Hello and welcome to my fantastic journey, for most of my life I've been involved in the entertainment industry, now you're probably wondering what this has got to do with martial arts? Well martial arts have been a big part of my life from the start. Let me take you back and explain. As a teenager, at the age of 15, I left school and started dancing professionally around Australia. After hundreds of shows and performances as well as 20 commercials to my credit I started to drift into martial arts. My flexibility and speed and rhythm in my dance training led me to martial arts. A close friend of mind was a martial artist and we used to spar jokingly together. The more we sparred the more I noticed that my kicks were just as high as his and my rhythm was just as good. It was this friend that said I should try Taekwondo because of all the fast kicks and flexibility.

Beasty – Fight training with lead actor

At the age of twenty is when I started with Taekwondo for many years and competing. My first instructor was Moon Lee. Then on to kickboxing for many years with the late Dana Goodson and Paul Fyfield. I started competing in kickboxing. Back then it was only above the waist rules, which was good for me because of my flexibility it gave me an advantage. As I progressed thru kickboxing I started to try other styles. Once I started a new style I soon realised that my dance training, over all those years, have given me a better edge than most fighters. Soon it wasn't long before I started out to do gymnastics then on to Judo, wrestling, Arnis, Kung Fu, Brazilian Jiujitsu, fencing and all along still doing dance shows around Australia and so on. It's kind of funny where life leads you some times.

Around this time I auditioned for a children's TV show in Melbourne as a character called "Fat Cat". Now "Fat Cat" was the biggest children's television show around which aired every day on TV. I did this for 7 years around Australia paying my way thru dance school and martial arts classes, and still performed doing other dance productions.

Ray with Byron Mann on the set of 'Invincible'	Ray on the of Matrix 2-3 – Fox Studios

It was in Adelaide in 1998 that while I was in a dance and acrobatics show I was approached to tour the world with "Manpower Australia" as a dancer. So for the next 6 years travelling around the world with Manpower, and appearing on nearly every talk show program from USA to England to Germany, and seeing myself on 50 feet billboards in Las Vegas was incredible. Like all good things it had to end sooner or later. The greatest buzz for me was not performing on stage but was being able to train and gain a lot of knowledge of different martial arts schools around the world, and get paid for it. Because our shows were at night it gave me the flexibility to experience this.

Ray in character as a drug thug on 'Water Rats' TV series	Ray with one of the Gladiator stars on the set of 'Beastmaster' TV series

After I finished with Manpower I decided to try and become a stunt performer, and use all my skills for the movies I thought. As it turned out, after many years travelling and performing around the world and training with different styles and clubs, I found myself in the film industry working as a professional stuntman for movies and productions. I guess with all my skills and body control, I picked it up quite quick and soon started to make a living as a stuntman. My forte in stunt work has always been fight scenes, weapons and choreography. I had a vast knowledge of skills and experience in my head, after almost 10 years in the film industry and 80 movies later, with credits like The Matrix 1,2, & 3; Star Wars 2; Mission Impossible 2; and so on.

I even attended an introduction to Close Protection on the Gold Coast for Bodyguards International who were evaluating potential bodyguards where the training was conducted by Tank Todd. I haven't done any Close Protection work since then because l've been lucky enough with film work, but individuals on that introductory course are now working Close Protection worldwide at the highest possible level.

Ray on set as a pirate for TVC	Working on choreography before filming in 'The Mask 2' (aka 'Son of The Mask' ) due out June 2005

I guess I've found my calling. Most coordinators and production companies now employ me as a fight choreographer and performer. My company, the A.F.F.A. – Australian Film Fighting Academy – services the film industry with martial artists and stunt performers for only film fighting productions. When I'm not on set, working, I run film fighting workshops for actors for want to enhance there skill level and do some of they own fight scenes, and martial artists who are interested in using there talent and skill for film fighting industry. My web site is www.affacademy.com for any one who is interested.

Anyone interested in becoming a stunt performer needs to have a lot of skills, you cant survive just on one. Just like mixed martial arts you need a bit of everything. This still wont guarantee that you will work in the film industry as it's a very tight industry, but if you have the passion for it don't let anyone stop you. What you need to do is contact someone already in the film industry and ask them how and what is the procedure to becoming a stunt performer in your country.

My favourite techniques are submissions, trying to control the opponent but not hurt or damage him. It's very easy to be charged these days for excessive force and get a criminal record for something that was not your fault. With submissions you can control the amount of pain inflicted. If your attacker calms down you can control it and if he persists you can put the pressure on. I like a saying I heard around class, "no air, no attitude" – no matter how big, strong, aggressive, drunk, and upset they are, take away the air supply and they will soon calm down, but in saying that you must know what your doing.

Ray getting kicked from Stacey Oversier, lead actress in 'Invincible'	Ray taking a wreck on set of 'Invicible' with Billy Zane

There's been one instance where I've had to use my skills for defense, and believe it or not it was at a wedding reception. Things got out of hand over a dispute between families. Before I knew it chairs and tables were being thrown and smashed and people were fighting on the dance floor. I stayed back with my sister to protect her and just stood back and watched until one person, for no reason, started coming towards us. He approached with a big right cross at my head and without thinking I ducked and bear-hugged him, took him to the ground and ended up in a knee ride on his chest and a my hand around his throat. He soon realised where he was and stopped, so I guess after all of my training, instinct kicked in and worked.

Ray Anthony on the set of Farscape sci-fi movie, as an alien

Working on camera angles for fight sequences in 'Farscape'