Crash Testing for Dummies

Next year will mark the twentieth anniversary of a D.I.Y. book that was only available in Japan. Despite the star author on the cover, it has yet to be released in Chinese format for any of the relevant markets. Since we are living in the year of the dragon, the Kung Fu reboot should prove to be prosperous for Donnie Yen. If he plays his cards right, Donnie Yen’s Action Book will be reprinted and bilingually translated on October 20, 2025. His crash course in crash-land cinema was too good to not be exploited in the West considering his U.S. success. His assistant choreographer, Kenji Tanigaki, provided supplementary content in the footnotes of many pages. This makes them feel less like an appendix and more like those sidebar columns which graced Stefan Hammond’s books or even Bey Logan’s most famous book. Buckle up for a bumpy ride in testosterone-fueled tutoring.

Balsa wood is used in things like toy airplanes and hockey sticks. From a stuntman’s perspective, it can be used for moments involving landing on tables or chairs. It is expensive to make a large item out of balsa wood, and because it is light, the texture may not come out depending on the shot. For this reason, they are photographed at angles that do not show this on screen or they are temporarily replaced with harder wood like a stunt double who replaces an actor. Donnie Yen gives an example: “If I want to show a tree cracking in slow motion, or if I want to make it look realistic by emphasizing its hardness, I use this method.”

Hong Kong movie aficionados know that the Hong Kong film industry’s idea of landing on an airbag was landing on mattresses which are placed on cardboard boxes. From the Hong Kong perspective, cardboard boxes are more reliable and easier to store. Conveniently, they can be purchased flat in bulk, crammed into prop trucks, and assembled into boxes on site and loaded. There is a proper way to stack boxes. Fill each row tightly with no spaces in between. They are stacked on top of each other, but the sides are arranged in an irregular manner so that when they fall, they do not penetrate all the way to the bottom.

Donnie Yen also says: “Sometimes I prepare boxes of two different sizes. Even if someone falls through the first layer, the next layer can catch them. The larger box is placed on the floor and the smaller box is placed on top. The stacks of boxes are tightly taped together along the outside edges, then flattened boxes are spread over them like a roof, and multiple mattresses are placed on top to absorb shock. If several boxes are crushed by the impact of stopping the fall, and another take is needed, all the crushed boxes are rearranged, reassembled into a box shape, and taped together. It’s a primitive method, but it’s reliable. If the airbag were to deflate or not be filled with air at a constant rate, it would be a disaster. The airbags are sewn together at the center line, and there is no guarantee that the seams will not tear when a stuntman falls.”

Donnie reveals the most secretive of secrets to Hong Kong action’s success: “Timing, arguably, is the best part about stuntmen in Hong Kong compared to stuntmen from other countries. Being somewhere between remembering and forgetting is the best condition for action actors and stuntmen. The stuntman doesn’t move as soon as a punch comes, he has to see it, have a moment, then block, as if he didn’t know what the next blow was going to be. This creates a realistic and natural movement. How can we make the action more exciting? Force the protagonist into a predicament. Stunt doubles are called “off-screen heroes’’ because they don’t show their face like a stuntman does. However, whether you are a stuntman or a stunt double, the job is similar in that you are constantly in pain, applying ice compresses, and receiving massages. Perhaps the other best quality of a stuntman or stunt double is the acting. In order for the audience to perceive the impact, it is necessary to emphasize it through acting. However, if it’s too exaggerated, it becomes ridiculous, so it’s important to find the right balance.”

In Hong Kong, it is said that children, animals and martial artists should not be used for movies. Like children and animals, martial artists don’t always listen. A lot of them want to provide their own choreography e.g. one of the black women in Jackie Chan’s Armour of God was sent home for doing this. Donnie is often approached by people who appear to be action enthusiasts looking for work in the film industry. Unfortunately, not all martial artists are suited to film, no matter how high their skills are. Even if they know how to fake giving punches, they don’t know how to look vulnerable. Even wrestlers tend to be better actors than martial artists. Rather than being strictly loyal to a particular style, Donnie believes that you should train for all-round abilities. One of the basics of stunt performing is pace control - yours and the camera. Pacing yourself allows the camera to move in sync with the movements of yourself and your fellow performers. Speeding up the camera, undercranking in other words, helps to sell the illusion of spontaneity. This means that you can make contact without actually hurting someone.

Some things can’t be slowed down like flying kicks or weapons that require a certain amount of momentum in order to be successfully manipulated. If a scene requires you to fall on your lower back or be kicked on your back, you should apply large elbow or knee pads to the lower back. The pads should be secured with a waistband. On cheap productions, it’s not uncommon for people to wear pillows or even phone books. Even so, you must protect your spine and the back of your head by using the flat part of your back and your arms. Donnie continues to say: “We call the back pads used in Taekwondo and motorcycles - lungwa (dragon bone). It is extremely hard, similar to the belly of a beetle, and is especially useful for protecting the lower part of the back. When you press your body into this pad, it fits your body and creates a nice contour.”

