Anakin Kicks Butt - With a Little Help from Ottawa Martial
Arts Pro Sayed Najem
Wednesday, May 31, 2000 — By Denis
Armstrong (Ottawa Sun) — Star Wars hero Anakin Skywalker
has found a new force to guide him in his quest against
evil.
It's Alta Vista resident, former Canadian Olympian and
Tae Kwon Do Master Sayed Najem.
Toronto actor and next-big-thing Hayden Christensen, who's
pegged to play Skywalker in George Lucas' next Star Wars
film, has been training with one-man army Najem in an intensive
one-week session that finished last weekend.
Najem has signed a contract to continue training Christensen
throughout the shoot.
"I taught him all the basic moves of martial arts,
the blocks, the punches, the kicks, the mental attitude
to become an actor, to become a real martial artist,"
he says.
"But the most important was the staff training for
the light sabre."
The art of wielding that famous weapon found in all the
Star Wars films, is virtually the same as that found in
the Tae staff.
Najem has a black belt in staff and is a Tae Kwon Do Master
-- fifth degree black belt with 20 years of training.
Najem first crossed paths with Christensen this year while
training Hayden's sister Hejsa in Toronto. She asked if
he could "do her a small favour" and train her
brother.
He agreed reluctantly. "I don't work for free,"
he reasons.
While Christensen had been cast in a role that would ensure
his celebrity, that was still embargoed information. He
didn't even have enough money to buy Najem's plane ticket
to Toronto.
A goldmine
But enough hints were dropped for Najem to realize that
he was sitting on a goldmine that might open some doors
for his own career in the dream machine.
He would not say no to a career in movies and television.
So, he paid his own way and gave Christensen the mechanics
to become a convincing swordsman and pugilist.
"This kid is going to be the biggest celebrity in
the world,"says Najem enthusiastically. "He picked
up the martial arts big time after only one week. He's so
focused, he learns fast and yet he's so humble and quiet,
I love it."
Najem says and does everything enthusiastically. Full of
energy and hope, he had a surprising effect on Christensen.
"During our training, we created a bond with each
other," he says. "When you begin training, it's
80% physical and 20% mental. But in a competition at this
level, it's 20% physical and 80% mental."
Najem and Hayden discovered quickly they were both tuned
into the same focused ambitions and using their energy creatively.
"I was walking home with him when I asked him if I
could have an autographed picture and he said, 'Can you
do the same for me?' "
He continues to train 6-8 hours a day and does private
training with some of Ottawa's leading CEOs while studying
at Learnet College.
Najem immigrated to Ottawa with his family from Chipten,
Lebanon, in the early 1980s and studied Tae Kwon Do with
Master Min in Edmonton. He competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics
for Canada, won the gold at the 1990 Pan-Am Games and won
the silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Original Article:
http://www.canoe.ca/JamStarWars/may31_anakin.html |
