Rafa BenÃtez interview: ‘I used to love Bruce Lee but gave up judo at 13 to join Real Madrid’
Premier League | Rafa BenÃtez interview
Newcastle United have the perfect man for a relegation scrap in Rafa BenÃtez
BenÃtez has spent the majority of his 58 years obsessed by football but cites Bruce Lee, left, and Clint Eastwood, right, as big influencesGetty Images
Rafa BenÃtez is choking me. His forearm is pressed against my windpipe, his other hand gripping the scruff of my neck. “My moves are not as good as they were, but I can fight if I have to fight,” the Newcastle United manager hisses. “I’m ready. I’ve done it all my life.” BenÃtez looks ferocious. His eyes are blazing. And this interview has veered wildly off course.
We are not far from Alicante in Spain, at La Finca Golf & Spa Resort, where the Newcastle squad are training. They came here last year for a bit of sun, a bit of difference, when BenÃtez spoke about “suffering”, in his job, but it obviously did the trick because three victories in succession lifted the threat of…
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Here’s How Bruce Lee’s Writings Became a 10-Episode Cinemax Series Called ‘Warrior’
The 10-episode gritty, action-packed drama series Warrior, which debuts on Cinemax on April 5th, is based on writings from martial arts legend Bruce Lee and is set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. The story follows Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), whose martial arts expertise will come in handy, as he realizes just how challenging leaving China behind for San Francisco can be, especially under mysterious circumstances that lead him to become a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful Chinese organized crime families. The series also stars Kieran Bew, Olivia Cheng, Dianne Doan, Dean Jagger, Langley Kirkwood, Hoon Lee, Christian McKay, Joe Taslim, Jason Tobin, Joanna Vanderham, Tom Weston-Jones and Perry Yung.
Following a preview of the first episode of this new series, showrunner Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) and executive producers Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond, Fast & Furious 6, Fast Five) and Shannon Lee (who’s also the daughter of Bruce Lee) spoke at a Q&A about the story’s 50-year development period, their own relationships with Bruce Lee’s work, why the time period and location are important, recreating 1878 San Francisco in South Africa, assembling this ensemble of actors, the incredible fight sequences, the role of the women in the story, pushing the envelope, and what they’re most excited about with the season.
Image via Cinemax
Question: This TV series has a development story that spans nearly 50 years. Shannon, how did this finally go from Bruce Lee’s writings that were stored in the garage to what we will see now, with Warrior?
SHANNON LEE: Justin literally just called me, out of the blue. We knew each other. We had met, but we weren’t super close friends. He called me up and said, “Is this true? Does this exist?” And I said, “Yes.” He came over, a week later.
Justin, what’s your relationship with Bruce Lee’s work, and what made you want to do this?
JUSTIN LIN: I was a latch-key kid. I grew up in the ‘80s, so my relationship with Bruce Lee didn’t actually start off with Bruce Lee. I watched a lot of Saturday afternoon Kung Fu Theater, and it would have all of the fake Bruce Lees. The really good Bruce Lee movies didn’t make it onto local channels. So, my relationship with Bruce Lee started the first time I saw The Chinese Connection. My brother got this video tape and brought it home and was like, “This is the guy that they’re all trying to be.” I became obsessed with Bruce. Growing up Asian American, he had this gravitas and strength about him, and I’ve always wanted to explore that.
After Finishing The Game, (executive producer) Danielle Woodrow called me and said, “I read this thing about Kung Fu and Bruce Lee.” I remember watching Kung Fu, for the first time, and I was totally confused about why this white guy (David Carradine) was Chinese, and then I heard the backstory. So, when Danielle mentioned this story, I said, “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve heard about it.” Then, I called Shannon, and we got together. She brought over the eight-page treatment that Bruce Lee had typed on a typewriter. We read it, and there was something very magical about it. You could feel that, though it was almost 50 years old, it was so fresh and contemporary. That’s when we decided, “Let’s try to complete this. Let’s do this.” And it took us a little time, until we found Jonathan [Tropper] and Cinemax.
