Eric Oram
{{short description|American martial artist and actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox martial artist
| name = Eric Oram
| residence = Santa Monica, California
| other_names =
| image = File:Eric Oram.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption =
| birth_name = Eric Anthony Oram
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|10|13}}
| birth_place = Las Vegas, Nevada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_cause =
| martial_art = Traditional Wing Chun (TWC) Kung Fu
| teacher = William Cheung
| rank = Master
| students = Christian Bale{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Don|title=Hollywood's New Kick|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203699404577042221902298202|access-date=January 7, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|issue=online|publisher=Copyright ©2017 Dow Jones & Company|date=November 25, 2011|ref=WSJ}}
Jake Gyllenhaal
Robert Downey Jr.{{cite news|title=ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Martial Arts Master Says KUNG FU A KEY TO SOBRIETY|url=http://www.tmz.com/2015/12/25/robert-downey-pardon-kung-fu-eric-oram/|access-date=December 26, 2016|work=TMZ|issue=online|publisher=© 2016 EHM PRODUCTIONS, INC. HPMG NEWS|date=December 25, 2016|ref=TMZ}}
| website =
| footnotes =
| spouse = Peggy Croghan
}}
Eric Anthony Oram (born October 13, 1968) is an American Wing Chun Kung Fu practitioner and fight choreographer who introduced a new way of filming fight scenes in the film Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows in which the actors fought with real strikes and attacks, which were then featured in slow motion at 500 frames per second in the final movie. He has trained well known actors in Wing Chun such as Christian Bale{{cite news|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1129415-50-celebrities-who-train-a-form-of-mixed-martial-arts/page/10|title=50 Celebrities Who Train a Form of Martial Arts|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Brian|date=April 6, 2012|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=January 7, 2017|publisher=Bleacher Report|issue=online|ref=Br Bale}}{{cite web|title=THE ULTIMATE LIST: CELEBRITY BLACK BELTS & MARTIAL ARTISTS|url=http://www.martialartsactionmovies.com/the-ultimate-list-celebrity-black-belts-martial-artists/|website=martialartsactionmovies.com|date=April 9, 2015 |access-date=January 7, 2017|ref=Ultimate list}} for Batman Begins, Jake Gyllenhaal, and in particular Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes as his personal on-set consultant in numerous movies. Oram has been credited for training Downey in Kung Fu since 2003{{cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-wing-chun-helped-robert-downey-jr-battle-addiction/|title=How Wing Chun helped Robert Downey Jr. battle addiction|last1=Kurchak|first1=Sarah|date=February 8, 2016|work=Fightland Vice media|access-date=December 26, 2016|publisher=Vice Media Inc.|issue=online|ref=Vice}} as a way to beat his drug addictions.{{cite news|url=http://www.inquisitr.com/2656739/robert-downey-jr-beat-drug-addiction-with-kung-fu/|title=ROBERT DOWNEY JR. BEAT DRUG ADDICTION WITH KUNG FU|last1=Priyadarshi|first1=Mohit|date=December 25, 2015|work=The Inquisitr News|access-date=December 26, 2016|publisher=THE INQUISITR NEWS|issue=online|ref=inquisitr}} He wrote a moving letter to judge and California Governor Jerry Brown in support of Downey's pardon.
Background
Oram is one of the leading authorities on Wing Chun{{cite news|last1=Maddison|first1=Paddy|title=How Robert Downey Jr Stopped Taking Drugs and Started Kicking Ass|url=http://www.theladbible.com/entertainment/inspirational-how-robert-downey-jr-stopped-taking-drugs-and-started-kicking-ass-20170228|access-date=March 2, 2017|work=The Lad Bible|issue=Online|publisher=TheLADbible Group Ltd 2015|date=March 1, 2017|ref=LAD Bible}} kung fu. In 1980 his father Richard sent him to train under William Cheung,{{cite news|last1=Oram|first1=Eric|title=Critical distance|url=http://www.ma-mags.com/Mags/BB10/BB%202010-05%20Cov.jpg|access-date=January 23, 2017|work=Black Belt Magazine|issue=Print Issue cover story|publisher=Active Interest Media|date=May 2010|ref=Blackbelt}} the grandmaster of the Traditional Wing Chun lineage, who is a disciple of Ip Man.{{cite news|title=Kung Fu Masters and Celebrity Students|url=http://www.gamerkungfu.com/kung-fu-masters-and-celebrity-students/|access-date=January 7, 2017|work=Gamer Guide to Kung Fu|issue=Online|publisher=Mark Media Corp|date=June 24, 2015|ref=Gamer guide|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108012405/http://www.gamerkungfu.com/kung-fu-masters-and-celebrity-students/|archive-date=January 8, 2017|url-status=dead}} He started teaching at the age of 16, and over the last 25 years he taught Wing Chun to law enforcement, professional athletes, celebrities, and the general public. He has been a fight choreographer and stuntman for major Hollywood movies for Warner Bros. Pictures and Marvel Studios.
