In 2005, 22-year-old Steve Terada finally began to make his mark in the adult divisions after a phenomenal career as a youth competitor.2005 started slow but in April, he won his first mens' forms grand championship at the Quebec Open and from then on, the sky was the limit. In addition to his wins in competition, Terada managed to land a major role in a new music video for the song ‘Pump It' from the popular group Black Eyed Peas that was released in early 2006. In the music video, Terada uses his high flying and acrobatic martial arts skills in a make-believe fight against singer Will I Am. Of course, in the video, Terada loses the battle but his appearance goes a long way towards winning the war to provide more exposure to sport martial arts competitors in the non-tournament world. SportMartialArts.com had a chance to catch up with Terada at the 2006 Compete Nationals in Pomona, California to find out a little bit more about what is happening in his life.

SportMartialArts.com: You were recently seen all over MTV in the new Black Eyed Peas video. When was that filmed?
Terada: It was filmed in January of 2006.

SportMartialArts.com: How did you get the part?
Terada: My old karate instructor Hirokoda, who used to compete on the circuits, is a stunt coordinator and was asked to refer people for the part. He showed the video director my tape and I was hand picked to be in the video. The director is the same director for the movie 'Constantine'.

SportMartialArts.com: How long did the filming take?
Terada: About ten hours of straight shooting. About 85% of the time of I was doing flips and martial arts tricks.

SportMartialArts.com: Where was the video shot?
Terada: It was shot in a parking garage with a concrete floor. The floor was really slick and it was kind of cold (laughs).

SportMartialArts.com: With that kind of dangerous surface, how did you prevent injury?
Terada: I wore ankle braces and knee pads. I had sprained my ankle about two weeks before the shoot at gymnastics so the braces were necessary.

SportMartialArts.com: Since this was your first music video, how did you like the experience? How did everything work?
Terada: It was fun. I got to meet all the artists from the group at the rehearsal. I met the choreographer first and we worked on figuring out what to do that would work with the music. Then will.i.am came and we walked through the choreography the first day. The next day they put up the wires for the second shoot (that I wasn't in) and then I workshopped with will again.

SportMartialArts.com: So you got to know will.i.am the most?
Terada: Yes. He actually tried to get his masseuse to come in and work on me after seeing me work all day.

SportMartialArts.com: Were any of the members of BEP knowledgeable about martial arts?
Terada: Taboo is into martial arts and actually goes to martial arts festivals.

SportMartialArts.com: What about will.i.am?
Terada: I don't think he had any martial arts experience. Me, Arnold Chon and Eric Betz tried to teach him some moves and he picked up on stuff quickly and was eager to learn. It was a fun time.

SportMartialArts.com: Besides the music video, have you been in other movie or TV roles?
Terada: Yes, I was the Boy on the Bike in 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. It was a non-speaking part but I was in the credits! I also had a small part in 'Crank' with Jason Statham. For that part, I get shot up and die from a gun shot to the chest. Both were stunt roles.

SportMartialArts.com: So now that you have had this experience, what are your future plans as far as the entertainment business?
Terada: I would like to do more – I'll do whatever comes along.

SportMartialArts.com: How do you plan to get those future parts?
Terada: A lot of the stuff I do is based on referrals. I know stunt coordinators who will submit people for parts. I also still do auditions and have an agent.

SportMartialArts.com: Besides competition and stunts, what else are you up to?
Terada: I am still going to school. I attend a community college where I am studying Japanese. I am also dancing with a hip-hop breakdancing crew called SickStep. In fact, my group has a performance right after this tournament (Competes 2006). I am also teaching private lessons in martial arts.

SportMartialArts.com: We noticed that you were wearing a glove on one hand while performing today. Why are you doing that?
Terada: I've been doing a lot of dancing. I practice for five hours sometimes and in between practices I do martial arts. I wear the glove for breakdancing so I got used to wearing it for both.

SportMartialArts.com: With all those activities, what are your goals?
Terada: Right now, I am doing a lot of different things. Dancing is new and fun and something I enjoy doing with my friends. People have been asking me to do more stunt jobs and I am still in school. I guess I am trying to take on all the opportunities that come my way now and see what happens because later on, those opportunities might not be there.

SportMartialArts.com: Tell us where you were throughout 2005 and where we can expect to see you in 2006?
Terada: In 2005, I traveled the NASKA world circuit and also went to France. I didn't go to as many places as I had in 2004. In 2006, I am supposed to go to Japan. I'll also go to the NASKA events that I am sponsored for by my team (Team Paul Mitchell) as well as taking on any other opportunities that arise.

SportMartialArts.com: How long are you going to continue to compete in sport martial arts?
Terada: I'm not sure. I might go back to school full-time. I still have that spark and motivation to want to compete. It's been seven years but it doesn't seem that long, except that my body feels it (laughs).

SportMartialArts.com: Speaking of your body, you have been through some major injuries in your martial arts career. Tell us about them.
Terada: I had surgery on my left knee. It was reconstructive because I severed my ACL and tore the meniscus. Now my knee is fine. I also strained my back but that has been okay for about a year and a half.

SportMartialArts.com: One last question, one of your nicknames is Turtle. Where did that come from?
Terada: (Laughs). Kim Do gave me that name. When we were playing Starcraft once, I was watching TV a lot and not playing so he called me Turtle. Later, it was changed to Dope Turtle because we were working on combos and he said he was going to get me a shirt that says Turtle on the front and Dope on the back.

You can learn more about Steve Terada by checking out his Profile online at SportMartialArts.com. Just go to the Profiles section, click on Profile Search and look him up!