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“It's like brushing your teeth,” says Oscar-winning actor and film star Michelle Yeoh. Everything, everywhere, all at once. About her relationship with exercise. “This is an essential daily ritual for me. Even if I have an early call time on set, I try to wake up early to rejuvenate my mind and body.”
For Malaysian-born Yeoh, martial arts is a form of mindfulness. “The benefits go beyond just improving her physical fitness,” she says. Martial arts not only builds strength and flexibility, she says, but also “improves mental stamina and confidence.” Perfecting each technique “requires concentration, balance, concentration. It requires mind and body to act as one.”
Yaw was always active. She moved to London at the age of 15 to train as a dancer before a back injury “derailed” her career. “Ballet was where I first learned how to move with power and purpose,” she says.It turned out to be a fruitful foundation for the martial arts she learned on film sets. Wing Chun“Dance and martial arts have a lot in common,” she says. “Both are about smooth, powerful movements. When working on action films, I delve into my dance knowledge of choreography, coordination, and flexibility to guide martial arts and perform intense scenes with grace and grace. It will be helpful.”
Wing Chun – The kung fu film, directed by Yuen Woo-ping, takes its name from the southern Chinese kung fu practice that uses a hand-to-hand combat system for self-defense, and was Yeoh's first foray into martial arts. In it, she plays a young woman who works at her parents' tofu shop. She decides to study her fighting skills to fend off her forced marriage and the men who admire her beauty. She remembers it fondly. “There was no [private] Trailer at the time. We all ate and talked between scenes,” she says. On set, the combat routines were felt to be “innovative and fun”.
Yoh was hooked. Since then, she has become famous on screen for her stunts. Look at her in the movie opposite James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), or Steven Spielberg's Memoirs of a geisha (2005).in everything everywhere, She plays Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American laundromat woman navigating the complexities of American immigration and taxation. She switches worlds to save the multiverse from the forces of evil, mastering increasingly elaborate kung fu moves along the way.
This week, in honor of Lunar New Year, she reimagines Wing Chun. Please come spring, A short film created in collaboration with athleisure wear brand Lululemon to coincide with the release of their Lunar New Year capsule collection. Yeo and her cast of eight dancers from Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater perform signature Wing Chun moves outdoors in the collection's laid-back burgundy tracks, wearing his pants, sweatshirts, and red leggings. To do.
“The movement is more dramatic and cinematic.” [on film]” says Yoh. “As an actor, you're more aware of how your movements appear on screen. Your angle to the camera becomes important. You're aware that you're delivering your performance with precision and control.” This Thanks to the film, she was able to express her own martial arts ethos, one that values personal well-being over self-defense.
Yeo says there have been historical “misconceptions” about martial arts. “But things are changing.” Karate and jiu-jitsu, which have their roots in 16th-century Japan, and judo (19th century, an Olympic sport since 1964) are all about improving posture and core strength. It is becoming increasingly popular in Western culture as a form of exercise known for. Improves hand-eye coordination and joint mobility.
Meanwhile, Tai Chi, which originated in ancient China, is often practiced in city parks. However, not much is known about Wing Chun itself. “Martial arts is not about violence or a way to protect yourself,” says Yeo. “People are [starting to] Understand it as an exercise in self-discipline. This practice is based on the belief that everything is internal and in flux. It emphasizes the importance of spirit. Mindfulness itself is centered around being fully aware of the present moment. ”
Yeoh prefers to take his time at home and go through routines, as opposed to improvising on set. “I really go at my own pace and embrace each movement,” she says. “In traditional Eastern cultures, we pay close attention to chi, our life force and spirit, and the importance of breathing.” As part of her mindfulness and meditation routine, Ms. Yeo says, I practice this every day. Start each morning by stretching. “I do a gratitude ritual by talking to my body, stretching every muscle, acknowledging that it's creaky or sore.” She also finds walking in her local park relaxing. “This is a simple ritual that calms me down,” she says.
Staying connected to himself helps Yo maintain his own zen. “When I focus on being in the here and now, I find happiness in everyday moments like eating and talking with my family,” she says. This is also where her martial arts concentration muscles can flex in a different way, allowing her to focus on the world going on around her. “It nourishes your mind, body and soul,” she says. “Balance is about cultivating inner peace, understanding yourself, listening to yourself, and being one with your body and mind.”
