Meet Pearl.
We initially met Pearl here in Los Angeles at Equinox. We can now find her in person and virtually with Equinox, ifit, Sweat Factor, and TRX! She's a multi- talented Chinese American fitpro.
How did you get involved with Boxing Fitness?
I went to a training for a cardio kickboxing format and was hooked. The boxing movements truly felt like an art form to me; with its symmetry and rhythmic pattern. I was determined to practice and get better.
We're coming out of a challenging 2020, what are some things that have helped your mental health and keep clarity?
Identifying your "pod" of people that are truly here for you. This pandemic allowed me the time to self-reflect and identify people and behaviors that were positive and negative. I went through a cleansing of sorts to help me purge some of the toxicity I was holding on to in my life.
Why is it important for gyms and studios to highlight more Asian American voices within the industry?
I have been in the fitness industry for over 20 years and Asian American trainers are few and far in between yet you see a decent percentage in gyms and studios. Given the recent surge in Asian hate crimes, now more than ever we need to strengthen our voice and solidarity in making sure we are represented in all aspects of the community, not just fitness.
Quickfire Q's with Pearl.
Best Warmup Song:
House Work -Jax Jones
Favorite Workout Apparel:
Rose and Electric, Michi and PE nation
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We had a great time catching up with actress, trainer, and activist Nikita Chaudhry. Nikita is currently living and fighting the good fight out of Los Angeles, CA.
Meet Nikita.
How did you get involved in the Boxing Fitness Industry?
I grew up a dancer so I naturally gravitate towards rhythmic movement and immediately fell in love with the ways in which boxing/fitness can be empowering and fun. As a small brown woman, I'm often underestimated, so finessing my technique has been an exciting way of proving folks wrong and surprising myself with strength and agility. We all have an inner fighter, and it has been inspiring to connect to that fire for my own mental health, as well as encourage others to find theirs as well. Boxing helps fuel my fight in life.
We're coming out of a tough last year, what are some things that have helped your mental health and keep clarity?
Working out, long walks, journaling/writing, solo dance parties, and time in nature have been the most healing, clarifying, and have kept me the most connected with my breath. Also, the beach is my happy place, so being diligent in making time for myself to get there regularly has been instrumental.
Your activism work is incredible. It seem like you have done a great job in merging this work with your fitness platform. Any tips for others who would like to do the same?
You can make a difference in whatever industry or field you're in. For example, everyone has a body, and we're all unique in what ours respectively can do AND knowing that, what if we could make the movement/fitness space a place for solidarity, rather than a further enforcement of isolation and hierarchies? In addition to attempting to change the messaging and accessibility of the commercial fitness industry, I also think it's important to reallocate funds, spread awareness, and educate folks while sweating and breathing together (hopefully while having a good time).
Remembering it's not a performative one-time or occasional action, but an ongoing daily practice in your personal, professional and political life.
Quickfire:
-Best Warmup Song: Currently, "get Busy" remix
-Favorite Combo: 1,2,3,4,5,6 step into a crescent kick (get 'em all in there!)
-Favorite Coffee/Tea spot in LA? Coffee Fix and Maru Coffee! (also asian founded) Birthdate candles, Broome Street General.
]]>As an Asian American founded brand, we have leaned into spotlighting both all year round pretty naturally. Our brand was created because we found boxing and kickboxing workouts were a great form of stress and anxiety relief.
Currently, we are facing a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community and we wanted to take a moment to spotlight the work our AAPI community puts in to empower not just themselves but the people around them.
We got to catch up with Noah Lee in NYC just as gyms and studios started to reopen. He works with Rumble Boxing and we have always enjoyed following him on social media as he seems to bring a very honest and positive outlook to the fitness industry.
MEET Noah Lee Breymeier.
How did you become involved in the Boxing Fitness Industry?
