“I prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.”
— Jackie Chan
Chan has said this in multiple interviews. It sums up how he approaches stunts and life. He walks into every scene knowing exactly what can go wrong, plans for the broken bones and hospital visits, then does it anyway. The hope is not naive. It sits on top of preparation so thorough that even the worst outcome has already been rehearsed.
When I was seven, my father left me at the China Drama Academy. I trained 19 hours a day. I was beaten for mistakes. When I got out at 17, I had no education, no money, no connections. Just a body that knew how to fall. I broke my skull, my nose three times, most of my fingers, both cheekbones, my ankle. Every time I got up. Not because I was brave. Because getting up was the only direction I knew.