[i.e.; Martial Arts, Karate, Kung Fu, etc.]
Finally, a brief mention of Asian martial arts. Because martial arts moves are designed to allow for maximum impact using the least amount of movement, even the simulations carry with them a lot of power. These should be considered advanced techniques, as the margin for error has shrunk considerably.
There are many styles, usually based on regional differences. Karate developed in Japan and tends toward linear movement, Kung Fu from China has more circular and animal inspired motions, Tae-Kwon-Do from Korea centers on kicking, Capoeira of Brazil hides circular kicks and strikes within a distracting dance pattern, etc. While each system teaches hundreds of moves, each also has a distinctive look based on variations of stances, blocks, and attack preferences. The study of any one style can take a lifetime to master, and it might be beyond the rehearsal schedule to try and train actors to get enough flexibility to perform even simulated martial arts with any degree of believability. If this is the look you need for your show, cast it many months early and get some serious daily training for your actors.
On the other hand, if you merely want to give some of the flavor of martial arts, there are some things you can do that can dress up the already described moves.
1] Get low and stay low. The stances in martial arts are designed to keep a solid connection to the ground even when moving, and this means dropping down low in a fairly wide stance and not bobbing up and down when moving. The pressure on the knees and thighs is tremendous, but this is what separates East from West.
2] Don’t bend at the waist. Martial artists learn to perform head-high kicks without changing their torso position. We can mimic that look of complete control, even if it means not kicking so high, if we keep the torso looking neutral and relaxed.
3] Add more blocks. Among trained fighters, more of the attacks are going to be aimed correctly, so will have to be blocked effectively. Read the section on swordplay, and use the arms the way a sword would be used for blocks and attacks.
4] Think linear. There is more precision in all attack and defense techniques in martial arts. Whereas a brawling fighter might loop a punch out and then let it fade away after it reaches or misses its target, a martial artist will whip out a fist in a straight line and then immediately back to the original starting position, ready to fire again. For a stomach kick the foot will not simply sweep up from the floor like a pendulum in Western fashion, but first is driven straight up by lifting the knee to the chest, heel almost touching crotch, and then the foot is fired out like a punch, returns back to its ready position, and then is lowered to the ground. There are exceptions to these rules, of course, but exceptions should always be chosen because of what they can deliver, rather than resorted to because the body lacks flexibility and strength.
Interestingly, there is a conceit in all martial arts films is that any strike can send someone flying and yet everyone can take a lot of physical abuse and keep coming back for more. Audiences accept this from martial arts and yet laugh at the same thing in Western style fighting. The lesson seems to be that you can throw out realism without repercussion when developing a staged karate fight.
* * * * *
Ok, so you still want to add the cool kung-fu moves. Below are the basic strikes, kicks, and blocks for staged martial arts. Just as past stage combat instructors have taken the incredibly varied and complex movements of swordplay and reduced them to a tiny handful of easily repeatable moves, so have I taken the basic techniques of one martial arts style and distilled them to a small set of simple actions. Just as in stage sword combat, it is better to have both actors completely understand the mechanics of a couple dozen moves rather than confuse them with the couple thousand possibilities that each real art form contains.
For a better understanding of how the moves can be polished, be sure and read the entire section that follows this one concerning fighting with edged weapons. Much of martial arts gets its inspiration from swordplay, and an understanding of one greatly benefits the other.
In describing the moves below I am assuming that each strike and kick is blocked, that is to say, that we are not simulating contact. If you want to make it seem as though a strike has connected, go back and re-read the first part of this chapter. I’m sure you’ll find a simulation there that will fit the bill, and all the actors need to do is provide a different “picture” from the list below and substitute it for the Western style described earlier.
chambering
Chambering refers to the placement of the hand (and sometimes the foot) before it strikes or blocks. The position itself is very simple. With the hand closed in a fist, the fist rests very tightly at the waist above the hip bone, palm facing up, and the elbow pulled in, expanding the chest. More importantly, it is a critical component of the look of what the non-striking hand is doing during the strike or block by the active hand. Unlike Western boxing, where both hands are kept in front of the body, in classical Japanese karate every strike or block is counter balanced by a sharp pull back of the other hand into its chambered position. In this way, even as the striking hand is shooting out to make the hit, the other hand is drawing back, ready for the next move. It is not a passive move. So aggressive is this pull-back that the elbow could easily crack a person’s ribs if someone was to stand behind the fighter.
The arm that does the chambering (non-striking) is most often called the draw arm, for the feeling is like that of drawing back the string on a bow, loading it up with energy before releasing it for the attack.
For most kicks, the foot must also chamber-up to its most effective striking launch position before striking. In this way, the kick is better targeted as well as keeping the rest of the body from failing off balance.
stances
Martial artists train for years so that they can stand and move in ways that the average Joe would find difficult to perform for even a few minutes, but this above all is what gives karate and the like their special look. Just as with staged swordplay, the realism of the fight rests with the stance.
basic (fighting) stances
Just as in swordplay, most stances are very temporary positions used at the moment that a technique is delivered. In between these moves, the body might drop into a neutral position, committed to nothing but ready for anything. The weight shifts gently when moving, trying to keep no more than 60% of the weight on either foot. (Of course, that’s impossible, but if you think about doing it that way, it will really improve the look of balance and control.) The knees are bent, the feet shoulder-width apart and not overly extended.
