Scott Shaw
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Scott Shaw | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 23 September 1958 Hollywood, California |
| Occupation | Film actor, film director, film producer, author |
| Official website | |
Scott Shaw (born 23 September 1958) is an American author, journalist, actor, film director, film producer, musician, and a well-known martial artist.
Contents |
[edit] Background
[edit] Early life
Shaw was born in Hollywood, California. He became involved with both the martial arts and eastern mysticism at a very early age. Both of these subjects have come to define much of his life.
[edit] Career
Shaw has had an extensive career in both the arts and the sciences. He first became noticed as an author when his poetry and literary fiction began to be published in literary journals in the late 1970s.[1] Beginning in the mid 1980s Shaw's writings also began to be published on the subjects of anthropology and the social sciences. Though his writings have span many genres, Shaw is perhaps most well known as an author on the subject of the martial arts. This is due to the voluminous amount of written work he has composed on the subject. Over three hundred of his articles on the martial arts have been published and he is the author of several books on the subject.
The foundation for Shaw's writings on the martial arts began when he was six years old. This is the point when he began his study of the Korean martial art of Hapkido.[2] Shaw initially studied Hapkido under the direction of Duk Hyun Son. He later went on to study with Sea Ho Choi, Hee Hwan Yoon and Sung Soo Lee.
Shaw studied and taught Hapkido and Taekwondo until in 1987 he was the first American to be awarded the 7th Degree Black Belt in Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo. In 1988 he earned the rank of 7th Degree Black Belt in Kumdo. In 1996 he was the first non-Korean to be promoted to the rank of 7th Degree Black Belt by The Korea Hapkido Federation.[3] Previous to this he had been certified a Hapkido 7th Degree Black Belt in Hapkido Moohak Kwan. [4] Since that time he has been promoted to 8th Degree Black Belt in both Hapkido and Taekwondo.
Shaw has also written numerous articles and several books on Zen Buddhism, Yoga, Eastern Religion and Asian culture. These writings are based in the fact that from his youth forward Shaw has been involved with eastern meditative thought. He was a direct disciple of Swami Satchidananda. In addition, he studied with such teachers as Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and Thich Thien-An. By the age of eighteen he was a certified instructor of Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. At this point in his life he travelled to India where he was initiated into various Buddhist, Hindu and Sufi sects and became Sannyasa. Shaw is also a Frater Rosae Crucis of the Rosicrucian Order. He is known to frequently travel in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia documenting Asian Culture in words and on film.[5] He lives much of every year at his home in Kamakura, Japan. [6]
[edit] Filmmaking
In association to his writings, Shaw is also an active actor and filmmaker. In 1991 he developed a new style of filmmaking that he titled Zen Filmmaking.[6] In essence, this style of filmmaking is defined by the fact that no screenplays are used in the creation of the film. In an interview in Variety (magazine) Shaw explained, "In Zen filmmaking the spontaneous creative energy of the filmmaker is the only defining factor. This allows for a spiritually pure source of immediate inspiration to be the only guide in the filmmaking process". [7]
[edit] Books
- About Peace (ISBN 1-59003-003-6)
- Advanced Taekwondo (ISBN 0-8048-3640-X)
- Bangkok and the Nights of Drunken Stupor (ISBN 1-877792-06-3)
- Cambodian Refugees in Long Beach, California: The Definitive Study (ISBN 1-877792-02-0)
- Chi Kung for Beginners: Master the Flow of Chi for Good Health, Stress Reductions & Increased Energy (ISBN 0-7387-0419-9)
- E.Q. (ISBN 1-877792-07-1)
- Gods In Polyester: A Survivors' Account Of 70's Cinema Obscura (Contributor)
- Hapkido: Essays on Self-Defense (ISBN 1-877792-42-X)
- Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense (ISBN 0-8048-2074-0)
- Junk (ISBN 1-877792-05-5)
- L. A. Tales from the Suburban Side of Hell (ISBN 1-877792-18-7)
- Last Will & Testament According to the Divine Rites of the Drug Cocaine (ISBN 1-877792-00-4)
- Los Angeles Koreatown: An Urban Geographical View of the Factors That Lead to Its Inception & Its Current Urbanization (ISBN 1-877792-09-8)
- Love Lived Too Long (ISBN 1-877792-21-7)
- No Kisses for the Sinner (ISBN 1-877792-12-8)
- Nirvana in a Nutshell: 157 Zen Meditations (ISBN 1-59003-017-6)
- Sake in a Glass, Sushi with Your Fingers: Fifteen Minutes in Tokyo (ISBN 1-877792-22-5)
