Diana...

I wanted to talk a little about my friend Diana.
Diana is a remarkable woman in many ways, she's pretty much martial arts royalty (being the daughter of Guro Dan Inosanto and the God-Daughter of Bruce Lee), she's a renowned martial artist in her own right, an accomplished fight choreographer and stunt-woman, an actress..the list goes on!

But it is Diana's work as a Writer-Director that I wanted to talk about...and what her film (The Sensei) means to me.
The Sensei is an amazing film, it's an Indie feature, but it looks and feels like a big budget drama/thriller. Tackling such topics as AIDS, Homosexuality, Bullying and Prejudice in 1985 - during the rise of the AIDS panic - and delivering a strong message about the healing power of martial arts and the courageousness of individuals who are willing to stand by their convictions in the face of abuse.

It's not a film about violence, it's a film about standing up to abuse and finding self respect. It's a subtle distinction but an important one. Sometimes you just have to draw a line in the sand!

It's powerful stuff and it has a very important message.
I talked to Diana a lot about the film and about my own fears and self-doubt (the legacy of my own bullying as a child and teenager).
Any film about such subjects cannot help but get a strong response from me, but I found The Sensei to be particularly moving and inspiring.
I believe very strongly in the healing power of martial arts and in the strong bond of friendship that can be formed by training and evolving alongside a person (something a friend of mine once described as a "Martial Family").
This film captures that perfectly.

I credit The Sensei as another one of the resons I found the nerve to make Is it 'cos I'm Fat and face my own personal demons.

It's amazing to think that just 9 months later I was in California, facing an opponent in a stick fight while Diana cheered at ringside!


She wanted to holler something suitably British to spur me on, so she shouted "Cheers" every time I hit the guy. How amazing is that?

I think Diana is an exceptional role model and a true spokeswoman for anti-bullying causes and I cannot put into words what the friendship and support of Diana and her husband (Ron Balicki) mean to me.
Therefore it was with great delight that I received mail from Diana last week informing me that she had been chosen to accept the American Courage Award from the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC)!

Diana will will join the rank of past recipients of the American Courage Award such as:

Lt. Dan Choi, Iraq veteran and LGBT activist who risked his career to stand up to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy

Mallika Dutt, Executive Director and Founder of Breakthrough, who works to address critical issues such as violence against women, sexuality and HIV/AIDS, racial justice and immigrant rights through today’s media and popular culture

Susan Ahn Cuddy the first Asian American woman to achieve the rank of officer in the U.S. Navy

And many, many more...

Diana remains a great inspiration to me as a film maker and a true friend.

On behalf of everyone who worked on Is it 'cos I'm Fat I'd like to send my congratulations to a truly remarkable woman.

Congratulations Diana, you deserve this...

Andy

To find out more about The Sensei, visit the official website

PDR Thoughts...

Primitive Urges...

BEFORE...

AFTER...


So, I was looking for a new challenge for 2011

This wasn't for a film, this was for me...so I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

You see when it boils down to it, I'm lazy and I love my creature comforts.
I like sitting on the sofa and watching movies, playing computer games and spending a weekend watching an entire box set of DVDs in one sitting...that's pretty much how I roll.

But what I've discovered over the last year is that I can't help but respond to a dare...
To start with I needed that camera in my face just to get the motivation and the peer pressure to get past my fears and train. However, the more I got into the challenge the more self-motivation I found.
I began to get a buzz out of testing myself and failing. It didn't put me off, it just made me relish the challenge.
If someone challenges me to do something it eats away at me until I just have to try!

I was just about the worst possible candidate to take part in a full contact stick fight and I knew it, yet that was kinda the fun bit....
And apart froma few aches and pains, I had one of the most awesome times of my life facing that challenge!
I'm a new man because of it!

So for 2011 I knew I needed something difficult, something kinda reckless and something rewarding to kick start my ass off the sofa and push back my natural default slobbiness.

I had started to develop as a sequel of sorts to Is it 'cos I'm Fat...I was writing a treatment for a new challenge that would push me even further.

I've been hugely inspired by my crossfit contacts and their Paleo diets, I've also been inspired by Tony and his PDR guys and their training, by Sticky and his insane running challenges and of course by Lynn and his truly unique warrior lifestyle...those ideas were kind of melding in my head into this new epic challenge that sounded cool, but scared the crap outta me - perfect!

