Brian Le Talks “Gladiator Underground” & “The Furious”!

If you’re a martial arts fan who frequents YouTube with the goal of finding short films and proof-of-concept projects showcasing up-and-coming stunt performers and filmmakers, a Gladiator Underground interview Brian Le is likely already on your radar. Founded by brothers Andy and Brian Le, Martial Club has been the online studio where the duo and their collaborators, including rising star D.Y. Sao, pay tribute to classic Hong Kong kung fu movies that inspired them in their youth. The trio have recently begun scaling that vision beyond YouTube with low-budget but highly action-packed martial arts films, with the newly released “Gladiator Underground” standing as their latest exhilarating project.

In “Gladiator Underground”, directed by Chaya Supannarat, kung fu exponent and underground fighter Max Yen (D.Y. Sao) befriends fellow competitor Sojin (Brian Le).
The duo are active on the underground scene and eager to enter an upcoming martial arts tournament promising a major prize. Unfortunately, the situation becomes far more complicated with the killing of Max’s sifu. This tragedy re-ignites bad blood between Max and his estranged brother Wu (Andy Le). Matters worsen with the revelation of Sojin’s connection to their sifu’s death. Ultimately, the three warriors head into a tournament battle where reconciliation clashes with deadly stakes and Max’s iron-clad vendetta.

Today, we speak to Brian Le on the making of “Gladiator Underground” and the challenges of making such an action-packed tournament movie on such a low budget and limited time. We also discuss how his Martial Club work prepared him, plus Brian’s role in upcoming Hong Kong ensemble The Furious!

“Hi Brian, Welcome to Kung fu Kingdom! Hope you’re doing well!”

“Hi Brad, I’m doing well, thanks!”

“Awesome! Well, before we get started, what are your thoughts on Kung Fu Kingdom’s name and our mission to inspire 100 million people around the world to learn martial arts? “

“Dude, I think it’s amazing honestly, and thank you for what you do. I think the world of martial arts and martial arts action cinema is very niche, but it holds so much soul and spirit, so thank you for being one of the ones holding down the fort on it.”

“We’re certainly glad to be of service in doing that! Okay, well, let’s go ahead and start with your beginnings in martial arts. Compared to most other martial arts movie stars, you and your brother Andy were reportedly actually largely self-taught. Can you go more in depth on that?”

“Yeah, definitely. So, Andy and I grew up in Little Saigon, both of our parents immigrated from Vietnam, and we didn’t have the best upbringing financially, but of course, we were grateful for what we had. We grew up on martial arts films, our Dad would rent and buy the cheap VHS tapes from the bottom of the bin at the Mom and Pop shops, and that was what truly inspired us in the beginning. We wanted to train in martial arts, but we didn’t have money for lessons. My mom was able to put Andy in a Wushu class for about six months, but then, because money was tight, she had to pull him out of the class. But Andy would teach me everything he knew, and not having teachers, we still wanted to learn martial arts, so we would literally copy what was on-screen. I think the beautiful thing with that was that it wasn’t only the physicality, but also the spirit and the shots and the angles and the cinematography, so it all kind of came as one.”

“When we think of martial arts or choreography, the way Andy and I see it, we always see it with the shots in our heads. So, I think everything happened for a reason, and it’s a blessing the way that we came up, and I’m truly grateful for it.”

“So, what can you share about how you came aboard “Gladiator Underground”?”

“Well, going back to the Wushu class that Andy took for six months, D.Y. Sao trained at the same school, the Southern California Wushu Academy, and he was the star student at the time. So, in our area of Little Saigon, he was well-known and famous as like the martial arts guy in the city, you know. So, when I was a kid, I would see D.Y. in the class doing backflips and he’d take his shirt off and be ripped like crazy, and it was like seeing a real-life superhero.”