Oram has written numerous articles, and has been featured in, Wing Chun Illustrated, American Health and Fitness, Black Belt Magazine, Inside Kung Fu Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Men's Journal, Sports Illustrated, and Vanity Fair.
He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show{{cite web|last1=Oprah|first1=Winfrey|title=The Comeback Kid|url=http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Comeback-Kid|website=oprah.com|publisher=HARPO PRODUCTIONS, INC|access-date=February 12, 2017|ref=Oprah}} alongside student Robert Downey Jr., whom he has been training since 2003.{{cite news|last1=Dehority|first1=Sam|title=HOLMES IMPROVEMENT|url=http://www.mensfitnessmagazine.com.au/2012/08/holmes-improvement-2/|access-date=December 26, 2016|work=Men's Fitness Magazine|issue=online and print|publisher=Odysseus Publishing|date=August 2012|ref=Mens Fitness}} Oram has been instrumental{{cite news|last1=Palmquist|first1=Chris|title=Downey attributes Wing Chun training for overcoming drug addiction|url=http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/vault/cma/downey-attributes-wing-chun-training-for-overcoming-drug-addiction|access-date=January 9, 2017|work=Official MMA Database|issue=Online|publisher=the Mixed Martial Arts llc.|date=December 30, 2015|ref=MMA Vault}} in helping Downey{{cite news|last1=Rodrick|first1=Stephen|title=Robert Downey Jr.'s Cosmic Punishment|url=http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/robert-downey-jr-s-cosmic-punishment-20121017|access-date=December 26, 2016|work=Men's journal|issue=online|publisher=Men's Journal|date=October 17, 2012|ref=MensJ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630073010/http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/robert-downey-jr-s-cosmic-punishment-20121017|archive-date=June 30, 2016|url-status=dead}} overcome his drug addictions through Kung Fu training, He then became Downey's personal fight consultant on over a dozen films.{{cite news|url=http://lastfighterstanding.com/blog12-celebrity-martial-artists-kung-fu-edition/|title=Celebrity Martial Artists – Kung Fu Edition|last1=King|first1=Garry|date=September 30, 2016|work=Last Fighter Standing|access-date=January 9, 2017|publisher=Last Fighter Standing|issue=Online|ref=Lastfighter}} Oram has stated in multiple interviews that the most dedicated student he has ever trained is Downey.{{cite news|last1=Barna|first1=Maxwell|title=8 Celebrities You Didn't Know Could Kick Your Ass|url=https://coolmaterial.com/feature/8-celebrities-you-didnt-know-could-kick-your-ass/|access-date=January 9, 2017|work=Cool Material|issue=Online|publisher=DARTBOARD MEDIA, LLC|date=2015|ref=CoolMaterial}}
Oram also trained Christian Bale{{cite news|last1=Thomas|first1=Melissa|title=Kicking A** Off Screen: 16 Actors You (Probably) Didn't Know Trained In Martial Arts|url=https://moviepilot.com/posts/3831214|access-date=January 9, 2017|work=Movie Pilot|issue=Online|publisher=Creators Media, Inc|date=April 1, 2016|ref=MoviePilot}} in preparation for the Batman Begins trilogy, for which The Dark Knight won the 15th Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture in 2008.