For my sequel I had planned another adventure, this time involving unusual diets, extreme exercise and plenty of pain and humiliation as a fat nerd pushed himself further out of his comfort zone...all in the name of conquering my demons and changing myself for the better, you know the drill. The usual stuff ;)

So I was hunting for the funding to pay for it, looking for mentors and contacts to help me and trying to find angles to make the film, and nothing ever really took off, things were moving, but very very slowly...Then over Christmas it struck me that this was just another excuse! Another reason not to train. Another reason not to change.
My awesome film adventure of 2010 was becoming my safety net!
Before even considering doing something again I was looking for funding and commissioners and all that film stuff again...and in the meantime three months had passed.
I needed to just act!

So here I am...
Coming up to the end of January 2011 and phase one of my ridiculous new challenge has kicked into gear.

I've gone paleo.
For people who don't know what paleo is, check out the amazing work of Mr Robb Wolf or some of his contemporaries.
It's quite simply a caveman inspired diet, looking back to how we once ate to find ways of changing our future selves.
As a pretty much quintessential couch monkey with a pizza and coffee addiction it sounded suitably difficult and fascinating to get my attention.

I've changed my diet considerably, cutting out dairy products, caffeine, sugar, chocolate, pasta, bread and rice amongst other things. I've cut my food intake dramatically and learned to enjoy preparing meals rather than grabbing the nearest burger.
it's not been easy. I suffered from crippling migrains and nausea for the first week, getting lightheaded by just standing up. I thought I was making a terrible mistake.
But a few weeks in I'm feeling great. I have more energy and I'm more alert...it's working really well. But this is just the beginning!

At the advice of a few paleo experts I began exploring other sides to the caveman / tribal lifestyle...
I embraced the social aspects of being a paleolithic man
I'm hanging out with friends more, socialising, laughing and joking. I'm watching less TV (and when I do I treat it like "around the campfire time" only watching it with friends and loved ones. No solo-trips to the idiot box for me!).
I'm going to bed much earlier (and sleeping in a pitch black room with the help of an eye mask I kept from my flight to LA) and getting up much earlier...As a result my days are much longer and much more productive.
I'm relaxing whenever I can, chilling out and taking a deep breath and learning to savour the moments.

All very hippy sounding I'm sure, but after spending last year in high stress mode -between my high pressure job and then being made redundant from my high pressure job right in the middle of making a movie and being more physically and emotionally drained than ever before..it kinda added up! - I can already see the results in my complexion, posture and by the lessening bags under my eyes...
Life seems to be moving slower and I seem to be getting more done.
Pretty good for eating different foods and acting like Captain Caveman, am I right?

So what's next?
Well then there's the exercise...
Eating and sleeping and lounging around like a caveman is no good without exercising like one too.
I'm determined not to give up all of the aspects of the warrior lifestyle I embraced in 2010...though many of the opportunities that the film gave me are no longer there for me.
I don't have training partners or a dedicated space to throw axes and swing weights. I don't have a film budget to spend on training gear and trips to visit instructors.
I'm starting slowly...finding out what I can afford and I can achieve as an ordinary dude with no film as a safety net.
I need stuff that's difficult, that's intense, that's mentally as well as physically stimulating because thanks to my twisted personality I need something to stop me from being bored and something that's ridiculous for a fat guy to attempt...otherwise I know I just won't stick to it.

Like a wise man once said; life should be comforting, not comfortable.

1) Tony Blauer's SPEAR / PDR stuff seems like an amazing fit. As a behaviourally and genetically inspired system based on flinch responses I think it's a great thing for a budding caveman to explore. I loved training PDR and found every training session removed another layer of the damage that bullying did to me...it was like therapy with punches! I need more of this in my life

2) Kettlebells. Kettlebells training is amazing, and RKC Kettlebell training is even more so.
I've been lucky enough to make some amazing friends in the kettlebell community and I want to keep this going...
Lifting and swinging and twisting and stretching...that all sounds pretty caveman right?

3) Running...I'm a big fat dude. Running sucks for me. Therefore, in my usual psychotic way...I need to learn to run. :)

4) Martial Arts. I loved training with Lynn and the Cold Steel guys. they opened my eyes to the fun of training in martial arts. However, I have no idea what I'm going to train or where...This one needs some thought...

5) Throwing. I don't have a range any more but I've not lost my passion for chucking sharp things. I think everyone needs to try it...It's a satisfying way to spend an afternoon. I dunno how, but I plan to throw again...

6) what else? Oh you can bet there's more ridiculousness planned. I have to keep mixing it up or I'll quit...but I'm not giving it all away in one blog post.

More soon, I promise

Here's to 2011, new challenges, new horizons and looking backwards to move forwards!


thanks

Andy

SNAPSHOTS...

