Tony Jaa: Martial Arts Superstar

Tony Jaa is the name western audiences know Panom Yeerum by. This martial arts sensation has come to prominence in the past three years due to the success of the martial arts films Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior and The Protector. Being called the next biggest martial arts star next to the likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li, Jaa certainly has the makings of an illustrious international film career ahead of him.

Tony Jaa was born Panom Yeerum in 1976 to elephant herders living in rural Thailand. Growing up with films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, he began to emulate his martial arts heroes at a young age. With a strong desire to learn formal martial arts and stunt work, he entered into the Maha Sarakham College of Physical Education in the Maha Sarakham Province of Thailand. During the course of the 1990s, he developed an intense interest in Muay Boran, a style of Muay Thai kickboxing native to Thailand. This style incorporates agility with devastating kicks, flying knee attacks, and elbow strikes. Jaa's proficiency in this technique would give him a fresh edge over many older martial arts stars who had primarily used kung fu. Jaa's style on screen can be best described as a melding of kickboxing, the speed and devastating attack of Jet Li's Wushu, and the acrobatics of Jackie Chan's injection of Buster Keaton with martial arts.

Jaa initially broke into the film industry by acting as a stuntman for more established martial arts movie stars such as Sammo Hung and Robin Shou. As he doubled for the latter in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (a garish flop by all measures), it was apparent that the young Panom Yeerum was destined for bigger and better things. His breakout role came in 2003 with Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior. Like Chan, he performed all of his own stunts without the aid of doubles, mechanical wire work, or computer enhancement. Action sequences involving inventive use of props and urban settings recall Chan's best work, and Jaa's climactic showdown with the chief villains is one for the ages. His next major blockbuster was Tom-Yum-Goong (known to Western audiences as The Protector) and integrated Jaa's Thai roots into a high-octane action film. Both films reflect a close collaboration with Jaa's friend and mentor, Panna Rittikrai, who fostered his interest in melding Muay Boran with acrobatic stuntwork.

Jaa currently working on a sequel for Ong-Bak, which is sure to draw even larger crowds than the first installment did. In a genre of films where the legends are either deceased (Bruce Lee), retired (Jet Li), or aging (Jackie Chan), Jaa may very well be the fresh face that could revitalize the international martial arts film. On a side note, Jaa speaks two languages, Thai and Khmer (a Cambodian language) and is currently learning English. He is a devout Buddhist and enjoys hip-hop and karaoke.