A lot of times, in film and TV, development projects die. You try, and if it dies, you just go for the next one. But, we weren’t going to let that happen with this. Also, Shannon trusted me with this material, and Danielle and I thought it was not only important to get it on screen, but with the right people. We met with a lot of people, and in that journey, it was very clear to us that we needed to embrace the essence of what Bruce Lee was trying to do, and part of that was finding someone to come play with us who could elevate the genre, and not just do something that’s in genre.
Image via Cinemax
Jonathan, you have a previous relationship with Cinemax, having done Banshee with them, but don’t you also have a relationship with Bruce Lee’s work and martial arts?
JONATHAN TROPPER: I’ve been doing Chinese martial arts since about 5th or 6th grade, but I had never really seen any martial arts on TV. The first thing I saw was Way of the Dragon. There used to be this thing on Channel 5 in New York, where I grew up, called The Big Apple Movie, and I was just flipping through when they were showing what they called Return of the Dragon, but it was really Way of the Dragon, and I saw Bruce Lee, for the first time. I had been doing martial arts for a few years, at that point, but it didn’t look like that. I became obsessed with Bruce Lee, but there was nowhere to find it. I would watch The Big Apple Movie every weekend, and I’d see every horrible Kung Fu Theater movie that was made, waiting for Bruce Lee to come back, but he never did. And then, I went to Blockbuster, and they had one worn-out copy of Enter the Dragon, which I eventually got my hands on. I did martial arts through my entire childhood and into adulthood, and I always idolized Bruce Lee. There were not a lot of Jewish Kung Fu heroes. We’re very poorly represented, in that way. So, we had made the decision to finish up Banshee, and the guys at Cinemax knew I was a huge Bruce Lee fan, so they introduced me to Justin and Shannon, as they were talking about this, and I got really excited about being able to be the vessel to help them get that vision through the system and onto the screen at Cinemax.
Setting this story in San Francisco in 1878 brings a lot of social and political context that feels very current to today. Why did you want to set this in that time period and location?
LIN: For me, growing up, American history class doesn’t even have half a paragraph about the Chinese American experience, so I’ve always been fascinated by that. It was actually in the treatment from Bruce. When I read that, I felt that it was such an American story and that we had to do everything we could to bring it to life.
LEE: It was my father’s vision to portray an authentic Asian experience, so he set this in this time, in his treatment. He was really masterful at being able to touch on those significant moments, but it was Jonathan who really brought it all to life.
TROPPER: There wasn’t a lot of record-keeping done, and then there was also the big fire in San Francisco, a decade and a half later, that destroyed all of the records. Essentially, it became this story, coming in through the eyes of somebody who looks different and is different. You see, first hand, the institutionalized racism that’s woven into the fabric of a country that’s built by immigrants. It just became really fascinating to me. The big selling point, based on what the treatment had said, was how the Chinese, in 1882, became the only nationality ever to have a law on the books against their immigration, until now. Weirdly, it became incredibly timely, by the time we’ve gotten it to air. It’s also interesting just to look at the fact that, in over 100 years, the country really hasn’t changed.
Image via Cinemax
To shoot this series, you recreated 1878 San Francisco in South Africa. How did you end up choosing that location?
LIN: I felt like it was important for us to really feel the texture of San Francisco. I’ve shot all over the world, so we went to Eastern Europe and the UK, but when we landed in Cape Town, it was very clear to us that there’s an amazing group there. Out of all of my movies, this is probably the biggest set that we’ve built. The level of pride and care that the crew has was important, in how we were going to be able to bring this to life. The next challenge was to hope that we could find people from around the world to move there.
You have a really great cast of international talent. How did you put this ensemble together?
LIN: It was really funny because we would look at the casting tapes and I kept saying, “I wish he was more like Jason Tobin,” to the point where finally I said, “I should just call Jason.” We tracked him down in Hong Kong.
