Not that I want to be seen as a shill for the movie industry, but this seemed like a good place that on December 10 the new film "The Fighter" will be debuting in theaters. The film stars a couple of my favorite film actors (Mark Walberg, Christian Bale) and is directed by David O. Russel, who I will forever remember as the man who gave us "Three Kings" and "I Heart Huckabees."
I haven't seen the film yet, but the critical buzz has been almost overwhelmingly positive. I thought I'd mention it because for better or worse, "The Fighter" will soon be joining the ranks of that many, many, many films about guys who make their living in the ring.
Movies about boxers are an interesting lot. Inevitably tales about down-and-out underdogs ("Rocky," "Million Dollar Baby," "Cinderella Man"), often poor or the children or recent immigrants, who use their pugilistic skills to carve out a bit of the American dream, or at least a little dignity.
In any case, I thought I'd list out some of the best boxing films out there before folks check out "The Fighter."
"Rocky" (1976). A film that needs no introduction. Written and starring Sylvester Stallone before he became an over-exposed action movie has-been (Okay, I'm looking forward to "The Expendables" too, I confess) and director by John G. Avildsen. This Oscar winner introduced audiences to Rocky Balboa, a struggling boxer from South Philly who gets his chance to go the distance, and wins the girl (Talia Shire) to boot. Skip the sequels (except for 2006's "Rocky Balboa").
"Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956). Boxing aside, this one is a must-see for film buffs. Directed by Robert Wise and starring Paul Newman in one of his best roles as real-life boxer Rocky Graziano. The film is also notable for some virtuoso camerawork in the boxing scenes; really impressive for the time.
"Raging Bull" (1980). Some sports movies are those quintessential triumphs of the human spirit, uplifting tales that leave you smiling and feeling better about yourself. This is NOT that movie. Martin Scorsese directed this black and white dramatization of the life of heavyweight champ Jake LaMotta as a meditation on human brutality and male insecurities, pretty vividly brought to life by Robert DeNiro in the lead role. Probably features one of the least likable onscreen fighters you're ever going to see, but a pretty fascinating account of human behavior, in and outside of the ring.
"Million Dollar Baby" (2004). Here's my take. I think the film is waayy overrated, Clint Eastwood's spare direction is serviceable but uninspired and his self-directed performance is as one-note as all his others. Yet, the movie had me crying my eyes out at the end when I saw it. Some folks have told me that "Girlfight" (2000) is a much better drama set in the world of female boxing, but MDB is still solid drama, making you root for Hillary Swank's desperate, struggling boxer.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Shout Out Saturday!
I would like to say a big thank you to all who came to our most recent jam (Kicking and Screaming with the Alexander Technique). I learned a lot and had a blast while doing so.
Soooooo with all the family hub-bub this week, I haven't had time for a proper post. For the time being, I just want to wish you all a belated Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you find uses for all those leftovers.
I wish you all full bellies and safe travels.
-Tiny
Soooooo with all the family hub-bub this week, I haven't had time for a proper post. For the time being, I just want to wish you all a belated Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you find uses for all those leftovers.
I wish you all full bellies and safe travels.
-Tiny
Monday, November 22, 2010
Martial Arts/Movie Monday: Xiao Xiao
Finding myself pressed for time on this Monday's blog, I hit upon the simplest idea I could think of for a post: a link.
This link in particular will lead you to Xiao Xiao, the work of a Chinese programmer/creator who a couple of years ago place a series of stick figure martial arts animation pieces on the internet.
They are extremely simple, but very creative. I recommend you check them out for their variety of form and movement, here: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/42801
Dwight
This link in particular will lead you to Xiao Xiao, the work of a Chinese programmer/creator who a couple of years ago place a series of stick figure martial arts animation pieces on the internet.
They are extremely simple, but very creative. I recommend you check them out for their variety of form and movement, here: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/42801
Dwight
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Think Tank Thursday
Desensitization
There is a very well researched and constructed argument that violence in movies and video games desensitizes children (and adults) and leads to more violence/aggression.
There is no way to argue that violence on stage or television/film and video games does not have an effect. Our goal in any entertainment medium is to get a response, to arouse our audience. Just because the result can negative does not mean we can write off the natural process of habituation.
What can be argued is the effect is. In my opinion, audiences in general are being desensitized to fake violence.
A vast majority of what is shown does not display combat or death in a realistic way. Pleading is often absent, bone chilling screams of pain or fear are often left out, blood is usually absent or unrealistic, and most important, the consequences of committing the acts of violence are often glossed over or entirely left out. When extremely realistic violence is portrayed, the movies are most often given an R rating or higher.