The hands, either closed in fists or in tight flat palms (Charlie’s Angels style) are in front of the body, usually in a center line with the forearms gently sloping down. The hands may shift in position, but generally one hand is at face level, the other at stomach level. One arm is often extended to about 80% of full distance with a slight bend at the elbow, while the other arm is closer, with a 90 degree bend at the elbow. With this combination of positions, the face is always protected by one hand, the stomach by the other, and attacks coming from the side protected by the elbows. As always, the shoulders must be relaxed and down. The head rests directly over the torso, which is erect and not leaning or bending at the waist.
front stance
This aggressive stance is usually seen as an attack is launched or a very strong block is delivered as the body is moving forward. The lead knee bent and the back leg straight. The lead knee should be directly over the heel, bearing 70% of the body’s weight. The torso should be erect and relaxed. Feet are about one and a half shoulder widths apart. The lead foot must point directly at the opponent. It’s nice if the rear foot can do so as well, but usually a slight turnout is more practical.
Just as in fencing, moving either forward or backward can be done by either bringing the back foot up to the front foot and then launching the front foot forward again, or by a simple passing (walking) step. However, in classical forms, the body does not bob up and down, so the actors will need to learn how to move while keeping their heads on one low plane. How to do this? The feet and the knees come together for each step, the legs both squeezing together and bending even more before the foot goes out to its new position. That means that the torso is moving gracefully forward (not up and down or side to side), with shoulders relaxed, while the traveling foot is drawing a half-moon shape on the ground with each step. Both feet have the toes pointing directly at the opponent, not turned-out. This is really hard to do, and requires considerable abdominal control as well as strong thighs and good ankle flexibility.
Stepping backwards is the same as going forwards, but don’t let your actors cheat in shifting their weight by sticking their tailbones out and leading with their butts. The lead foot will always be carrying 70% of the body weight, so the tailbone must always be tucked in. This way the torso can move as one unit in any direction, always in control, always ready to strike even in retreat.
back stance
Different styles have different back stances, but I have chosen one that is easiest to perform as well as being the most visually interesting. This back stance is nice to use during blocking and evasions, as well as a solid platform from which to perform a rear thrust kick.
With the face forward, looking at the opponent, the torso turns and shifts the weight balance from lead foot to back foot. At the same time, the feet will turn (on the heels, not the balls) so that the rear foot, the one bearing most of the weight, is pointing away from the opponent and the lead foot is pointing off at 90 degrees (more if possible). The lead leg straightens and the rear leg bends, again so that the knee is directly over the heel.
If accompanied by a block, it’s nice to lean the body away from the opponent so that the torso and lead leg have the same long, elegant line.
horse stance
The most stable of the stances, a variation of it is found in every martial arts form. I’ve chosen one the least damaging to the knees.
The weight distribution is 50-50, with the feet about double shoulder apart, toes turned out to about 45 degrees, and again the knees directly over the heels. In this position with the tailbone tucked in tightly, the knees and hips should all be at a straight line, again probably not possible for actors, but that is what you’re aiming for. This is not all that different from a ballet plié in second position, except that the feet should not be turned out so severely. From here the torso is free face to forward or turn to either side, flexibility permitting.
Some karate styles have the feet stay parallel to each other, but that puts a huge strain on the knees and ankles. I would rather you concentrate on the pelvis, because as soon as a little fatigue sets in, the butt starts to swing out. It looks horrible. As with all of the stances, tuck it in and keep it tucked.
cat stance
All of the previous stances are called “outside” stances, for the feeling is that of the knees pulling out, away from each other. There are many “inside” stances, where the thighs squeeze together, but I have included only this one for our purposes. The cat stance works especially well as a strong platform from which to deliver kicks from the lead foot. The leading knee also automatically protects the lower torso from attacks.
Facing the opponent, the back leg turned out to 45 degrees, both knees bending and the lead foot pointing at the opponent. As the thighs squeeze together, the lead foot is drawn in close to the rear foot, but with heel off the ground and the toes supporting only 10% of the body weight, purely for balance. The weight shifts back to 90% on the back leg. The lead knee is pointed directly at the opponent and the tailbone is tightly tucked. The torso is relaxed and erect. Squeezing the thighs together provides stability, while shifting the weight off of the lead foot allows to quickly snap out a kick if necessary.