Well, 2010 is over....
It's been a life changing year for me in so many ways.
I thought it might be nice to share some more personal pics with you rather than the usual "promo" stuff.
The amazing thing about working with a crew made up of friends is that every photo seems personal and un-staged. It all feels very genuine and not at all posed...
However, these photos all have more of a sentimental effect on me.
They mean a lot.
I have literally hundreds of pictures in dozens of folders. I feel like much of this year has been lived through a lens, but these are some of my favourites...


Here's a snapshot in a hotel (one of many over the last year) with me, my co-Director and Editor Nick and Tony Blauer.
Tony has had a massive influence on me. He made me re-assess all the awful stuff that happened to me as a teenager in such a profound way that he literally changed my outlook on life. If anyone has been a victim of violence or bullying I really believe Tony and his teaching is the way forward. I can't praise him highly enough.


Me and Nick hit up Hollywood.
Nick was a good mate and frequent collaborator on all of my projects before we began Is it 'cos I'm Fat. He knew all of the Cold Steel stuff inside out and was one of the few people I believed was on the same wavelength as me.
The making of this film meant that Nick was with me pretty much all the time for 12 months. We drove each other insane and had plenty of crazy adventures along the way.
He's a true amigo
This photo was taken in California on our one day off in 7 weeks. We went to the airport to pick up my coach Ben. On the way we hit up the Hollywood sign and cruised around Compton.
An awesome day...


I love this photo. We had organised an "open-day" at my training space to promote the film. About 20 or so people came down and tried their hand at throwing axes and knives, stick fighting and lifting weights.
I had spent nearly 6 months training in that freezing cold warehouse, often on my own or with Ben or Nick for company. It was a pleasure to share that space with more people and have fun.



This is actually an old photo. My good friend Herod took this picture of Lynn and Ron after a boxing session in 2008 during the Life on the Edge shoot.
People only see the tough side of Lynn and Ron. I feel this photo shows the other side to that Warrior Lifestyle that they have chosen. These guys are buddies...lifelong frinds and training partners. There's no ego here, they just had a laugh and a good training session.



Phil doing his thing...
This is a great photo of my good mate and kettlebell coach Phil Earley.
A quiet and unasuming guy who made a massive impact on my life.
Phil was my first coach in the UK and I spent six months training just in kettlebells before I ever picked up a stick.
He saw me at my worst and was always there with words of encouragement.
A true warrior and dear friend, he has been a huge inspiration to me.
His NKC Kettlebell team and students have all become great friends and an extended family.



An incredibly serious photo with Luke LaFontaine.
Luke is an amazing swordsman and martial artist. He spent a lot of time training with me at Cold Steel and never once lost his patience with me.
He was a friendly face and an encouraging voice throughout my trip to the States and I have to say he really really inspired me.
Another great example of the true Warrior Lifestyle. You don't have to be scary to be tough. Luke was a lovely welcoming guy with a kind word for everyone...and he was hella tough!
It was an honour to train with him.



Me and Robert.
Robert is another old mate from Cold Steel.
He is a mountain of a man who can't help but kick your ass.
Robert is a big hearted, generous and funny dude who really made me feel at home at Cold Steel.
He has an awesome family and he's a great guy.
He spent a lot of time training with me to prepare me for the challenge.
I owe him a lot



Me on TV!
The premiere of Is it 'cos I'm Fat on TV was incredibly exciting.
A whole load of us live-tweeted questions and answers for the evening and chatted to people about the film.
We had a great response, particularly from Anti-Bullying Charities who really appreciated what we tried to achieve.
A great night



Knife Club!
I spent some time training with John and Richard at Knife Club and learned a lot.
If you look carefully, you can see that John is actually throwing 6" nails!
Me, Ben and the guys from Cold Steel UK spent a day learning to throw everything from knives to pliers!
A great training session and the chance to make some new mates
Richard actually competed (and excelled) at the Cold Steel Challenge. It was wonderful to see a familiar face when I was so nervous and it was amazing to see how well he did against international competition!



Bear Arm!
This is a snapshot of a display case that I took at the CLA Game Fair when hanging out with Cold Steel's UK distributers, Bear Arm.
Pete and Mark from Bear Arm supported me a lot throughout this journey. They provided all of my throwing axes, knives and shovels, but more importantly became really good mates.
I spent 4 days hanging out with them at the CLA, meeting people who buy and use Cold Steel products (hunters, farmers, tradesmen and gamekeepers for the most part).
I found it fascinating, and while it doesn't really fit into the story in the film, it was an interesting side journey for me.
The Bear Arm guys have become good long distance amigos. We met up again for Knife Club (learning to throw) and again at Sheffield Doc Fest where they came to support me at my official UK Premiere.
Great guys...



