[2012.12.04] THE GRANDMASTERS TURNS CHANG CHEN INTO A MASTER

courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of mingpao.com

The film THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) will not open until early next year. Chang Chen trained hard in kung fu for this film. Earlier he participated in the national Bajiquan contest in Changchun and won a top prize. He went from studying kung fu for a movie to truly winning a martial art award.

Chang Chen half a year before making THE GRANDMASTERS in 2009 visited Master Wang Shiquan and he was asked whether he truly wanted to study or only make poses for the movie. He said that he truly wanted to train and began his journey of studying Bajiquan for 3 years. In a small Beijing forest everyday for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening he trained in all types of weather. After the age of 30 he had to stretch and he was in so much pain that he was in tears. Chang Chen joked that he held back in front of Tony Leung Chiu Wai and did not show him his best. Earlier Chang Chen participated in the national Bajiquan contest in Changchun under the order his master. He wanted the experience and participated. He practiced his set for almost 10,000 times. He was the happiest about Yuen Woo Ping was not impressed with his kung fu before, but during this shoot he would discuss and accept his opinions.