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STAGECOMBAT: While it has yet to make me as much money as I've invested in it, stage combat (and theater, the two being inextricably combined) is the closest thing I have right now to a career I'm passionate about. It encompasses enough different things that I have no intention of trying to speak for stage combat as a whole, or claim to know everything that's out there, but let me offer a brief introduction and a few links. Stage combat, for those who haven't thought about it before, is the creation of the illusion of violence, for stage or screen. This can take many forms, from swordplay to explosions (in film work it is considered a form of stuntwork most of the time), from dance or symbolic combat to ultra-realism. Stage fights can includes firearms (or imitations thereof), fisticuffs, sticks and stones (and whips and other toys), Eastern and Western martial arts of all kinds and periods, domestic abuse, slapstick, and generally any physical action potentially dangerous to the untrained or unchoreographed actor. It is not fencing, it is not a martial art, and it should not be something just improvised or thrown together haphazardly. I have a dream, brothers and sisters, that some day, ah say some day, directors and actors all over will come to understand this. The foremost stage (by which I mean theater, in this case) combat organization in the US is the Society of American Fight Directors. Their instructors can be found in Universities and art schools across the nation, as well as in and behind the scenes of theater productions of all types. They offer certification in 8 weapons categories (I am currently certified in 7) and at several levels (I'm currently recognized as "Advanced Actor/Combatant"). The basic SAFD system is, in my mind, best used as a filter or paradigm through which to adapt more authentic martial arts (or more creative theater styles, if realism isn't your goal)- not the end-all be-all goal of stage combat, but it gives you a good grounding in safe, effective technique. Many SAFD certified teachers have also studied historical or modern martial arts of various types, but due to the time constraints and nature of the certification tests, not much of that will come out in a basic certification class. The SAFD also hosts several workshops every year. Many people claim to have SAFD training, and do, but may just have had a basic course 10 years ago in college, and claiming such does not mean you are qualified to choreograph or direct fights. This has come up enough in conversation and in my work as an actor/fight choreographer that I thought it worth mentioning here. There are also many local organizations that have their own fight groups, and a number of schools in California that offer more film-based teaching (SAFD isn't really recognized in the film world). There's also an International Stunt School here in Seattle twice each Summer, run by one of the founders of both the SAFD and the United Stuntman's Association… as well as one of the heads of the International Order of the Sword and Pen. The IOSP is another type of organization that can provide training. They do not offer any certification, as their goal is just the exchange of knowledge, and they try to avoid the politics of certification and competition. I attended my fourth Paddy Crean workshop with them in Banff, Canada in January 03, this one focusing more on film work. Previous workshops have focused more on stage work, but also done a great job at integrating stage combatants, historical martial artists, modern martial artists, theater voice/movement professionals, and scholars. For those interested in adding a bit of historical accuracy to their stage combat, or studying historical swordplay or martial arts as a separate discipline, this is a great time to be alive. The internet has provided for the distribution of period historical fight manuals which would previously have been very difficult to get ahold of, many books with text and/or interpretation of historical manuals are being published, study groups are popping up all over, and sword makers are beginning to produce swords meant for use and not just decoration. I'd be happy to chat with anybody about this- it's something I enjoy geeking about- either via email or on one of the online forums (check out the links). |