I was a working actor my entire life, pretty much from the day I could talk. I started studying acting at NYU, then graduated, and discovered that I suddenly didn't want to be an actor anymore. I lived across the street from Rumble's Chelsea location and started taking classes with my friend Lielen De Guzman. (Hello fellow Asian-American trainer). After 15 classes, I applied to work the front desk. I had boxed in college and had been into combat sports since childhood. After a year at the front desk, my colleagues, encouraged me to audition as a trainer. After months of working two desk jobs and using my time before and after shifts (often 3am!) to practice, I got the job!
(AAPI month also coincides with Mental Health awareness month)We're coming out of a tough last year, what are somethings that have helped your mental health during this time?
I actually have been diagnosed with BPD (Borderline personality Disorder) and chronic depression since 2017. I had three attempts on my own life before finally finding help and recovery. This recovery actually led me to Rumble when I was living across the street.
In the past year, the things that helped me most were finding the sanctity in my own space (a cramped Brooklyn apartment), becoming closer and more emotionally articulate with my lifelong best friend/roommate, and simply allowing the lows of the terrible year to exist.
I like to take things at their value and not trying to make them anything they aren't. Toxic positivity has been the bane of my existence as I was struggling with my mental illnesses and I've done a lot of work and teaching against that ideology for the people who take my class or train with me.
Quickfire:
-Best Warmup Song: Sweet Dreams (ummet Ozcan's Remix). I can't go more than a week without playing it in my class.
-Favorite Combo: 1-3-2 (jab, lead front hook, cross) As a natural southpaw, it's my favorite to way to line up the straight left.
-Favorite Coffee/Tea spot in NYC: East One on 23rd St. Best Baristas in the game.
Pass the Mic: Plus some Asian founded Businesses we should check out:
My two favorite small clothing brands: The Anti Brand and NIHIL.ny
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As a founder who identifies as part of the greater Asian American community, the recent attacks have hit hard. I literally had to de-plug from everything for a few days to process and try to understand how we got here. The rise in recent attacks have been caused by racist and biased views against asian americans due to the pandemic. This has got to stop.
While my mission with Kali Active is to empower people of all backgrounds; no community should live in fear and everyone should feel safe as the country starts "opening back up". Whether you identify as part of the AAPI community or not we need to keep educating ourselves and stay vigilant.
This is a great link in bystander training if you see something.
https://www.ihollaback.org/bystanderintervention/
Feeling strong and staying active through fight has a lot to do with mental health not just being able to throw a punch. Learning to protect yourself is great but it shouldn't be this mandatory thing we need to add to the long list of things we have to do just to navigate the world. We gotta do better and look after each other.
Please see this list of Asian American Organizations or groups you can support or go to for further insight in the fight against hate.
We will be doing further research on ways we can help and donate. We'll add to this list and keep you updated on any special initiatives we take part in. Thank you for your continued support and hope you all stay safe.
-Anji
]]>I personally don't know anyone who stuck to their usual workout routine last year (which is way ok) but I know a lot of people trying to get back into the healthy swing of things. Major hats off to anyone who kicked off the year with big workout energy! After a late 2020 injury, I decided to start small with jump roping. While it seems more like a quick "warmup" activity, jumping rope like boxing is a full body workout. It's a great way to build a solid exercise routine off of.
It's great option for at home workouts where you are short in time, budget and space. Jumping rope even for a short amount of time can help with the following:
Our ambassador trainer, Syd Swing, loves to think of jumping rope as a mental challenge to add into workouts. She explains why it is a good foundation to build from.
"It reminds us practice and consistency make us better and stronger. I've seen clients struggle with a steady skip and progress to more advanced movements like double unders fairly quickly. It allows you to try something new, fail, and then keep trying. Plus, it's a fun way to incorporate cardio that doesn't involve a treadmill."
Here are three great tips that can help improve your technique.
Lastly, try to this great 10 minute routine if you need a good starting point.
Start with 10 minutes broken into 3 minute intervals with about 30 second rests in between. The last 3 minute cycle you should try skipping a bit faster even adding a fast sprint for the last minute or 30 seconds. See our chart below.
Once you get the hang of it, work up to 15 minutes and add in a walk to the routine as a form of cool down. Make sure to stretch in the end!
