“It’s All About Concentration”: Robert Downey Jr. on Wing Chun
Now Robert Downey Jr. is known all over the world for his role as Tony Stark in Iron Man, but in his youth he almost ruined his career because of drugs and alcohol. Here’s How He Overcame Addiction and What Helps Him Stay in Great Shape.
During his career, 57-year-old American actor Robert Downey Jr. has starred in more than 70 films. He has won two Golden Globe Awards in 2001 and 2010. He also received several Oscar nominations. Downey Jr. has been on the Forbes list of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors four times, while topping the list three times.
But in the life of Downey Jr. there was a black streak. In 1992, at the age of 27, Downey played Charlie Chaplin in the film Chaplin and was named one of the most talented actors of the 1990s. Unable to cope with the fame that suddenly fell on him, the actor became addicted to alcohol and drugs.
From 1996 until the early 2000s, Downey Jr. went to addiction treatment several times. He has been drug-free since 2003. The actor is sure that reassessment of values with age often helps to overcome addiction. “The first stage is to find a way out of this cave. Many leave, but do not change. You need to realize what is happening to you and become stronger, having passed the tests of fate” says Downey Jr. about his treatment.
About attention management
In the fight against his “demons”, the actor was helped, in particular, by spiritual practices. For example, during the recovery period, he became seriously interested in yoga. The popular instructor Vinnie Marino became the mentor of the “iron man”, who practiced flow yoga with the student (a style of yoga when the transition from one pose to another is so smooth that the activity becomes like a dance) and hatha yoga (a kind of practices that combine asanas breathing exercises and concentration). “Marino is the best yoga instructor…experienced, sometimes tough, but compassionate and witty,” says Downey Jr. Yoga helped him achieve mental and spiritual balance. He says he feels calm and peaceful.
In addition to yoga, the actor has been practicing the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun for almost 20 years. He was taught the basics by an American martial artist, choreographer of combat scenes, Eric Omar. Downey Jr credits Wing Chun as a force that helped him overcome his addiction and return to acting in 2003. According to him, this type of combat helps to focus only on the most important, and toss aside minor details. Wing Chun helps to learn discipline, restore physical and emotional balance.
“It’s all about focus,” says Downey. Wing Chun teaches you what to focus on, no matter where you are - in the gym or outside. Now it’s my second nature. I don’t even get to the point where the problem arises.” Downey practices Wing Chun at least three times a week. He is so good at practice that he uses knives for attacking exercises, butterfly swords and sticks in class. “It’s extraordinary. It’s like deep meditation,” he says. “And it turned out that Wing Chun suits me very well.”
About the “green” diet
In 2020, the actor announced that he no longer eats meat and follows a vegetarian diet. He also avoids products made from white flour, sweet soda, sweets and other unhealthy foods. His diet always contains fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, eggs, whole grains and nuts. From drinks, he prefers still water, green tea and protein shakes.
In the spring of 2022, Downey Jr. entered into an agreement with Blackstone to publish the non-fiction book Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite At A Time, which he is co-writing with writer Thomas Costigen. The book is about a diet that will help to positively influence the environment. By and large, such a nutrition plan comes down to the rejection of food of animal origin. According to various data, from 30 to 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere come from livestock farms.
About Iron Man training
For her role as Tony Stark in Iron Man, Downey had to rearrange her diet and workouts to gain muscle mass. He had to add strength exercises to his Wing Chun classes. The actor’s training program included two main blocks, on the lower and upper body.
“I spent so much time in the gym that I could hardly come home in the evenings. No wonder: at 22 or 32, you only need six weeks of training to look good for six months later. And at my age, you have to train for six months, then look good for six seconds” says the actor.
The task of building muscle mass, which faced the actor, was solved not only by intensive training, but also by a specially designed nutrition system. His diet called for nearly 5,000 calories a day in five meals. The main emphasis was on carbohydrates - 55%, a significant proportion were proteins - 30%. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids acted as a source of fat.
When Downey Jr. was preparing for the filming of Sherlock Holmes, he had to lose 10 kg in six months. He focused on cardio exercises, which alternated with strength training for the back muscles. The standard workout included aerobic and cardio exercise, as well as strength exercises with weights - they are aimed at improving the functioning of the heart muscle and lungs. To improve his fighting technique, Downey Jr. mastered the elements of jiu-jitsu hand-to-hand combat.
Sources: TIME, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Parade, Variety, Men’s Journal, The Dragon Institute, GQ.