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Jay Ellis Shares His 'Freaky Tales' Fight Choreography | Brett Fights | Men's Health
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00:00Hey, y'all. I'm here with Jay Ellis, who is an actor you know from Insecure, Top Gun Maverick,
00:23Running Point, and Freaky Tales. For this project, you had to do something a little bit
00:29different, which brings you into my world here for Brett Fights, but you trained in how many martial arts for this role?
00:38Yeah, I learned about five or six different styles of martial arts for this. It was everything from Muay Thai to JKD, karate, Kali. I learned five or six different weapons as well.
00:48All to play a basketball player.
00:49All to play a basketball player, yeah.
00:52I would love to see a favorite sequence so I can understand what it's like to learn, fight choreo, and how that is put into practice.
01:01We know that you've had to do some pretty intense training for roles before, like Top Gun Maverick.
01:19Tom Cruise created a flight program for us that was about 40, 45 hours of flight training.
01:25We actually swam with the U.S. Olympic open water swim coach for about three months, three times a week, and 40 pounds of gear to train for a swim test to be able to fly in the jets.
01:35Okay, so we know this man is fit. We know you've done your work. So what are we doing?
01:40I learned all these different styles of martial arts and how to use these different weapons.
01:44My character, Sleepy Floyd, in the film is a basketball player who has this amazing night.
01:49It's a true story, actually. He scored 29 points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game against the Lakers, a record that still stands today.
01:55But on the fictional side, Sleepy has this kind of love and passion for martial arts and ancient battle weapons.
02:03So we've got some true life, not-so-true-life freakiness.
02:08Yeah.
02:09But the training was real.
02:10The training was very real.
02:11I started with my martial arts practice about two hours every single morning.
02:15Then I would lift in the middle of the day, and then I would do about two hours of weapons work at night.
02:20So for me, that was just about learning fundamentals of a bunch of different styles.
02:24And then once I got through that after about three weeks, going, you know, six hours a day, six days a week, then I stepped into the choreo.
02:31So we're going to jump ahead of the training part and jump into the choreo part.
02:35Think about that as you're watching the struggle, please, everyone.
02:39So don't take it too hard on me.
02:41You're not going to struggle. He'll be fine. Don't listen to him.
02:43Sleepy, my character, he breaks into this house. He walks into this house, rather.
02:49He kind of starts the choreography. He starts his first fight with someone who's getting a tattoo.
02:55I replace the guy who's giving the tattoo. I take him out. I stick a knife in this guy's back.
02:59This guy flips around, and he starts fighting, and we're in pretty close quarters.
03:03So we're between...
03:03Right here.
03:04So imagine if there is a sink. There's a countertop with a sink over here, and there's an island over here.
03:09So this is about the space that we have to do this, right?
03:13So if you come at me with a punch with your right hand, yep, I'm going to block here.
03:17And then if you come with your left, I'm going to take you down here.
03:21I'm going to punch, pull you towards me, headbutt.
03:25Oh, damn.
03:25You're going to stumble back a little bit, and then I'm going to come down and across the top with an overhand.
03:31Okay. All right. Just thinking about what I know, too, is this is useful because when I've trained in the past, I'm Muay Thai.
03:38Yeah.
03:38The thought is fighting a phone booth.
03:41Yeah.
03:41So we're right here in this phone booth.
03:42Right here, and it's tight. It's me, you. It's real tight.
03:44We're getting real close here. We're buddies. We're buddies now.
03:47All right. So I'll throw first.
03:49Yep.
03:49So it's the right first.
03:50Right first.
03:51It's the right block.
03:52Counter.
03:52Yep.
03:53Counter.
03:53Yep. I'm going to grab that.
03:55Punch.
03:56Graham.
03:56Yep.
03:57Headbutt.
03:57You stumble back. I go down. Come up.
04:01Okay.
04:01How's it feel?
04:03I'm thinking about the mirror. I'm thinking about mirroring it.
04:05All right.
04:05Now, when you come at me, you've got to come at me like a crazy person.
04:08Okay.
04:08Just, you know what I'm saying?
04:09All right.
04:09Because this guy is wild.
04:10I'm very calm.
04:11All right.
04:11Like, I'm Sleepy Floyd.
04:12I'm Superman.
04:12I'm assuming the name tells me that he's getting up and getting after it.
