I’ve been everywhere, man...
’Cross the desert bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man...
Travel I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere...
- Hank Snow, 1962.
Port Perry’s Jackie Chan understands full well what country music legend Hank Snow was singing about. In fact, he could likely add a few destinations from his own experiences to that song’s lengthy lyrical list. And by following his guiding philosophy – to seize life’s offerings whenever available – he’s gathered some amazing stories along the way.
Progressing through his second-degree black belt in Shaolin karate, Jackie aspired to train in China under the monks whose order originated the art. With the support of his local karate master and the Shaolin temple’s Canadian liaison, Jackie was accepted into the exclusive program as he finished high school.
Call it charisma. Or, a less spiritual explanation, the good fortune to possess a naturally likeable nature. Or maybe life’s most passionate participants create their own “breaks.” But however you analyze it, one fact remains: people of all ages and stripes are drawn to Jackie Chan by force of character. Seemingly chance events have contributed building blocks for his future.
One such meeting serves as an example. An exchange teacher from Australia invited Jackie for a short layover en route to his Shaolin training in China. That “visit” wound up lasting six months, and started Jackie on a largely-unplanned backpacking tour of the country.
“I took no precautions,” he says, eyes widening at his own naiveté. “Poisonous spiders and snakes…I was lucky!”
And “lucky” in another sense: unwittingly, his Australian adventure opened the door to “SurvivorChan.”
“The name was a take-off on the TV series, ‘Survivorman,’” he laughs. “I used my camcorder experience from high school drama and karate demos, and taped whatever I was doing. I didn’t realize the impact it would have.”
One thing you quickly realize about Jackie Chan: he can’t – and doesn’t care to – sit still for long. His first year of Humber College’s Media Foundations Program followed his training with the Shaolin monks. While the first year was “a great experience… I really enjoyed college life,” Jackie concedes, it ended in a bout of wanderlust.
Itching to again taste life beyond Ontario, Jackie committed to six weeks of tree planting in western Canada.
Another opportune offer, this time from a college friend’s family, would echo his Australian experience, without the threat of deadly reptiles. The short-term invitation to their Calgary home would last the entire summer.
In the process, Jackie was reminded of a lesson first learned in Asia. “I was hired at a kids’ camp,” he says. “I started in a different role, but related so well with the kids, they asked me to be a counsellor. Someone said I was a ‘pied piper!’ Working with youth will definitely be part of my future.”
Jackie again broke out his camcorder, a decision for which SurvivorChan would one day thank him.
His urge remained in remission – albeit temporarily – for much of his second year at Humber. But as the academic year was almost at its close, fate intervened with an opportunity to travel to Japan for martial arts training. The hitch: he’d need to write his exams early to accommodate the trip. Where most students would hear “no,” his professors supported Jackie’s circumstances.
His time in Japan included backpacking as well as an ascent of that country’s Mount Fuji.
On return, his talent behind the camera presented Jackie yet another opportunity. A friend who owned a record company asked him to videotape one of the label’s acts, about to serve as the opening act for Shaggy, in the Cayman Islands. As always, the footage would also capture the photographer’s own experience in tropical paradise.
Jackie blended gritty with glamourous. He assisted with a winter program for the homeless in addition to providing self-defense instruction at Humber. His efforts earned notice in a very practical way for a student funding his own studies.
“I applied for the Millennium Award of Excellence, never thinking I’d win,” he recounts. “But turned out I did, a real boost. I paid off my student loan, had enough to cover future tuition and books.”
His climbing adventure in Japan had whetted Jackie’s appetite to scale more and bigger mountains. Next stop, Alaskan glaciers.
“It was cheaper than the Himalayas!” he laughs.
From base camp at the foot of Alaska’s Mount McKinley, Jackie absorbed upgraded wilderness training from what he terms “dynamic teachers.” The preparation readied him for challenging outdoor conditions to come.
“On the climb, the weather often changed quickly and dramatically,” he recalls. “Depending on cloud cover, the temperature could fluctuate from plus-30 to 30-below.”
There would be no such swings at Jackie’s next destination.
“I spent five weeks in Jamaica with ‘Students Crossing Borders.’ I worked with kids doing an after-school program, taught women’s empowerment and self-defense, and learned a lot about their culture.
A lot of the people I met had nothing. They were so thankful for any help. Eventually, I’d be invited back for a second stint, enjoyed them both.”
As part of an assignment, one of Jackie’s Humber professors viewed his accumulated footage. Recognizing its quality and potential, the teacher encouraged the young man to pursue the concept as a TV series.
“Early on, our professors had warned us to find another program if our reason for selecting that one was to become famous. No, that’s not necessarily my goal, but I pursued the SurvivorChan idea with their support.”
In fact, that effort is still ongoing. In early November, Jackie pitched his vision to Cineflix. Its representative termed the demo “too positive,” so in Jackie’s words he’s “back to the drawing board.”
Not that he’s brooding over the temporary setback; instead, he’s grounded realistic, and positive.
“If it doesn’t happen, that’s okay,” he comments. “I’ll be happy anyway.”
Jackie reinforces that his true ambitions lie elsewhere. “My goal is to teach either communications or tourism and travel. I’d find more satisfaction in that than pursuing big bucks – I’ll be working with kids, still find time for volunteer work, have weekends free.”
In the short term, Jackie has begun teaching a self-defense program at Port Perry High. He is enthusiastic and philosophical about the initiative.
“Who knows? Maybe that program will take off, and I’ll have the chance to do more.”
The opportunity to “do more” may turn out to be in Port Perry. It may not. But wherever and whenever it does, you can bet someone will jump at the chance to give Jackie Chan a shot. Success and achievement, he’s shown in a mere quarter-century, follow him like a shadow.
By Scott Mercer
Focus on Scugog
Personalities