]]>To see what has transpired in the past week, it breaks my heart to see the injustice and killing of Black Americans. We are committed to driving change not just within the national justice system but in the greater economic ecosystem.
We stand with BLM and the greater Black community in fighting for change and equality.
We are donating to the ACLU, George Floyd Memorial Fund, and Black Lives Matter Fund.
We will be doing ongoing donations as our production and new inventory gets back underway due to Covid delays. We are also working on a strategy to donate a percentage of sales to more funds as we get more items in through the next few weeks. We are small but we are mighty!
Please see links on how you can join us in the fight.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet
]]>One of the earlier teams who believed in our vision was the team of Everybody Fights. Like us, they believed in bringing elevated gear and quality experiences to the greater fight/fitness community. We met in person at a tradeshow years ago, as they had just launched their first locations. It was so refreshing to meet a team that not only understood our goals but was also very supportive.
We kept in touch as they grew into a successful multi-location studio across the country. Not only are they known for their boxing program but they had built diverse programming around the fight workout for everyone. Their gyms had state of the art equipment with an optimized floor plan that brought visitors from the ring to the sleek matte boxing bags. The pops of orange and white in their branding grounded each location into one consistent boutique-style look. We love some cool branding around here!
Before the lockdown, we had started working together to build more dynamic products for their growing brand. Adding a bit of a Kali Active flair to an already popular brand of gyms seemed like a no brainer!
As the pandemic started to hit, we checked in on each other to see how we could continue to help each other navigate our new normals. I was amazed by how seamlessly they moved their programming to a digital platform! Their team quickly came together to build a high-quality set of workouts on their new channel, EBF LIVE.
And now, they extended their new at-home workouts to our Kali Active community! You can now join their experienced group of trainers in the comfort of your home with live workouts or with pre-recorded ones of your choice. You can follow along with anything from yoga, guided meditation, strength training and yes even boxing! There's also some great content offering recipes, some merch (ahem don't miss out on our Kali Gear on their site), and some fun challenges you can join in on!
Use the voucher code: KaliFights for a free 90-day trial.
]]>Week 2 of lockdown here in LA is still ongoing and I've been putting this post off long enough...so here goes...
As I type this, a customer just tagged us and shared a message of support. This gives me comfort in knowing that Kali Active has the BEST customers a first-time founder can ever ask for.
As a small independent brand that has worked to combine the worlds of fight and fitness, we can't help but think about our industry. We are so thankful to all the wonderful people who have invited us into their facilities, workouts, training and boxing rings. The fitness industry along with others is going through a rough time right now but I know we will get through this together. We gotta support each other, stay healthy, and be kind. Keep showing up to those IG lives, Zoom and youtube workouts. Drop a hello to your trainers and coaches.
Unlike some people who think the fitness industry will and should all be online from now on, I don't necessarily agree. Seeing each other in IRL, rooting for each other, watching ourselves and others improve in a shared experience is what inspires us and motivates us to keep fighting. It's what builds determination to forge forward for the greater good. I believe in you. I believe in us!
I am grateful to you all for supporting the brand all these years and sharing in the empowering experience we built. If any moment needed us to keep fighting and go another round, that time is now.
So with that, we are still shipping twice a week with new items coming in stock. We took a moment to restrategize and check on our loved ones but we are back.
I've bootstrapped this business since day 1 and worked tirelessly to build relationships to keep this little engine that could going. I know it's a lot to ask but if you can and want to purchase, we extended our Spring SALE. 20% off with code SpringTraining20 at checkout and we've also added a gift card option to the site:
https://kaliactive.com/collections/bundles/products/gift-card-1?variant=31561232089177
Please forgive me for pitching the offer but we hope to make it to the other side and keep delivering quality goods and experiences for our community.
