He gives new meaning to the phrase - "Throw Dem 'Bows" - as in Elbows. Nowhere, in the history of Martial-arts cinema, have we encountered a fighter, who uses so many Elbow techniques. I guess that's because, we had yet to meet Tony Jaa. When we first saw him in action, most were amazed, while others were looking for faults or traits, that would dis-spell the magic, that they were seeing. Since the film Ong-Bak; many have been calling him everything, from the "Next Best Thing" to the 2nd Coming of Bruce Lee. While, we won't go that far, one thing is for sure - that he is (definitely) a very talented guy, with a possibly, brighter future. Some feel that Jackie (Chan), should be quaking in his kung-fu shoes, but Chan has been a successful star, for the past (3) decades -- that's (30) years!! - so, I'm sure he knows, that it's time to pass-the-torch, to a new performer.
In retrospect, Jaa can only pray, that he can survive 1/3 of Jackie's reign in the industry (as fans can be harsh on stars who've let them down). You remember Steven Seagal? I remember when he first came out (back in 1988) and everbody loved him. He was new, fresh and brought that Bone-breaking element, to a new height. Guys were walking around, wearing Pony-tails (a quick way to tell, that they were fans) and trying to act as if they knew martial-arts. Then, all of a sudden, Seagal wanted to save Trees and the Environment (which is fine, but that wasn't what his core audiences wanted to hear). They wanted him to continue doing, what they fell in love with - him breaking bones. Now, all you hear people do is make jokes about him (which is really unfair), but this is how people's tastes can change -- very quickly.
This is what some are looking for in Jaa, they're looking for elements that will discredit his performances. They'll say -- "Is that all he can do - Elbows & Knee strikes?" There's only so many ways to throw these strikes." He has brought a new freshness to the martial-arts, especially the way we view the martial-arts of Thailand. He is in the same seat Jet Li was, when Wu-Shu started becoming popular in the mid '80s. He now has a major responsibility to help the art of his homeland, flourish or perish. Now, with new artist popping up daily [Chocolate, Coweb, The Raid, etc..] -- it's more a matter of Originality, than anything else. If we concentrate on the quality of work that he’s given us so far [sans the earlier stuff marketed, while films are in limbo], then he just may keep, the new following that he's found.
But it is time, that will ultimately decide Jaa's fate. Yet, the questions remain -- is he a Martial-artist or an Acrobat? Having patterned himself after Bruce, Jackie, and Jet - we see the certain areas of similiaries [Bruce - authentic martial-arts, Jackie - doing his own stunts, and Jet - the Wu-shu Rope-Dart and Aerial (twisting) kicks]. Had he been around in the late 70's, he may have been a (true) household name, in the world kung-fu -- because, that's what he would have been billed as -- another kung-fu star. Now, martial-artists are a "dime-a-dozen" -- and everyone seems to be the New King of (?) Something. With films like (the stunt-filled) District 13 and all the new "Ip Man" films flooding the market, he definitely has his work cut out for him (to be unique). Now, if he can only start naming his films something else, besides Ong-Bak 1, 2, & 3 -- maybe, he'll last a little longer.