TROPPER: Hoon Lee did four seasons of Banshee, and while we were casting all of this, it was always my intention, when I wrote the character of Wang Chao, that I was picturing Hoon playing him. That was something that was predetermined. That was one less person we had to look for, which was nice.
RAFA UNCOVERED: Benitez reveals his love of Clint Eastwood films, Bruce Lee, solitaire and Goofy the dog (and shows us his judo moves)
Rafa Benitez springs to his feet, grabs an unsuspecting member of our group and demonstrates how he would finish a judo match — one hand gripping the collar, his forearm to the throat.
'I can fight if I have to fight… I am ready,' says the Newcastle United manager, taking a welcome break from talk of his future for a rare delve into his past.
'When I was a boy I loved Bruce Lee. I did judo aged six to 13. I got a brown belt but had to give up to join Real Madrid's academy. Three years later my brother did the black belt exam, so I did too. You had to win three of five fights. But they killed me, because I no longer had the power in my arms.'
Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez used to be a judo brown belt and has one good scrap left in him
Benitez, laughing, mimics the build of his first opponent, arms outstretched, cheeks puffed, a shape akin to a sumo wrestler.
But there is, you feel, frustration that he never achieved the ultimate rank. The tutorial continues, despite him wearing a brace on his right wrist. He takes hold of the bemused participant. 'My moves now are not as good as they once were,' he says, yet he still looks competent enough to worry those players who wander by this impromptu display.
'But the main thing in judo is the strength here (forearm). You have to hold the opponent all of the time. So, if you don't practise the first fight is fine, but after three or four you have no power left, especially on the floor.'
Benitez has revealed his love of Clint Eastwood films, Bruce Lee, solitaire and Goofy the dog
Perhaps the message is this: Benitez has one good scrap left in him. Mike Ashley beware. But here on the Costa Blanca, beneath the sun and amid the relaxed surrounds of the team's mid-season retreat, we agree that talk of the owner is best left behind on Tyneside. It is a relief for everyone.
Benitez's future is yet to be determined. He will sign a new contract if Ashley agrees to match his ambition. He wants more than an existence of survival, for the Spaniard is a fierce and obsessive competitor. Just ask his wife Maria.
He points to the brace. 'I've had this (repetitive strain injury) six months. It's not just that I'm always working hard on the phone and computer… I've also been on the phone competing against my wife.
She was playing solitaire, I wanted to beat her. She was doing very well and showed me her score. I asked, "What is the record?" I spent one month on that game! But believe me, I beat the record. It's not easy but I beat it.'
Benitez now has his phone in his grasp. The judo dummy is allowed to sit down. He is talking about his daughters Claudia, 20, and Agata, 16, and their influence on him.
'Here's a message from my daughter, one hour ago, telling me about Instagram, saying, "Listen, you don't have a clue. Put this and you'll get more followers". For me, I don't need more followers, but for her it seems important!
'We talk about Ant and Dec and she says, "Oh, they're big Newcastle fans and talk well about you, you need to follow them". So Ant and Dec were easy, Alan Shearer too!
The Spaniard said he played solitaire on his phone for a month to beat his wife's (L) record
'But she told me, "James Bay is a famous singer but also a massive Newcastle fan and says nice things about you, follow him". So I did.' Does Benitez always do as his girls say?
'In the past we had the big television in the lounge with the football on, we'd fight over what to watch. But not any more, I can't win. When one of them is watching the Geordie Shore, I say, "What are you doing?". They love Big Brother, Love Island, all that rubbish. But they always win!'
Benitez the football manager, at 58, sees the value in being around his daughters at their home on the Wirral. 'The way you talk with your daughter, you know how she's thinking, it's very useful. Players are like teenagers, many of them. You have to think, "What would I say to my daughters in this situation?" It really works. So it can be similar, managing daughters and footballers!'
What about their boyfriends? 'I criticise one of them, he's learning Spanish at school but he can't say much. I tell him, "Come on!",' says Benitez, gesturing to clip the lad around the ear. 'But they're fine. They know that at home I'm just normal.'
