Shout Out Saturday

I would like to give a belated shout out to everyone who made the 2011 Winter Wonderland Workshop a rock'n good time.

Upcoming classes and workshops:

Smallsword

CT Lewis Shaw

On February 19 from 10:00AM-4:00PM Lewis Shaw will teach a workshop on the small sword styles of Donald McBane and Sir William Hope. Cost for the workshop is $75.00. Exact location is TBA but it will be in the loop area. Interested parties should contact Chuck Coyl at: chuckcoyl@prodigy.net

Enrollment is limited.

Surviving Stage Fights

Greg Poljacik

This 8-session class is designed for actors who want to learn stage combat, but have no interest in pursuing a certificate track or making a career out of stunts and stage combat. The goal is to teach actors the skills and vocabulary needed to make the most out of a fight rehearsal, which will lead to more effective fight performances. The class will be structured like a typical fight rehearsal for a production, with a contemporary scene, a classic scene, and a scene involving domestic violence. Stage fights are not sold by speed or even cleanness of technique but by the intention and acting brought to the physical movement. The final session will be a mock fight audition to help maximize actors' chances of success in their next audition.

$160 per participant. At Stage 773 starting March 15th.

Classes are Tuesdays 8-10pm and Saturdays 11am-1pm.

Space is limited.

Email poljacik@gmail.com for information and registration.

The newly named Cease and Desist Workshop in Cincinnati Ohio March 12th & 13th

For our writer friends:

JOINING SWORD & PEN
Babes With Blades' International Playwriting Competition

Founded in 2005 to increase the number of quality scripts featuring fighting roles for women

Text Tuesday: The Gift Of Fear

By Gavin de Becker

This book is intended as an actual guide to protecting yourself in real life. It doesn't deal with physical protection but instead deals with mental preparation and trusting your gut instinct. De Becker convincingly lays out how we are amazingly observant people but second guess ourselves constantly. This second guessing can sometimes get us in serious trouble.

The beauty of this book for stage purposes is that it clearly lays out the signals violent offenders of many different types often give. This book gets deep into the minds of violent people allowing us to more convincingly do our jobs in theater.

It can be very difficult and uncomfortable to pretend and dive into the dark thoughts of these criminals on your own. With De Backers intense and rich knowledge we have a clearer roadway to follow with less personal psychological baggage.

Also, the information in the book truly could save your life.

Greg

"And That's Real"

Fun Fact Friday: Bronze Age Swords

In the beginning Bronze Age swords were designed to be primarily thrusting weapons. It doesn't take much thought and debate to realize that stabbing your opponent is a quicker and more efficient way of killing them in battle.

Thrusting a blade into another human body is easier said than done, however.

Not only does it take a fair degree of control, speed, and strength; it also demands a lot psychologically, all of which can break down very quickly in a battle. Studies on soldiers have shown that when a person's heart rate exceeds 150 bpm they rapidly lose fine motor control. Past 175 bpm almost all finesse and control is gone. At that point hacking and slashing is about the best thing one can hope for.

Psychologically is it difficult to stab another person because of how intimate the action is. You end up getting a whole lot closer to the individual and you are sure to get some of their blood and other insides on you as they die. You also no without a doubt that you are the one who killed the other person. When you hack and slash you may know you wounded or incapacitated someone but if you didn't decapitate them you can distance yourself from their demise.

With bronze, hacking and slashing is a tough thing to do. Bronze is quite a bit softer than iron and steel. The first, thin blades would often come back bent (see top image shown above) or broken at the shoulders from to much lateral force. As they realized soldiers weren't going to stick to the thrusting game plan, the swords evolved to be able to withstand cutting. Eventually they would develop into the thicker leaf bladed shapes (one of which is the bottom image shown above). This would allow the use of both cutting and thrusting while keeping the blade more intact.

Over time cutting and smashing became the dominant method for combat as the blade evolved into iron and steel varieties and as armor became harder to pierce. Then as armor started to decline because of gunpowder the thrust was "rediscovered" and blades started to return to their original thinness and eventually, because of stronger materials, beyond.

Greg

Think Tank Thursday: Gun Violence on Stage and Screen

With the recent tragedy in Tucson the issue of violence in the media will be sure to fly around. The question is often, is violence in movies, video games, and media responsible for violence in reality?

While you can not pinpoint the reason for someone being violent on any one thing I do feel that as directors, choreographers, and artists we have a responsibility for the material we put out in the world.

Our whole aim, in Theatre especially, is to move the audience to action, to educate them on some point. If we desire that effect and seek to claim responsibility in some way for the positive, we can not separate ourselves from the negative. We know that media has an effect on everyone, even down to commercials and small soundbites. Billions of dollars of research has been poured into how to most effectively and efficiently influence an audience to feel, want, and consume.