- Samurai Zen (ISBN 1-57863-104-1)
- Sanskrit, the Language: Inception and Modern Day Ramifications (ISBN 1-877792-10-1)
- Scream: Southeast Asia & the Dream (ISBN 1-877792-01-2)
- Shanghai Whispers Shanghai Screams (ISBN 1-877792-26-8)
- Siam Tracy (ISBN 1-877792-25-X)
- Simple Bliss: Nirvana Made Easy (ISBN 1-86204-850-9)
- Suicide Slowly (ISBN 1-877792-14-4)
- Taekwondo Basics (ISBN 0-8048-3484-9)
- The History of the Hmong
- The Ki Process: Korean Secrets for Cultivating Dynamic Energy (ISBN 0-87728-879-8)
- The Little Book of Yoga Breathing: Pranayama Made Easy ISBN 1-57863-301-X
- The Tao of Self-Defense (ISBN 1-57863-190-4)
- The Most Beautiful Woman in Shanghai (ISBN 1-877792-24-1)
- The Passionate Kiss of Illusion (ISBN 1-877792-04-7)
- There Is No Wind Through the Trees on a Treeless Beach (ISBN 1-877792-11-X)
- The Warrior Is Silent: Martial Art and the Spiritual Path (ISBN 0-89281-668-6)
- The Zen of Everything (ISBN 1-877792-40-3)
- TKO: A Drunken Night in Tokyo (ISBN 1-877792-08-X)
- War (ISBN 1-877792-17-9)
- Wet Dreams and Placid Silence (ISBN 1-877792-19-5)
- Wo' Ton of the Blue Vision (ISBN 1-877792-16-0)
- Yoga the Inner Journey (ISBN 0-595-16549-4)
- Zen Buddhism: The Pathway to Nirvana (ISBN 1877792365)
- Zen in the Blink of an Eye (ISBN 1-877792-4-11)
- Zen: Tales from the Journe (ISBN 1-877792-43-8)
- Zen O'Clock: Time to Be (ISBN 1-57863-124-6)
- Zero One (ISBN 1-877792-20-9)
[edit] Filmography
- Blade in Hong Kong 1985
- Guongdong Province, China: Poverty and Promise 1990 (Documentary) (Director)
- Long Feng cha lou 1990
- Sunset Beat 1990
- Just a Moment That Passes in Time 1990 (also Producer/Director)
- Zhi zai chu wei 1991
- Wu fu xing chuang gui 1991
- The Roller Blade Seven 1991 (also Producer)
- Long mao shao xu 1991
- The Divine Enforcer 1991
- Capital Punishment 1991
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
- Palomino 1991
- Samurai Vampire Bikers From Hell 1992 (also Producer/Director)
- Nu hei xia huang ying 1992
- The Player 1992
- The Naked Truth 1992
- The Legend of the Roller Blade Seven 1992 (also Producer)
- Jing ling bian 1992
- Return of the Roller Blade Seven 1993 (also Producer)
- Samurai Johnny Frankenstein 1993 (also Producer/Director)
- Atomic Samurai 1993 (also Producer/Director)
- Samurai Ballet 1994 (also Producer/Director)
- Exploding Angel 1995
- Hell Comes to Frogtown III 1995 (also Producer/Director)
- Cambodia: Living in the Killing Field 1996 (Documentary) (Director)
- Toad Warrior 1996 (also Producer/Director)
- Shotgun Boulevard 1996 (also Producer)
- Hollywood Cops 1997 (also Producer/Director)
- Guns of El Chupacabra 1997 (also Producer)
- Guns of El Chupacabra II: The Unseen 1998 (also Producer/Director)
- Armageddon Boulevard 1998 (also Producer)
- Ride with the Devil 1999 (also Producer)
- Ghost Taxi 1999 (also Producer)
- Quest of the Invisible Ninja 2000 (also Producer/Director)
- Pop Beat Killers 2000
- Poppugurûpu Koroshiya 2000
- Liquid Tokyo 2001 (also Producer/Director)
- No Boundaries 2001 (also Producer/Director)
- Slip Into Oblivion 2001 (also Producer/Director)
- Undercover X 2001 (also Producer/Director)
- Sedona 2001 (also Producer/Director)
- Hollywood P.D. Undercover 2002 (also Producer/Director)
- Max Hell Frog Warrior 2002 (also Producer/Director)
- Max Hell Comes to Frogtown 2002 (also Producer/Director)
- Hitman City 2003 (also Producer/Director)
- The Rock n' Roll Cops 2003 (also Producer/Director)
- Vampire Blvd. 2004 (also Producer/Director)
- Super Hero Central 2004 (also Producer/Director)
- Legend of the Dead Boyz 2004 (Producer/Director)
- Interview: The Documentary 2005 (Producer/Director)
- The Final Kiss 2005 (also Producer/Director)
- Dinner and Drinks 2005 (also Producer/Director)
- 9mm Sunrise 2006 (also Producer/Director)
- Killer: Dead or Alive 2006 (also Producer/Director)
- One Shot Sam 2006 (Director)
- Vampire Noir 2007 (also Producer/Director)
- Yin Yang Insane 2007 (Producer/Director)
- Witch's Brew 2007 (also Producer/Director)
- The Adventures of Ace X and Kid Velvet 2008(also Producer/Director)
- Naked Avenger 2008 (Producer/Director)
- Frogtown News 2008 (also Producer/Director)
[edit] Discography
- Jail House Brew
- Nights of Gothic Horror
- Ambient Light
- Just Zen
- Themes from the Zen Movies
[edit] References
- ^ Biography at Poetry Hunter.com
- ^ The Complete Martial Art Hall of Fame
- ^ Biographical Record at the Library of Congress
- ^ Inside Kung Fu, October 1996
- ^ Biography at Llewellyn.com
- ^ a b Scott Shaw at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Variety Magazine, February 1998
[edit] External links
- Scott Shaw at Allmovie
- Scott Shaw: The Official Website
- Scott Shaw Biography at Film Reference
- Scott Shaw Biography and Filmography at Filmspot.com
- Scott Shaw Filmography at the British Film Institute
- Scott Shaw Biography at Llewellyn Encyclopedia
