Luke Judge

In one clip captured on YouTube, Luke Eadie addresses several judges perched in front of him in folding chairs. Then he begins his winding, spinning, whirlwind routine.

Eadie twists his body and extends a staff in several directions. He lifts one foot just below his chin, showcasing his balance. As he explained it recently, the idea is to rely on the strength in his waist to make the necessary movements in the martial arts form known as Tang Soo Do.

Every so often, Eadie, of Glen Rock, will pause briefly and let out a guttural scream. Then after about 45 seconds, he stops and bows before the judges.

All this from a 10-year-old. This from a young boy who wields nunchucks and kamas — sickles used to harvest crops in some cultures — while other boys his age are mastering games on their PSPs.

“I loved it the first time I did it,” Eadie said of karate, which he studies and practices at UTA Karate in Shrewsbury. “I like the discipline that they teach me.”

Eadie also apparently loves competition.

He has spent several weekends over the last two years on the road with his father, Dan. They have traveled to tournaments as far away as Connecticut and Florida.

It’s safe to say that karate has become more than a hobby for a young man who attends Friendship Elementary School. It’s also provided the opportunity to meet people from all over the world — and to see some incredible displays of physical ability.

“He got to see some people flying through the air, like what you see in the movies,” Dan Eadie said. “He really started to step up his practice (after that).”

That practice now includes gymnastics training. Improving his balance and flexibility will remain a goal as Eadie attempts to move up in the karate ranks. He is currently a high red belt.

Next year, he plans to travel much of the North American Sport Karate Association (N.A.S.K.A.) Tournament Schedule, which includes stops in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, among other places. Eadie has already started to raise money for the trips by selling sandwiches and looking for sponsorships from local businesses.

Ask him how far he sees himself taking karate, and he doesn’t have to look far for an answer.

“I see myself getting to that seventh- or eighth-degree black belt,” he said.

Don’t bet against him. If he’s already cracking plywood before his 11th birthday, who knows what’s next?

– Jeffrey A. Johnson is a sports reporter for The York Dispatch. He can be reached at jjohnson@york dispatch.com or 505-5406.

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There have been two pleasant surprises this year for Diane Jeffrey and her gymnastics class.

She has five boys enrolled in the two classes.

“Usually it’s something girls do. The five boys, they can do it; so I know they’ve been interested,” Jeffrey said.

The size of the class has also increased. In the first- through third-grade class, there are 13 students. In the fourth- through sixth-grade class there are another 12 students.

The past couple of years Jeffrey requested that at least 10 students take the class. With smaller classes, there is a possibility that gymnastics is an activity to pacify students before parents come home from work.

Jeffrey said the energy, especially of the younger group, has affected some of the returning students. Two girls who lacked enthusiasm and confidence last year have been more willing to tumble on the mat.

The class is also a means to interact with children. Jeffrey ran a day care for 23 years, but retired from that business last year.

“I like kids,” she said.

While there is not a pommel horse or balance beam in sight, Jeffrey is teaching students simple tumbling and eventually building to cartwheels, round offs, and flips.

The goal of the class is simple: have children exercise without realizing they are partaking in physical activity.

Jeffrey’s joy is seeing students’ confidence spike after they learn a cartwheel or a flip. The realization of accomplishing an acrobatic feat gives students the confidence to continue striving. The success breeds more success.

Alex Cain and Jeffrey’s daughter, Cheyenne, periodically help with the class. On Oct. 6, Cain supervised one cartwheel line while Jeffrey watched another. They would help students with the proper form and even spotted them when they struggled.

As one of two Marion High School cheerleading sponsors with Susan Hall, Jeffrey also encourages her cheerleaders to help with the class. One of the benefits is that it teaches cheerleading techniques to future generations of cheerleaders.

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M y earliest memory of Hrithik Roshan is of an exceptionally lean young man greeting scribes politely at the entrance of the high-wattage music launch of his debut film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. No one was paying him much attention. Not until the songs of the film were played on the gigantic screen. The film was a resounding success and the rest, as the clich goes, is history.

Some of that phenomenon of creating a buzz without much fuss continues. Regardless of the hits and the flops, and because he doesnt bother to hammer home his achievements at every given opportunity, Roshan, almost deliberately, slips out of public memory after every memorable or forgettable film like the proverbial dew in daylight And yet, the anticipation before every film he stars in is huge. Even with the advantage of being an industry kid, he is among the rare few blessed with histrionic abilities, good looks and happy, dance feet, all of which usually add up to impressive collections at the box-office. The fuss, therefore, is understandable.

But even Mr Dreamboat has faced rough weather at the box-office despite the success of movies like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… and Mission Kashmir. In the span of a decade, Roshan came perilously close to be declared a one-film wonder. A film glossy in fact declared him Finished after movies like Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (for Yash Raj Films), Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon (Rajshri Productions), Fiza and Yaadein (Mukta Arts) fell like ninepins. However, he more than redeemed himself when Koi…Mil Gaya and Krrish made by his father Rakesh Roshan worked their magic, followed by his impressive outings in Lakshya, Dhoom:2, Jodhaa Akbar and Luck By Chance.