Helping Our Community:
-If you are or know any fitness instructors or trainers who need grants and resources, please check out this link below from a company called Movemeant.
https://movemeantfoundation.org/covid-19-relief
-ClassPass has also started a petition which you can sign to help the greater community make it through this tough time.
https://www.change.org/p/save-the-health-and-wellness-industry
-As a founder who has had years of design and product development experience, I joined a group that is helping small businesses with their creative assets for their online/social outreach. If you are a trainer or coach and need some help with newsletters and social graphics please feel free to reach out.
Lastly, if you want to drop a hello and let me know where you miss working out: email me at KaliActive@gmail.com. I'm coming out of this fog and would love to connect with our customers.
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So we are all in the same boat as a nation; staying in and social distancing. It's a heavy time right now but we gotta stay positive, healthy and active. With everyone and everything going online, there are so many options to stay on top of your workouts. It's a bit overwhelming!
So we decided to cut through some of the noise and round up some of our favorite punch workouts from Popsugar. All these can be found on Popsugar Fitness on Youtube but hit the link to go straight there. We posted these according to time and style of workout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CkUrkDP-v0&t=471s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSUXMwqZ3z0&t=214s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oLg5fFe5ww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br8VDXWr0_8&t=530s
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In boxing, you use everything. Every part of the body is used to generate force behind your punches. Your body will be firing on all cylinders, and those cylinders need to be warmed up before we expect maximum output.
The muscles we use when boxing are:
Clearly, we are werkin’ everything! A total body burn. It’s good stuff.
Warming up is essential, as these muscles are going to be used in a big way - firing quickly and explosively. To get yourself nice and toasty, here are our favorite ways to warm up!
Jumping Jacks
This tried and true calisthenic movement has been around since the beginning of exercise because it’s such a simple and effective way to warm up the whole body and to get the heart rate up.
Shadowboxing
What better way to prime your body for boxing than by practicing the same movements you’ll be using in your workout? Lightly throw your punches as you move your feet. Be careful not to over-extend your arms or overthrow your punches out. Practice ongoing through your movements smoothly while engaging your core.
Jump Rope
This is the most old school boxing conditioning exercise and it’s extremely effective in not only warming up your body, but it’ll tap into your coordination and footwork as well. Jumping rope before your boxing workout will get your heart rate up, activate your calves, and strengthen your ankles. It’ll also get those shoulders warmed up for the punches ahead.
Push Ups
Before you give me the general huff of scorn that comes whenever pushups are mentioned, we have to appreciate how beneficial they are. They’ll get your chest, shoulders and arms activated and well-oiled for the work ahead.
Active Stretching
Those muscles that I mentioned earlier - the neck, shoulders, core, etc - these all need to be stretched appropriately. Gently working through some active stretching with movements like rolling your neck side to side, using a well for pec stretch, and enjoying a few rotations of cat-cow will do you a world of good.
So before you wrap up those hands, slip on those cool Kali Active gloves, and get to hitting that heavy bag we've got some tips for you to make it an awesome workout experience! Remember this will be a learning curve so don't get frustrated, all the greats started at the same spot!
Here's a list of tips to get you started;
1. Sign up ahead of time and arrive early.
A good boxing gym will provide you with a brief introduction to the techniques before class starts. Since boxing is a specific skill, it requires a bit more knowledge than just putting one foot in front of the other and going through the motions. If you don’t have any prior experience hitting an actual target, you’ll want the pointers and tips from a pro so that when you jump into your first class, you’ll already have an understanding of what to do. Signing up ahead of time will let the instructor know that you’re coming so they can be prepared to help you out! Use that time when you are getting your hands wrapped to ask questions and absorb some tips from the pros.
2. Bring your own gloves
(unless you want to borrow loaners… which, trust me, you don’t.)
If boxing is something you really want to do, invest in your own pair of boxing gloves. Gyms will have “loaner gloves,” but after the first time you use them, you’ll see why we recommend bringing your own. In some cases, you’ll have to pay extra to rent gloves. Not only will your own gloves feel better on your hand, but they’ll smell a lot better than the loaners. At my gym, we thoroughly clean each loaner glove, but that doesn’t change the fact that many people have stuck their sweaty hands inside of them over the course of several months - or even years. A good glove will last you a while, and once you catch the boxing bug, you’ll definitely be grateful you have your own.