On stage we do not portray violence to its realest element specifically because it will make the audience uncomfortable. An uncomfortable audience can't focus on anything other than alleviating their discomfort (some will close their eyes, clench their teeth, focus on breathing, think of something else, etc.), which means they are not seeing the story progress. For almost all instances of violence in the entertainment industry, violence is supposed to support and enhance the story.
We have the luxury as choreographers to choose which movements are used based off of what they mean at the time. We examine, alter, and enhance the reactions in the body and vocals to each moment. We dice up the script and insert dialogue in between punches or kicks to the face.
Think of the last real fight you saw. Do you remember them being able to make witty, intelligent remarks?
Most of the time clear speech in the midst of a flight of fight physiological response is impossible. When the adrenaline kicks in and the heart rate skyrockets past 175bpm the body's fine motor skills are all but gone. Speech is a fine motor skill. All your blood is moved to your core and major muscles to facilitate survival. Diplomacy has failed, so your brain scraps energy to the language muscles and areas in favor of its defense systems. At most, you will get extremely high or low pitched grunts or mono syllabic responses. You can be trained to override this response, but it is not automatic and you have to endure high stress simulations to become desensitized.
Vocals are just one example of the vast departure from reality that choreographed violence entails. Body reactions are enhanced; blood, sweat, tears, spit, and all other nasty bodily functions are usually non existent; noise and energy from bystanders is a pale facsimile.
The kids we have to be worried about are the ones who fill their time and are fascinated with realistic, gory, violence in their entertainment. On top of that, they are even more of a concern if they are bullied and see real violence on a regular basis. In these cases, they are being desensitized to real violence. In this area the responsibility belongs to the parents. If you don't notice your child watching overly violent material all the time, or witnessing violence in the school or neighborhood, that is a huge problem. Even adults need help in those circumstances.
We are not off the hook as entertainers or choreographers, however.
Some argue that more realism is needed to keep the audience entertained and engaged because they are getting bored. Chasing a new convention for the sake of its newness makes it quickly go from novel to gimmicky. Audiences get bored with action when its just there for its own sake. High flying wire fights were interesting in the beginning not just because they were dynamic but because they also fit into the story of the movies at the time. When people started flying about for no justifiable reason, or just for the effect, the novelty wore off.
While my argument is brief and overly simplified in the context of how complex this issue is, I firmly believe that as long as we remember that the main point of our jobs as actors, directors, stunt performers, choreographers, etc, is storytelling, then no matter how real the violence looks or doesn't look, the message that comes through will take focus and help to improve society. Staying focused on the story makes everything else fall into place, its what we are paid to do.
Greg
There is a very well researched and constructed argument that violence in movies and video games desensitizes children (and adults) and leads to more violence/aggression.
There is no way to argue that violence on stage or television/film and video games does not have an effect. Our goal in any entertainment medium is to get a response, to arouse our audience. Just because the result can negative does not mean we can write off the natural process of habituation.
What can be argued is the effect is. In my opinion, audiences in general are being desensitized to fake violence.
A vast majority of what is shown does not display combat or death in a realistic way. Pleading is often absent, bone chilling screams of pain or fear are often left out, blood is usually absent or unrealistic, and most important, the consequences of committing the acts of violence are often glossed over or entirely left out. When extremely realistic violence is portrayed, the movies are most often given an R rating or higher.
On stage we do not portray violence to its realest element specifically because it will make the audience uncomfortable. An uncomfortable audience can't focus on anything other than alleviating their discomfort (some will close their eyes, clench their teeth, focus on breathing, think of something else, etc.), which means they are not seeing the story progress. For almost all instances of violence in the entertainment industry, violence is supposed to support and enhance the story.
We have the luxury as choreographers to choose which movements are used based off of what they mean at the time. We examine, alter, and enhance the reactions in the body and vocals to each moment. We dice up the script and insert dialogue in between punches or kicks to the face.
Think of the last real fight you saw. Do you remember them being able to make witty, intelligent remarks?
Most of the time clear speech in the midst of a flight of fight physiological response is impossible. When the adrenaline kicks in and the heart rate skyrockets past 175bpm the body's fine motor skills are all but gone. Speech is a fine motor skill. All your blood is moved to your core and major muscles to facilitate survival. Diplomacy has failed, so your brain scraps energy to the language muscles and areas in favor of its defense systems. At most, you will get extremely high or low pitched grunts or mono syllabic responses. You can be trained to override this response, but it is not automatic and you have to endure high stress simulations to become desensitized.