The Newcastle boss drew comparisons between dealing with his daughters and footballers
On occasion, the father-daughter chat turns to football. 'The little one, she's a real Scouser, she gives me advice about tactics. In the Asterix and Obelix cartoons, the Roman soldiers use the tortoise formation, with shields covering the front, sides and top.
'She tells me we should do the same, with the ball in the middle, going forward and then attacking.'
Given Newcastle's struggles in front of goal this season, she may be on to something.
'But they like football, they follow all my games. They only worry about me when we are losing… "Dad, be careful!" I was unwell (in 2017) and was at home, on the sofa, "Get me this, get me that". But they know I can cope with the pressure.'
Benitez likes to ease the stresses of his day job by watching Clint Eastwood films
So what does Benitez do to ease the stresses? They are, after all, plentiful at Newcastle. 'I watch any cowboy film. You have that channel, TMC, with Clint Eastwood, I like him. A lot of spaghetti Westerns were filmed here in Spain but they are not so good… you can see the Indians still wearing their wristwatches!' Benitez's backroom staff say he pauses films to highlight such errors, his attention to detail extending beyond the football pitch.
Another clue to escapism comes from his phone's screensaver, a picture of a dog. 'To be fair, it's three dogs, I can only fit one on.' Perhaps his daughters can talk him through his phone's picture cropping tools.
'My dogs are Red, the German shepherd, Goofy, a springer spaniel, and Clem, the labrador. Goofy is my wife's dog, he's the boss.'
Does he ever consult his canine comrades on tactics? 'I try in both Spanish and English but they don't understand me,' he says, smiling. But talk of dogs leads Benitez to reveal a life's passion. It comes as no surprise to learn he even trained them for competitions.
Benitez pictured with Goofy (c), his wife's springer spaniel, and their other two dogs
'I had a dobermann, he was very good. I was in my twenties and when I was training, I'd be running with him. He was very fast and very strong, but I lived on the fourth floor so I'd take him out for a pee and he'd be pulling me down the stairs!'
Benitez's brother, sister and two uncles are vets, but it was never a career for him. For while he has spent the past half-hour sharing a warm insight into Benitez the man, husband and father, it always comes back to football.
This time, though, he is talking about his playing career, a subject rarely visited. Sometimes that bothers him.
'People say, "You were never playing football", but I was playing football all my life,' he says, before detailing his career, from Real Madrid's youth and reserve teams to second-tier Linares and retirement at 26 because of a knee injury. He made 158 league appearances and scored 17 goals.
He played for Parla and second-tier Linares before retiring at 26 because of a knee injury
'I played as holding midfielder but my best position was sweeper. I could see the game and could talk. I was not the quickest but I had the vision.'
Benitez combined playing with a degree in physical education and represented Spain at the World Student Games in Mexico City in 1979. He is back on his feet as if he's addressing a dead-ball. He takes a few steps back.
'I scored a penalty against Cuba. The keeper was telling me, 'Defender, I will stop the goal', but… boom! But the best goal I ever scored was disallowed — outside the box, outside of my boot, top corner, then it was ruled out for offside!'
Earlier in the day we watched Benitez lead training, including a fine header of his own. He admits that he misses playing, but management was always his destiny.
Benitez returned to Real Madrid to coach their youth teams and begin his life as a manager
'Aged 13, I made notes of my team-mates, giving them marks, noting all the top scorers. At university I was player-coach. I was always football, football, football.' He describes a daily schedule that involved classes followed by a mad dash for the underground and a sprint to Real Madrid's training ground for the evening session.
'At least my warm-up was done by the time I got there!' He returned to Real after retirement in 1986, coaching their youth teams to league and cup success. He eventually assisted the senior side before an offer from Real Valladolid in 1995.
And so began the life of Benitez the manager, a journey that has taken him to the very top but is now at a crossroads. What a travesty it would be for Newcastle were he allowed to head in a different direction.
As he leaves for lunch, Benitez spins. 'Be careful what you write…'
Thinking back to the judo demonstration, you know the consequences.
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