Does this mean that we stop showing violence?

I don't believe so.

What I feel the real problem is involves showing violence with no consequences. Take the recent Green Hornet movie. Tons of ammunition is fired, lots of bad guys die, and explosions abound. What is lacking is: blood, screams, emotional toll on the "heroes", grieving of the families of the bad guys (the do still have families who love them no matter what), and that is all surface stuff. Of course, this reality is left out precisely because of the effect it will have on children. Leaving out the real stuff allows a PG-13 rating so that kids can see and learn a false idea of what violence really is.

Along with Buddy Cop movies you can find this faux violent reality in vendetta movies. The hero is wronged in some way and decides to take the law into their own hands and kill whomever has wronged them, often killing double or triple the number of what was taken. Even these movies, with a clear cut message of "killing for revenge makes you a hero" leaves out the realistic elements of taking a life. This teaches the audience watching that the law is not to be trusted, police will not help, and the only way to get justice is to take justice.

The point is, it is not the violence itself which is a problem. Ignoring the fact that we live in a violent world would be irresponsible. It is violence without consequence that is the problem. Showing violence without all of its ugly, bloody, grotesque and long term layers does more to harm than to actually protect. We are responsible for what we put in the world, we should all be adult enough to accept the good and the bad of that fact.

Greg

The Sunday Special - A New Year Return

Having been away for a long period of time (juggling a post graduate degree, life and a blog is a difficult task under the best of circumstances) and it being a new year and a new decade I thought I'd dedicate this post to my stage combat resolutions... in no particular order:

1. Creatively continue combat training - Being in a postgraduate program that's light on the stage combat training opportunities (we get a week of basic rapier and dagger) I need to determine how I can continue to maintain my stage combat skills while over here. This is the major resolution as all stage combat resolutions should be directed at continuing to develop in this craft.

2. Go to more stage combat workshops - When you don't have a steady opportunity to train stage combat workshops provide an excellent source to keep up on your combat skills. Being over here in England and Europe I have access to a whole range of stage combat workshops that I have hitherto been unable to attend. I have found several that I would love to be able to attend - The BASSC's National Workshop in August, Stage Combat Deutschland's Easter Workshop, RC Annie's Exeter Intensive, The Nordic Stage Combat's National Workshop to name a few. Not only do these workshops create new connections in the stage combat world they provide new views on stage combat. Learning from a variety of teachers and masters, I have come to understand, is the best way to grow.

3. Work on training alone - Within the past year or so I've become more and more interested in how stage combatants can continue to grow when you don't have a teacher or a fellow combatant to work with. While I do have potential fight partners here in Exeter the idea of developing techniques and exercises for an individual to workout has intrigued me for some time now. Over this next year I hope to develop a series of exercises that allow me to workout alone to continue to grow as a combatant. I encourage others to share any techniques that they might use themselves.

4. Work more - In order to grow you much work. To realize this resolution I need to manifest opportunities for myself. Since I cannot officially work as an independent artist over here while on my Student Visa I must find ways to fight, choreograph and stage fights so that I don't regress in those skills either. Idea 1 - ShakesFights. Being a part of a Shakespeare postgraduate degree, I have an excellent resource for fights. Capitalizing on this it'd be fun to work on a fight a month from the numerous fights he has in his plays.

5. Keep up the Blog - Posting on this blog allows me to share some of my combat thoughts with you all. In this next year I hope to maintain some consistency of posting. I also am going to try to grow the community and readership of this blogs by getting your opinion on the subjects I write about. Commentary is always fun and if you ever have a thought about the subject I am choosing to write on, I encourage you to share it. Lord knows I am no master of this field, just strongly opinionated. If you ever disagree or agree with what I'm saying, let me know. The best way to grow as a combatant is to learn from your peers. I hope to be able to learn from you all over this next year.

That's all for now, I'm sure I'm forgetting some good ones. But building on my last resolution, what are you Stage Combat Resolutions for 2011? Going to more workshops? Buying that Rogue Steel blade you've always wanted? Getting Recommended in all 8 SAFD recognized weapons? Share your thoughts, we in the Fight Jam Community would love to hear them.

Ta from the Motherland!

Shoot 'em up Sunday: A quick historical footnote

Or how WD40 made a difference in the lives of Vietnam Vets

Stephen D. is a bit spacey today, so today's entry is going to be short-ish.

