm getting beat up by him -- It's amazing. It's amazing. It's one of those things in your life that just as a person and as an actor -- it's one of those pinnacles in my life. It's like "wow", and I tell my friends and they're like "Wow, you're working with Jet Li!" And I feel the same way! I tell them because I'm excited. And they get excited because I am. So you know, it's one of those moments.
... I say "wow" a lot, don't I?
So Jet, and Jackie and Bruce have been huge motivational factors. People don't get good like that by just training half-assed, a couple days a week. No! You put your blood and soul into it. These guys have been a motivational factor -- In everything. In acting, in martial arts, in trying to be a good human being and a good husband and father. Now I'm not saying I'm hitting all of those things, but I'm trying. I'm trying.
Did I hit any of the answers?
Jetli.com: Yeah ... that was good.
Read Part 5 ...
Mark Interview
Jetli.com
DATE: 2003/02/24
URL: Jetli.com
mark dacascos - part 4
Jetli.com: What in your life keeps you driven? What underlying experience or philosophy creates in you the desire to improve and progress as a martial artist, actor and human being?
Mark D.: Well, you know I think one of the ... it's a huge question though. Okay, I will try to make is as concise as possible.
My family, my friends, my teachers, help me grow ��
The wonderful thing is, I've been so fortunate because I feel that I've had so many wonderful actual teachers that have been wonderful people. For example I have Jiang Hao Quan and I went to his birthday party a few months back. He turned 86 years old. This man is 86 years old, from mainland China, and he can still do the splits. He's been married one time �� he has a bunch of kids �� he still practices and teaches martial arts. He is such a warm, gentle and kind human being. He's my teacher and grandfather wrapped in one. A lethal grandfather because if you don't do it right he'll kick your butt. But it's wonderful you know?
"I've been so fortunate ... I've had so many wonderful actual teachers ... " And I've been fortunate that I've had my mother, Malia -- she's the mother that raised me. I have two moms. One is Moriko McVey, she is my biological mother. But Malia Bernal, she's my father's second wife - she raised me. She's a very strong, motivated person and a wonderful martial artist, but she was level-headed all at the same time. She trained me a lot of the time. She taught me how to be disciplined and to work hard. That was her way of showing me that if you want to do something, you have to do it yourself. You have to train hard, whether that be academically, in business, martial arts �� y'know?
My father, Al Dacascos, is to me an incredible martial artist, and also a very kind and loving man. It seems that the people who are really good at what they do are also the nicest. Because they're so secure. They don't pretend. They're from the heart. Like Jet! He's so nice. He's sitting down in his chair, talking, he looks like a little kid. And then you see him "HAIYAIAIII!" and he kicks butt, you know what I mean? It's like that.
So I just feel like I've had so many wonderful teachers and just meeting Coach Eric and Debbie Chen in January was Serendipity. I was looking for someplace that was closer than the location of Teacher Jiang Hao Quan's school, because now I have a baby and a wife so I don't have the time to drive the distance, and also I can't train on the weekends -- I need some family time. So I went on the websites and I asked people and one of my good friends, Mike Yee, who is also a student of Teacher Jiang, he recommended that I check out Coach Eric and Debbie's. And I went down there and I was just blown away. I thought it was just incredible. Number one, they are two very kind people. Number two, they teach very disciplined, regimented classes. Three, the skill level is just amazing. And four, they have classes during the weekdays so I can still have family time during the weekends. And that was the problem with Teacher Jiang's. I love being his student and training with him, but between work and training I need time for my family. I needed to have the weekend so I needed to switch.
Mark in a scene from Cradle 2 the Grave And the thing is, I look for teachers that can obviously teach and do their stuff but have a heart. Because I think that's more important than the kick or punch. - to have a heart. So that's why I've gone out and searched. And my teachers have been a huge inspiration and motivating factor. I'm still in contact with my Capoeira teacher, Amen Santo, who taught me for the film Only the Strong.
And Jackie, Bruce and Jet. There's not a day that goes by when I train when I don't think of one of them or all three of them. Because watching their movies it's like 'wow' �� you know we were all teenagers once. Jet was a big reason why I went to Taiwan. I was going to be a monk. I saw Jackie and Jet do all these things and I wanted to be like them in the movies. It was a childhood fantasy. I've been a huge fan of these men, so for me to be sitting in a trailer with you, and you designed Jet's website, and I'm getting beat up by him -- It's amazing. It's amazing. It's one of those things in your life that just as a person and as an actor -- it's one of those pinnacles in my life. It's like "wow", and I tell my friends and they're like "Wow, you're working with Jet Li!" And I feel the same way! I tell them because I'm excited. And they get excited because I am. So you know, it's one of those moments.
... I say "wow" a lot, don't I?
So Jet, and Jackie and Bruce have been huge motivational factors. People don't get good like that by just training half-assed, a couple days a week. No! You put your blood and soul into it. These guys have been a motivational factor -- In everything. In acting, in martial arts, in trying to be a good human being and a good husband and father. Now I'm not saying I'm hitting all of those things, but I'm trying. I'm trying.
Did I hit any of the answers?
Jetli.com: Yeah ... that was good.
Read Part 5 ...