Vocals are just one example of the vast departure from reality that choreographed violence entails. Body reactions are enhanced; blood, sweat, tears, spit, and all other nasty bodily functions are usually non existent; noise and energy from bystanders is a pale facsimile.
The kids we have to be worried about are the ones who fill their time and are fascinated with realistic, gory, violence in their entertainment. On top of that, they are even more of a concern if they are bullied and see real violence on a regular basis. In these cases, they are being desensitized to real violence. In this area the responsibility belongs to the parents. If you don't notice your child watching overly violent material all the time, or witnessing violence in the school or neighborhood, that is a huge problem. Even adults need help in those circumstances.
We are not off the hook as entertainers or choreographers, however.
Some argue that more realism is needed to keep the audience entertained and engaged because they are getting bored. Chasing a new convention for the sake of its newness makes it quickly go from novel to gimmicky. Audiences get bored with action when its just there for its own sake. High flying wire fights were interesting in the beginning not just because they were dynamic but because they also fit into the story of the movies at the time. When people started flying about for no justifiable reason, or just for the effect, the novelty wore off.
While my argument is brief and overly simplified in the context of how complex this issue is, I firmly believe that as long as we remember that the main point of our jobs as actors, directors, stunt performers, choreographers, etc, is storytelling, then no matter how real the violence looks or doesn't look, the message that comes through will take focus and help to improve society. Staying focused on the story makes everything else fall into place, its what we are paid to do.
Greg
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tech Tuesday
Motorcycle gloves.
Gloves are an important tool in our stage fighting kit. They keep our hands protected from an errant strike, improve grip when we are sweaty, and keep our body oils off the steel (our body oil accelerates rust).
The motorcycle gloves in the above picture are great for rehearsal, class, or training. The index and middle fingers are mesh to allow your hand to breathe. The palm is a durable leather, with a strong nylon mix for the rest of the fingers.
The added bonus is padding along the palm, knuckles, and tops of the fingers. This gives extra protection for the moments in rehearsal when a sword finds its way past your hilt.
These gloves are designed to protect your hands in the event of a motorcycle crash. This means they have the strength to endure many types of stunts as well. Coming In at between $20-50 a pair they are a pretty safe investment.
Greg
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Shout Out Saturday!
Funny story about this next shout out: Ryan and I had just gone on a tour of Half Acre Brewery (by the way, check them out too!), when we decided to grab some all-important coffee before continuing on our day. While waiting for coffee, I noticed a familiar looking flyer, upon further inspection I learned that it was for Stalk *and* that a former college classmate of mine wrote the thing. I also remembered that I’ve had a Facebook invite for the event on my page for ages and that I should probably start checking the events more. Anyway, here are the details for Stalk, I haven’t seen it yet, but there are some mighty talented people involved.
Thursday, October 28 at 7:30pm - November 28 at 4:30pm
Thursdays-Saturdays: 7:30pm. Sundays: 3:00pm
Tickets: $25 Adults; $15 for People Under 25 yrs or over 65 yrs.
La Costa Theater: 3931 North Elston
If you’re looking for some laughs, head to ComedySportz Chicago and check out the comedy styling’s of Octavarius: So Nefarious. This week’s show is bathroom themed, so if you wear a robe you get a $3 ticket discount (regular price, $10).
Sunday November 14th at 7pm
ComedySportz
929 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL
Also, this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2PM0om2El8
Friday, November 12, 2010
Fun Fact Friday
Walking the walk.
All of us have at some point struggled with the concepts of advancing, retreating, passing forward or back, and many other footwork gems. As frustrating as these movements can be, if you look at how complex something like walking is, you may be a bit more forgiving of yourself.
We take walking for granted. After all, its something we learn to do as toddlers. We also do it every day in varying amounts. Each time we decide on moving ourselves through space we engage in our own personal fight with gravity. Gravity loves nothing more than seeing us flat on our face, its a punk like that.
During this ongoing battle, our brain is firing commands to our feet to prepare to roll from heel to the ball absorbing shock and providing propulsion; our calves for shock absorption and push; ankles for support; knees for support and range of motion; thighs and hamstrings, for motion of the leg forward and back; hips for range of motion; torso for stability; head and neck for guidance; eyes for direction; and inner ears for balance.
That is just the bare basics of the mechanics! The brain also manages heart rate, breathing, blood flow, energy production and distribution, sensory awareness (surrounding smells, sounds, tastes, touches, sights), and we still maintain conscious thought (even if its day dreaming). Fortunately we do this automatically. If we had to think about all those processes we would either fall or look like stop motion automatons.