“So, Andy and I had known D.Y. for a long time, and we kind of lived our separate lives until we had grown the Martial Club channel a little bit more, and we asked D.Y. if he wanted to do a short film with us, which was our Ip Man tribute, “The Intercepting Fist”. He played the Eagle master and he was amazing, and we were all on the same frequency in terms of not just martial arts, but how we view the world. So, we were on the same wavelength and spent so much time together, we became brothers, we trained together, and from then on, it was a dream to be able to just say “Hey, you want to make a movie together?””

“D.Y. started off first working with Chaya on “Shadow Master”, and I was fortunate enough to be a part of that, and then “Bangkok Dog”, and that eventually led into “Gladiator Underground”. It was such a blessing having Andy and D.Y. on set with me, along with Joseph Le and a lot of the Martial Club family, as well.”

“So, what would you say was the biggest difference on making “Gladiator Underground” compared to past projects you made like your work on Martial Club and movies like “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once”?”

“I would say that for things on YouTube or on “Everything Everywhere All At Once” or “The Paper Tigers”, having a small role, you don’t really have to think of the whole scope. For something like “Gladiator Underground” where D.Y. and Andy and I all have prominent roles, you kind of have to carry the film with the character and think about things like “In this scenario, what would this character do that would carry into the next scene?”

“With so much non-stop action in “Gladiator Undergound”, what would be your pick for your personal favourite fight scene in the movie?”

“I think my favourite fight was when Andy and D.Y. duked it out at the kung fu school. Those are my two big brothers, and seeing them both just pop off in their own individual styles, and being there on set and helping Joseph Le shoot, it was definitely one of my favourite fights.”

“Related to that, what would you describe as the most challenging fight scene to create in “Gladiator Underground”?”

“Well, I think the most challenging thing was that the movie was shot in like 10 or 11 days.”

“The entire movie was shot in 10 or 11 days?!”

“Yeah, that was the most difficult part of the film, but then within that, in terms of the acting, you kind of really only had one take. But there’s this thing in acting where sometimes, the first take is the best take because it’s the most authentic and the most genuine. Whereas, when you do something that’s repetitive, it can feel too rehearsed, but when it’s the first take with an actor you’ve never worked with before, that communication on screen is genuine because I’ve never met this person and I’m doing a scene with them, so that conversation becomes real.”

“It was challenging just in terms of getting a feel for that person’s energy and learning to work with it and knowing that we might have this take and this one only. So, you kind of had to not know the script, but know the character in and out so that subconsciously you just play that character. So, it was challenging, but I’m grateful for it, because I believe everyone, myself included, grew a lot from it.”

“In terms of action, it was the same thing. The fight in the kung fu school where I come in and fight all the students, I think we shot that in maybe nine minutes. Since the schedule was so packed, it’s like “Okay, we have this dojo for today and tomorrow, or maybe even just today”, so it was like “We need to get all of these scenes out, and then move on to this scene”, and we’re shooting out of order in terms of whatever location we’re in at the time, and it was always narrative, then action, narrative, then action. So, by the time the narrative was finished, we’d have like 12 minutes left. So, the most challenging one for me was the dojo fight, because there was no warm-up, but it’s already hot in Bangkok, so fortunately, I was already warm! But the shots are in my head and Joseph Le’s head, so we’re just going straight for the bangers of “Jump! Double knee! Kill this guy! German suplex onto the table! Drop kick onto this guy!”, and in the original choreography, it was a more complete fight, but the universe had it, and it came out how it should have, and I’m grateful for that too.”

“Was that the same kind of schedule you guys had on “Shadow Master” and “Bangkok Dog”?”

“Essentially, yes. I believe on “Shadow Master”, we had a little more time, but for “Bangkok Dog”, it was about 12 days. Sometimes, we wouldn’t have time to choreograph beforehand, because we wouldn’t meet the stunt guys until we got there. So, a lot of times, it was just knowing who your character is and understanding the style that comes with that character and just learning how to adapt, which is what I believe is one of the most important things within martial arts, and it bleeds over on film.”

“Were there any major injuries or mishaps during the making of “Gladiator Underground”, especially with such a short shooting schedule?”

