|
Scott Shaw is a
prolific Author, Actor, Artist, Filmmaker, Journalist,
Musician, Photographer, Seminar Instructor, and
University Lecturer. Literally hundreds of his articles
have been published, he has authored numerous
books,
and he has created a large number of feature
films.
Shaw was born in
Hollywood, California. He spent his early years growing
up in the racially charged section of Los Angeles, known
as South-central L.A., during the turbulent 1960s. He
then returned to Hollywood where he lived throughout his
adolescence.
During his youth
Shaw became involved with two primary elements that have
come to define much of his life. The first was the
Martial Arts and the second was Eastern Mysticism.
The Martial
Arts
Scott Shaw began
studying the Korean martial art of Hapkido at the age of
six. Enthralled with the Martial Arts, Shaw studied daily
and at the age of eleven earned his Black Belt. Soon
after this Shaw was introduced to Taekwondo and quickly
earned his Black Belt in Taekwondo, as well.
Throughout the
years Scott Shaw has been certified by numerous Asian and
Occidental Martial Art Associations, from his 1st through
his 8th Dan Black Belt. In 1987 Shaw was promoted to 7th
Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and Kumdo. In 1992 he was
awarded the 7th Degree in Hapkido Moo Hak Kwan. In 1996
Scott Shaw became the first non-Korean ever to be awarded
the 7th Degree Black Belt by the prestigious
Korea
Hapkido Federation.
Today, Shaw holds 8th Degree Black Belts in both Hapkido
and Taekwondo. He also has been awarded the 7th Dan Black
Belt in Aikijutsu. Scott Shaw is the founder of Ki Sul
Kwan Hapkido and the President of Hapkido Taekwondo
International.
Scott Shaw has
been a mainstay in Martial Arts Media for over two
decades. A large number of his articles on the subject
have been published by the most respected journals in the
industry. Click
Here to
view an overview of articles he has written. In 1994,
Unique Publications, a leader in Martial Art Publishing
and Video Production, asked Shaw to create a four-part
Instructional
Video Tape Series on Hapkido.
In 2007 this series was re-mastered for distribution on
DVD. In 1996 Tuttle Publications, one of the most highly
esteemed publisher of books on the Martial Arts in the
world, contracted Shaw to write the book, Hapkido:
Korean Art of Self-Defense. In 2002 they requested
that he write the book, Taekwondo Basics, and in
2006 they asked him to write the book, Advanced
Taekwondo. In addition to these titles, he has
written several other books on the martial arts,
published by industry leaders. Click
Here to
view a list of his Books-in-Print.
Eastern
Mysticism
During his youth
Shaw was additionally drawn to Eastern Meditative
Thought. This inclination led him to study in both Asian
and the West. Shaw is an initiate of Buddhist, Hindu, and
Sufi sects. Throughout his youth he studied with such
renowned teachers as Swami
Satchidananda,
Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, and Thich Thien-An. By the age
of eighteen he was a certified instructor of both Yoga
and Meditation. He has authored numerous articles and
several books on the subject.
The
Arts
Thought his life
Shaw has embraced the arts. He has been an active
musician
since the age of six. He has seen a large amount of
poetry, prose, and literary fiction published in literary
journals and by presses from the 1970s forward. He is an
avid painter and photographer. His art and
photographs
have appeared in numerous galleries and
publications.
Filmmaking
After initially
appearing as an Actor in numerous Films, Television
Series, and Commercials, Shaw moved forward onto
Producing and Directing Feature Films, Documentaries, and
Music Videos. In 1991 he developed a new style of
filmmaking that he titled, Zen Filmmaking.
Shaw designed
Zen Filmmaking in order to bring the essence of
Zen into his films. Some of the primary tenets of Zen
Filmmaking are: following the path of least
resistance, never relying upon formalized structure,
and allowing the moment to be the only guiding factor
in the creation of a film. He formulated the concept
of Zen Filmmaking as a means to allow spontaneous
creativity to be the only guide on the path to a film's
creation.
Travel
Beginning in the
late 1970's, Scott Shaw began to continually return to
Asia and the Middle East - spending extended periods of
time in such geographic locations as Cambodia, Egypt,
Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Macau,
Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, the People's Republic
of China, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri
Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, and Turkey. He has
continued this tradition and frequently returns to these
geographic regions documenting obscure aspects of Asian
and Middle Eastern Culture in words and on film.
Education
Shaw's primary
academic background is the Social Sciences and the
Humanities, though he now predominately teaches courses
on the Cinematic Arts. His undergraduate study focused on
Cultural Geography, while his graduate study took place
in Cultural and Urban Geography, Humanities, with a focus
on Literature, and Asian Studies. He also holds a Master
of Herbology degree.
For
additional insight into Scott Shaw visit the
Frequently
Asked Questions
page on this website.
|