Strikes
Strikes encompass any attack made with the upper limbs and can be aimed at any joint or vulnerable spot on the human body. For training purposes the attacks are mainly thought of as either high (face) medium (solar plexus) or low (belly or even crotch). We are going to modify this to three levels and five targets – the same ones we use in broadsword fighting. As in stage swordplay, left and right refer to the attacker’s view of the targets. These targets are:
Ö Head level is going to be dead center but slightly above the forehead
Ö Shoulder level right is slightly outside and below the victim’s left shoulder
Ö Shoulder level left is slightly outside and below victim’s right shoulder
Ö Mid level right drifts to the victim’s left flank but on the same plane as the navel
Ö Mid level left shifts to the victim’s right but on the same plane as the victim’s navel
As you can see, we’re staying away from any attacks to joints, and we are trying to send the real energy of these attacks slightly away from the body of our partner.
straight punch
Every strike is supposed to be performed incorporating the concept of chambering, and nowhere is this more easily seen than in the straight punch. This punch travels in a line from the chambered position directly to the target, the fist turning from palm up to palm down just as the arm reaches its full extension. The strike goes in a straight line to the target, “sticking” there for a fraction of a second before moving to the next position (usually chambered). There must be no curling of the wrist, so the striking surface of the punch is the “flat” of the first two fingers. But again, what really give this punch an Eastern look is the fact that the other fist is simultaneously pulled back to its chambered position at the hip, palm up. Try several punches in a row until the “pushme-pullyou” feel becomes comfortable. Remember – just as much energy is committed to the pull-back as to the punch itself.
The twisting of the striking hand from palm up in the chambered position to palm down when completing the strike is crucial to the look of Eastern punches. Don’t twist the torso away with each punch – you want to “lock” the chest forward at the completion of each strike for a much more powerful and confident look.
spear hand
A variation of the straight punch, except the fist opens to form a flat hand, fingers tightly together and thumb side pointing up. In actual martial arts, the middle finger is pulled back slightly so the center three fingers form an even striking surface. The audience is never going to see that, so it is not necessary to try to simulate it. The strike goes in a straight line to the target, “sticking” there for a fraction of a second before moving to the next position (usually chambered).
Sometimes the other arm, instead of pulling back to the chambered position, stays forward to support the spear hand at the elbow. In this augmented strike the non-striking fist also opens up and, palm down, slides under the striking elbow, the entire forearm ending up parallel to the chest. The look is very angular. Be sure to push the shoulders down – don’t let them start rising up out of tension.
palm heel
The bottom of the palm is a very effective striking surface, so long as the fingers don’t get in the way. To get the look, stick your right hand out as though you are checking for rain. Keeping the palm flat, fold the fingers at the second joint (and the thumb at the first joint) so that the fingertips are touching the palm at the knuckle joint. Now bend the hand at the wrist so that the palm heel pushes forward, facing the target as you pull the elbow back to chamber the hand. Kind of uncomfortable, isn’t it? The strike goes in a straight line to the target, “sticking” there for a fraction of a second before moving to the next position (usually chambered).
For stage, this strike looks best used to attack to the side, combined with a nice side stance, where you get the most visual length of the arm.
knife edge
Commonly called the “karate chop”, it actually has only a limited use in true martial arts. It is designed to attack vulnerable points that are hard to get to by using a closed fist, the neck and temple being the more obvious targets. But of course for stage we can use it for anything we want to.
We all know how to hold the hand (palm open and fingers tight, thumb bent so it is not exposed), but too many films show the wrist bent for some reason. That doesn’t make any sense at all. From tip of middle finger to elbow must be an absolutely straight line.
To execute the strike, we again borrow from the cutting moves of staged swordplay. The striking hand chambers by touching the finger tips to your own opposite ear, elbow pointing at the target (off-line of your partner). The elbow does not move as the hand swings out and back in one quick snappy motion. The emphasis is on the return, not so much on the extension. Careful not to hyperextend the elbow (and keep your shoulders down!).
back hand
This is actually very similar in construction to the knife edge strike. It again is a snappy move instead of a “sticking” move, the elbow pointing right at the target. All we have to do is give it a different look, and that we do by keeping the fist closed and chambering it, not at the opposite ear but right at the near armpit. In order to do that, you’ll need to turn your other shoulder away from the target, but that’s fine because it improves the look. The fist, thumb side up, swings out parallel to the ground, and then back.
The other hand can chamber to the hip as usual, but a nice variation is to have it provide a “home” for the striking hand. For this, both hands meet at the chambered position at the armpit, the non-striking hand palm open, fingertips up as if to stay “stop”, thumb pressed against the chest, the palm almost touching the closed fist of the attacking hand.
blocks
Real blocks in martial arts come in two flavors, deflections and power. Deflections allow the incoming strike to skip off the blocking surface and then continue on harmlessly out of the way. Power blocks meet force with force, usually using the bony outside edge of the forearm or other very strong striking surface. Such blocks can develop so much force that they can break bones. We, of course, don’t want to do anything so dangerous, so the following, all of them power blocks, are modified. The blocking surface is turned wherever possible so that soft tissue rather than bone is used, and each block then merely meets the incoming “attack” at a predetermined point in space, with very little actual contact at all.
