about me
Joey Chen
Joey Chen
My name is Joey Chen.
I was born in Singapore, and a Singaporean.
I have lived outside of Singapore for more than 45 years, mostly in LA and Seattle, USA, Germany, Italy, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Australia and in Japan alone the last 32 years. I am a close friend of Bruce Lee before he died. Beside his wife Linda and his daughter Shannon I was the next person closest to him. The other person who was close to Bruce Lee was Robert Chua of former boss of Hong Kong TVB producer and general manager who is also my very close friend for the last 46 years and he happened to be in the same school with me in Singapore but he was my seven year senior.
In 1964 when I was 10 years old I studied Japanese karate next to my school MacNair road and a year later I studied Korean Tae Kwon Do and by the end of the third year I already hold One Dan blackbelt in both martial arts.
As of now Mar 2019 I hold a 5 Dan BlackBlet in Japanese Karate and 3 Degree Blackbelt in Korean Tae KwonDo. In 1969 I was working as an assistant in a film company and I was practising martial art during break time and my Boss took video and pictures of me practising martial arts. Then my Boss had to go to Hong Kong for business and he took those video and pictures of me practising martial arts and passed them to Bruce Lee during the meeting. He like it very much and was very impressed of my kicking techniques and he asked my boss to send me to Hong Kong to work with him. In February 1972 I went to Hong Kong and met Bruce Lee at the Golden Harvest film studio and he quickly asked me to show him some kicks and punches and sparred with him as well. He then asked me to work with him as his Sidekick Stand in for his next film Way of the Dragon which he was going to include Chuck Norri, seven time world karate champion as his enemy in the film..Afterthat I continued to work in Game of Death which was 30% percent completed and put on hold to work on Enter The Dragon instead.
On 6 July 1973 Bruce Lee sent me back to Italy to scout possible locations for Enter the Dragon 2 a sequel to the original. And at the same time to meet with Carlo Ponti was the producer for Dr. Zhivago and received the new flim proposal and also to take the flim script Red Sun from Charles Bronson who was going to work with him beside Aliain Delon the French actor. Four days later he sent King Hu a Chinese flim based in Hong Kong famous for A Touch of Zen, Dragon Inn to Rome to help me but problem was that he cannot speak English only Beijing language which I had no problem with that. All my relatives, cousins were in Beijing, Shanghai,Taiwan and Hong Kong and I speak the Chinese language.
Bruce Lee had wanted King Hu to direct the sequel.
Then on 20 July 1973 in the late afternoon I was at Arios Film studio which was at the outskirts of Rome, I went to sit at the Drink Bar table counter with Ingrid Bergman's sister in law who was my friend. Ingrid Bergman walked into the restaurant looking for her but she saw me and knew who I was as her sister-in-law already told her about me; that Bruce Lee's friend Joey Chen was doing preproduction film for Bruce Lee's film.Ingrid Bergman knew Bruce Lee very well as they have worked together in the film ”A Walk In the Spring Rain" (1970) with Anthony Quinn written by Stirling Silliphant (Poseidon Adventure) who was a friend of Bruce Lee and I. And Ingrid Bergman told me, "your friend Bruce Lee is dead ". I replied back, "cannot be, I was with him only 2 weeks ago”. Then Charles Bronson came in and said to Ingrid Bergman, "did you tell him that Bruce Lee is already dead?". “He doesn't believe.". Then Charles Bronson turned to me and said ," Joey, listen, Bruce Lee is dead ". Then Charles Bronson turned to the waiter behind the bar counter and talk to him in Italian and the man turned the small TV and Charles Bronson told me to watch. I saw thousands of people in Hong Kong walking along the street and then I saw Bruce Lee in coffin box and Linda Lee wearing chinese funeral clothing sitting down by Bruce Lee's coffin and that was when I truly believe that Bruce Lee was dead.
King Hu and I drop the sequel. King Hu returned back to Hong Kong and I stay on in Rome for another two months and returned back to Hong Kong on first week of October. At the studio, Raymond Chow sent Louis Seet to negotiate with me to work as the main actor taking over Bruce Lee place in Game of Death. I told Louis to give me one week to thing about it. Three weeks later I went back to the studio and Raymond Chow saw me and asked me to sign a contract to work on Game of Death taking over Bruce Lee's place but I stalled him and asked for a week to thing about it. By which time I have already decided not to work with Raymond Chow.