04:16All right.
04:17All right.
04:17Okay.
04:18All right. Here we go.
04:19Yep.
04:19Okay.
04:19And boom.
04:20Boom.
04:21Yep.
04:22Boom.
04:23Yeah.
04:24There you go.
04:25And take that punch.
04:26He's out.
04:26He's out, ladies and gentlemen. Good night.
04:29All right.
04:29Ready?
04:30Let's see.
04:30All right.
04:31So, I'm coming at you.
04:31Because I know you're thinking, too.
04:32I'm going slow.
04:33You're going to.
04:34Huh?
04:35Yep.
04:35Other way.
04:35I'm going to come over the top.
04:36I'm going to come over the top.
04:37You're going to block out.
04:38Oh, gotcha. Sorry.
04:39Ow.
04:39Stop down.
04:40Yep.
04:40You're going to block out.
04:41Now, I'm going to come here.
04:42Now, you're going to use this one.
04:43Oh, it's still.
04:44Oh, it's bolt counter there.
04:45Grab that wrist.
04:45Overholding.
04:46Grab that wrist.
04:46Punch.
04:47Boom.
04:47Now, pull me to you.
04:48Head butt.
04:49Boom.
04:50All right.
04:50Stumble.
04:51And oh.
04:52With the oh.
04:53Yeah.
04:54We'll vert.
04:55Okay.
04:55Okay.
04:56Hey, I know Sleepy's got a better vert than I do.
04:59I love it.
04:59I love it.
05:00We flamed out at JV basketball.
05:02We didn't quite get up there.
05:03So, all right.
05:04You know, this becomes a dance, right?
05:06And if we know the dance moves, then it very much lessens our chance of injury and hurting
05:11one another.
05:11So, you very much have to be locked in with the person that you're in a scene with, right?
05:16I love that Superman punch.
05:17Yeah.
05:18So, the chest gets real wide there.
05:21Apologies to the choreographer.
05:22You did incredible work.
05:23Sorry that I'm putting my spin on it, but.
05:26I love it.
05:26We're adjusting.
05:27Okay.
05:28I don't know if you could actually get that Superman punch in.
05:30Maybe not in that.
05:32With the counter, right?
05:33Maybe.
05:34So, you're thinking more.
05:35Oh, you know what it is?
05:36You'd come over the top with this guy.
05:37He was in the height.
05:38So, you're going to.
05:39Oh, and you're coming down.
05:40When you come down, my head goes to the countertop and I go out.
05:42So, the prop department is really what helps here is the dress setting.
05:46You have a prop department that's constantly replacing everything on the countertops because
05:50it's all getting moved, right?
05:51There's bowls of popcorn.
05:52There's bottles of beer.
05:53There's glasses.
05:54And it's all getting knocked around as things get moved, as arms swing out, as legs are swinging,
06:00as heads come down.
06:01And you're constantly having to break, wait for the camera to reset, and then you jump
06:06into it again.
06:07Continuity.
06:08Oh, my gosh.
06:08That's crazy.
06:09Yeah, man.
06:09So, we've run through the sequence.
06:11I think I'm getting it.
06:13I want to teach you a flower, which is with a weapon.
06:17We're breaking new ground.
06:18I'm Brett Fizer.
06:20So, the flower.
06:21Yeah.
06:22What are we talking about with the flower?
06:23All right.
06:23I'm going to let you choose your weapon first.
06:25Oh, okay.
06:25Actually, we'll start with these guys so no one gets hurt.
06:28Wise.
06:29There he is.
06:30All right.
06:31You got it.
06:31You got it.
06:32Do it again.
06:33Look.
06:33Do it again.
06:34Uh-oh.
06:35All right.
06:35So, in the film, I'm stepping into this living room where now there's about six or seven
06:39guys who are sitting here who each get up with a different weapon.
06:42Okay.
06:42This guy comes from the back.
06:44You pull that out.
06:45You present.
06:46And then you're going to go into your flower outside.
06:48And then when you come up, you're going to wrap it behind your back.
06:52Like that.
06:53Yep.
06:54And then you're going to step out and twist.
06:56And just watch me.
06:57You're going to bring your elbow up and bring it in front of you.
06:59And then you're going to put your second hand on it.
07:01Turn.
07:02Slice down.
