Check Out Daniel Mah’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Mah.

Hi Daniel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a martial artist and an aspiring actor. I’m a founding member of a team called Martial Club, a team that worked on some recently notable films such as ‘Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ and ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’

I started practicing martial arts twenty years ago as a way to lose weight, build confidence and develop a connection to my cultural heritage. As a child, I was picked on by other kids because of my weight and my ethnicity. I had a transformative moment when I was five years old and I saw ‘Enter the Dragon’ starring Bruce Lee for the first time. Bruce Lee was Chinese like me but no one picked on him. He was strong enough to stand up for himself and for others and I recognized that he derived this strength from the practice of kung fu. Naturally, that’s what I wanted to do. I recognized that kung fu was more than just exercise. It was something in which I could ground my identity. I saw in the persona of Bruce Lee a martial artist who stood up for other Chinese people in the face of racism and oppression. It was through kung fu movies that I learned to be proud of my heritage. I grew up speaking English despite my parents being immigrants from Hong Kong but thanks to the practice of martial arts, I am able to take ownership of a meaningful piece of my culture.

Kungfu changed my life. It taught me the value of hard work and it gave me a glimpse of what one can achieve with enough determination. It also put me in touch with like-minded individuals. I joined a martial arts demo team while I was studying at the University of California, Irvine and it was then that my eyes were opened to the wider world of martial arts. It was around then that I met Andy and Brian Le, two brothers who shared my enthusiasm for martial arts. When we recognized that we had a strong team dynamic, we formed the group Martial Club. We are a filmmaking group devoted to promoting the virtues and ethics of martial arts in the hopes that all who watch our films would be inspired to live more wholesome lives.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing worth doing ever comes easy. This is the essence of kung fu. The term ‘kung fu’ does not mean ‘martial arts’ but rather ‘skill developed by hard work over time.’ I am a student of kung fu and I apply this mindset to every facet of my life. That said, I have encountered many obstacles on my journey through life.

As I detailed in my upbringing, adversity came in the form of bullying and struggles with my identity. Nowadays, the bumps in the road come from it being an unpaved one. As a founding member of Martial Club, my work is unprecedented and therefore it lacks a blueprint. What is the path for three martial artists who are attempting to change the world? We are filmmakers but none of us went to film school. We are fight choreographers but there is no school for choreography. There’s no prescribed method for us to go about making our dreams a reality. We have simply to dream outside of the box and then venture outside its comfort and security to find the means to realize those dreams.

Thankfully, we live in a time where information is more accessible than ever. We have benefitted much from the internet and all its resources but even more paramount to our success are the relationships we’ve forged along the way. There’s a limit to how much I can do as an individual. There’s only so much a trio can do. But thanks to God and the army made up of our capable friends who have come to believe in our mission, I rest assured that there’s nothing that can’t be accomplished.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When it comes to describing what I do, I am a martial artist first and foremost. From my identity as a martial artist stems my work as an actor, a filmmaker, a writer and a speaker. Everything I do is a form of Kung Fu.

In the olden days, the career opportunities available to a martial artist were quite limited. A martial artist’s fortune was typically rooted in violence. They were historically soldiers, security guards and sometimes teachers. In more modern times, a martial artist could open a strip mall dojo, fight in a ring or if they were lucky enough, find work as a stuntman in the film industry. Thanks to the advent of YouTube and social media, the viability of martial arts as a career has grown exponentially. I am proud to be able to represent martial arts in this generation where an audience can be reached via more avenues than ever before.

I am by nature a storyteller. I grew up being inspired by tales of martial artists, heroes whose exploits extend far beyond the realm of combat. I dreamed of being like Wong Fei Hung, who was both an expert martial artist and a physician. Stories like his inspire me to be more. I relish the opportunity to tell stories, old and new, through a variety of media. I love movies but I also thrive on stages where I get to tell my own story in my own words. I am most proud of being the spokesman for my team. I have come to learn that public speaking is as much kung fu as throwing kicks and punches and my tongue is a weapon as sharp as any double-edged sword. I believe that martial artists should strive to be more than just brawlers and I live that out by refining my craft as an orator.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I am thankful to have grown up in Torrance, CA because it is the place where the conditions were right for the martial artist in me to be born and thrive. It is a modern American town with arguably the best climate in the world. But more ideal than its temperate climate is its social and cultural climate. Yes, I experienced a bit of prejudice growing up but one would be hard pressed to find a more culturally diverse and open place in all the country. The world even. Torrance has been a place where one can enjoy the finest cuisine of a myriad of cultures, all within reasonable driving distance. It is a safe place and it leaves one free to explore their cultural history.

One might be disappointed to hear that Torrance is for the most part, designed for people who use cars to get around. I have grown up with it firmly entrenched in my mind that a vehicle is necessary to get around. As a result, there isn’t much sidewalk culture here. I have however grown to enjoy running in recent years and I’m thankful for the fact that Torrance is generally a safe place to run and bike. Like most places, Torrance has its nice parts as well as its more modest parts. Perhaps it’s a fact of life but can’t a man dream of a world where everyone lives well and has the same opportunities?

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmah_mc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DmahFromMartialClub
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MartialClub

Image Credits
Photo 1 (East West Players): Sthanlee B. Mirador Photo 2: Sthanlee B. Mirador Photo 3: Daniel Seung Lee Photo 4-8: Eric Nguyen Photo 9: Philip Sahagun