South Korean martial arts master known mainly for his role as Sonny Wong in The Scorpion King (aka Operation Scorpio) and his action direction of the My Wife Is A Gangster movie series.

He created a very unique style that was well ahead of it's time, showcasing many techniques used in modern Tricking and he also inspired famous martial art actors such as Scott Adkins and Tony Jaa.

He began learning Taekwondo around age 7 and created his own style of kicking and acrobatics. He was was a big fan of Bruce Lee and fell in love with the nunchaku He would go on to learn Hapkido, Wushu and various other styles.

In late 70s he trained alongside Elton Jeong at the YMCA Mechanical Gymnastics Club and became a member of the Korean martial arts / stunt group Ottogi Martial Arts Team, working on his first movie in 1979. He appeared as a side character in some Korean martial arts movies and in 1988 got his first starring role.

In the early 90's he sent out a demo tape which resulted in David Lai casting him in a few Hong Kong movies, the most notable being The Scorpion King, which secured his place as a cult favourite. After a few films he returned to work in Korea and became one of nation's top action directors. He continues to practice and promote martial arts and has received many awards and commendations for his work.

J.J. Hayden

Credits