Why Actors Need Kung Fu…

When you start out, we desire to join in. As the amateur passion for acting turns to a desire to join in on a professional level, we must find a place to train. Our desire to train professionally is sated only by acceptance. Once we are accepted, we want to get the most out of the experience so that when we leave we get the best agent possible and then to get the best jobs possible.

If we have a combination of the luck, talent and perseverance to succeed, we will get to work, but somewhere along the way, when we realise the industry isn’t so interested in excellence as it is in profit, if we’re not careful, we lose our Kung Fu. Sometimes we won’t work, we’ll get very de-motivated, we’ll want to work so SO badly, and we’ll lose Kung Fu.

If your goals are external (out of your control), if your goals are about the ‘end’, getting into drama school, getting an agent, getting jobs, eventually, you may lose your Kung Fu.

Somewhere along the way, we can all lose Kung Fu.

I’m sorry what?

We can all lose our Kung Fu.

Errr. Coach?

Yes blog reader?

We lose… Kung Fu?

Indeed you do.

Would you mind explaining?

I certainly will.

The word Kung Fu, not only relates to the Chinese martial arts, but relates to the patient action of getting really really good at something. Getting really good, that’s Kung Fu. Getting really good to get into drama school, getting really good to get an agent, getting really good to get the job, these are all extrinsic motivations. The desire for Kung Fu, is an intrinsic, internally motivated desire – to become as good as you possibly can.

That’s your goal. To be as good as you possibly can.

Not to the exclusion of all else, but alongside all else.

Don’t lose your Kung Fu. Keep it in mind at all times.

Years ago, our part-time students wore coloured wrist bands emulating the martial arts belts from white to black. It was to encourage our students to always keep in mind their Kung Fu. The black wristband that the coaching staff wore, that is a reminder that mastery of skill BEGINS at the END of the traditional learning process. When you get to black, you have to Kung Fu for yourself.

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