SUBMITTED BY LClem

January 4, 2003 — Jet Li was all smiles during a press conference on Friday at the Grand Formosa Regent hotel to promote his latest film, Hero. The actor said he relished playing the role of a character called Nameless, a loyal and righteous fighter willing to sacrifice himself to save the world. A martial arts expert, Li has starred in more than 20 Hong Kong kung-fu dramas and three Hollywood films, Lethal Weapon, Romeo Must Die and The One. But he used the opportunity of the press conference to promote his own theory of "anti-violence." "The highest state of martial arts is that no one needs to fight anymore," Li said. "The first stage is when the sword is in your hand, and it is also in your heart. The sword and yourself have become one. The second stage is when the sword is not on your hand, but inside your heart. This means you can kill someone with your heart. And the final stage is when the sword is neither in your hand, nor your heart. This means you don't have the means to hurt anyone, and you don't fear harm from others," Li said, explaining one of the movie's main messages.