Just as with the strikes, both arms are active when performing most of the power blocks. When one arm performs the action, the other arm pulls back just as powerfully to the chamber position. This dramatically expands the chest, making the block, and by extension the attack, appear much more powerful. For each block, there should always be an initial contraction where the arms cross at the elbows, and then one arm performs the block as the other pulls back to the chambered (hip) position. The look and feel is something like sharpening two very large knives. But no matter what, all blocks should have the look of taking a threat aimed toward your center and moving it harmlessly away.
As with the strikes, the non-blocking arm is active, moving forcefully back to the chambered position. And again, this arm is referred to as the draw arm. If the blocking arm has to do two or more actions in a row, the draw arm usually stays where it is, although we still have to see some sort of expansion (however small) with each move, even if only in the chest. This additional pulse helps lend a bit more believability to each block.
down block
The contraction brings the blocking fist up to the opposite shoulder; the draw arm crosses in front of the body, elbow straight, elbow touching elbow. For the block, the blocking arm slides down and across the draw arm until it points downward, even as the draw arm moves to its chambered position at the hip.
To reduce damage to your partner, turn the fist thumb-side down slightly so as to strike with the fleshy part of the forearm.
inside down block
In this block, the arms do not cross and there is no contraction. The draw hand, from wherever it has been, moves directly to the chambered position. The blocking arm moves forward to what would normally be the final position of the down block (but this time with the fist up) and then sweeps in front of the body to the opposite side, with the fist turned so that the palm-side leads the movement and the block is made with the inside of the forearm rather than the edge. For this block, the look of power comes not from chest expansion, but from the quick twisting of the torso.
rising block
The contraction brings the draw arm across the body, at an angle in front of the torso, with the fist in front of and at the same height as the opposite shoulder. The fist of the blocking arm slips underneath the draw arm so that the wrist joint rests underneath the elbow. For the block, the lead arm slides up across the draw arm until the forearm forms a straight line parallel to the ground at about forehead level, even as the draw arm moves to its chambered position at the hip.
To reduce damage to your partner, don’t allow the fist to twist as it moves up. You’ll want to make contact with the softer back part of the forearm instead of the boney edge.
inside block
The contraction brings the blocking fist up to the opposite arm pit, underneath the draw arm; the draw arm crosses in front of the body, elbow bent, elbow touching elbow, fist about shoulder height. For the block, the blocking arm slips under the draw arm and then slides along it. It will stop at the blocked position, forming a 45 degree angle upward, fist in front of the same shoulder and elbow about a fist distance away from the same side hip. As expected, the draw arm has simultaneously moved to its chambered position at the hip.
To give the block its best look, hyper-twist the fist so that the inside of the forearm makes contact with the incoming attack. Difficult to do, but not impossible.
outside block
In this block, the arms do not cross and there is no contraction. Instead, it is the twisting of the hip and torso that provide the strength for the block. The draw hand, from wherever it has been, moves loosely to any area in front of the body; at the same time the blocking arm moves up to the same side ear, thumb side pointing down, forearm now parallel to the ground. For the block, the blocking arm swings across the body, ending with the fist directly above the elbow, forearm perpendicular to the ground. At the same time, the draw arm moves to its chambered position.
If blocking an attack to the torso, the blocking fist will end at shoulder level. If the attack was to the face, the block of course will be higher, with the fist at forehead level. This block can carry a lot of accidental momentum, so be sure that the point of contact is the inside of the forearm by finishing the block with the fist thumb side pointing towards you.
knife hand block
This is a nice variation of the inside block, all the more interesting because both hands are kept in the “karate chop” open palm shape. The contraction brings the blocking hand up to the opposite shoulder, over the draw arm; the draw arm crosses in front of the body, elbow slightly bent, elbow touching elbow, and the hand out in front almost making the universal signal for “stop”. For the block, the blocking arm slides across the draw arm until it forms a 45 degree angle upward, open palm in front of the same shoulder and elbow about a fist distance away from the same side hip. Really scrape the forearms as you do this move for the best look.
In this simulation, the draw hand doesn’t go all the way to the hip. Instead, as the block is executed, the draw hand comes to rest right at solar plexus level, palm up. The torso turns slightly, so that the shoulder of the draw hand moves somewhat away from the action.
double block
Combine two blocks and you get a new animal. For example, an inside forearm block with the right arm and an inside down block with the left, if performed as one action, and you have a cross block protecting the right flank. Simultaneous rising blocks with a slightly exaggerated angle and you have a nice cross block protecting the head. Have fun and experiment. Double blocks in stage combat give the illusion that the incoming attack was especially forceful.
open hand deflection
Looks especially nice when defending against strikes to the face, the look here is not meeting force with force but in merely deflecting an incoming straight line strike so that it just misses its intended target. Strange as it may seem, these are very effective defensive moves and very simple to perform. We just need to make them dramatically understandable and not painful.
We want to move the open hand along with the incoming strike a bit, rather than arriving at a predetermined point in space (that is of course what we’re doing; we just don’t want it to look that way). So the defensive hand is going to describe a small half circle in air as it moves up, first moving out a bit to meet the threat and then guiding it half way to its finish position. For the aggressor’s part, he won’t actually throw a punch that is truly a threat and needs to be moved, but rather launches his strike already going to that point where the successfully deflected punch is going to end up anyway.
