“I’m just grateful to have been a part of the golden age of Hong Kong cinema.”

When Loren Avedon answered a call to the Jun Chong Martial Arts Academy on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles late one night in 1987, little did he know that the call would prove to be life-changing. With only a matter of days until filming was scheduled to start in Thailand on the sequel to the 1986 martial arts hit, No Retreat, No Surrender, both of the film’s contracted stars – Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme – had pulled out, leaving producer Roy Horan with the desperate task of having to contact the city’s top dojos to quickly find a replacement. Enter young taekwondo ace, Loren Avedon; black belt student of brothers Phillip and Simon Rhee, part-time instructor at Jun Chong’s and a used car salesman. After impressing Roy Horan, Loren found himself jetting off to Thailand to start his new career as a leading actor in martial arts action movies. No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder would prove to be the first of a three-picture deal with the Hong Kong production company, Seasonal Films – created by Roy Horan and Ng See-yuen – followed by No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990) and The King of the Kickboxers (1991). This blistering trio of fight classics quickly saw Loren Avedon become hot property in an already booming video market for martial arts movies. Listen as Loren speaks candidly about his formative years in LA and London, his martial arts training, his inspirations, his movie career, and the lessons he has learned after over three decades of working in the entertainment industry. Discover the latest Loren Avedon news by following him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and by visiting his website, lorenavedon.com.

Keith Vitali and Loren Avedon in Blood Brothers (1990).

Keith Cooke and Loren Avedon in The King of the Kickboxers (1991).

Loren Avedon and Billy Blanks in The King of the Kickboxers (1991).

J.J. Perry and Loren Avedon.