Friendship With My Biggest Fan

January 5, 2021 lorenavedon

Loren Avedon and Sajmeister – “A fan and his hero”

In 1993, I was blessed with my beautiful daughter, Nicole, it was truly a great year. Around the same time, across the pond in London England, a ten-year-old boy had just seen my film, “The King of The Kickboxers”, and INSTANTLY became truly my biggest fan. Over the years he started to follow my career, bought all my films on VHS and DVD as well as any martial arts magazines and posters he could find featuring yours truly. This boy even took up learning the Korean martial art of Hap Ki Do because it’s a Martial Art that I practice and now have earned the rank of “Grand Master”.

Fast forward 14 years… the dawn of social media, that British boy now a man known as “Sajmeister” on the internet. One day, I get a Facebook friend request from Saj (AKA Sajmeister), we exchange messages and with my blessing he creates my FB @lorenavedonoffical “fan club” group and also my official “actor/director” page. All of which he does just to show his appreciation for his “hero”, as he calls me. This was the start of a new kind of friendship, a fan and his hero. Although thousands of miles apart, thanks to the power of the internet, we were able to truly connect, communicate and share. Gradually, I started to see a significant increase of fans and fan activity on my Facebook fan club group and actor page too, all thanks to Saj managing it and helping me.

In 2010, I went to the “Meet Your Stars” convention in Berlin, Germany, where I was making an appearance with many of my peers and other great legends in the world of martial arts movies to meet fans and do interviews, Q&As, demonstrations, seminars, etc. I invited Saj to come out and meet me. He made the trip all the way from London, England with his friend, George – another great guy, both the salt of the earth. We hung out together over that weekend. Saj and George not only met me but all the other stars as well. Saj was even interviewed by a documentary crew that was following me around.

A week after the event in Berlin, Germany, I was going to spend a few days in London, England. Now, this is where Saj truly went above and beyond in everything he had already done for me, and I cannot thank him enough for it.

He picked me up from the airport in his “Sajmobile” and drove me to my hotel, which he pre-booked for me and even paid for my first night’s stay. He took such good care of me with detail to all my needs, every little thing you could think of. He even had a cell phone for me so I could make local and international calls enabling me to stay in contact with my mother (RIP) and daughter.

Saj really went above and beyond, he chauffeured me around everywhere and anywhere I wanted to go. He took me to see my old flat on Hamilton Terrace in London where my Mom and I lived when I was ten/eleven years old in the early 70s. He took me to the American school in London in St John’s Wood on Louden Rd. where I went to school. It brought back some great memories. Check out the video on one of my YouTube accounts that Saj shot for me.

Saj took me all around London to tour and take pictures. He acted like my personal tour guide and photographer as I posed in front of all the great London monuments and historical landmarks. He also took me to visit the London Tae Kwon Do Academy where I met a great Master, Usman Dildar and his students, who welcomed me with open arms. It was great to meet Master Dildar and watch his students train. Saj also recorded that meeting and their TKD training as you can see on YouTube.

Saj organized a fan “meet and greet” for me at his uncle’s restaurant, Sundarban Tandoori Restaurant in the suburbs of Greenford and Sudbury near Wembley Soccer Stadium. We had a very good turnout thanks to Saj promoting it on my Facebook fan club group, official page and other social media sites. I met fans who came from all over the country. It was so great to meet the fans in England who showed me lots of love.

When the day came that I had to depart England, Saj picked me up early from my hotel and drove me to the airport. I had a great and unforgettable time in London with my biggest fan and now one of my best mates.

He created, and still runs my social media marketing pages online (I still do my personal pages) but when I met him he went above and beyond anything I had expected. Saj will always remain more than a fan to me, he is a real friend and one of my heroes.

Have a very happy birthday buddy and don’t forget I can’t wait to be a God Father whenever that happens.

Your the best mate!

Follow Saj on Twitter @sajmeister and Instagram @sajmeister1983