Generally, the hand making the block will first make contact with the incoming fist, and then allow it to slide past a bit, so that the finishing contact is at about mid-forearm. Either side of the hand can be used for these deflections, but if using the back of the hand, make sure that your partner is being kind when punching. If not, the back of your hand can get some very nasty bruises.
Kicks
Just as with a strike, the path of the kick must always be directed to a spot away from the victim. If the actors are parallel to the proscenium, then the kick that misses or is blocked is aimed just up or down stage of the victim. If the actors are stacked and the simulation is that of a kick that actually makes contact, then the kick can be aimed toward the victim but only if the distance has been extended to one-and-a-half the length of the aggressor’s leg.
With all except the fan kick, the higher you can lift the knee during the first part of the move, the better the kick will look. The attempt should always be to have the kick “live from the waist down”. In other words, in a perfect world the kicker’s posture from the waist up will remain unchanged during the entire kick.
front snap kick
Western-style kicks are simple – the foot swings up in an arc, and then either swings back or just flops down. By contrast, this front snap kick is a four-parter, as are most Asian-style kicks.
First: raise the knee until it is pointing at the intended target (remembering that the “target” is a spot usually upstage or downstage of your partner). If your target is high, you have to point the knee high. At this point, the foot itself has not yet swung out, but is right next to the non-kicking leg, usually at about knee level, but higher if you can manage it. Second: the foot swings out to the target, ball of the foot reaching out but the toes curled back. (I understand that when wearing shoes, this is all but impossible) The strike point is the ball of the foot, not the toes. To help with balance, the hip might thrust forward a bit, but the torso should not lean back. Third: since this is a snap kick, not a thrust kick, the foot immediately comes back to its place high up next to the non-kicking knee, ready for another kick if necessary. Lastly, the foot drops down to the floor in a straight line. This is a very quick and smooth kick, but each of the segments have to be executed.
You’re only supposed to kick as high as your knee can point, so for most people that’s going to be a waist high kick. Yes, if you swing your hip into it and arch your back, you can snap off a head level kick, but it’s not really in control, is it. Also, I’ve noticed that in most TV shows and movies the kick is delivered with the toes pointed, not arched back. In reality, you’d break your toes if you were to actually make contact that way. But the look is a little cleaner, so if you want to, go for it.
rear thrust kick
With the body turned away from the target, the knee first rises up as in the front snap kick. This keeps the foot close to the supporting leg, but of course there is no attempt to point the knee to the target. Second, the foot travels backward in a straight line to the target, leading with the heel, moving parallel to the ground. The body is much less flexible in this direction, so the torso will need to lean forward somewhat. As this is a thrust kick, not a snap, the foot will “stick” in the air for a half second. Third, the foot pulls back in to its chambered location as the torso straightens. Fourth, the foot is brought down to the ground.
This kick is not always aimed at someone who is standing behind you. With an opponent standing directly in front of you, a rear thrust kick can be delivered simply by turning the body away during the first move. Why would someone do this? The rear thrust kick is the most powerful kick possible, and one that also protects the kicker from being hit himself. The opposite arm will still rise up to protect the face, just in case.
side snap kick
Even experienced martial artists sometimes fudge this move, performing what is really just a front kick to the side. But this is a kick meant to swing freely from the knee rather than “punching” in a straight line.
First, the foot rises up to the chambered position near the knee of the supporting leg. The body, especially the hips, turns slightly so that the kicking leg is closer to the opponent, but the knee must point directly at the target. Try to get the knee as high up as possible, with the arch of the foot trying to curl around the supporting leg. Second, keeping the knee high and stable, it becomes a pivot from which the foot will swing out in an arc to the target. The toes are pointed down so that the striking surface is the outside edge of the foot. The torso does not lean back during this kick, although the hips might swing along with the movement for extra height. Third: since this is a snap kick, not a thrust kick, the foot immediately comes back to its place high up next to the non-kicking knee. Fourth, the foot is lowered to the floor.
This is not an easy kick, as it can put quite a strain on the knee, but it gives a nice flavor to a fight, so use it if you can. Flexible martial artists can use it as an upper cut to an opponent’s chin.
roundhouse kick
This kick is a bit more risky to make safe, in that it requires the actor to generate a lot of force but also be able to stop it before making contact with his partner, much like swinging a broadsword. This kick is meant to come in sideways, parallel to the ground. It’s much easier for an actor to stop a broadsword than to stop his own leg, and I am hesitant to include this simulation in this book. But the roundhouse kick is so common in martial arts that it is difficult to imagine not using it in a staged fight, so I include it here in the interest of safety.
First, the chambering position itself is a bit awkward. With the supporting leg forward, the kicking leg is lifted up away from the opponent, foot and knee rising to hip height. Everyone calls this the “dog peeing on a fire hydrant” pose.