3. Get ready to sweat… a lot!
Boxing is not an easy workout. You’ll be moving in new ways, and moving a LOT. You’ll likely not only do boxing but incorporate some diverse conditioning drills. The amount of calories you’ll burn is mind-blowing, and you’ll feel an incredible mixture of exhaustion and excitement by the time you’re done. I always say that after a boxing class, the post-workout feeling is like nothing else. You feel ready to take on the world! But that doesn’t mean that during class, it’s a walk in the park. You’ll be working hard, so get ready for a challenge!
4. Come with an open mind and a willingness to learn.
Boxing is a fun workout for sure but know it’s also a lot of work in progress. Don’t expect to look like some of the amazing boxers on instagram right off the bat, because that comes from hours of practice. Have realistic expectations for yourself - and of course, be willing to push yourself! Don’t feel discouraged if learning the punches doesn’t come as easily as it looks. When people attend my classes, I tell every beginner that it takes about two weeks to feel less like an uncoordinated blob, and then a lifetime to master the techniques after that.
5. Expect to get addicted.
Not only will your first boxing class make you work hard and leave you feeling stronger than ever, but it’ll also give you a sense of empowerment. You'll leave with a feeling of confidence and strength that you won’t be able to stay away from for too long. It’s a never-ending journey where you can learn, grow, and feel better than ever. Not to mention the stress-relief. What better way to work off a bad day than to hit something as hard as you can, in the only place where it’s totally acceptable (and encouraged)? I knew from my first class that this was something I’d do forever, and that remains true now, five years later. I hope the same for you!
Written By Melissa DiPietro
]]>It's easy to be the brand to honor the athletes at the top and celebrate at the finish line but what about the underdogs putting in the hard work everyday for their own wins!?
Inspired by progress and building something one brick at a time, I wanted to introduce something special just in time for the Holidays. After another sprained ankle earlier this year, I was passing a construction site and saw the sign "work ahead". Yes, queue symbolism and that stupid 90's song...That bright orange sign screamed at me because I knew my progress getting back to the gym was going to be steady, slow and frustrating. I was going to be annoyed but that construction site reminded me we are all a work in progress and sticking through the challenges is what makes us stronger.
I wanted to pull from colors that inspired our punchers and made them proud to rock something powerful and bright. It took us a while to get the colors dialed in and use our smooth matte black finish material to contrast the neon just right.
I also wanted to introduce another signature animal print since we got so many messages asking for more options. All our design is in-house and custom to Kali Active, plus who doesn't love something fun peeking through their gym bag. The snake with the neon lime was a great addition to our "Power On: Construction" theme and made for another suitable Kali Active staple.
Boxing is such a great activity you should be proud of and having something that was thoughtfully crafted for you is not only going to make us proud but make you feel inspired!
So let's celebrate the work we put in every day, every year for this past decade and keep moving forward in 2020! They say hustle and progress lead to greatness and we'll be right there with you as we get closer to that finish line...Keep Punching people!
-Anji (Founder and a work in progress)
]]>We are kicking off this month by helping to knock out ChildHood Cancer. Every September, communities and hospitals get together to help the ones who need the most support in this fight, kids. Gold is the color for the campaign and we couldn't think of a better way to knockout out this disease by donating a percentage of sales from our Gold gloves to one of the leading childhood cancer fighting hospitals in the country.
Growing up in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, I was aware of all the wonderful care and research the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has done over the years for kids and their families who have had to enter their facility for treatment. With their blessing, we will be donating a percentage of sales from our gold gloves and gold wraps to CHOP. Please take a look at their site for some information and to learn more about their center.
https://www.chop.edu/giving
We welcome any donations on our behalf to the link on their site as well. We hope to keep this going not just for September but into the Holidays as well. With your help, I know this is something we can all get together on to beat this awful disease!
We greatly appreciate your support and hope to make the lives of these kids and their families just a little bit brighter through their fight.
