I DARE TO DREAM WHILE BEING AWAKE |
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Growing up in North London can be fun … excitement and adventures … especially if you have a hunger to be “a little different”. And so Dave Lea ended up at a young age going to a local karate school and, on learning some basic moves, went round to his sister Sandra’s home and made her stand still while he zapped untrained and uncontrolled kicks and punches at her!! “Excuse me! Enough!!” she said. And so, from the Highbury “Terrace School of Windmilling” to the Karate school to Kung-Fu school to Tae Kwon-Do school north and south of England. Still not content, he boarded a plane to Malaysia to further his studies. After spending many midnights at the local “kung-fu movies” why not go to the true source of the art of fighting? He served his time well in Malaysia under a very special teacher: Master Leong Swee Lun. While most of the UK martial artist people were studying one style Dave went to learn all he could, be it in the temples of Penang with the monks at 5 a.m. or the jungles surrounding area with the “Animalistic” fighting Silat groups, it was all adding to his early days of learning. He met guru Dan Insosanto (student of the late Bruce Lee) in London, who invited him to Los Angeles to train at his famous “Inosanto Academy” and it was there that the “light bulbs went on”. After many years of travelling and learning from the top masters of all styles in combat (be it Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Sian) his years of Wing-Chun under Joseph Cheng, Shaolin under Leong Swee Lun and a very unique and undiluted style with Sifu Leung (from China) it all came together for Dave after his visit to Dan Inosanto’s Academy, where he was given a real education in “fighting” … they just beat him up! Respectfully of course! Why? They were trained in various styles and so the choice not to spend his time to master one style, but to learn as many as he could paid off.
Whilst in Malyasia he was taught to use a formidable array of weapons and learned the culture well. On his return to London he branched out with his schools from Camden Town Headquarters to Manor House, Walthamstow and Gants Hill. That was way after he got tired of teaching in back alleys, climbing school yard fences on weekends and parks where he and a close group of students gathered. His first celebrity students were the nutty boys from Camden: Suggs, Chaz and Lee of Madness, who introduced him to the world of TV through Just Amazing and their pop video Wings of a Dove and an appearance on ”Top Of The Pops” Driving In My Car.
Some of the other interesting "students/visitors" who came to his academy: Constables from the local police station, United States Marines (who were stationed at the London US embassy), cast member of the "Black Adder" TV show Hugh Laurie, Jimmy Sommervile, Bronski Beat and a multitude of "top martial artists" from many schools and styles.
His first ever TV role was playing a katrate instructor on a BBC show called “Salt On A Snakes Tale”, quite a stretch for him to play! From there he entered into bodyguard/minding work with a then famous top Page 3 model … and also some other high profile people (unheard of at the time - minding a model, that is!) who ushered him to get a theatrical agent. He then auditioned and got a reoccurring role on “East Enders” playing Gaz at the Dagmar Pub. He then landed the prestige role in the first Batman movie, when his long time friend Phil Tan recommended him to the producer, Jon Peter, where he ended up being the fight double for Michael Keaton. That role led him to Hollywood, where he did his first action movie with his screen idol Sly Stallone. Hired as his fight trainer and to choreograph the moves, Dave had really made a dream come true to work with his “Rocky One” hero.
Though not content to partially double Kurt Russel, train Sly, choreograph his fight moves, Dave wanted to be in the movie … so he suggested to Sly that they both have a fight at the end scene of “Tango & Cash” - and Dave would take a serious beating from him … one of many to come! Since then Dave has gone on to sharpen his camera/fighting skills in Hollywood. He continues to teach classes in Hollywood on weekends (stunt fighting that is). He has worked with the ‘A’ list of the big screen actors, while his passion for creating unique fighting styles for each actor/actress is continually challenged as the level of action is demanded for realism by the audience. His early time in Los Angeles was spent going to acting classes, improving his speech and learning various accents to improve his own performances as an action actor. Learning the "finer points" of action choreography from legendary stunt people like James Arnet, director/2nd unit director who stunt doubled Paul Newman in “Butch Cassidy” and from Charles Picerni, director/ 2nd unit director of some of the biggest action movies. Dave continues to stay motivated and searches for new and innovative ways to enhance the action! No two actors are the same; every film has it’s own story!, be it a low Indie budget or a high end studio budget … Dave says: “When your passion is in the action …the fights and stunts will be true and real.”
“I have learned from some of the best teachers out there. The least I can do is hold on to what they taught me. More so, I learned from all the students who have trained under me. In many ways they were my best teachers!
“My mother had a tremendous influence on my physical and stretching abilities. She would do the splits, kick above her head and was just so amazing … just because she could! So really she was THE greatest inspiration of all … and continues to be.”
Dave continues to train himself. He says: "It becomes a life style and and wonderful challenge to keep the physical ability be it kicking, stretching or keeping finely tuned into what works."
Since living in the USA he has continued his research in "movie fighting" by researching and creating the more unusual styles of fighting and also took up Latin Dance to improve his choreography moves. Dave says "Sometimes you don't know if you're Dancing or Fighting!" Dave continues to develop unique and explosive moves that even the most uncoordinated actor can perform to give a sense of reality to their performance/action scene.
After all … it’s just a movie we are all watching!
BELIEVING IS SEEING
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