While the epic “Ong Bak 2” had that “something more, something different” that Jaa wanted, he still adhered to a tried-and-true approach to storytelling to carry him through the rocky road to release. Thai studio Sahamongkol Films greenlit the next chapter, with Jaa picking up from prior director Pinkaew (Jaa would also write, produce, and choreograph). Nearly three-quarters of the picture was shot before a funding scuffle happened between Jaa and the studio, causing Jaa’s breakdown and two-month exodus into the jungle. The police had to get involved and a co-director, famed Muay Thai choreographer Panna Rittikrai, would be installed before Jaa returned to complete production. When the film finally did release, leagues beyond its budget in December of 2008, it went on to become the second highest-grossing film of the year in Thailand.

Amid the press notes, Jaa touted a “philosophical action film” that mixed Buddhist teachings with its spinning back-kicks. “I believe it’s important for an action film, regardless [of] which country it’s from, to have its own philosophy to guide the story,” Jaa told Vulture. “Buddhist teaching is what I believe — it’s what guided me making this movie. I think many people can relate to the concept of faith and karma.”

Faith and karma intersect heavily in “Ong Bak 2,” which sees Jaa as a young nobleman whose hero’s journey takes him down the path of righteous vengeance after his family is slain by a warlord’s clan. The 15th-century warrior, Tien, racks up skills in multiple disciplines spanning regions and eras, from Japanese swordsmanship to Indian hand-to-hand combat, all unified by their most unassuming, energy-harnessing spiritual practices — a ritual dance or a chanted prayer before (and after) the blades fly.