Second, the leg will swing around the body as the foot extends to the target, the striking surface for stage purposes being the upper plane of the foot rather than the toes or ball. Try to lean forward – into the kick – rather than laying down away from it. For this kick to look good, the leg must travel parallel to the ground, as though you are kicking over a table in order to reach your target. The body can’t help but want to turn along with the kick, so we have to find a way to control that momentum and stop the kick before it hurts anyone. So we use the upper body to stop the lower body. Let’s say you’re kicking with the left foot, so the leg is swinging around to the right. As the leg comes across, sharply twist your shoulders to the left, aiming your right shoulder to the target. The feeling is like that of wringing a towel. With a little practice you’ll find that this will suddenly stop your kick just where you want it.
Third, this is a snap kick, so the foot and leg immediately “bounce” away. The trajectory of the leg follows the same path going back as it did to get there, which means that it has to clear that imaginary table again as it travels behind you. Finally, from this hydrant position, the foot is lowered to the floor. Of course, if you are stepping forward after the kick, you don’t have to return the foot all they back to your original position, which was behind you. But you shouldn’t just flop the foot down, either. After the kick, the bounce-back of the foot should still have it travel parallel to the floor until it is back near your butt, and only then lowered to take your forward step.
roundhouse variation: the laying down front snap kick.
Also called the mini-round. Do the set-up for a front snap-kick as described earlier, but as the kick starts to move forward, let your body twist 90 degrees in that same direction, and lift up the foot sideways, so that the foot and knee form a line parallel to the floor. It’s called “laying down the leg”, and it will change the trajectory of the kick so now it can come in sideways instead of straight in. The recovery has to be very fast, with the body quickly twisting back in the other direction. This will provide the momentum needed to snap that kicking foot back to center. But don’t resort to the mini-round just because the actor is having trouble with the regular roundhouse kick described above. The full roundhouse is much showier and well worth the extra rehearsal time.
The mini-round is a fun little kick to add when you want to break up the look of a series of kicks, especially multiple kicks to different targets from the same leg. Choreographically, it allows for a kick from the front leg to be directed sideways to an opponent, rather than straight into him.
fan kick
The fan kick requires a lot of flexibility, and is generated with a lot of hip movement, so most people can’t stop it once begun. Because of the momentum needed, this is not a move which is blocked – the actor needs the full space to follow through and complete the swing. Few actors will be able to make it look good, but it does have some good visual flair.
This simulation works best when the actors are “stacked”, aggressor facing full front and the victim full back. First, establish a one-arm’s distance between the two, then one or the other needs to take another (large) step away, clearing room for the leg to swing. The aggressor’s supporting leg will be in front and the kicking leg behind. Second, the fan kick can travel either left to right or right to left, either “outside” or “inside”, the important part being to not kick out toward the victim but rather swing the straight leg out in a giant circle in front of him. Think of the leg as a pendulum with the hip as the pivot point. The circle of travel (actually, it’s more of a teardrop shape) is on a parallel plane between the two participants, the highest point being at face level. Third, again, there is no stopping this kick, so for the aggressor the simulation finishes almost as soon as it starts, just making sure that the torso has not gone out of plumb and that the foot ends up on the ground at roughly the same point from whence it started (only because it looks better than having it land somewhere else). If the simulation is a hit and not a miss, then the victim has a chance to add the sound and complete the illusion of being struck. Luckily, the audience can’t see the victim’s hands, so he can easily clap his hands together for the sound and the audience will be none the wiser. Just make sure not to move the elbows – those are visible and can blow the illusion if we see a flapping motion.
jump kick
Although any kick can be performed while in the air, we are only going to try a basic front snap kick. Make sure you are fully warmed up before starting – you don’t want to blow out your hamstring here.
Let’s say you are kicking with the right foot. Go over the basic mechanics of the kick described earlier, and try the kick several times until you feel comfortable with it. It’s a four-parter, remember? Now, to mess with your brain some, get into a nice solid front stance with the right leg forward. Right knee bent, left knee straight, right? Try the kick with the right foot from this position several times – feels different, doesn’t it? Kicking from the front leg is difficult because you don’t want to simply rock back on your back leg. You’ve got to bend that back leg for support, really tighten the stomach muscles, and drive your kick forward. Be sure to continue to use correct technique and that you are not just flapping your leg out.
Now we’re going to work on the left leg. Forget about kicking for a bit, we’re going to go just for some hang time. Keep the same right foot forward stance (right knee bent, of course). Like a sprinter coming out of the blocks, try to touch your own chest with your left knee as you stand up straight with your right. You’ll soon find that you get quite a bit upward thrust without trying too hard. Now go ahead and go for some height, letting your right leg add to the momentum by doing a little hop. The higher you can drive that left knee and combine it with a good hop, the more hang time you’ll get. If you are a basketball player, this is the move you need in order to do a lay-up (if you get a lot of height, even a dunk!)
Ready for a higher jump? As soon as the left knee pumps up to the chest, add to the momentum by driving the right knee up to the chest also. By driving both knees up hard and fast in a quick one-two, your little hop gets transformed into quite a nice vertical leap.