Me at Docfest!
Docfest was a blast. It's the biggest and best Documentary festival! It was a huge deal to be a part of the line up.
I was desperate to make an impact and I facebooked and tweeted for all I was worth!
It all got a bit surreal. Here's a photo of me taking a photo of my tweet on the docfest live twitter feed..I then posted that photo on twitter...I'm surprised we didn't dissapear into a wormhole.
I'm such a geek!
Docfest was awesome!



Asleep in LAX
Taken by Nick (I think, maybe Ben..I dunno) at LAX 48 hours after the Cold Steel Challenge.
At this point I had cracked ribs, damaged tendons in both arms, a twisted knee and a multitude of ridiculous bruises. I was so exhausted that if people didn't talk to me I would fall asleep there and then, wherever I was.
I had taken to carrying all my flight information around my neck in a little pouch in case I lost anything. I had to practically be led from plane to plane.
I was a mess
I wouldn't change a thing!



My view of Ben
I could write a whole blog just about the adventures that Ben and I went through over the last year..
It's been a crazy journey, but it's been a wild ride
Ben is an old friend who stepped up to a massive challenge, I owe him a lot.
This picture always makes me smile. The armoured up Creighton ready to take my head off with a stick. The gloomy fridge in the background...Happy Days!



Mum
It was really tough for me to interview my Mum for this film.
I had to really rely on Nick as my co-Director to handle that footage in the edit. It was all far too personal and I found it pretty upsetting.
My Mum has found this whole journey very difficult and still gets upset talking about it.
She couldn't understand why I wanted to do this and put myself in such a potentially dangerous position.
I'm glad she was a part of this film. She was right all along, I wish I'd listened to her when I was a kid...



Lynn
I would not have done any of this without Lynn.
He remains a massive influence on my life.
Lynn is sincere and very genuine about his Warrior Lifestyle. He is the most dedicated person I have ever met and he has devoted his entire life to this ideal.
I don't know why he took me under his wing and took the time out of his busy schedule to mentor me but I will never forget his kindness and generosity.
Lynn gets a lot of abuse on the internet and has more than his fair share of haters.
As someone who has lived and trained with him I can say he is as far from the thuggish aggressive dude that he is portrayed as than can be. A lot of what Lynn does seems outrageous and controversial to us in the UK, but I will continue to support and promote Lynn and his Warrior Lifestyle regardless of the flakk I get because of it.
I'd like to think Is it 'cos I'm Fat shows a different side to Cold Steel, and one that I think deserves more press.
It's not about fighting, it's about self respect.
Thanks Lynn...



Leonie
Leonie is the biggest part of my life.
She supported me through the low times making this film and encouraged me when things were going well.
She tolerated a production that took over our lives for over a year and she never once complained.
Having her by my side at the challenge was a really big deal for me. Just knowing she was at ringside cheering me on gave me the added confidence to face my demons.
This photo was taken just minutes after my last fight of the day.
She's my best friend and she's also my wife...
I'm a lucky guy

There are dozens more photos like this.
Ones that make me smile, ones that make me sad. Great people who took the time out of their busy lives to help a fat nerd.
I owe everyone a huge debt and I'm eternally thankful for thier generosity

Here's to 2011, new adventures and good friends
Stay safe

Andy

UK TV SCREENINGS...

Hi everyone!
The bruises are long gone and the injuries are healed. The film has been edited and delivered...
We've premiered at an international Documentary festival, had some great feedback and tried to spread the word about the film...and now, finally, Is it 'cos I'm Fat is about to hit UK TV!

The film is being screened on The Community Channel (SKY 539 / Virgin Media 233 / Freeview 87) on the following dates:

Mon 13 Dec - 20:30
Wed 15 Dec - 10:00
Wed 15 Dec - 16:00
Wed 15 Dec - 04:00
Mon 27 Dec - 20:00
Thu 30 Dec - 20:00

Tune in and let me know what you think of the film.

After a year and a half it's tough for me to be impartial. I've gone through a lot, both taking part in this film and in making it. It's tested my sanity, my friendships and my health to the limit and I'd like to think I've come out of this a better person.
I have no doubt in my mind that this was a worthwhile challenge...but has it made a good film?

Let me know what you think. Your opinion means a lot..


Thanks

Andy

TRAILER....

IS IT COS I'M FAT? premieres at Sheffield Doc Fest next Wednesday!
I'm ridiculously excited!
I hope people like it...

CHALLENGE PICS!

"No-one leaves uncut!" - Lynn C Thompson





Pictures by Cold Steel

The grade and mix finished late last night ladies and gents...the film is finished!
What a wild ride!
More news soon

Thanks

Andy