File:Oram, Laroda and Schouten.jpg|Eric Oram with Kung Fu brothers Brian Laroda and Don Schouten
Career highlights
=''Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows''=
The fight choreography for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was different from how it was traditionally done for other movies, and was met with resistance from the production side of the film. The production team felt the fighting was too fast and direct, and they could not see what was being filmed. When the footage was played at 500 frames per second, it was realised that instead of making the movements larger, they could do the opposite. The stuntman was throwing real punches at Downey and he was defending himself, which worked well on film due to the slow motion scenes in the final cut.{{cite news|last1=Lilleor|first1=Eric|title=Eric Oram The Man Behind The Iron Mask|url=https://www.magzter.com/DK/Mui_Fa_Publishing_Ltd/Wing_Chun_Illustrated/Health/61946|access-date=January 9, 2017|work=Wing Chun Illustrated|issue=Print Issue No. 6, 2012|publisher=Mui Fa Publishing Ltd|date=2012|ref=WingChunILL}}
Oram was featured in a video from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Stunt Schooled series, which went over a sequence that Holmes used in the film. A fan was chosen to learn the Wing Chun moves which Holmes used to take down assailants in a reenactment.
=''Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare''=
Oram worked with a team of 17 motion capture actors and stunt performers{{cite web|title=Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Credits|url=https://www.callofduty.com/content/dam/atvi/callofduty/advanced/common/credits.pdf|website=callofduty|publisher=Crye Precision|access-date=March 2, 2017|ref=Call of duty}} in the video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, released in 2014 The game received multiple awards and nominations.{{cite web|title=Best Graphics - Technology|url=http://au.ign.com/lists/best-of-games-achievement/technology|website=au.ign.com|publisher=Ziff Davis|access-date=March 2, 2017|ref=IGN}}
=''Captain America: Civil War''=
Oram coordinated the combat scenes between Iron Man and Captain America in the movie Captain America: Civil War, in which Iron Man and Captain America enter into a conflict philosophically and physically. The fighting strategy Oram adopted for Iron Man was of "minimum force" necessary to win the fight. His goal was to make it look like Iron Man was not trying to kill or be overcome with anger, which would lead to a lack of control.{{cite news|last1=Burlingame|first1=Russ|title=Robert Downey Jr.'s Fight Coordinator Eric Oram On The Unique Challenges of Captain America: Civil War|url=http://comicbook.com/2015/10/03/robert-downey-jr-s-fight-coordinator-eric-oram-on-the-unique-cha/|access-date=December 26, 2016|work=ComicBook.com|issue=online|publisher=Copyright 2015-2016 ComicBook.com|date=March 10, 2015|ref=Comicbook|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621052215/http://comicbook.com/2015/10/03/robert-downey-jr-s-fight-coordinator-eric-oram-on-the-unique-cha/|archive-date=June 21, 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Captain America Civil War Red carpet London Premiere|url=http://londonfilmpremieres.com/captain-america-civil-war-April-2016-tt3498820|access-date=April 26, 2016|work=London film premieres|issue=online|date=March 10, 2015|ref=LondonPremier}} The movie was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Filmography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Type |
|---|
| scope="row" | 1999-2000
|Actor |
| scope="row" |2009
|Fight consultant |
| scope="row" |2010
|Fight consultant |
| scope="row" |2011
|Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows |Fight consultant |
| scope="row" |2013
|Actor |
| scope="row" |2013
|Fight choreographer (stunts), Reluctant AIM Guard (actor) |
| scope="row" |2014
|Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare |Motion capture actor and stunt performer |
| scope="row" |2015
|Sancho (actor) |
| scope="row" |2015
|Fight choreographer (for Robert Downey Jr.; stunts) |
| scope="row" |2016
|Fight choreographer (for Robert Downey Jr.; stunts) |
| scope="row" |2016
|Warner Bros: Stunt Schooled |Actor |
Bibliography
- Oram, Eric (2011). Modern Wing Chun Kung Fu: A Guide to Practical Combat and Self-Defense. Black Belt Communications, Incorporated. {{ISBN|9780897502030}}{{Cite book|last1=Oram|first1=Eric|title=Modern Wing Chun Kung Fu: A Guide to Practical Combat and Self-Defense|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QLQlKQEACAAJ|publisher=Black Belt Communications Inc|access-date=January 9, 2017|ref=GoogleBooks|isbn=9780897502030|date=December 1, 2011}}
References
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Category:American Wing Chun practitioners
Category:American male martial artists