So, be easy on yourself. The physics and mental acrobatics involved with walking are overwhelming as it is. Trying to think, advance, and not kill your partner takes a long time to mesh together. As long as you cover the killing the partner part, time and practice will cover the rest.
Greg
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Think Tank Thursday
Smell
Not the B.O. kind, but targeted, specific, story telling smells.
The sense of smell is the strongest trigger of memories. This is partly because the Olfactory bulb plugs directly into the amygdale, the walnut shaped structure that acts as the brain's "watchdog." The amygdale is on the lookout for any sensory information that would signify a threat or advantage. When the amygdale is activated or excited it takes the sensation that triggered it and quickly looks for basic matches in the memory banks for explanations. Once a basic match is found, the amygdale triggers the hypothalamus which influence our autonomic nervous system and readies us for appropriate action.
For example, when you are walking outside any you catch a smell of something burning, your amygdale is quickly activated to bring up matches to that particular smell. Is it a safe, campfire burning? Is it a barbecue? Is it thick and acrid? etc. Once the similar memory is brought up you have a basis to determine whether you are in danger or not. The memory also serves as a template for appropriate action. A good memory of a campfire does not involve fleeing for your life. A bad memory of a campfire might.
For as little credit as we give our sense of smell, it is a pretty amazing gift. If we were to sit at the highest seat in a football stadium, we would be able to detect on drop of a scent released at the middle of the 50 yard line!
We can also distinguish multiple variations of the same scent, combinations of scents, intensity, and many other differences. This leads to a multitude of different memories that can be tied and triggered from a large variance of smells.
For violence and theatre in general, well placed scents can trigger memories in the audience that may be in the same vein as the story being told. Triggered memories carry their emotions to the surface with them. This primed, or in some cases instigates, a reaction from the audience. Because what they are viewing takes primary focus, the audience will most often feel that the scene is the cause of their feelings.
A fight may have the smell of gunpowder, sweat, or even the "sweet" smell of death.
Care should be taken, however, to not overuse this convention. Not only can it get overwhelming and tiresome, the audience will eventually catch on and grow to resent it. Care should also be taken with constructing the scents, an allergic reaction mid show would not be the reaction you are looking for.
Greg
Monday, November 8, 2010
Martial Arts/Movie Monday: Et tu Wire-Fu?
It recently occurred to me that we're seeing a lot less wire-fu at the movies these days. By wire-fu, I'm talking about the convention of amplifying martial arts choreography by elevating the actors and stuntpeople on wires, a convention imported from Hong Kong. For a while wire-fu was all over the place, starting with "The Matrix" (1999) in which the Wachowski Brothers brought in legendary Hong Kong fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping to give their film stylized anime-style flights of fancy (Although John Carpenter was actually the first to employ it Stateside in "Big Trouble in Little China" (1986)). After that came director Ang Lee's mega-blockbuster "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000), which although actually a Taiwanese film made in China, conquered American cineplexes like no foreign language film before it.
The convention has been around since the early days of the kung-fu film industry, employed primarily in the wuxia genre. Wuxia usually refers to a kung-fu subgenre involving periodic settings, lots of swordplay and tales of chivalry. Chinese director King Hu made a big international splash with several Mandarin-language Wuxia films back in the 60s, including "Come Drink With Me" (1966), "Golden Swallow" (1968) and "A Touch of Zen" (1969). If you take a look at these old films, you will see all the same tricks of the trade used today: actors lifted on wires (or sometimes jumping off trampolines), gravity-defying fight scenes with combatants suspended indefinitely in the air, impossibly manipulations of weapons and bodies that could only exist in the imagination of the choreographer.
Clip from "A Touch of Zen": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W66deTvYq6c
Interestingly, King Hu's star was Cheng Pei Pei, who a generation later played the villain in "Crouching Tiger."
For some folks, wire-fu looks pretty silly, but its origins lie deep in Chinese culture. In old martial arts legends, fighters were able to develop skills far greater than merely high kicks and one-inch punches. They could fly, leap vast distances in the single bound and climb walls. In which sense, the idea is not as far-fetched as Hercules' feats of strength. According to some tales, study of the martial arts might even involve Chinese mysticism and mastery of magic spells, allowing warriors to project energy form their swords and death rays from their hands. One of my favorite Hong Kong films is "A Chinese Ghost Story" (1987) and its sequels which gives you a good idea of the sorts of stories that might have permeated old Chinese hearths before bedtime.
Clip from "A Chinese Ghost Story III": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyDhOIzczoU&feature=related
These ideas made their way from legends to literature, to Chinese theater, into comic books and eventually into the movies. Interestingly, even though they had roots in fantasy or the supernatural, many non-fantasy Chinese films have employed wire-fu, even ones with urban contemporary settings (Although I sometimes find this a bit distracting).