“For the most part, everyone came out pretty clean. By the grace of God, everyone came out pretty clean. Rehearsal and prep time are important so that everyone knows their marks, but for this, there was no rehearsing or anything. There were some close calls, like during the fight in the dojo, when I do that suplex on that stunt performer, and these Thai stunt performers are tough! But the table was built as a break-away, and I suplexed him onto the table and right where he fell, there was a nail right next to his head, so that could have been really bad. But by the grace of God, he was safe and everyone came out safe.”

“Glad to hear that! So, what would you say were some of the big influences on the making of “Gladiator Underground”?”

“Yes, actually, I would say a big inspiration was “Street Fighter”, because “Gladiator Underground” is essentially “Street Fighter”. It’s a martial arts tournament with martial artists from all around the world competing, and I think what was beautiful was that in the script, the characters are written, but it’s up to each actor to bring their own truth to the screen, you know. And Andy, D.Y., and I, we’re martial artists to the core, so we kind of lives already as if it’s “Street Fighter”. So, when it came to “Gladiator Underground”, it was just more so bringing our truth to the screen, and that part felt pretty seamless. But definitely something that we talked a lot about was “Dude, this feels like Street Fighter!”, and everyone kind of had their own character that was like “Street Fighter”, and I think that made it a little more unique.”

“Yes, the “Street Fighter” DNA in “Gladiator Underground” is certainly quite visible. Are there any other projects that you have in the works with D.Y. and Chaya after “Gladiator Underground”?”

“Not at the moment, but I believe D.Y. and Chaya are planning something, because they always are, and if they want me to be a part of it, I would love to. I would do it all over again!”

“We definitely look forward to seeing that, and speaking of breathlessly anticipated martial arts films, you’ll also soon be seen in Kenji Tanigaki’s upcoming Hong Kong martial arts action ensemble “The Furious”? What can you share about how you came aboard the project?”

“Wow, so with “The Furious”, I’ll tell a fun little backstory. I actually sent Kenji a message back in 2012 or 2013, and I basically asked if I could be part of his stunt team, and if I needed to send him a demo reel or anything like that. I don’t think that message went anywhere, but it had always been my intention to work with him. I’ve been a big fan of Kenji for a long time, and I’m familiar with his work down to the rhythm. I think Kenji is of the “style of no style” school, he’s really good at adapting to the actors and the story, but he always has these fallbacks and defaults, and I’m very familiar with them.”

“So, it had always been my intention to work with him, and I think just putting that out into the ether, somehow the universe played its part, and one day, Kenji just sent me a message and asked if I wanted to be a part of this movie he had coming up, “The Furious”. I’ve never said “Yes” to anything so fast in my life!”

“And on that note, one element of “The Furious” that’s been highly praised is the movie’s five-way final showdown. What can you share about the process of creating such a complex fight sequence as a throwback to ‘80s and ‘90s Hong Kong action movies?”

“Well, Kensuke Sonomura-san was the action director, and I’d seen his work before in “Bad City” and “Hydra”, and I was seriously impressed. One thing I really like about his action style is that it has a very good balance of chaos and order. I think everything in life needs balance, needs the yin and yang, and that’s the style of “The Furious”, especially the finale. It feels so chaotic, but at the same time, within the cast, I believe there was a synergy that we all trusted each other and knew each other’s timing. So, when it came down to it, it was as if there was no choreography, you’re just kind of flowing with the other person. I believe that Sonomura-san’s style along with Kenji’s, they’re very much about having each actor bring out their truth.”

“In the finale fight, it feels very chaotic, but at the same time, it’s controlled chaos, which is what I really loved about it. I would have to admit that it was also a new style for me, because coming up with Martial Club and growing up on kung fu films, I studied a lot of kung fu shapes in choreography, whereas for the style of “The Furious”, it was a grimier and hard-hitting, raw, gritty style. I played with that style in “Bangkok Dog” and “Gladiator Underground”, but not to this extent, and I definitely learned so much, and I would say now, it’s become a part of my arsenal and I’m taking it with me onto the next projects.”