Thank you!
Anji and the Kali Active Team
]]>If you are not aware of what Popsugar is , check them out here.
We knew this was the show for us because it was interactive and insightful. There were empowering panels about confidence, business and activism from people like Mindy Kaling, Kate Hudson and Yara Shahidi. There were workouts by Kayla Itsines and even laughs by one of my favorite ladies, Tiffany Hadish. This was our type of festival!
Our biggest challenge was first getting to the show. We came on board a little last minute so working out the logistics was quit the challenge. We had to figure out how many units of the collection to take, ship it to Pier94, and then actually get to NYC! Once that was under way, we had to figure out a way to set up our booth presentation that was easy to assemble and clean up. Coming from out of town presents itself with a lot of shipping and carrying planning. Trust me when I say, set up was not a breeze but we pulled it off with a little elbow grease and masking tape! When you're the only fight fitness brand on site, sometimes you don't have to do much in the way of set up, you just gotta show 'em through action!
In a sea of makeup and hair brands, our objective was to bring the heat and make the ladies feel like total badasses! We had to balance out the pretty with the fierce. We called upon our NYC ambassadors and friends to come and lend a hand, errr, I mean a pair of fists. Gaby and Rachel, our NY ambassadors, came through in the clutch and brought their contagious positive vibes and energy! Ashley, our videographer, came to document the fun while we got the show under way. Luckily, we were posted up next to a DJ which gave our area a great soundtrack to pull in attendees who wanted to test drive our gear. Gaby and Rachel held mitts and instructed some beginners on how to get into their fight stance and throw a punch! The energy was high and we were a hit, literally.
After two days, we sold out of our gold gloves we had on site and met some clients of some of our favorite NYC area gyms. (who also happen to be our clients) Shout out to Everybody Fights Gym, Rumble, and NeoU in New York.
Head over to our Facebook to check out the recap video!
Overall, the show was a lot of fun and a great learning experience! We had the best time interacting with our east coast customers along with meeting so many new people! We love you New York and can't wait to be back.
]]>Leila Leilani Meimandi - Currently living in Los Angeles. Originally from the San Fernando Valley. Hawaii is my second home!
Well growing up as a cop’s daughter was definitely my crash course into self-defense. My dad was adamant about my sister and I knowing how to defend ourselves, whether it was putting in hours at the dojo or backyard boxing with my Senseis/cop uncles. I was put into martial arts at a young age and instantly fell in love with both sparring and the bow staff. I ended up practicing martial arts all the way through high school/early college. In the past year, I have been focused on learning everything I can about the technical aspects of boxing. It’s been a fun experience learning to incorporate my years of high school sports and martial arts into my very own boxing style.
Prevail Los Angeles. (Go check this place out if anyone is ever in West Hollywood. It's a great fast paced boxing style workout.)
I had been working out at Prevail for about a month and was addicted to Prevail’s killer workout and sense of community. I remember telling a couple of my friends that I thought it would be pretty cool to be a trainer at Prevail but quickly laughed off the far fetched idea. I was a full time law student and the notion adding anything else to my schedule sounded crazy. Then one random day, I was scrolling through the Prevail website and saw a new post for “Trainers Assistant”. After some encouragement from my friends and soon to be coworkers I applied for the position figuring I had nothing to lose. Within a few short weeks I had interviewed, ran a mock workout, and the rest is perfect match history. I’ve never been so incredibly busy yet happy as can be.
Thank you. Growing up I was always extremely talkative and used my quick mouth to get myself in and out of trouble. I think I chose law because I realized I should probably use this power for good not evil. No but in all seriousness, I have always known two things about myself: 1. Being an older sister, I am naturally hardwired to protect others and 2. That I derive a lot of enjoyment and energy from connecting with people.
The law allows me to fuse my personable side with my protective nature. When I interact with people and listen to their various stories, I realize that my law degree gives me the power to not just listen but to actually make some type of meaningful difference in their life. And trust me.. there is no greater joy than knowing you’ve alleviated someone’s suffering or helped someone get what they want when they didn’t have a voice all because you were their advocate.
