The Life of Tony Jaa
Coming from a humble background and facing challenges along the way, Tony Jaa is a martial arts expert and rising movie star. Some would say this occurred against incredible odds... Born on February 5, 1976, Jaa came from a modest family of rice farmers and elephant trainers. Trivia buffs might be interested in knowing that Tony Jaa's real name is Panom Yeerum but the shorter name is easier to remember. Since elephants were always around, Tony gained jumping skill by leaping onto the backs of the tinier elephants. Perhaps this was his first step toward building the courageousness, flexibility, acting, and martial arts skills that would lead to his fame.
Tony Jaa was so dedicated that he practiced for hours both before and after school. Once he saw the movie, Born to Fight, Jaa knew that he had to find a way to meet the Thai stuntman, Panna Ritikrai, director of the film. He not only met him but ended up collaborating with him, although he had to do basic jobs first. These included doing whatever was needed, from cleaning sets to carrying water and other tasks. 
By the time he was 21, he decided to study at a special school for martial arts, learning everything from Tae Kwon Do to Muay Thai. As he moved into doing stunt work for films, he incorporated Thai fighting skills into his work. He mixed them with the gymnastics and martial arts required for these films. He became president of a martial arts club at college (Swordplay) and worked as a stuntman in several films as he finished college. Films included Mortal Kombat 2, Gang Guatak Guan, and many others. Then came the movie Ong Bak. In order to get ready for Ong Bak, Tony Jaa had to reach a newer level of martial arts. He had to study Muay Thai for years just to get ready to work in the film. This took a deep sense of commitment and dedication to his work. While many stuntmen play it safe and have hidden wires or other methods to provide back-up if something goes wrong, Jaa refuses to do so. He doesn't use wires or stunt doubles or even special effects, even though he started out as a stunt double. Instead, he takes pride in doing his own stunt work. It is no surprise that Ong Bak was a major hit, perhaps in part to Tony Jaa's clearly authentic stunts and the passion he brought to his role in the movie. A sampling of Jaa's incredible work ethic is revealed in his usual daily schedule. In addition to waking up by 6 am (and usually 5 am), he spends eight hours a day training, taking time out to meditate or do some running. Interestingly, he does not weight lift. What lies ahead for Tony Jaa? He has made an appearance in The Bodyguard and finished the movie Tom Yum Goong. He has also shot Warrior King and The Protector. He is working on Ong Bak 2. No matter what he does, his passion to spread the love of Thai culture through Muay Thai Boran martial arts are a constant reality Have A Comment About This Topic?SHARE IT! Back to "Homepage" from "Tony Jaa"
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