Bruce Lee died but he did not leave me with nothing. He gave me the sequel to Enter the Dragon. Warner Brothers wanted to remake Enter the Dragon but Bruce Lee ex-wife and daughter disagreed. So Warner Bros wants to do the sequel instead and staff at Warner Brother knew I have it because they saw Bruce Lee talking to me about it and this time he deffinitly wanted to get me involved in the fighting scenes in the flim without any hassle from Raymond Chow.
Warner Brothers was looking for me for a very long time and even now 45 years later they still couldn't find me. The staff at Warner Bros. asked people who were involved in the flim Enter The Drag in Hong Kong to look for me and everyone of them said the same thing that he is already dead. Except one person; Robert Chua, former Hong Kong TVB producer of Enjoy Yourself Tonight. He knew Bruce Lee very well having interview him several time at his Hong Kong television studio TVB. He also knew that I work with Bruce Lee in his flims especially Enter The Dragon. For the last 45 years the only person that I kept in touch with was Robert Chua. On 6 February 2019 Robert Chua and his wife Peggy visited Japan and my wife and I went to Tokyo and had coffee with them at Starbuck for nearly 3 hours and talk about nothing but Bruce Lee. Would I give Enter The Dragon's sequel to Warner Bros? Absolutely not. I will offer it to film production company in Singapore first and if they are not interested I will then offer it to Ali Baba film company owns by Jack Ma or Netflix or Tencent or Crowdfunding and produce the flim myself.
The latest news in LA People Magazine said that Warrior a kung fu Western
story written for the television by Bruce Lee which was rejected nearly 50 years ago but has had made a comeback and had been produced for the TV finally. It give me a boost and encouragement for the sequel to Enter The Dragon which was also a Bruce Lee's film which hit a jackpot. There is no reason why the sequel cannot hit a jackpot.
I am the youngest and probably one of the very few survivors left who has had worked with Bruce Lee. All the others are either too old in the 80's or 90's or already gone. I give you this sequel first and by next week I will make an offer to Ali Baba film company, China. For reference check with Robert Chua. He help made Bruce Lee and Chow Yun Fat famous.
Yours faithfully,
Joey Chen
Tokyo, Japan
Contact: ajangjoey@gmail.com
Website: Facebook Joey Chen, Joey Chen's Gold ("Game Of Little Dragon", copyright) joeychen.breezi.com, leanpud/joeytan (Books author)
Reference:
Robert Chua former Hong Kong TV Broadcasting Studio Producer, Facebook
In 1961, when I was 8 years old I studied and trained in Kung Fu, lion dance and Bejing opera; then in Shi To Ryu karate at 11 and switched to Korean Tae Kwon Do at 14 with my older brother for 2 years before switching back to Karate. I have been an training Japanese Karate for more than 50 years, 32 years of which were in Japan alone. In winter Japan, I love to train under the waterfall when the snow fell on my body while I threw punches at the falling water, slowly but forcefully, I can feel the chi heating up my internal body and then electrified my flesh while I focus on my energy within that keep me balance and sane throughout. In February 1972, I worked with the late legendary Bruce Lee in his film Way Of The Dragon, Game of death. I choreographed action scenes for Bruce in the film Enter The Dragon by Warner Bros. I had also worked with William Berger and Donald O'Brein in Italy and films which included working as martial arts choreography and assistant director to film director Guy Hamilton for The Man With The Golden Gun 007 with Roger Moore 1974 and first assistant director to Michael Cimino in Deer Hunter 1977 with Robert DE Niro and Christopher Walken both of which were shot in Kanchanaburi Province, Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Tapu island. I have had trained MMA to students in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Australia and US. In 1985, primarily, because I am an exponent in unarmed combat which means "kill or be killed" when in deadly assignment and also I can speak and understand several different languages at any one time, I was assigned as a secret confidant and bodyguard to one of China's top man during his overseas trip in the Pacific as a precaution against possible assassination attempt by enemies or rival states. Failure to honor my duty to protect the man with my life was not an option on my part. If assassination were to happen, there was no telling what would happen next. It is anybody guess whether there was an attempt at all during that time. The great man has since passed away peacefully in Beijing, China. Now, I serve the Lord as a missionary to the poor and stateless refugees in the jungle within the Thai Burma border in Thailand, rescuing Thai, Karen, Mon, Rohingyas children from landmines and wild elephants and killer mosquitoes, and Burmese soldiers who are always on the lookout for girls and even boys to rape and then killed them thereafter without the decency to buried them and cover their heinous crime which warrant investigation by the UN. Off course, I karate lessons to all the children. See youtube: New karate kids from Burma. Escape From Burma. Blessings.