My daily motivation comes from my family. My dad instilled in me the importance of family and of knowing “who you are and where you come from” in order to be successful in life. My mom is the motivation behind my smile. She taught me the power of a smile and the importance in treating each and every person with kindness and respect.
As far as what motivates me, I am motivated by the desire to become a better version of myself each and every day by always staying challenged. We only have one life to live so I intend on exhausting every talent and gift I was given. I am also motivated by the desire to be an energetic source of encouragement, inspiration, and motivation. If my words of encouragement can make one client leave their workout feeling better about themselves, then I have done my job right. If one person’s day was made a little bit better after interacting with me, then my day has been meaningful.
The thing that made me feel an instant connection to the Kali Active brand was the brand’s celebration of the new generation of woman. A woman that is diverse whether it is in her ethnicity, her interests, or her passions. The phrase that you’ll often hear me use is “Warrior Princess”. Kali Active celebrates this “Warrior Princess” of a woman, a woman who is strong, intelligent, and athletic without needing to compromise any sense of femininity, beauty, or grace. I am excited and humbled to be a part of this movement.
]]>As we get settled into 2016, it also marks the anniversary of our first photoshoot. When the time came to create our first lookbook, I was very concerned on getting the right model to set the tone of the brand. It was important for me to get someone who could not only vibe with the team but understand the brand and relate to the message. All our boxes were checked when we met, Lauren Mary Kim. Since this first shoot, I look upon the pictures pretty often and still can’t believe how lucky we got when she said she would gladly put up with us!
Since the time of our shoot, Lauren has been pretty busy traveling, training, and working on some kick ass gigs! We couldn’t be more happier for her and the awesome projects she has worked on. It was amazing to catch her on the big screen last summer along side Michelle Rodriguez and Ronda Rousey on Fast and Furious 7. After we collectively freaked out watching her kick butt, we knew we had to share her story with our Kali crew.
Name: Lauren Mary Kim
Location: Resides in Sherman oaks, CA. She just returned from a 4 month project in NY.
Professional stuntwoman.
I was a professional dancer, got bored one day with dance and decided to take a gymnastic class. Met some guys that were stunt men and told me about the business. Then I started training and over time started working in the industry.
Kali ( Filipino martial arts) (Total coincidence here, we swear!)
Healthy meals for me are wraps and kale salads, farro salads. Any creative salads and brown rice sushi.
Cheat meals are pizza with prosciutto, ice cream, cupcakes, anything at foodie restaurants and fusion restaurants. I love food!
It was truly a humbling experience. Ronda is a world class champion and it was great to see how disciplined she is with her training and food intake. I really admire this about her and really look up to her in so many ways. Both had a great attitude and not your typical Hollywood girls. They are humble, super easy going, and awesome to work with. Michelle is light hearted and has super fun energy. Working on Fast 7 was Definitely a highlight in my career.
Guru Dan Inosanto. He is my fma and silat instructor. He is an admiration to many across the world (KA side note: If you are not familiar with martial arts; Mr. Inosanto is highly revered in the industry and was a teacher and student to Bruce Lee)
He has taught me that there are no wrong ways to do anything and to respect other people and other martial arts equally. He has so much compassion towards others and he is just a positive light. He will always find a way to compliment you even if you may not be the best in a certain skill.
Also my husband. He is one of the most kind hearted and patient people I have ever met and he makes me want to be a better person everyday.
Top secret one in NYC. But I can tell you in April 2015 when it airs! This job will probably be my new highlight in my career.
I'm grateful for any opportunity I may come across. Whatever is meant to be is what is meant to be.
Currently, learning/producing my own projects in hopes to produce full time. Creating content that helps evolve the world in a positive light. Working with people with the same mind set; anti hollywood corporate structure would be a dream job!
Photographer: Anna Sian
Photography Team: Mike Bellavia & Dushyant Singh
Location: Box N Burn Santa Monica, CA