Now you’re ready to combine the two moves for one dramatic kick. The left knee pumps up, beginning the drive skyward, and then the right knee does the same but adds the snap kick when you are at the top of your jump. I’m not saying that this is easy for everyone to do – athletes and dancers will get it and perfect it in one day while others may struggle for weeks. [Heck, some dancers will get so much air time that they’ll be able to throw in a kick with that left foot as well, and probably get them both at head level.] But it is possible for anyone to do a single jump kick, so long as you don’t give up on the essential mechanics. Don’t go for height, go for fluidity. With practice, everyone should be able to execute a front snap kick in the air before that left foot lands on the ground.
These are some very basic moves that demonstrate a little bit of the look of trained martial artists. Just as in all of stage combat, we are not trying to scrupulously recreate what an actual fight would look like, but rather we use a specialized physical language to tell a story. So just as sport fencing is different than staged rapier and dagger fights, a true karate tournament match will be very different from staged martial arts fighting, and all would be very different indeed from a real life-or-death struggle. Read the upcoming section on edged weaponry to get more ideas, for remember that all martial arts ultimately comes from the sword techniques of ancient Asia. All of the safety points in terms of distancing and targeting with swords are applicable here and critical to actor safety.
Let’s look at a few attack and defense combinations, performed in sequence as a single fight:
Actor A Actor B
face punch rising block
open hand deflections three face punches
stomach punch outside block
inside block, cat stance augmented spear hand thrust
front snap kick reverse down block
down block side kick
chop to throat [take reaction]
Again, if you think of using swords instead of just limbs it will clean up the transitions. As always, be sure and get solid training from an experienced instructor of stage combat, not just a martial artist. It’s not enough to perform the moves; it must be modified for performance on stage.
In Summary …
Unarmed Fighting Styles
Most real fights occur between people who have reached a point of rage in which they no longer are acting rationally, so any training they may have had goes out the window. I’ve seen this happen to otherwise skilled fighters who get caught up in either fear or anger. For these combatants, the moves tend to be circular, wild, uncontrolled both in execution and in balance, the tendency being to throw the combatant off-balance whether or not he actually makes contact. There is very little effective defense, and what little there is is simply the instinctive curling up of the body as both forearms come up to protect the face. Untrained fighters also tend to use the same one or two moves over and over again regardless of effectiveness. The person who falls down first invariably ends up as the loser.
Among trained fighters who are able to keep their wits about them, there is a greater variation of moves both offensive and defensive, with an attempt to bring into play combination moves designed to establish distinct lines of attack and take advantage of perceived weaknesses. However, what the audience will notice most of all is the “on-guard” position which trained fighters will drop into when a threat is identified. Invariably the dominant foot and hand step back, providing a slightly reduced target to the opponent. The elbows both tuck in slightly to be ready to protect the stomach and flanks. The dominant (right) hand goes to shoulder level and stays fairly close to the body, while the left fist rides higher, just under eye level, and extends further towards the opponent. This allows both hands to protect the face. The ribs are protected by the elbows.
We know from art on excavated pottery that boxing goes back at least to the ancient Greeks, and it seems that the stances and guard positions would be instantly recognizable at any gym today. There is, however, a very distinct boxing style that developed during the mid-nineteenth century and flourished though to the 1930’s. You have probably seen photographs of prize fighters with handlebar mustaches, with the fists tightly curled in and the head held stiffly back. The opponent would see the back of the fighter’s hands instead of the little finger side of the fist. This is the era of bareknuckle prize fighting, the Marquise of Queensbury rules, the birth of the “sweet science”. The seemingly unnatural stance is actually quite practical for the style of fighting performed. No grabbing or kicking was allowed, winner was declared by knockout only, and up through the turn of the century a round was counted not by the clock but with each instance that someone was knocked down. This was brutal exhibition fighting, and with no timed rounds or points given, the only strategy was to survive the punishment and inflict as much damage as possible.
In this style of fisticuffs, some moves needed to be modified. Punches that land with the flat face of the fist can deliver great force, but the delicate bones of the fingers can easily break, so constant jabs with the left can quickly ruin the hand. A better jab for bareknuckle fighting is to turn the fists in so that the back of the hand faces the opponent, the knuckles all pointing toward the opponent’s face and the hand held directly above the elbow. From this position the fist can be quickly snapped out and down onto the bridge of the nose of the opponent. The knuckles might fracture but the hand was still capable of attacking. Either hand could jab, and to hide the attack the hands could roll in a vertical circle, providing an ever shifting presentation of fists. Alternately, the lower fist could quickly rise up, thrusting in for an upper cut to the chin or to the stomach. A fist could always attempt a quick looping roundhouse to break the cartilage of the ear, a hook punch to the ribs, and if the opportunity finally arose, go for the straight right cross for a knock-out punch to the chin or nose. My point here is that just because something looks funny to our modern eyes doesn’t mean that it wasn’t extremely effective.