In 1961, when I was 8 years old I studied and trained in Kung Fu, lion dance and Bejing opera; then in Shi To Ryu karate at 11 and switched to Korean Tae Kwon Do at 14 with my older brother for 2 years before switching back to Karate. I have been an training Japanese Karate for more than 50 years, 32 years of which were in Japan alone. In winter Japan, I love to train under the waterfall when the snow fell on my body while I threw punches at the falling water, slowly but forcefully, I can feel the chi heating up my internal body and then electrified my flesh while I focus on my energy within that keep me balance and sane throughout. In February 1972, I worked with the late legendary Bruce Lee in his film Way Of The Dragon, Game of death. I choreographed action scenes for Bruce in the film Enter The Dragon by Warner Bros. I had also worked with William Berger and Donald O'Brein in Italy and films which included working as martial arts choreography and assistant director to film director Guy Hamilton for The Man With The Golden Gun 007 with Roger Moore 1974 and first assistant director to Michael Cimino in Deer Hunter 1977 with Robert DE Niro and Christopher Walken both of which were shot in Kanchanaburi Province, Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Tapu island. I have had trained MMA to students in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Australia and US. In 1985, primarily, because I am an exponent in unarmed combat which means "kill or be killed" when in deadly assignment and also I can speak and understand several different languages at any one time, I was assigned as a secret confidant and bodyguard to one of China's top man during his overseas trip in the Pacific as a precaution against possible assassination attempt by enemies or rival states. Failure to honor my duty to protect the man with my life was not an option on my part. If assassination were to happen, there was no telling what would happen next. It is anybody guess whether there was an attempt at all during that time. The great man has since passed away peacefully in Beijing, China. Now, I serve the Lord as a missionary to the poor and stateless refugees in the jungle within the Thai Burma border in Thailand, rescuing Thai, Karen, Mon, Rohingyas children from landmines and wild elephants and killer mosquitoes, and Burmese soldiers who are always on the lookout for girls and even boys to rape and then killed them thereafter without the decency to buried them and cover their heinous crime which warrant investigation by the UN. Off course, I karate lessons to all the children. See youtube: New karate kids from Burma. Escape From Burma. Blessings.
Resume
Nationality: Singapore
Date Of Birth: 6th July 1953
Marital Status* Married to Japanese 33 years
Working Experience: Director Of Photography, Film Director, Scrieenplay writer, Acting Director
Specialization: Martial Arts Action Choreography, Language Coach
Formal Training: UCLA Extension Film Cinematography, Television, Directing, Production
Related Experience: Film editor, Marketing films
Additional Training:Television Cinematography with Danny Rozer Film School Best in Hollywood
Acting Training: Ingrid Bergman 1973 Rome, Italy (Casablaca)
Actors Worked With: Bruce Lee, King Hu, Roger Moore, Robert De Niro
Martial Arts Training: 5 Dan Black Belt Karate, 3 Degree BlackBelt Tae Kwon Do, 45 years Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee)
Language: Chinese with 4 other dialogue, Japanese, English, Malay
Additional Experience: Special Security Agent Training Australia
Other Qualifications: Single Airplane flyer, Truck Driver, Forklift Operator
Christian Work: Protestant Church Lecturer
Author: leanpub/joeytan
Contact me: ajangjoey@gmail.com
Website:joeychen.breezi.com;leanpub/joeytan (Books), jonta.breezi.com
Reference: Robert Chua, Former Hong Kong TV Broadcasting Studio Producer FaceBook
Joey Chen © Copyright All Rights Reserved 2012