“Hollywood is on the cutting edge of the martial arts.”
By Jim Wagner
I loved when her face lit up when I handed her the popular Jim Wagner Reality Based Blade – the ultimate tactical folder for self-defense manufactured by the German company Boker. Actress Dakota Fanning was indeed surprised when I gave it to her saying, “Well, you are part of the Reality Based community now. You’re one of us.”
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I was on the location for the film Please Stand by (to be released this year) starring Dakota Fanning, Alice Eve, and Toni Collette Directed by Ben Lewin. Dakota is not the first Hollywood star that I’ve handed my own knife to, but many others thanks to my Reality-Based Personal Protection student and cinematographer Butch Pierson. Like other times before I received a text from Bruch on Friday, January 29th asking me if I was in California. He knows that I am always hop scotching around the world teaching courses or involved in a project. I text him back that I was in California and “What’s up?”
Butch said that if I was not busy that I could drop by to his filming location in the city of Norwalk and observe and learn. He knows that I enjoy picking up professional filming techniques, which always helps me with my own training videos that can be seen on YouTube. Fortunately I was free, and I told him that I was on my way. Not an hour later I was on location and Butch got me behind his camera. Several minutes later I was talking to 21-year-old movie star Dakota Fanning. Years ago I knew she was a great actress when I saw her in Steven Spielberg’s movie War of the Worlds (2005) staring Tom Cruise. Her character was unbelievable believable. This will be her fourth film for 2016, and the other three are soon to be released: American Pastoral, Brimstone, and Viena and the Fantomes.
Whenever I am invited to a sound stage or on location through Butch’s invitation he makes sure he introduces me to key people, and he is always proud to tell them about the Reality-Based system and lets everyone know that they need it should they ever find themselves the victim of crime or terrorism. He even informed me this time that there is a group of women (film crew members) who want to have me teach them Women’s Survival.
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Well, as I was watching the filming Butch came back to me and said, “Jim, do you want to be in this film?” He told me that there was a small part for me if I could stick around. I responded, “Sure, no problem.”
A minute later I was signing a contract, talking to wardrobe, and waiting in the mobile Green Room. Within an hour I was placed with the other actors and given my part – a “Los Angeles bus passenger.” My job was to be a traveler going up to the bus driver with my ticket and suitcase in hand, drop off my bag near the underneath cargo hold, and board the bus. It just so happened that I had the new Jim Wagner Go Bag in my truck, parked 100 meters away from the filming, ran and got it, and it was on my shoulder during the filming. Not only did Dakota Fanning have my Reality Based Blade, but my Go Bag was filmed, and so I can honestly say, “Hollywood is on the cutting edge of the martial arts,” at least for that day anyway. I don’t they realize just how many people are coming to this system all over the world due to the global rise in crime and terrorism. Well, Butch knows…
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The last movie I was in was a big role. I taught the star, Morgan Spurlock, how to survive terrorism for his Middle East adventure film Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? (2008). And, I was in the movie Fury to Freedom (1985) playing the role as a Los Angeles gang member. So, I am no stranger behind the camera when it comes to Hollywood. I was in both of these films because of the martial arts.
Only a few minutes after doing my part in Please Stand By it was “lunch time,” but my dinnertime. Butch and the entire crew had to keep working until midnight, but I had the opportunity to eat with him for the one-hour break, and like any movie production it was all catered in. Butch and I caught up on what each other is doing, terrorism going on in Europe and the United States, and about the new changes with the RBPP system. I even had a chance to show him the features of the new Jim Wagner Go Bag. However, the most important business I had with Butch Pierson was asking him if he’d accept the honor of being on the Reality-Based Personal Protection Board of Advisor for Motion Picture Cinematography, and he said, “Oh yes, I’d like that.”
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