“Our first year together was probably the equivalent of many couples’ first five years. It was so intense.” Vincent Soberano

You could say it was Jackie Chan that first brought together the Manila-based martial arts power couple, Sarah Chang and Vincent Soberano. They first met at the Jackie Chan Stuntman Training Centre; a huge complex in Tianjin, used by people from all over the world to train in the martial arts and make it in the movies. Vincent – a former professional fighter and pioneer of mixed martial arts in China, who helped to train the country’s first UFC fighters – helped to design the facility; and in 2016, in walked Sarah Chang – actor, producer, fight choreographer, and five-time USA national wushu team member – training for a role in a film. While she was there, she befriended the stunt coordinator, Sam Hargrave, who ended up using her to double Celina Jade in Wu Jing’s action blockbuster, Wolf Warrior II. Vincent and Sarah connected over their passion for martial arts, and their drive to portray authentic fighting styles in the movies. But it wasn’t until their work on the action horror, Blood Hunters – filmed in the Philippines – that the two decided to leave Beijing and move to Manila full-time, where they have since started a family, set up their own production company, and produced a string of films together, as well as working on their own projects. Their other films include the tournament movie, The Trigonal, and the soon-to-be-released, Circle of Bones. Vincent and Sarah discuss the challenges they face making martial arts films in the Philippines, which is still an uphill struggle despite the international success of similarly ‘hyper-local’ fight films made elsewhere in Asia. They also share tips on how they are remaining busy (and sane) during the coronavirus lockdown.

For further information on Sarah Chang, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and read more on her website, starringsarahchang.com. For the latest Vincent Soberano news, go to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and his website, vincentsoberano.com. Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids is out now on digital platforms including Amazon, Vimeo on Demand, FlixFling, Vudu and Fandango, courtesy of DarkCoast. Read more about the film on Facebook. Circle of Bones is scheduled for release in late 2020/early 2021. Find out more about the film via Facebook. Featured image of Sarah Chang by Rolly Magpayo, via starringsarahchang.com.

Blood Hunters Trailer from TriCoast Studios on Vimeo.

Sarah Chang and Vincent Soberano in Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids.

Sarah Chang. Photo by Dilip Bhoye, via starringsarahchang.com.

Vincent Soberano in The Trigonal. Photo via vincentsoberano.com.