Tips for 2 Friends that want to learn stage combat?

[wolfmetal45]

A friend and I are both very interested in getting ourselves an Ultrasaber each and work on stage combat with eachother.  Our experience with it is minimal and we don't have the funds to attend one of those 4 day long camps.

Are there some books or DVD's you'd all recommend for the 2 of us?  This is something both of us have always wanted to do.  Both as fans of theatrical combat (and Star Wars).  And as something that could be a fun hobby for us in college.

[ThreadJack]

Start simple, just do some basic stuff. Bang the sabers together a few times, then someone goes for a jab, bang, bang, bang, slash. stuff like that. Start slow, you don't have to go a million miles an hour, after all it's just practice right now. You can add speed later when you get comfortable doing things at the current pace.

[Master Uilos]

There are a million schools of thought on the subject. I have resources, but I'm not gonna say "THESE ARE THE ANSWERS". So let me instead give you the general tips I've found helpful in doing Stage Combat and how many people in New York Jedi, PA Jedi and a few others.

1) Safety, above all else. The Safety of you and your partner (s) (italicized because this word needs to be stressed, they are working with you as opposed to against you in sparring) is paramount. This means going over things slowly, repetitively until you both feel competent in going over things.

2) The Audience. If you are choreographing fights, you must now consider the audience. How are they going to see this fight? This means as much visually as it does conceptually. Visually means how the audience sees the fight itself, conceptually means the premise of the fight (story). It has to translate well for them to register and understand, they are riding with you on your fight and that has to be taken into consideration AT ALL TIMES.

Suggestions:

Research fight scenes. Watch fights from movies, Princess Bride, Last Samurai, 1993's Three Musketeers, The Matrix movies, Game of Thrones TV Series (I recommend Syrio Forel's Scenes for everyone), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and so on. Don't just limit yourselves to Star Wars in your inspirations. You can also look to many fights on youtube. NY Jedi has a slew of them (I know...I filmed most of them), Nova and Caine's South Coast group (I'm blanking on the name, guys) and a dozen other cites can help.


Hope this helped, and good luck.

[Qui-Tom Helms]

Get Novastar's staged combat tutorial CD and Novastar's and Caine's PC CD.

[Chainmale75]

The Highlander T.V series would be a good one.  many differant weapons and forms there .

[Master Rel]

Hhmmm good stuff.

As you have limited background I would start small and simple.

A series of basic moves done well with precision will look professional.

I would first establish roles for the process of developing a routine.

Routine being the key word...staged combat being a process of following a script and playing a part.

So jedi and sith for example.

Consider your routine to be a chess game.

The pieces are your options for techniques...simple...thrust, overhand top to bottom, underhand bottom to top, the figure 8 or open X, block, parry (same as block but usually does not give up position and opens up for a counter strike), etc.

Chess has three stages of the game.

Plan for three stages of your routine with 3-5 moves each per stage...so 9-15 jedi moves and 9-15 sith moves within one routine.

Get these right, clean, and flowing...should be magic.

Opening game...showing your intent and moving to gain advantage or center board...in the routine this would be displaying personality...sith showing off his/her bad intentions...the jedi making the stoic stand and holding ground...the initial give and take, ebb and flow...a few probing swings, taunts, and ending with the first clash of swords.

Mid game...controlling the center of the board and developing the attack...in the routine this the show of style...aggressive, defensive, reactionary, showy, focused, etc...setting up a series of moves to get to the king.

End game...the closing of the grip and chasing/trapping the king...establishing a sequence of techniques to finish off the weakened king.

So write your story.

I have found it helpful (in martial arts routines) to establish the whole of a routine for one person, in this case the winner, and then setup the mirror for the opponent.

So say the jedi wins.

Opening up with 3-5 moves...

(Jedi)

draws blade and points it forward (fencing style)
advances and makes a tight circle to the head
steps back and makes a wide swing
etc.

*****

Then the mirror to the jedi

(Sith)

draws blade and openly taunts (hands down and to sides)
steps back and blocks the head shot
advances with a series of quick tight swings (the jedi wide swing is the counter to the flurry)

*****

That sort of aspect.

Draw out your routine with stickmen, I would use two colors so there is no guess work...red sith and green jedi for example.

This way you can study the floor work...some of the best routines use as much of the stage as possible...adding a few extra steps to cover more floor for example.

By taking a slow and recorded approach you can better troubleshoot.

After doing a handful of these routines you will have a catalog of techniques that will allow you to ebb and flow with ease.