Meet Spike Zhao

Today we’d like to introduce you to Spike Zhao.

Hi Spike, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
Born and raised in Changchun, China, my journey into martial arts began with a dedicated focus on boxing and a style of Chinese martial art called Bajiquan. Bajiquan has a strong influence in the city I grew up in due to the influence of Dian’ge Huo, the head trainer of the Qing Dynasty emperor PuYi’s bodyguards. Bajiquan is one of the few styles of Chinese martial arts that is offensive-oriented, known for its directness, short-range explosive power expression, and the stomping steps throughout the forms. I was grateful to receive rigorous training in Bajiquan from Wenhai Zhang, the 4th generation successor of Huo’s Style Bajiquan, and I have proudly repaid him by winning two gold medals in the 2021 World Fok’s Bajiquan General Assembly and Chinese Wushu Exchange. 

As an adolescent, I moved to the United States and started to receive my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ohio State University and my Master’s degree in psychology from New York University. After moving to the U.S., I continued my training in various styles of martial arts such as Bagua, Wing Chun, Xingyi, escrima, Kyokushin karate, Iaido, etc. I was extremely honored to receive extensive training in Bagua from the renowned Bagua master Chunling Li, as well as receiving comprehensive Wing Chun training from the famous Wing Chun master Gary Lam. 

I selected psychology as my major both for my undergraduate and graduate degree to become a researcher and to conduct valid research on criminal profiling so I could become a specialist and consultant in serial killers. After realizing the sample sizes are too small for contemporary social science research methods, I started to turn my interest and passion towards martial arts. To me, one of the best ways of applying a person’s passion for martial arts is to do action films, and that’s how I started my journey as an action actor and fight choreographer. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Thanks to my comprehensive knowledge in martial arts, I began my career as a fight choreographer and martial art instructor rather smoothly. 

It is obvious that fighting on the big screen is quite different from fighting in real life, and many of the techniques that work well in real life, for some reason, do not translate well on camera. At the beginning stage of my career, I also learned that it takes more than deeply understanding the martial art techniques to successfully deliver the movements in an aesthetically pleasing way on the screen. The angles, the movements, the tempo, and the performance of the giver and receiver all play essential parts in presenting a fight scene. It is also without saying that I need to have more knowledge in cinematography to better deliver action scenes. Fortunately, I have met many filmmakers, who I am proud to call as friends, generously shared their insights and knowledge on filmmaking. 

After repeatedly being cast as actors in many of the film projects for which I was originally recruited as a fight choreographer, I gradually shifted my focus to action acting. A master’s degree in psychology rather than theatrical background definitely makes it harder for a prospecting actor. Fortunately, my background in psychology helps me a lot in improving my acting skills. By being able to dissect different characters from a psychological perspective, I have sometimes found interesting yet effective approach in delivering my performance on screen. Interestingly, martial arts also helped me improve acting skills in that I have always believed discipline is one of the key elements in being good at acting. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actor with a special interest in action acting, a fight choreographer, and a martial artist. I specialize in fight scenes that involve hand-to-hand combat as well as weaponry. Thanks to my experience in a variety of martial arts, I am able to apply that knowledge through my movements and designs. 

What sets me apart from other action actors and filmmakers is my unique blend of multiple styles of martial arts. I strive to present authentic Kung Fu while also preserving the realism and brutality of fighting. Aside from my regular training, I also watch a lot of works from legends such as Jet Li and Donnie Yen for inspiration and ideas. There are obviously many interesting styles of martial arts and combat sports that haven’t been popularized in films, and I am trying my best to bring those onto the big screen. 

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I think one of my biggest takeaways from that period of time is you always need to have something you can craft on. Being locked down due to quarantine definitely restricted a lot of people from doing what they want, but it also provided us with a great opportunity to perfect a certain kind of skill. I have never had any opportunity to meticulously read through some of the classic literatures. With a limited amount of activities but unlimited spare time during Covid-19, I have read through many of the classics over and over again while also taking extensive time to perfect my martial skills. 

My point is if you have something you can craft, you will always be efficient and always be able to make yourself a better person, no matter where you are. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.spikezhao.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gearlesszhao/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14228412/