Many thanks to @xinmsnSports for tweeting the link to their article!
In an interview with Xinmsn Sports, MMA fighter Alain Nglani talked bout his cameo appearance in Man of Tai Chi and working with director Keanu Reeves. Mr. Nglani had the following to say:
What’s special about the fighting in Man of Tai Chi? Did you use any real MMA moves in it?
What is special about the fighting is actually the use of MMA techniques throughout the movie. The action is very real which is what makes it an exciting movie.Tell us about Keanu Reeves.
Keanu Reeves is an amazing Director. It’s been a real honour sharing this experience under his supervision. Despite his celebrity status, he is amazingly down to earth and always helpful.What are the differences between MMA and acting fight scenes?
The difference between MMA and acting fight scenes in my opinion is very narrow. In MMA, there is also the need to put on an exciting show to entertain. However, something that people don’t really realise is that acting in fight scenes is really demanding due to the high level of repetitions needed to make a scene perfect.
The entire interview can be read here.