Donnie also said: “However, stuntmen may be required to perform actions while wearing tank tops. Especially when you want to emphasize your muscles on screen. In that case, you can’t wear elbow pads. Or, she may wear a dress as a double for an actress. In that case, knee pads cannot be used either. If I’m going to fall, I want a mattress there. A rubber or PE (polyethylene) mattress is used for action and stunt practice. The ones used in Hong Kong were designed by Jackie and Sammo Hung. The rubber is neither too hard nor too soft, and is about 1 inch (about 2.5 cm) thick. The size is usually about 8 x 10 feet (or approximately 2.4 x 3 meters). When taking shots where the floor is visible, I sometimes color the mattress to match the floor. In action movies, especially slow-motion action scenes, the edge of the mattress can often be seen where the actor flops as he lands down.”

Men in modern action movies usually wear stylish slim suits, but when shooting action scenes, they wear the same design but in a larger size. That way, it will be easier to move, padding will be easier, and there will be less physical difference between the stunt double and the actor. The audience was so distracted by the fashionable costumes that they were unable to notice the small differences. When shooting drama parts or still scenes, you can simply return to your original slim suit. Shoes must be light and thin in order to demonstrate martial arts skills. Sneakers and running shoes are great for tennis and running, but they’re too heavy and bulky for martial arts. With sneakers, you cannot control the position of your toes. Old-fashioned plimsoles are easy to use. In Hong Kong, you can get white canvas shoes (which are nicknamed white rice fish) but they can be painted black or brown to look like leather. When filming action shots, especially from wide angles, the details of footwear go largely unnoticed.

Actions using weapons are easier to film than unarmed fights, and the longer the weapon, the more visually appealing it will be. For example, when an actor holds a sword, the audience does not pay much attention to the arm that is holding the sword. In addition, long weapons only need to be moved up and down or rotated, and the wider the swing width, the more the central opponent can be convincingly killed with a small movement. If you try to produce the same effect using only the human body without any other equipment, it would require a tremendous amount of momentum, and it would be difficult to achieve the same effect as using a weapon. The Hong Kong style is to discover, use, and adapt everything around you depending on the situation. Improvisation is also an important element when it comes to equipment and props. Accidents happen for very small reasons, and it is impossible to predict when and who will be injured. A stuntman may spin too much during a simple pack fall and hit his head on the ground, resulting in a concussion.

Donnie is now a language tutor: “I would like to introduce some words that are often used on the set of Hong Kong action movies. We say “motor” and “finder” because the camera has a motor on one side and a viewfinder on the other. “NG” means no good. “Four elements” means that the fire in an explosion looks more powerful because we throw wood, water and soil into the frame. “Enter mirror” means entering the frame. “Over mirror” means to cross the frame immediately before an action. “Power powder” can be flour or even soil that’s used to enhance blows whether it be on clothes, objects or even the floor.”

Why Hong Kong action movies are more relatable than other ones: “You often see action scenes like a 40-meter jump that make you say “Ah” when they fall, but in Hong Kong movies, there are surprisingly few depictions of that kind of thing. It’s more like when you fall from the second floor, you bounce once on the roof and fall. Not everyone can know what it feels like to fall from 40 meters, but they can somehow imagine the painful feeling of falling from the second floor to the first floor. Without cutting it, we show it falling then bang and bang. I believe that Hong Kong action was an accumulation of these things. In other words, it’s not a big stunt, but a bunch of medium stunts. The pain is conveyed because it is expressed using familiar things. If you fall from 40 meters, you usually have to break the cut because you need an airbag underneath. Also, in the air, the stuntman is flapping his arms and legs, saying “Ah!” to show that he is not a puppet. Have you ever seen a scene like that? But do people actually fall like that? When I saw that, I shook my head feeling like a stuntman.”

Another crucial difference: “Furthermore, it would be great if there was an accident-like effect where the stuntman pounded on the first floor and went in an irregular direction (lol). I think it’s important for a movie to be so realistic that you wonder if it really was an accident. If it starts to look calculated, it’ll be hard to watch. That’s why the idea of ​​a stuntman’s technique is that in Hollywood, if you shoot five takes, you can do that trick consistently all five times. But in Hong Kong, if you can do it once, then that’s it. There’s no way we can do something like an accident every time, so it’s almost a one-shot deal. I can even do take 2 if I try hard. A Hong Kong stuntman is more of a one-shot kind of guy. It’s not something that you do multiple times in the same day.”

The thin line between being too ambitious and progressing by staying in your lane: “For Hong Kong action, I aim for something that is not too sloppy or too technical, but just suits the character. For example, if you’re a Kung Fu master, it’s okay to be extremely good at it, but in a modern police movie, you can’t be too good at it. On the other hand, it’s too muddy, so I don’t care if it becomes like Japanese V-cinema. So, I’m aiming for a natural look that’s right in the middle, where the audience doesn’t have to be conscious of whether or not that something is contrived or convenient. It is important, especially in modern films, to show what needs to be shown, but to arrange things so that from the audience’s perspective, it is difficult to tell whether they have been done intentionally or not.I feel like Hong Kong action directors, or at least the people I’ve worked with, pay a lot of attention to this aspect.”