For a little while between the late 90s and early noughts, it was wires, wires everywhere. The X-Men dangled in mid-air while fighting, as did Spiderman, Daredevil and dozens of other superheroes. Charlie's Angels also engaged in plenty of airborne combat, and of course there was Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films.
But somewhere along the way, it started to slowly fade away. Maybe it's not surprising. While a mainstay of Chinese filmaking, wire work was probably just a new fad to Hollywood, and filmmakers quickly tired of it (though it still reappears occasionally, such as in this year's "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.").
There was also the inevitable backlash. Director Christopher Nolan has pretty much come out against it (though, not directly, in his polite, British manner) mentioning on the "Batman Begins" DVD how much he felt the Chinese style of film fighting had made violence too dancelike, and thus robbing it of its threat. Going back in time, Bruce Lee himself was none too fond of outlandish fantasy-style fighting, feeling that it was too ridiculous and promoted all the wrong ideas of real martial arts.
In any case, wire-fu had its day in the U.S., for better or for worse. It might not be your cup of tea, but I highly recommend that anyone who is into the art and science of film fighting try keeping an open mind, sitting down, and catching a few classic Hong Kong films on DVD. In any case, try to appreciate the planning, artistry and athleticism involved.
Plus, sometimes I just can't figure out where the hell they hung those wires. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeXbrovKYb4)
Dwight
The convention has been around since the early days of the kung-fu film industry, employed primarily in the wuxia genre. Wuxia usually refers to a kung-fu subgenre involving periodic settings, lots of swordplay and tales of chivalry. Chinese director King Hu made a big international splash with several Mandarin-language Wuxia films back in the 60s, including "Come Drink With Me" (1966), "Golden Swallow" (1968) and "A Touch of Zen" (1969). If you take a look at these old films, you will see all the same tricks of the trade used today: actors lifted on wires (or sometimes jumping off trampolines), gravity-defying fight scenes with combatants suspended indefinitely in the air, impossibly manipulations of weapons and bodies that could only exist in the imagination of the choreographer.
Clip from "A Touch of Zen": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W66deTvYq6c
Interestingly, King Hu's star was Cheng Pei Pei, who a generation later played the villain in "Crouching Tiger."
For some folks, wire-fu looks pretty silly, but its origins lie deep in Chinese culture. In old martial arts legends, fighters were able to develop skills far greater than merely high kicks and one-inch punches. They could fly, leap vast distances in the single bound and climb walls. In which sense, the idea is not as far-fetched as Hercules' feats of strength. According to some tales, study of the martial arts might even involve Chinese mysticism and mastery of magic spells, allowing warriors to project energy form their swords and death rays from their hands. One of my favorite Hong Kong films is "A Chinese Ghost Story" (1987) and its sequels which gives you a good idea of the sorts of stories that might have permeated old Chinese hearths before bedtime.
Clip from "A Chinese Ghost Story III": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyDhOIzczoU&feature=related
These ideas made their way from legends to literature, to Chinese theater, into comic books and eventually into the movies. Interestingly, even though they had roots in fantasy or the supernatural, many non-fantasy Chinese films have employed wire-fu, even ones with urban contemporary settings (Although I sometimes find this a bit distracting).
For a little while between the late 90s and early noughts, it was wires, wires everywhere. The X-Men dangled in mid-air while fighting, as did Spiderman, Daredevil and dozens of other superheroes. Charlie's Angels also engaged in plenty of airborne combat, and of course there was Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films.
But somewhere along the way, it started to slowly fade away. Maybe it's not surprising. While a mainstay of Chinese filmaking, wire work was probably just a new fad to Hollywood, and filmmakers quickly tired of it (though it still reappears occasionally, such as in this year's "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.").
There was also the inevitable backlash. Director Christopher Nolan has pretty much come out against it (though, not directly, in his polite, British manner) mentioning on the "Batman Begins" DVD how much he felt the Chinese style of film fighting had made violence too dancelike, and thus robbing it of its threat. Going back in time, Bruce Lee himself was none too fond of outlandish fantasy-style fighting, feeling that it was too ridiculous and promoted all the wrong ideas of real martial arts.
In any case, wire-fu had its day in the U.S., for better or for worse. It might not be your cup of tea, but I highly recommend that anyone who is into the art and science of film fighting try keeping an open mind, sitting down, and catching a few classic Hong Kong films on DVD. In any case, try to appreciate the planning, artistry and athleticism involved.