07:03Okay.
07:04Okay.
07:04Let's go through another time.
07:05Okay.
07:05So, you got in the back.
07:06Present.
07:06Present.
07:07And then you're about to destroy everybody here.
07:12So, like, the confidence is like, you can even tilt your pelvis for a little bit.
07:15You know what I'm saying?
07:16Like you're at the okay corral.
07:17Give it to him.
07:17And then from there, now you're just playing with him.
07:20This flourishes just for you.
07:22Right?
07:22And then you go around.
07:24There.
07:24And you're going to step around.
07:26Bring it up.
07:27Yep.
07:28And then come down.
07:30Big step.
07:32Boom.
07:33Flower.
07:33You're a pro.
07:34Okay.
07:35How fast can you do it?
07:37Let's see.
07:37All right.
07:38We'll pop.
07:38Just a little.
07:40That's part of it.
07:41That's forever part of it.
07:42You don't give him the hip pump.
07:43You're not really doing it.
07:44You know what I'm saying?
07:44Try with a knife.
07:45No, let's do it again.
07:46Let's do it again.
07:46Let's do it again.
07:47Just so nobody over here gets sliced.
07:50But let's go one more.
07:52I appreciate everyone's trust here.
07:54Especially yours, J.G.'s.
07:58Bam.
07:58Mm-hmm.
07:59Yep.
08:00Right?
08:00Yep.
08:01Yep.
08:01Yep.
08:01And then raising it up.
08:02And then she'll be out, right?
08:03Yep.
08:04And then you're going to come around.
08:06Big step with that guy.
08:07Boom.
08:08Night-night.
08:09Big slice.
08:10It's a big slice.
08:11All right.
08:12I'm going to show you with a real knife.
08:13Can I be to the side?
08:14No, you should be right there.
08:15Oh.
08:16Right in front.
08:16All right.
08:16All right.
08:17All right.
08:17Let's go.
08:17Come on, man.
08:18Let's go.
08:18Red fights.
08:20All right.
08:22Let's see.
08:22I don't actually know how fast I can do it.
08:23Let's see.
08:24It's been a while since I've done it.
08:30Ah!
08:31You ready?
08:32I'm hyped up.
08:34Mm-hmm.
08:36Mm-hmm.
08:37Nice.
08:38Around.
08:38Up.
08:39Around your back.
08:42Okay.
08:43That was great.
08:44Okay.
08:45That was great.
08:46All right.
08:46Let's try to bring these two together.
08:47You think you can do that?
08:48Okay.
08:48You get one time.
08:49One time.
08:52Channeling sleepy here.
08:54There you go.
08:55All right.
08:56Okay.
08:57Ready?
08:57Why?
08:58Boom.
08:58Ready?
08:59Boom.
09:00Uh-huh.
09:00Uh-huh.
09:01Oh!
09:02Oh!
09:04Okay.
09:04Yep.
09:05Kick.
09:13Yeah!
09:14Okay.
09:16It's really all in the hips.
09:17Woo!
09:18It really is all in the hips.
09:20Jeez, Jay.
09:21That was a lot of fun, I will say.
09:25But also, like, that gives even just, like, the tiniest look at what you have to go through
09:33to be able to have these hyperkinetic fight scenes in films.
09:38I learned a lot, obviously, and, again, like, I had a really amazing stunt team, and I wouldn't
09:43have been able to do it without them, because, really, it did all start with these small building
09:46blocks, right?
09:47That's something that I carry with me forever, man.
09:49If you get interested in this stuff, there's so many ways that you can apply these practices.
09:53Keep fighting.
09:54Keep fighting.
09:55Keep fighting.
09:56Keep fighting.
09:57Keep fighting.
09:58Keep fighting.
09:59Keep fighting.
10:00Keep fighting.
10:01Keep fighting.
10:02Keep fighting.
10:03Keep fighting.
10:04Keep fighting.
10:05Keep fighting.
10:06Keep fighting.
10:07Keep fighting.
10:08Keep fighting.
10:09Keep fighting.
10:10Keep fighting.
10:11Keep fighting.
10:12Keep fighting.
10:13Keep fighting.
10:14Keep fighting.
10:15Keep fighting.
10:16Keep fighting.
10:17Keep fighting.
10:18Keep fighting.
10:19Keep fighting.
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