One more crucial difference: “Flashy stunts in wide shots are easier to pull off than simple actions in close-ups. This is because with wide shots, the stuntman doesn’t have to worry about going out of frame, and can concentrate on performing the stunt in a flashy manner. On the other hand, in close-up shots, stuntmen not only have to make their movements look powerful, but they also have to keep an eye on the camera so they don’t move out of the frame. In general, stuntmen prefer flashy stunts such as jumping and splashing, and are reluctant to perform simple actions. The simplest movements are actually more difficult, and if you fail, you will be laughed at. On the other hand, even if you do well, it is taken for granted. For example, a shot where you throw a gun across the frame (the throwing hand is always outside the frame), and the gun hits a wall in one spot and bounces off to another specific spot. Or a shot where you release a rope (again, your hands are always outside the frame) and it wraps around the barrel of your opponent’s gun like a lasso.”

Sometimes there’s the issue of a stand-in being used for a shot where someone is being punched but we don’t get to see the puncher. This is an issue that was brought up when Donnie talked about a martial arts actor whose nickname means biggest of big brothers: “No one wants to hit Sammo Hung. Even when I get the OK, I don’t get any applause, and I don’t feel like “I did it!’’ but I feel relieved that it’s all over. It’s a role that you should be able to do, but if you can’t, you’ll be scolded. It’s a very bad role. It’s a strange thing, and once you play a role like that, you get the feeling that you’ll play that role every time in that movie. Somehow we got along, and in the end, the person who had done it once decided to do it again. It’s very similar to the atmosphere when you go out to eat and pay the bill, and everyone pretends to take out their wallet, but you wonder if this person will pay (lol).”

Donnie teaches improv: “What should you do if you are waiting to block a punch and the opponent’s punch is too slow? A good, experienced stuntman will find something to do in that short amount of time. You can ask the other actor to move a little faster, but 90% of the time they end up doing the same thing again. The director may blame the stuntman, and action guidance may not necessarily lead to him thinking of a different action. Filling in detail is an art that is different from the ability of action, brought about by one’s own flexible physical skills and thinking. It is also important to maintain a constant tempo in your actions. If the opponent moves out of position or forgets a move, the stuntman must help the opponent return to position and adapt to the situation. The ability to lead and predict others is acquired through experience and intuition.”

Meanwhile, Kenji Tanigaki says: “The most effective way to get the timing right is to use your voice as a signal. In Japan, when a stuntman makes a sound, the recording department sometimes complain because they can’t record the voice of the other actor, but I can’t believe it.”

On the other hand, Michael Woods (Donnie Yen’s friend and collaborator) said: “When stuntmen get injured, it’s often because they’re overthinking something. “In the fighting world, if you want to think, don’t fight. If you want to fight, don’t think.” is a common saying. Mike Tyson also said this. He trains in preparation for the match and does everything that is required of him. But waiting in the locker room and walking to the ring are the worst. It makes me extremely nervous.”

Yet Kenji says: “Of course it’s necessary to think, but worrying too much is the worst thing to do. What stuntmen don’t like is having to wait on set after the stunt has been decided. It’s easy to get nervous and lose concentration. I did. A lot of people come up to me on set and say “Kenji, are you okay?’’ Of course I’m fine. To distract myself, I imagine the sense of accomplishment that I’ll feel after completing the stunt.”

Back to Donnie: “In this way, the tension of waiting has the potential to become an enormous voltage. And every stuntman has his own way of dealing with it. When I say “action” prior to a dangerous stunt, I don’t expect an immediate action. I just tell them that the camera is rolling, and when the stuntman is ready, he will take control and perform the stunt himself. This is not limited to movies, but once you start after warming up then everything progresses rapidly. When it comes to starting, stopping, and restarting, it takes time to start over again. Even if it’s impossible to shoot continuously for 23 hours, it would be better to shoot for 10 hours in total. Therefore, I always shoot as quickly as possible. This is because it keeps the actors and stuntmen in their roles motivated, creates momentum for the entire crew, and definitely has a positive effect on the entire filming process. Stuntmen, stunt doubles, and action actors rehearse repeatedly. However, sometimes after rehearsing so many times, the action no longer looks realistic.”

Donnie’s final tutorial in 2005 has more meaning now: “In recent years, Hollywood has attracted talented martial artists from all over the world, and their physical standard has surpassed that of modern Hong Kong martial artists. Despite this, action in Hollywood movies has not yet made much progress. This is because the average martial artist has no experience with film or knowledge of cameras. Furthermore, even if there is a stuntman or actor who understands martial arts, has experience in filmmaking, and is good at it, he or she is rarely in a position to direct a film. The people who shoot are cinematographers, and most of them are not action professionals. That’s why so many troublesome action movies have been made.”