Plus, sometimes I just can't figure out where the hell they hung those wires. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeXbrovKYb4)
Dwight
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Sunday Special – SAFD Ex-Pat meets the BASSC
‘Ello my lovelies.
For those of you who are unawares this Scrapper is currently in the Motherland (England) getting his masters degree. While here I knew I was going to have to keep up my stage combat training as well as get to know a sister organization of the SAFD in the BASSC (that’s British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat).
I popped down to Foggy London Town for the weekend and attended The Lion weekend workshop and had a blast. First thing you need to know about this workshop is that it is much smaller than the typical SAFD regional workshop. Winter Wonderland it ain’t (but then again what can really compare to Wonderland?). There were at most 14 students attending this workshop. What that meant was that we took all the classes together. Everyone worked with everyone no matter what skill level making those advanced students go back to the basics and stretching the beginning students in areas that they normally would not have felt comfortable.
The theme for this year’s Lion was East vs. West. All classes looked at various weapons and fight styles from either Western culture perspective or Eastern. The first day was the best example of this.
The two morning sessions, taught by Jonathan Leverett, looked at basic techniques of the Broadsword and Quarterstaff. Nothing too new or shocking here as he taught similar methods and styles found in most SAFD basic Broadsword and Quarterstaff classes. It was good though to go back and work on those basic techniques that sometimes regress after years of training. Jonathan also had what had to be my favorite quote of the workshop – “Fighting doesn’t determine who is right, only who is left.” Let that one sink in.
What was great though was how they built on the theme of East vs. West in the second part of the day. Led by Marlon Bulger and Ronin Traynor (who was also the coordinator for the workshop) we first did some work with the Bokken, a wooden samurai sword, highlighting the differences between it and the western style broadsword. The last class was brilliant as I got to work in a weapon that I had never had before – Naganita. The Naganita is the Japanese version of a pole arm, but basically it is a Quarterstaff with a Samurai Sword attached at the end. Lots of fun. We finished the day by doing a little piece of choreography of Bokken vs. Naganita. Much fun.
While that first day was brilliant the second day absolutely topped it.
First class in the morning was Victorian Walking Stick/Cane led by Rob Leonard. Rob clearly has an affinity and love for this weapon. Using it much like a modified Single Sword, only with no edge, he introduced us to the versatility of the weapon. He said he’s hoping to teach a weekend workshop just on Victorian Cane, that should be fun.
We then transitioned into more eastern styles with Bret Yount and Philip d’Orleans teaching a Numerado (Stick and Knife) Kata in a Kali/Escrima style. This was great, probably because I love Kali and stick fighting. After it I had a conversation with a younger actor combatant who felt very uncomfortable with this because it was more martial arts than stage combat. While that may be I liked the fact that any workshop on Stage Combat would focus just as much on the combat side as the stage/theatrical side.
This continued after lunch with the class that definitely was the most fun of the workshop – Tameshiwara… or as I like to call it, Breaking Shit. This was led by Sam Kahn who has a very strong martial arts/karate background. He first show us a series of strikes and punches and then brought out rebreakable boards for us to punch through. Oh man, if you ever need to take out some aggression you should definitely invest in some of these. Basically they are a slightly curved board with a (somewhat) padded target. If you strike the target correctly the board breaks into two pieces that you can then fix back together and give it another go. By the end of the class I had punched, karate chopped, backhanded, kicked, head butted and broken through multiple boards. So much fun.
Finally the workshop ended with Sam Kahn leading a choreography class using the Bokken and multiple attackers, nothing new but fighting is fighting and it was great.
Like all workshops it concluded at the local pub for a pint and great conversations. Much thanks to Ronin, Jonathan, Marlon, Bret, Philip, Sam, and Roger Bartlett (who didn’t teach but is coming to Wonderland this year) for making this SAFDer feel at home in his current country.
For those of you who are unawares this Scrapper is currently in the Motherland (England) getting his masters degree. While here I knew I was going to have to keep up my stage combat training as well as get to know a sister organization of the SAFD in the BASSC (that’s British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat).
I popped down to Foggy London Town for the weekend and attended The Lion weekend workshop and had a blast. First thing you need to know about this workshop is that it is much smaller than the typical SAFD regional workshop. Winter Wonderland it ain’t (but then again what can really compare to Wonderland?). There were at most 14 students attending this workshop. What that meant was that we took all the classes together. Everyone worked with everyone no matter what skill level making those advanced students go back to the basics and stretching the beginning students in areas that they normally would not have felt comfortable.
The theme for this year’s Lion was East vs. West. All classes looked at various weapons and fight styles from either Western culture perspective or Eastern. The first day was the best example of this.
