15 KFMG Podcast Zara Phythian

What a pleasure it was to chat with world-champion martial artist, actor and instructor Zara Phythian, who has been kicking ass ever since her first karate lesson at the age of seven. Now, she is a role model and inspiration to hundreds of young martial artists, who flock to her Personal Best Academy in the UK to learn self-defence. Her varied film credits include work with top UK martial artists like Joey Ansah and Mark Strange in Underground (2007), thrillers like The Hike (2011), and fighting Van Damme in Alien Uprising (2012). In 2015, she was cast as the Brunette Zealot in the Marvel superhero film Doctor Strange (2016), alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton and Mads Mikkelsen, and fellow British martial arts stars Scott Adkins and Katrina Durden. Her new films include Knights of the Damned and Cannibals and Carpet Fitters.

In this episode, you will hear about how the 13-time World Sports Martial Art Champion discovered her passion for martial arts, acquiring her first black belt at the age of 12, running her own classes at 16, and being the first British person to be inducted into the International Karate and Kickboxing Hall of Fame at the age of 21. We discuss the time Van Damme had to jump start her car, what it's like being a female martial arts instructor in a male-dominated industry, and her top-secret Wing Chun film project with Grandmaster Samuel Kwok. All of which is presented from the MCM Comic Con event, which took place at ExCeL London between 26-28 May 2017. Enjoy!