Iko Uwais
Encyclopedia
Early life
Born in Jakarta, Indonesia on February 12, 1983, Uwais Qorny (nickname: Iko) is of the Betawi (native Jakartan) descent. He has been learning Indonesian traditional martial art, Pencak SilatPencak Silat
Pencak silat is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts created in Indonesia. The leading organization of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI...
, since he was 10 years old at his uncle's Silat
Silat
Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...
school, Tiga Berantai, which uses the distinctive Betawi style of Silat. In 2003, Iko won third place at the Jakarta Provincial Tournament. In 2005, he won first place at the National Silat Championship as the best performer in the demonstration category.
Apart from Silat, his main interest was soccer. Once a midfielder in an Indonesian B-League soccer club, Iko has stopped his dream of becoming a soccer star after his club went bankrupt. Meanwhile his Silat skill has given him chances to travel abroad in several Silat exhibitions in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Career
In 2007, Iko's talent was discovered by WelshWelsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
movie director, Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans (director)
Gareth Evans is a Welsh film director based in Indonesia. He is most well known for introducing Indonesian traditional martial art, Silat, into world cinema. Pairing up with Indonesian martial artist Iko Uwais whom he discovered during the making of a documentary, Gareth has directed two action...
who was filming a documentary about Silat in Iko's Silat school. Iko's natural charisma and great camera presence encouraged Evans to cast him as the leading role for his first martial art movie, Merantau
Merantau (film)
Merantau is an Indonesian martial arts film released on August 6, 2009, produced by Merantau Films, directed and written by Gareth H. Evans, and starring Iko Uwais...
. After signing a five year contract with Gareth Evans and his production company, Iko resigned from his daytime job as truck driver of a telcom company.
In his first acting experience in Merantau, Iko played a role of a young Minang (West-Sumateran) male, led him to learn the Minang style Silat Harimau (Sumateran-tiger style) from Silat Master, Edwel Datuk Rajo Gampo Alam. "Merantau" was released in Indonesia on August 6, 2009. The film was featured in Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
with highly positive reviews. Merantau won the Best Film award at ActionFest 2010.
Iko is currently working on his next project with Gareth Evans, a film called Serbuan Maut (known as "The Raid" internationally), which began filming in mid-March 2011.; Iko has a third movie planned with Gareth, "Berandal", originally set to be released in 2011 but a change in scope pushed the release date back.
Filmography
- MerantauMerantau (film)Merantau is an Indonesian martial arts film released on August 6, 2009, produced by Merantau Films, directed and written by Gareth H. Evans, and starring Iko Uwais...
(2009) - The Raid (2011)
- Berandal (2013)