The two morning sessions, taught by Jonathan Leverett, looked at basic techniques of the Broadsword and Quarterstaff. Nothing too new or shocking here as he taught similar methods and styles found in most SAFD basic Broadsword and Quarterstaff classes. It was good though to go back and work on those basic techniques that sometimes regress after years of training. Jonathan also had what had to be my favorite quote of the workshop – “Fighting doesn’t determine who is right, only who is left.” Let that one sink in.
What was great though was how they built on the theme of East vs. West in the second part of the day. Led by Marlon Bulger and Ronin Traynor (who was also the coordinator for the workshop) we first did some work with the Bokken, a wooden samurai sword, highlighting the differences between it and the western style broadsword. The last class was brilliant as I got to work in a weapon that I had never had before – Naganita. The Naganita is the Japanese version of a pole arm, but basically it is a Quarterstaff with a Samurai Sword attached at the end. Lots of fun. We finished the day by doing a little piece of choreography of Bokken vs. Naganita. Much fun.
While that first day was brilliant the second day absolutely topped it.
First class in the morning was Victorian Walking Stick/Cane led by Rob Leonard. Rob clearly has an affinity and love for this weapon. Using it much like a modified Single Sword, only with no edge, he introduced us to the versatility of the weapon. He said he’s hoping to teach a weekend workshop just on Victorian Cane, that should be fun.
We then transitioned into more eastern styles with Bret Yount and Philip d’Orleans teaching a Numerado (Stick and Knife) Kata in a Kali/Escrima style. This was great, probably because I love Kali and stick fighting. After it I had a conversation with a younger actor combatant who felt very uncomfortable with this because it was more martial arts than stage combat. While that may be I liked the fact that any workshop on Stage Combat would focus just as much on the combat side as the stage/theatrical side.
This continued after lunch with the class that definitely was the most fun of the workshop – Tameshiwara… or as I like to call it, Breaking Shit. This was led by Sam Kahn who has a very strong martial arts/karate background. He first show us a series of strikes and punches and then brought out rebreakable boards for us to punch through. Oh man, if you ever need to take out some aggression you should definitely invest in some of these. Basically they are a slightly curved board with a (somewhat) padded target. If you strike the target correctly the board breaks into two pieces that you can then fix back together and give it another go. By the end of the class I had punched, karate chopped, backhanded, kicked, head butted and broken through multiple boards. So much fun.
Finally the workshop ended with Sam Kahn leading a choreography class using the Bokken and multiple attackers, nothing new but fighting is fighting and it was great.
Like all workshops it concluded at the local pub for a pint and great conversations. Much thanks to Ronin, Jonathan, Marlon, Bret, Philip, Sam, and Roger Bartlett (who didn’t teach but is coming to Wonderland this year) for making this SAFDer feel at home in his current country.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Think Tank Thursday
Cognitive schema.
A schema is a set of rules or conditions in which a situation typically follows. For example, when you enter a restaurant you naturally are greeted by a host, shown to your table, and are introduced to your server.
Those actions are part of the restaurant schema.
Everyone automatically understands and creates different schema for different situations. This ability frees up processing space by allowing our minds to autopilot through what is expected. When something violates these set expectations our attention is grabbed and we have a reaction ( if you are seated by the host and no server arrives you may get upset and walk out. Or if they arrive quicker than expected you may feel happy and at ease).
Violent situations are filled with schema that are universally understood by audiences. When two people puff up their chests and start talking heatedly at each other, we expect some sort of altercation. What the audience knows of the outcome or how attached they are to the characters will determine if the audience is relieved when the fight is prevented or happy when the violence starts (or disappointed and angry respectively).
The schema can also represent stereotypes. Men vs. Women. Tall vs. Short. Big vs. Small, etc. Although these do exist across a wide range of audiences, these stereotypes are often the easiest to violate or fulfill and garner a reaction from the audience.
A fight between a dangerous, strong man and a small, woman can get a positive reaction by violating the expectation that she will lose.
This concept is something you may have already known and many of us have used long before science caught up.
The point now is that science has caught up. There is a language now for what used to be anecdotal. In a funny way, there is a schematic for dealing with schema.
Taking the time to explore the rules of the violence onstage will allow you as a fighter or choreographer to more effectively tell the fight story and elicit a reaction from the paying customers.
Greg
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Weapons Wednesday - Ancient Greeks
Hey everybody! Sorry about the lack of weapon wednesday posts. I'm currently in tech rehearsals for AJAX (by the ancient greek playwright - Sophocles). Nonetheless I figured I could share with you guys some of the weaponry and battle styles we've been drowning in over the last few weeks.
