This page is still under construction.
This page assumes that you are already familiar with the techniques described on the Quarterstaff skills page. Here we are concerned only with recording those movements as choreography.
Fortunately, very little changes from the notation system we have already used for the single sword. The numbers still show the order of the moves, a plus sign still indicates an attack, and a minus sign still indicates a defense. As before, every diagram is written from the actor’s own point of view. The left side of your diagram is always your left, and the right side is always your right.
The quarterstaff diagram
The five-part sword diagram does not give us enough room for the additional lines available to the quarterstaff. Instead, we use a simple nine-part grid.
The upper center space represents a cut to the head, while the lower center space represents an upward scoop, as though to the crotch. The spaces directly to the left and right represent the two flank lines. The four corners represent the four diagonal lines: left and right high, and left and right low. The center space is reserved for actions outside ordinary quarterstaff attacks and defenses, such as a punch, kick, trip, or other payoff move.
For a cut, the position of the number identifies the line of the attack: head, scoop (low), flank, or diagonal (high). For a thrust, it identifies the intended target. The upper corners represent the shoulders, the side spaces represent the flanks, and the lower corners represent the thighs. The center space can be used for a direct body action or for something outside ordinary quarterstaff work, such as a punch, kick, trip, or other payoff move.
As always, these directions are selfish. They describe what you see from where you are standing, not your partner’s anatomical right or left.
Reading the symbols
The notation has been reduced to the minimum needed to record the phrase:
- The number tells you when the action occurs.
- Its position on the grid tells you the line of the action.
- + means that you attack.
- − means that you defend.
Unless otherwise indicated, every attack is assumed to be a cut. Cuts are much more common in quarterstaff choreography, so there is no reason to mark each one individually.
The occasional thrust is marked with a T beside the attacking number. Therefore, +5T means that move five is a thrust. The matching defense is still written simply as −5. A defense against a thrust is performed in the same way as a defense against a cut arriving on that line, so the defender needs no additional letter.
We do not record which hand moves, how the staff is gripped, whether the action is performed in shortform or longform, or what the feet are doing. Those details are learned when the choreography is taught. The purpose of the diagram is to preserve the combat phrase, not every physical detail involved in performing it.
Adding a bind
Occasionally, the staffs remain in contact after an attack and defense and continue directly into a bind. This can be shown with a simple curved arrow immediately after the number. The direction of the arrow shows the direction in which the staffs travel and how far.
A bind does not receive its own number. Because it grows out of the contact created by the preceding attack and defense, it is shown by a curved arrow following that move’s number. Any new attack emerging from the bind receives the next number in the sequence.
Because each diagram is drawn from that actor’s point of view, the two curved arrows will appear to travel in opposite directions. They are nevertheless describing the same physical bind.
A seven-move phrase
Here is a simple seven-move phrase using the notation we have just described:
- A cuts on the right flank line. B defends on the left flank line.
- A cuts on the left high diagonal. B defends on the right high diagonal.
- B cuts to the head. A defends the head.
- B cuts on the right low diagonal. A defends on the left low diagonal.
- A thrusts toward the target on A’s right flank. B defends on the left flank line.
- A cuts on the left low diagonal. B defends on the right low diagonal, and the staffs continue directly into a bind.
- B cuts on the left flank line. A defends on the right flank line.
Written separately, the two actors’ parts look like this:
Actor A
- +1 — right flank cut
- +2 — left high diagonal cut
- −3 — head defense
- −4 — left low diagonal defense
- +5T — thrust to the right flank
- +6 with curved arrow — left low diagonal cut continuing into the bind
- −7 — right flank defense
Actor B
- −1 — left flank defense
- −2 — right high diagonal defense
- +3 — head cut
- +4 — right low diagonal cut
- −5 — left flank defense
- −6 with the corresponding curved arrow — right low diagonal defense continuing into the bind
- +7 — left flank cut
[Illustration: Completed diagrams for Actors A and B, shown side by side.]
The two diagrams describe exactly the same fight, but each is written from the viewpoint of the actor who will use it. Every attack on one diagram has a corresponding defense on the other, and the left and right lines are reversed.
Notation and Sample Phrase
Now that we have established the basic movements of quarterstaff fighting, we need a way to record them. As with sword fighting, a written notation allows us to preserve a choreographed sequence without having to rely entirely upon memory. It also provides a common language for the choreographer and performers, making it easier to rehearse a fight, correct mistakes, or return to a sequence after an extended interruption.
