American Born Chinese

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

Read How American Born Chinese Reunited the Cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once ~ my latest article for Den of Geek.

[GeneChing]

Daniel Wu Shares the Martial Arts Workout He Used to Prep for American Born Chinese
The action star walked us through the routine he used to portray the legendary Monkey King.

BY BRETT WILLIAMS, NASM PUBLISHED: JUN 6, 2023

preview for 'American Born Chinese' Star Daniel Wu's Martial Arts Fight Training | Train Like | Men's Health

WATCH: Daniel Wu | Train Like | Men's Health

DANIEL WU IS a martial artist with a background in Wushu, but the actor doesn't depend on one strict discipline to bring heart-stopping fight sequences to the screen. "In onscreen fighting, there's no real one style," he told Men's Health when we caught up with Wu to check out his training routine. "You have to mold yourself to fit into the choreography or the style of the character that you're fighting with."

In fact, his flashiest moves, deployed in movies and shows like The Man With the Iron Fists and AMC's Into the Badlands, might not even be useful to defend yourself IRL. "Sometimes you're doing crazy movements that are martial arts-related, but you'd probably never do in a real fight—but are really cool onscreen." Wu pointed to wire work, stunts that make it appear that the characters are able to defy the laws of physics, as a great example of this. While these maneuvers might not be technically possible off-screen, actors like Wu still have to be in incredible shape to make the stunts look real. "To be able to execute those kinds of things, not only do you need a good martial arts base, but you also need a strong body to be able to withstand all that and be able to move with all that," he said.

Wu brought his high-flying maneuvers to the Disney+ series American Born Chinese with his portrayal of the Monkey King, an iconic character in Chinese literature. He shared his fight choreography prep workout routine with MH, giving us a look at how he gets ready for showstopping stunts. Wu worked through a long warmup to prep his body for movement, using tools like a clubbell and kettlebells, before being joined by his striking coach Dr. Jason Park, PT, DPT, SCS for pad work.

This is a very specific routine, so you might not get results by following it to the letter—but if you're interested in the types of movement Wu uses for his fight scenes, you can use some of these principles in your own workouts.

Daniel Wu's Martial Arts Training Routine
Clubbell Shoulder Warmup
Elbow Supination
10 reps per side

Elbow Pronation
10 reps per side

Overhead Circles
10 reps per direction

Single-Arm Halo
10 reps per side

Wushu Stance Training
Horse to Bow Stance Transitions
Kettlebell Mobility and Strength Circuit
Rear Lunge Overhead Press
3 sets of 10 reps per side

Front Rack Toe Walks
3 rounds of 50 foot walks

Kettlebell Squat Jumps
3 sets of 5 reps

Kettlebell Rotational Swing
3 sets of 10 reps

Martial Arts Training
Shadowboxing
Punch Isometrics
Mitt Work
Pad Work



BRETT WILLIAMS, NASM
Brett Williams, a fitness editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter who splits his workout time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.

American-Born-Chinese
January-February-2016

[wuxiaman]

I finally finished reading the graphic novel. While a little off-putting initially with how it went everywhere, everything ties in nicely at the end. Now I just need to find someone who has a DIsney + log-in for me to borrow.

[GeneChing]

Jan 5, 2024 7:00am PT
‘American Born Chinese’ Canceled After One Season at Disney+

By Joe Otterson

©Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection

Powered by Trinity Audio
“American Born Chinese” has been canceled after one season at Disney+, Variety has learned.

According to an individual with knowledge of the decision, Disney was high on the creative of the series, but its viewership did not justify greenlighting a second season. The producers plan to shop the series to other outlets.

“American Born Chinese” debuted on Disney+ on May. The Disney Branded Television series was based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. The official logline states that the show “chronicles the trials and tribulations of a regular American teenager whose life is forever changed when he befriends the son of a mythological god.”

The cast of the series included Ben Wang, Michelle Yeoh, Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Jimmy Liu, Ke Huy Quan, Sydney Taylor, and Daniel Wu. The show received positive reviews from critics, with the first season holding a 94% approval rating based on 51 reviews.

Kelvin Yu developed the series for television and served as executive producer and showrunner. Destin Daniel Cretton served as a director on the series and executive produced. Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan also executive produced along with Yang, Erin O’Malley, and Asher Goldstein. “American Born Chinese” was produced by 20th Television.

News of the series’ cancellation comes just one day after the launch of the series “The Brothers Sun” on Netflix, which also stars Michelle Yeoh. Quan also recently appeared in Season 2 of the Marvel series “Loki” at Disney+. Cretton, meanwhile, is working on the upcoming Marvel-Disney+ series “Wonder Man” as co-creator, director, and executive producer.

Bummer. Season 2 had a lot of promise...