Legend of Action, Chuck Johnson
Introducing Chuck Johnson, The Legend of Action
‘Punches of positivity’
‘Diversity is part of the human condition’
“I really do believe it’s all about trusting your instincts”
We have a few technical issues with WiFi here so Chuck turns his camera off if you are watching.
Every single conversation I think to myself ‘this was my favourite conversation to date’. This conversation with Chuck Johnson is no exception and Chuck IS exceptional. He is gentle, confident, detailed, humble, generous, social-impact minded and terrific company.
Chuck is also a gentleman. A gentleman who has followed his passion for martial arts across the globe and continues to learn, master, take action and grow as well as takin his place as the sensei at his Tokyo dojo and his company Quiet Flame - more apt a name I cannot think of for Chuck. Chuck believes that super successful people get into the details and he notices this and relates this to kimono culture and even my sartorial choices on the day. Throughout this conversation we are deep into cultural territory and how we navigate that and learn from constantly being in collaboration with the culture around us.
Chuck now has a Dojo in Roppongi and has already produced a short Samurai action comedy film called ‘Fists of Absinthe’ (Watch here) , which became an official selection at the Urban Action Showcase in New York and got a distribution deal. Highly recommend you go over and watch it - it’s hilarious. Chuck has over 18,000 subscribers on YouTube!
Chuck now wants to use action cinema to address relevant social issues including sex trafficking and mental health. Can’t wait to hear more about that!
(Every time I hear myself saying ‘That’s right Chuck’ or ‘tell me more about that Chuck’ I sound like Cilla Black and I’m sure my UK listeners will appreciate this.)
From USA Detroit to Lansing and the ethnic and economic shifts inherent in that move
How does ANYBODY go from being a C- student to an A student? Well Chuck did - find out how
Being the youngest of 6 children - he got used to hustling for himself and that served him well in his travels and decisions
Notes on confidence and how he built his
HIs route to competition-level Taekwondo and all the countries he visited as a result
Belt systems in martial arts and wiring our brains for short and long term goal setting and how this relates to goal setting and life
Synergistic impact in everything you know - how studying and mastering one thing can make other things easier - when you have a wide base of knowledge you have this way of seeing the world
The layers of kimono, the layers of Japanese culture and the freedom for expression and impact within those layers
How he became a celebrity bodyguard, a model and what ring fighting taught him
The metaphor and the reality of keeping your eyes open while you are getting hit
Chuck’s approach to healing and getting over illness and injury - it’s fascinating to hear this and how he relates it to business
His Quite Flame Dojo in Roppongi (one of the most popular and famous places in Tokyo)
His social activism and how he wants to marry action entertainment with social issues and touch an audience that might not otherwise be aware or interested in such issues
Chuck’s Bio
Chuck Johnson is the CEO of Quiet Flame Productions and has been based in Tokyo for almost 20 years. He is a former American Taekwondo champion and celebrity bodyguard, and made a name for himself as Japan’s first non-Japanese stuntman. In addition to running his own production company and actor’s training institution through Quiet Flame, he is also the fight choreography instructor at the International Stunt School in Seattle and has taught workshops on East Asian Style Fight Choreography for the Society or American Fight Directors and the International Order of the Sword and the Pen.
He has appeared in over 100 TV shows, films, video games and TV commercials internationally and has recently launched Strong Body Japan; which teaches people how to better care for their bodies through functional fitness training.
Links to Chuck
Quiet Flame
Youtube
Instagram (@chuck.n.action)
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2018/08/19/our-lives/whatever-role-tough-chuck-can/