“So, when it comes to the overall experience of making “The Furious”, having grown up so influenced by Hong Kong action movies and now actually being in one, what was it like for you working with the ensemble cast of “The Furious”, which includes such martial arts movie luminaries as Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Jeeja Yanin, Yayan Ruhian, and Joey Iwanaga?”

“Yeah, these guys, as scary as some of them come off like on film, they’re some of the nicest people you could ever meet. I think there’s something amongst martial artists where you have honor and all of these guys are very humble to the core. Coming into the film, I was thinking “Wow, these guys all have so much experience!”, and it’s my first time being in a film at this scale. I didn’t know what to expect, and these are the guys from “The Raid” and Joey from “Ruruoni Kenshin”, and Jeeja and Xie Miao, these guys have all done so many martial arts films. So, I came in with an open mind and ready to take on whatever was in front of me.”

“But these guys, they’re so humble and so kind and they taught me a lot and showed me the ropes in terms of what it meant to play the part, so I’m really grateful for that.”

“Moving ahead a bit now, “The Furious” has also been making the rounds on the festival circuit, and the movie had its world premiere at the Midnight Madness showcase at 2025’s Toronto International Film Festival? What can you share about seeing the film showcased on such a grand scale at its premiere and being on stage for the Q&A after?”

“Yeah, dude, I didn’t know that Toronto International Film Festival was a film festival for reactions! Like, I didn’t know there’d be beach balls going around and people going nuts, you know? Also, during TIFF was the first time that the cast had seen the movie ourselves, so we had just as much of a reaction as everyone else. Being able to work on it and seeing it for the first time on the big-screen, I was still finding the words for myself, and then we were put on the stage for the Q&A, and I’m still trying to process what we just saw! It was a beautiful experience for me, and I’ve never experienced anything like that ever.”

“Yes, and seeing the reactions from TIFF has only skyrocketed the anticipation for “The Furious! Looking ahead a bit now, what other projects do you have coming up after the release of “The Furious”?”

“I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say! (both laugh) One project is one that is definitely near and dear to our hearts at Martial Club, which is we’re working on our feature film right now. We’re not shooting yet, we’re still in development and going into pre-production, but it’s a movie we’ve developed over the years. 2015 was the first time we really put the pen and paper together, and it’s been something that we’ve been creating for quite some time. I would say that it’s definitely our love letter to Hong Kong action cinema and martial arts overall. It’s kind of like our diary through the growth of a martial artist, so we’ve been constantly working on it, and that’s what I’m doing full time at the moment.”

“Well, we definitely look forward to seeing that when the time comes. Well, as we prepare to sign of Brian, what special message would you like to share with Kung Fu Kingdom readers and your fans around the world?”

“Oh shoot, man, pressure’s on! Definitely I want to say just for the community alone, I want to give a huge thank you. Not only to you guys at Kung Fu Kingdom, but for everyone within the martial arts community, I want to give a huge thank you, because I believe it’s because of the supporters that we’re able to keep doing what we do. Also, outside of just martial arts, I also believe we’re always where we’re supposed to be, and everything happens for a reason, and I think the most important thing is that we find our grounding and cultivate the spirit, cultivate the warrior’s spirit within.”

“Well said Brian. Thank you so much for your time today and congratulations on all your success with Martial Club and “Gladiator Underground”. We can’t wait to see “The Furious”, and we wish you all the best on all of your action-packed upcoming projects!”

“Thanks Brad, happy to share everything today with Kung Fu Kingdom!”

“Gladiator Underground” is available to stream on VOD! Have you seen “Gladiator Underground”? What are your thoughts on the movie’s incredible fight sequences, filmed in just 11 days! Are you excited to see Brian in the upcoming Hong Kong action ensemble “The Furious”! Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (And be sure to jump over KFK’s FU-niversity of movie reviews and exclusive, in-depth interviews, including our interview with the director and leading man of “Gladiator Underground”, D.Y. Sao and Chaya Supannarat, grab your official KFK gear and subscribe for more action on YouTube, as well!)