The defense matched the offense. The forearms could slightly extend to either side to deflect the attacks to the face, but it was more important to keep the head leaning back and away from the extension of the attacking fists. The stomach and ribs were protected by the elbows. Because the punches had to cause damage in order to win the fight, dancing around in the modern boxing style was unknown and the feet were more firmly planted on the floor, always providing a solid foundation for the knock-out punch. Throw a punch while you’re on your toes and you’ve dissipated all of its power.
As you know, boxers no longer fight that way. Why? Modern boxing is a much more controlled sport than it was a hundred years ago, and in order to try to reduce the damage to the fighters three changes in the sport changed every technique: 1] Winner by knockout was replaced with a point system. 2] rest periods only after knock-downs were replaced by timed rounds 3] and bareknuckle was replaced by padded gloves. Since modern boxers no longer need to knockout the opponent but rather can win by points scored, the number of jabs as opposed to solid punches has gone up dramatically. The moves are lighter and faster, with more emphasis in landing a greater number of points and a greater willingness to stay close in, since receiving the jab from a padded glove, though painful, usually cannot end the fight. Now the head can drop in closer to the hands, the center of balance shifts higher up into the torso instead of the hips, the weight shifts from the heels to the ball of the foot, and the fist strikes with the metatarsals rather than from the knuckles.
All of this means that the look of a stage fight will be very different if set in 1895 compared to 1995, but what never changes is the way that a stage combat technique is performed. A jab is a jab, a stomach punch is a stomach punch. The set-up and the picture might change due to the period specifics and the character choices, but the careful calculation of the action must conform to the safety needs of each simulation.
This is especially true for staged martial arts. Since many of your actors may have had some training in one style or another, each will have a certain preference on how a punch or block should be performed. Some will be adamant that their way is the correct way (often because they have never been taught another way), and certainly you may wish to incorporate interesting variations that actors may bring, or those from visiting martial artists, or even from the latest movie. Just remember that these variations can be incorporated into the look of the set-up and picture, but must never interfere with the mechanics of the action. Have doubts? Look at how each technique is performed and imagine the worst thing that can go wrong. It will happen. Not might; will. It’s merely a matter of time. Are you comfortable with that risk? Are your actors informed about those risks? As long as everyone is ok with the occasional broken nose or cracked vertebrae, than who am I to stop you? But if that gives anyone pause, cut the fight. Want a happy middle-ground? Re-block the moves so that energy is never directed towards another human being.
Putting together the moves.
No reason to go into choreography here (I’ll get to some basics at the very end of the chapter), but there is a certain natural progression in the types of moves that might be developed in a fight that shouldn’t be ignored. Mainly it comes down to damage sustained and adrenaline produced. A fight progresses only so long as the combatants can continue to sustain damage. When someone connects with a strong punch, it’s usually a fight ender. A connected punch to the stomach at best will knock the wind out of you, at worst will cause broken ribs and a ruptured spleen. A punch to the face will leave you at best with a runny nose and inflamed eyes, at worst with broken bones, a concussion, shattered eye, even death. To extend a fight into a barroom brawl where every punch continues to connect but doesn’t break a bone insults the audience. They will go along with a longer fight so long as the consequence of each action is not forgotten. Which in turn means that many strikes and kicks are going to have to miss or be effectively evaded or blocked on a longer fist fight.
As the movements are memorized, the actors must also add the character’s intention and reaction to each of the moves. Any fight scene is also an acting scene, so just as one can only say the lines as fast as the audience can understand them, the fight moves can be only as fast as the audience can follow the story that goes along with the moves. And just as we also nuance the delivery of our lines so as to add layers of interest in our characters, so must we go far beyond the mere performance of the fight in technical terms. So forget the idea of too fast or too slow. Think instead in terms of clarity, believability of intent, and emotional connection.
There are many instances in which your show will be better off by hiring someone as fight instructor rather than as choreographer. I mentioned before that the fights should be rehearsed as early as possible, but for many shows we have to amend that slightly to make sure that they are rehearsing the right thing.
For many modern shows, I don’t like to stick my nose in too early. I’ve found that as soon as I mention anything to the actors in terms of specific moves, even if only as a suggestion, they immediately latch onto it as though it were scripture. If on the other hand, the actors work their way into the scene and find out where their own impulses take them, the “fights” become more organically tied to the story that they are presenting.
I usually like to step in after the director and actors feel good about the nature of the emotional responses that are drawn out in their playing of the scene. That way I can take their impulses (“now I want to throw him to the ground”), and show them how to do it safely. But if I tell them that someone should be tossed to the ground before they themselves come up with that idea, that moment becomes a technical one for the actors instead of part of their creation. So for at least the first blocking, I prefer to let the actors rush to each other and even gently lay hands on each other, and then grunt or squeal or yell what they want to do. If nothing comes up on the first rehearsal, then maybe they’ll need more time to understand their characters. But I don’t like to have them or the director feel that we need to rush to get the fight blocking down too early. Better to have a brief fight and fully realized characters than a longer fight that is only an interruption of an exciting story.