The Spear
A Greek infantryman’s main battle weapon was the spear, or doru. Measuring around 2.7m (8.8ft) in length, it would have been held in one hand, while the shield (aspis) was grasped in the other. The spearhead was leaf-shaped, socketed and made of iron. At the butt of the shaft was a sharp bronze spike, or sauroter (“lizard killer”), which could be thrust into the ground for added stability. In extremis, when the spearhead was broken, the sharp spike could be flipped around and used as a weapon of last resort.
ABOVE: Mosaic showing Alexander the Great, leader of the Macedonians, hunting a lion with a doru (spear) in the 3rd century BC.
The Phalanx - Ancient Armored Fist
ABOVE: A frieze from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, c.35OBc, depicting a mythical battle between the Greeks and the Amazons.
There has been much debate as to how the spear was used while in the phalanx: was it held aloft or under the arm? Some authorities believe that it had to be held aloft, as it would have been impractical for a hoplite to hold his spear underarm, in case the sharp butt spike injured the man behind him. The use of the sword by the hoplites in the phalanx would have been regarded as a highly dangerous manoeuvre, because it necessitated breaking up the shape and, consequently, the defensive cohesion of the phalanx.
The Sword
The main battle sword of the ancient Greek military was the xiphos. Introduced around 800—400Bc, itcomprised a straight, double-edged, leaf-shaped blade of around 65cm (25.6in), and was particularly effective at slashing and stabbing. The Spartans carried a slightly shorter sword of the same design as the xiphos. This design probably influenced the later Roman gladius, or short sword.
Mounted Greek cavalry used a curved sword, or makhaira (meaning “to fight”). It had a large, slightly curved falchion-type blade and was designed to deliver a heavy slashing blow at speed.
The use of a curved blade for mounted horsemen would remain a constant feature of cavalry swords for the next 2,500 years.
ABOVE: A stone depiction of Greek hoplites standing in phalanx formation, from c.400BC.
(Material borrowed from http://www.weapons-universe.com/Swords/Ancient_Greek_Weapons.shtml)
Show opens next friday, so next week we'll return to a more regular (and thought out) post. :-)
Stay Kosher!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Movie/Martial Arts Monday: ChenZhen
Not too long ago I posted about my favorite Jet Li movie, 1994's Fist of Legend directed by Gordon Chan. That film featured Li in the role that Bruce Lee made famous in Fist of Fury (1972), playing Chen Zhen, a fictional student of real-life teacher Huo Yuan-Jia.
Those familiar with Legend (SPOILERS ALERT) may remember that the film ended with our hero faking his death to appease the Japanese and British colonial powers, and then sneaking out of Shanghai to continue fighting the Japanese throughout pre-World War II China.
Well, I just found out that a sequel of sorts has been released in Hong Kong titled Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.
The project sounds very promising. Although no one from the original film is involved (Director Chan is merely screenwriting, handing the reigns over to Wai-Keung Lau), the film does feature the talents of Donnie Yen. Yen is one of the leading martial arts film stars in Asia today, having scored a number of big international hits with Sha Po Lang/Kill Zone (2005) and Ip Man (2008). Like the original Fist of Legend, the film appears to be both a wall-to-wall action fest and a very loving tribute to the memory of Bruce Lee. As the story continues, Chen Zhen is continuing his crusade to free China from imperial powers, this time adopting a very-Kato-ish (as in Green Hornet) disguise.
An international trailer is now available online. Check it out. Also look up some of Yen's past work to get a look at a true expert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO56WBQ3e50
Those familiar with Legend (SPOILERS ALERT) may remember that the film ended with our hero faking his death to appease the Japanese and British colonial powers, and then sneaking out of Shanghai to continue fighting the Japanese throughout pre-World War II China.
Well, I just found out that a sequel of sorts has been released in Hong Kong titled Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.
The project sounds very promising. Although no one from the original film is involved (Director Chan is merely screenwriting, handing the reigns over to Wai-Keung Lau), the film does feature the talents of Donnie Yen. Yen is one of the leading martial arts film stars in Asia today, having scored a number of big international hits with Sha Po Lang/Kill Zone (2005) and Ip Man (2008). Like the original Fist of Legend, the film appears to be both a wall-to-wall action fest and a very loving tribute to the memory of Bruce Lee. As the story continues, Chen Zhen is continuing his crusade to free China from imperial powers, this time adopting a very-Kato-ish (as in Green Hornet) disguise.
An international trailer is now available online. Check it out. Also look up some of Yen's past work to get a look at a true expert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO56WBQ3e50
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