The notation system we use for the quarterstaff follows the same general principles as our single-sword notation, but with a few modifications. Because the staff can attack from either end and presents more lines of attack than the sword, our familiar sword diagram is not quite adequate. Instead, we return to the nine-square grid introduced at the beginning of this chapter.
Reading the Grid
The four corner squares represent the high and low diagonal attacks, while the squares to either side of the center represent the two flank attacks. The upper center square identifies the vertical head cut, and the lower center square identifies the upward crotch cut. The center square is generally reserved for direct body actions, including punches, kicks, trips, and other payoff movements.
Each square identifies a line of attack or defense, not the actual point at which the weapon is intended to make contact. This distinction is particularly important with the quarterstaff, since the apparent target of a cutting attack is ordinarily the center of the defender’s body, while the weapon itself travels safely outside that space.
As with the sword, we use a plus sign (+) to identify an attack and a minus sign (−) to identify a defense. These symbols are followed by the appropriate grid designation and a letter identifying the hand responsible for the action. R indicates the right hand and L the left hand.
The hand designation is especially useful because many quarterstaff movements can be performed from either side. A right-handed flank attack and a left-handed flank attack may present similar pictures to the audience, but they involve different hand movements and may lead naturally into different subsequent actions. Recording the hand allows the performers to reconstruct the mechanics of the choreography rather than merely remembering the general direction of the attack.
Recording Attacks and Defenses
Every exchange has two sides: the action of the aggressor and the corresponding action of the defender. We record these together so that the relationship between them remains clear. An attack in one performer’s notation is accompanied by the appropriate defense in the other’s, allowing both actors to follow the same sequence from their respective points of view.
For an ordinary exchange of cuts and blocks, the notation is quite compact. The attack symbol identifies the line along which the weapon appears to travel, while the defense symbol identifies the corresponding interception. When the same line appears repeatedly, the hand designation helps distinguish the movements and prevents confusion about which end of the staff is being used.
A change from shortform to longform may be indicated separately where necessary, particularly if the grip change is an important part of the choreography. We do not need to record every small adjustment of the hands, however. Once a movement has been established and rehearsed, the notation should provide enough information to recall it without becoming a lengthy description of its mechanics.
The same principle applies to the additional techniques discussed in the previous section. Binds, disarms, trips, and body strikes may require a brief written description when they cannot be represented adequately by the ordinary attack and defense symbols. We should resist the temptation to invent elaborate new notation for every possible movement. A simple, consistent system supplemented by a few explanatory words is generally more useful than one so complicated that the performers must continually consult a reference chart.
A Sample Phrase
The following example demonstrates how the notation can be used to record a short exchange between two performers. Each line represents one movement or coordinated action, with the corresponding entries for the two partners shown side by side.
[Insert the original Side A / Side B notation example here.]
Notice that the two sides describe the same fight from different perspectives. When Side A attacks, Side B records the corresponding defense, and when the initiative changes, their roles reverse. This makes it possible for either performer to study the sequence independently while maintaining a clear understanding of what the partner is doing.
In rehearsal, begin by walking through the notation slowly, establishing the position of the staffs and the distance between the performers at each movement. Once the sequence is familiar, the actors can concentrate upon the rhythm, intention, and dramatic development of the fight rather than trying to remember which attack or defense comes next.
Using Notation in Rehearsal
A fight notation is a record of agreed choreography, not a substitute for rehearsing it. It tells us what the performers are supposed to do, but cannot convey every detail of timing, spacing, or physical intention. Those elements must be established in rehearsal and maintained throughout the production.
For longer fights, it may be helpful to divide the choreography into short phrases, each with a recognizable beginning and ending. This makes the sequence easier to learn and gives the performers convenient points from which to resume rehearsing after a correction or interruption.
Notation is particularly valuable when a fight must be restored after several days without rehearsal, or when a replacement performer must learn an established sequence. By recording both sides of the exchange, we preserve not only the individual movements but also the relationship between the combatants.
The objective is not to turn stage combat into a mathematical exercise. Notation is simply another tool, allowing us to remember the mechanics accurately so that we can devote our attention to the performance. Once the choreography has become secure, the audience should see nothing of the notation, the grid, or the deliberate coordination of the performers. They should see only the fight.
[Video: The complete seven-move phrase, shown in a wide three-quarter view beside the two completed diagrams.]