Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Masterson.
Daniel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been in love with the Martial Arts for as long as I can remember. Ever since my mother walked me into Champions Martial Arts at the age of three, I have loved every facet of this journey. From the humbling philosophy of the endless journey to the pleasurably painful grind and search for new strengths and skills, I love every part of the Martial Arts. I started out in Karate and earned my first-degree BlackBelt at Champions Martial Arts at the age of nine. I then went on to study and compete in Wushu at various schools while continuing to study at Champions Martial Arts toward my 2nd and 3rd degrees. I have since begun to study Boxing, Kenjutsu, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. These pursuits will never come to an end, and I like it that way.
It has always been a dream of mine to simply study and train in Martial Arts full-time. I was lucky enough to receive the honor of becoming and instructor at Champions Marts Arts, where I taught for roughly ten years before the school was unfortunately closed during the COVID-19 lockdown. During this time, I also began a career in the Stunt Industry. I have been fortunate enough to perform in many great shows and projects and continue to do so. This has been one of the purest and most enjoyable manifestations of my love for Martial Arts and athleticism. I feel honored for the opportunities I have been granted here thus far and will do my best to continue to pursue my career in this amazing industry.
Though working as a Stunt Performer continues to be my main focus and passion, I have always had a curiosity for the physical and chemical processes behind athleticism and athletic optimization. This has led me to a few other endeavors that have taught me quite a lot. I was lucky enough to co-own a Stunt and Martial Arts gym with a wonderful group of Stunt Performers who I consider to be very close friends. This was a magical place where martial artists of many different disciplines, as well as stunt performers of many different specialties, could come together to learn and trade skills and abilities. This gym worked on an invite-only basis and has since closed. However, it was an incredible experience to have been a part of this place and its development from the ground up. I learned so much and made so many great friendships that I will cherish forever.
Hand in hand with athleticism goes nutrition. In my pursuits of athleticism, I became fascinated with the optimization of nutrition that high-performance athletes crave. I began to study the ingredients of performance supplements and poured over endless peer-reviewed journals and articles on the functions and dosages of particular amino acids, alkaloids, and herbs that could contribute to performance optimization. This lead me to create my own line of 8 combinable performance supplements that my business partners and I brought to market during the lockdown. Though our efforts were ultimately thwarted by lockdown-related supply chain constraints, this was an experience that taught me so much about business, product development, and the life of a start-up that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Throughout all of these pursuits, my passion has remained the same: I love to discover and push the bounds of human excellence. We inhabit a physical space, but we are so much more than physical. I hope to learn and optimize as much of the human experience as possible and feel incredibly lucky for the opportunity to do so.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have faced my fair share of challenges for sure. In 2015 when I was in the midst of preparing for a Karate tournament, I was involved in a terrible car accident that left my pelvis broken in two places. I had to have surgery to have it repaired, and I can still feel the effects of that break to this day. I have actually broken my pelvis twice, and this was definitely the worst one. It was a tough road learning to walk again, teaching karate classes while on crutches, and slowly returning to all of my favorite athletic pursuits, but I ended up coming back stronger than I was before. If anything, this injury spurred me on to prove to myself that I could gain new skills, that I could overcome challenges, and that I could push through the pain. They say never to waste a good injury, as it is an opportunity to grow. I hope never to have more of them, but I hope I did not waste this one as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a stunt performer, I specialize in fight scenes. I have studied many different martial arts in my time, and I love the challenge of adapting to the particular style, experience level, and circumstances of a different character. My stunt work does not always involve fights. Sometimes it is a fall, or a climb or a scene involving a car, but I love the challenge each time.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The Covid-19 crisis taught me many things. Most importantly, the importance of keeping in touch with those you value and keeping yourself accountable for your own habits and progress. It is so easy to fall out of touch with people when you are told to stay inside. And it is so easy to let yourself slack off when everything is closed and you are supposed to stay inside. Even though I spent lots of time on the phone and in Zoom meetings with friends and working out in my living room, I learned that I must cherish every moment that I get to be in the same room as someone I value. You never know when someone might move away or worse, pass away. You never know when an establishment you love and frequent might close down. Cherishing these people and these moments is of the utmost importance.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmas13/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9277648/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_0_nm_8_q_daniel%2520masterson
Image Credits
Johnny Pena, Alexi Pyles
