March 2014 Martial Artist Spotlight: The Lopez Family
Many of you may already know Steven and Diana Lopez. Unless you've been living under a rock, it would be hard to not know them. In 2012, they became the first family to represent Taekwondo, in the Summer Olympics.
But many don't know they come from a martial arts practicing family. Lead by their eldest brother Jean, whom is also their coach, Steven and Diana, as well as their brother Mark, have plenty of sibling rivalry to fuel their drive to outdo each other.
Steven and Diana represented Taekwondo in London for 2012's Summer Olympics. While they didnt bring home the gold the year they both qualified, between the both of them, they have four medals in total, two gold, two bronze.
And if you count the entire Lopez clan, that's 5 altogether. I don't know about you, but I cant speak for my own family and say we have 5 Olympic medals amongst us!
They've been all over, but settled down in Texas as children. They are of Nicaraguan descent, which is cool, because you don't meet a ton of Americans of Nicaraguan descent. As an Afro-Latino, I'm glad I'm seeing a range of people participating in martial arts. There are many different forms of it, from different parts of the world, but it is super cool that the nature of martial arts is a universal thing.
And I don't know about you, but I've yet to see a Latino action hero. Have you? I've seen Diana and Steven in commercials, but hey Hollywood. Are you listening? You have an entire family of martial artists, young, attractive, ready...Hmmm...I could so see a Latino version of Prachya Pinkaew's "The Kick" coming West bound. I mean, it'd have to better than some of the other Western remakes of Asian movies, don't you think?
Hey there! I know it's been FOREVER since I stopped by to say hello! So here I am and I come with a couple of recommendations since you ladies are freakin' awesome and I absolutely love the theme of your blog.
ReplyDeleteOkay so first is a book I came across that you may or may not have heard of. It's called Collaboration by Michelle Lynn. If you already heard or read it, I apologize. But I figured to let you know about it since it caught my interest. It's an interracial romance, about an African American rapper named Trace who falls in love with a white country singer. I haven't had the chance to read it myself yet, but man, it sounds so unique! You can check out the book info on goodreads HERE.
Okay, so the second thing I wanted to recommend is a movie that is not out yet. It's called BELLE. Here is the blurb: BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing. While her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) chases suitors for marriage, Belle is left on the sidelines wondering if she will ever find love. After meeting an idealistic young vicar’s son bent on changing society, he and Belle help shape Lord Mansfield’s role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.
Sound soooo good! It's supposed to hit theaters limited release May 2nd. You can check out more info and the trailer for BELLE HERE.
Anyway, feel free to stop by my blog and let me know if you've already read Collaboration and if you've heard of BELLE. Keep up the great work, ladies! The blog is looking fierce!
Best Wishes,
Mia @ The Muses Circle