June 20, 2026, 6:18 pm | Read time: 8 minutes
Action movie fans can watch “The Furious,” the best action film of the year, since June 18. It features some of the most intense and inventive fight scenes in years. Joe Taslim is at the heart of the action, once again showcasing his martial arts skills. The Indonesian actor, known for modern classics like the “The Raid” films, shares with TECHBOOK what one should train for self-defense–and how his knees are holding up.
Joe Taslim – “It Was Extremely Tough”
TECHBOOK: “The Furious” is intense. Were the filming conditions as tough as the final product?
Joe Taslim: “It was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my career. It was meant to look chaotic, but that’s part of the storytelling. This chaos was deliberately choreographed and designed. It’s difficult to execute, and physically, it was extremely tough.
We spent about two or three weeks filming the final fight alone, with the ending taking a week. The first two days were just about getting a feel for each other: ‘What’s your pace? What are you comfortable with?’ Even after that, it was challenging because we filmed long takes. That meant everyone had to deliver perfectly. If just one person made a mistake, we had to redo the entire scene.
It would have been easier–and frankly lazier–to just cut every two seconds. Two seconds, cut. One second, cut. And then piece it all together in post-production. But we wanted to create high-quality action where viewers can see: ‘Okay, the actors really bled and suffered for this.’
“In Asia, Pain Is Part of It”
At some point, everyone was injured. Everyone had some bruises. I got injured too. But I think the mentality when shooting action films in Asia is different from Hollywood. In Asia, pain is just part of it. If you have bruises and swelling, it almost feels like you’re doing something right.
It was the same with “The Raid” 15 years ago. You take real hits. We weren’t in perfect shape every day. Swelling here, pain there–but we still showed up on set and said: ‘Okay, what’s next? Let’s go.’
That’s the spirit.”
How are your knees doing these days?
*Laughs*
“Well, I’ve had bad knees for about ten years–due to my judo background. At some point, my orthopedic doctor told me: ‘I don’t think you should keep doing this. What you’re doing is too dangerous. Your ACL is only half intact, your meniscus is extremely thin, and your lateral knee ligament is damaged. And that’s in both knees, not just one.’
German Braces for the Career
But I know my body. If you ask me: ‘Could you compete in a real judo match again?’ the answer is definitely no. But fight scenes are controlled. And because I know my condition, I use special knee braces–mostly from Germany, from the brand Bauerfeind.
I’ve really searched intensively for specific knee braces that properly stabilize my knees, and I’ve found a few good ones that I now use all the time. Without these braces, I probably couldn’t do it anymore. I’ve shot so many action films, all with knees that are definitely not at 100 percent. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. Hopefully, it stays that way and nothing worse happens to my knees.”
Assuming you don’t have too many action films left because of your knees, you’ve already fought many actors on screen. Is there a dream opponent?
“Most of my idols aren’t particularly young anymore. So I’d probably have to choose younger fighters to still do those crazy action scenes–long takes, hard hits, taking pain and still having fun.
Also interesting: There really won’t be more action in 2026
“I Could Make Life Difficult for Keanu Reeves”
Probably Max Zhang. I find him incredible. I’ve just worked with Miao Xie [his “The Furious” co-star, ed. note]. Or Wu Jing, he’s not that old yet. I think he could still do really intense fight scenes with me.
And in Hollywood: I’d love to fight Keanu Reeves in a “John Wick” film. I think he’s still in great shape, and I know how hard he works. A one-on-one fight between us would be incredible. I really think they should find someone who can truly give John Wick a hard time. And I think I could do that. I could definitely make life difficult for him.”
Since you mentioned them–who are your idols?
“I’m a huge fan of the legends–Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. But if I had to name the one person who influenced me the most–both in how I see action and how I perform it–it would probably be Jet Li. He tells a story with his face while fighting.
It’s not just about looking cool or stylish. When Jet Li fights, you see emotions. His face is constantly telling something, he’s acting even in the middle of a fight. I really look up to him.”
“I Want to Hit You, Take You Down”
You have a comprehensive judo background, even winning medals. But if you could snap your fingers and be perfect in another discipline, which would it be?
“If I wanted to complete myself, I would choose Silat because I don’t do spectacular or acrobatic moves. My fighting style in my films is very grounded. Not that flying, acrobatic stuff. Frankly, I can’t really do that. That’s why I prefer more down-to-earth fighting styles.
Krav Maga, for example, I find effective because it’s direct. It’s not about beauty, but about being quick and precise. Silat also doesn’t have many jump kicks.
It’s more about: ‘I want to hit you. I want to take you down.’ And that’s exactly what I like about it. I love spectacular action choreography, but my own style always has to seem believable. The audience should feel: ‘Okay, that could actually happen.’ And not: ‘That looks like a circus.’
“Will He Survive?”
There are many different fighting styles in the film. How did these come about?
“Our director Kenji is a genius. He cast each of us for a specific reason. He cast Yayan Ruhian because he’s a Silat master, Miao Xie for his Kung Fu background. Joey Iwanaga is good at Karate and Taekwondo. And Brian Le has seen an incredible number of Kung Fu films and developed a very free, wild style from that.
Kenji hired me because he knew I come from judo. That’s why I play Naveen. Naveen also has a judo background. He was a judoka or at least a judo practitioner. But Naveen’s skills are just barely enough to survive. When you watch the film, you notice: Naveen is constantly in danger.
He fights, but you never feel like he’s invincible. And that’s what makes him interesting. The other characters seem extremely deadly. But Naveen seems vulnerable. You’re constantly worried about him. And that’s what I find brilliant. Normally, I play more exaggerated characters: Kung Fu masters, ninjas, Sub-Zero, and such characters. The audience usually knows: ‘Okay, he’s going to win anyway.’
But Naveen is just a human. He can fight–but maybe not well enough. And that constantly makes the audience wonder: ‘Will he survive? Maybe not.’ That’s what makes him so special to me.”
More action than this won’t be found in 2026.
“More and More AI Junk–That’s Why I’m Not Interested in Spotify!”
The Most Important Thing for Self-Defense Is …
In the film, children also become part of the action. You have three children yourself. What martial art should they learn? What do you advise them?
“Run away! In real life, there’s really no good outcome in a fight. If you win, you might end up in jail because you hurt someone. If you lose, you end up in the hospital. Martial arts should only be for situations where you really have no other way out and just need to survive.
That’s what it’s for, for self-defense, not to hurt others. But if you can run away: Then run away. That’s why fitness is probably the most important thing of all. If you’re fast, no one can catch you. If you have endurance, you can run for 30 minutes and escape problems.
But if you’re cornered, you need to know how to survive.
The Best Martial Art According to Joe Taslim
Judo is great for that because it’s realistic and effective. Most real fights end up in close combat. In movies, there’s always distance and spectacular moves. In real life, someone suddenly grabs you–and everything is up close.
And that’s exactly what judo is perfect for. Jiu-Jitsu and judo are extremely effective. Of course, you should also be able to punch. But basically, anyone can punch. Not everyone can throw someone or break their arm in a controlled way. You have to learn that.”