Kites, a home production helmed by Anurag Basu, is unlikely to be an exception. If it works, it may just set the bar higher. In fact, Kites is an ambitious project aimed equally at an international audience and an Indian one. Brett Ratner of X-Men and Rush Hour fame is re-editing the English version titled Kites: The Remix (without the songs), which will release in United States a week after during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. A total of around 2300 prints with around 85 in US alone will be released. Director Anurag Basu says that such a scale would not have been possible with any other actor. Hes the only actor with an international appeal.

The reason I tweaked the concept given to me by Mr Rakesh Roshan and introduced a Spanish character was because Hrithik alone has the confidence to pull it off. People say that he prepares too much but he did not see the videoassist for the whole film. His biggest plus-point is that he sees the whole film in totality.

The promotions on air and constant news of Roshan and lead actress Barbara Mori have generated a lot of buzz about the film. That could be a matter of interest with the cinema-viewing public at large. For the industry insiders (among them filmmakers Imtiaz Ali, Sanjay Gupta and Vipul Shah), independent of the rumours, the film is set for an impressive turn at the box office.

For a pre-release interview at a suburban hotel, the actor turned out in blue denims and white shirt. He takes questions about an international foray with Kites.

Excerpts:

How would you describe your forthcoming film Kites?Contrary to all speculations, Kites is a simple, sweet, straightforward and honest love story sans any commercial manipulative screenplay gymnastics. It is not trying to provoke audience to clap or laugh or cry. It is not trying to be a Krrish or a Dhoom:2. Everything that transpires in the film is a natural progression of love. The screenplay is such that there is a time lapse and there are two different looks in the film. I play someone who is streetsmart and has the gift of the gab.

It is a slice-of-life story. I dont want to do commercially manipulative films. There are a lot of English dialogues because the guy has been brought up in Las Vegas. There is a lot of music and dance in western musicals that is integral to telling a story. I hope Kites will bring that back.

What was it like to shoot for a home production without your father in the directors chair?My father was like a father to all of us on the sets. He wanted to allow a young mind to give shape to his vision. It was his way of stepping back and growing and learning by observing the younger generation make films. Dad and I have always tried to raise the bar. Dads, Anurags and my instincts often converged. When it comes to teamwork, you either convince the other person or get convinced. Anurag was watchful and I applied myself totally (to his vision).

As far as Indian superhero movies are concerned, the two of you set the ball rolling (with Krrish)and now many more are following suit. What would you say about that?We stumbled upon an idea and the film happened because of the strength of that idea. The thought of an Indian hero flying around in a cape was not digestibleI sort of imparted enough confidence in people to not be afraid to carry forward their vision. Every film has its own destiny. Like water, creative work finds its own level.

What was it like to walk the red carpet at Cannes (last year) with your film being a major attraction at the Indian Pavilion? My visit 13-14 years ago with my grandfather was a lot more fun. Last year it was a little unnerving. I was far from relaxed, which I realised was because I was trying to impress people

A lot has been written about your chemistry with co-star Barbara Mori How was it to work with an actor with completely different sensibilities?She is such a wonderful actor that I had to be as good. The way she expressed herself before the camera was so honest and beautiful that it required me to unlearn a lot. I truly enjoyed the flight as an actor.

And did acting in a film that will also release in non-Indian territories entail a different work methodology?Apart from all the work you apply to the craft, the decision was to make an effort to not watch myself, not to say my lines perfectly and not to follow the earlier rules. I went back to beliefs I have held as a child. To not know where I am going or how I would come out looking in a shot was the challenge. I lived in the moment.

You almost passed up the chance to be part of this film due to your knee injury.Yes. A lot has been written about that. I had seen about 35-40 doctors for my knee problems, tried Chinese therapy, went to Finland and met quacks. Almost miraculously, the first day when the shoot commenced, the pain was less and within a week it was gone.

Do you believe in miracles?Miracles are manifestations of your search and perseverance.

You are working in Shekhar Kapurs Paani, yet another international movie from India. Comment.Paani is in a discussion stage. I am delighted and overjoyed about it as almost 13 years ago, Shekhar Kapurs Tara Rum Pum was supposed to be my first film. Life has come a full circle.

There is also Zoya Akhtars film Running With The Bulls on the anvil.Zoya is very easy to work with and she, truly, thinks out-of-the-box. Besides my father, she is the only director with whom I will be working again.

You have, besides putting yourself in an enviable position, even made friends with once-rival superstar Shah Rukh Khan which is quite rare in a fiercely competitive industryHow did you achieve that?I dont analyse the past and I dont look too far ahead. I just follow my heart. The only way to find out your true potential is to go with your instinct. In this quest, I am trying to enjoy my journey as an actor. I dont waste time comparing myself to others. I dont agree with that. I would rather do honest films than those that are manipulated into being hits. True success is to follow your heart and be unafraid. Before Koi… Mil Gaya, all my acting was reference actingwith reference to some or the other actor.

I enjoy the mystery of not knowing where my heart is going to lead me next. Finally, you come to terms with what you are about. Work is a reflection of what you are inside. We construct these little walls afraid of being judged. From Gods point of view its pretty stupid. I am no longer afraid of being judged. That (the fear of being judged) is something that has lost control over me.

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