KISS is more than a cool rock band with with front man Ace Frehly. For those of you that haven't hear it before KISS can also stand for K(eep) I(t) S(imple) S(tupid). Last week I wrote about the 1911A1 pistol design. Aside from some serious cool factor, it is also an eminently simple design. The problem when you start adding moving parts to anything (including guns), is you start adding more and more things that can malfunction or otherwise break.

Which brings us to the subject of today's history lesson; the Vietnam era M16

Adopted in 1963 this gun really marks a historical shift in the sorts of rifles that American soldiers were issued. Previous American battle rifles were big, simple, and soldier proof. The M16, by comparison, was a complicated and finicky rifle. If it wasn't kept meticulously cleaned, lubricated, and maintained it was prone to malfunctioning, and rusting. Yes, rusting. You're probably saying, "Big deal, keep your guns clean and you're good to go." Easier said than done.

A finicky rifle is one thing, but having to learn how to maintain and use the finicky rifle in question, while in the middle of a war zone, in a swamp, and when you really don't want to be there; lays the groundwork for a disaster waiting to happen. If you read historical accounts from the era there are plenty of horror stories of the guns malfunctioning in the middle of firefights. Which, incidentally, is the worst time to have your gun fail if you ask me.

In any case, today's lesson is a short tribute to the good folks at WD-40. San Diego where WD-40 is based is also where the main Marine Corps training center is. Hearing all of the horror stories about the rifles failing, the WD-40 corporation sent about 10000 "free samples" of their product to the troops in the field a month.

While WD-40 and guns don't generally mix, most Vietnam vets will attest to the fact that when nothing else would keep their guns working, it did.

Interesting historical footnote, if I do say so myself.

Excelsior!

Text Tuesday: Sword Fighting: A Manual for Actors & Directors

By Keith Ducklin and John Waller

It is a tricky thing to write a book that aims to teach someone to not only fight on stage but to also effectively choreograph. I personally believe that people can learn a great deal from books and don't always need to learn from a class setting. That isn't to say one can just read something then know it nor does it mean that all things can be learned from a book and practicing on your own.

Stage Combat is one of those disciplines that requires another person to be able to practice. It is also an art that requires an experienced teacher to start you on the path. Choreography and Fight Direction amply the necessity for experienced tutoring. The main reason is safety. There is not getting around the fact that you have someone's life or career in your hands when you are participating in stage combat. You need to have the same or similar vocabulary and you need to know how to properly execute techniques in a safe manner.

Books, as much as I love and believe in them, can not do this (nor can video for that matter).

So, where does that leave books about stage combat, especially the one in question?

Leaving out my previous stated opinion, this is a well written and easy to follow book. The techniques are simple and the explanations are clear without being over written. It is also nice that the authors do not try to place themselves as the best or the authority on stage combat and fight direction.

Despite its simplicity and clarity, it is not a book for someone beginning the art of stage combat. Practicing stage combat involves so many variables and changes according to body type of the practitioner and their partner, that trying to cover it all in writing becomes very difficult.

For someone who has already had experience with stage combat and are looking for more ideas or different ways of doing things, this book is a great read. They bring their own flavor to common techniques while still highlighting safety as the main aspect. The authors also come from the school of historical accuracy being most important. While I don't agree with their opinion, they express their view and why clearly and do not disparage those who disagree which is very respectable.

For those who have a lot of experience with stage combat this book will seem very basic. There will be a few gems and a few different ways to see things but overall it will be knowledge that you may have already accumulated.

Despite the width of the book it is actually quite short. The bulk of the book is taken up by pictures and descriptions of drills or fights/techniques. This is where I feel the book is the weakest. Piecing together a fight or drill based on pictures and captions is very difficult. It is also impossible to get any feedback so there is no way of knowing whether you are doing the exercise correctly or not. It becomes very possible to develop bad habits very early on by jumping in and practicing a new exercise with zero supervision. To promote and encourage readers to do so seems to me to be borderline irresponsible.

Overall, it is an ok book. It is by no means the epitome of stage combat writing and information but if you are right in between just starting out and experienced then you will find value in it.

Greg
"And That's Real."

Movie/Martial Arts Monday: So Many Choices

Taking up a martial art for the first time can be a daunting task, especially if you have absolutely no experience. First of all, there's the numerous styles, schools and types available (Do I do Okinawan Karate or Southern Mantis kung-fu? Is MMA more effective or Israeli Krav Maga?). This isn't helped by the fact there is no single certifying body in the U.S. that can let you know whether the place you are going to is the real deal, or the latest incarnation of 'Rex Kwon Do' from "Napolean Dynamite."

Here are some simple tips in making your decision.

1) Phone first.
Not just for the obvious reasons (location, times) but how you are treated on the phone will give you an idea of the group's professionalism, if they are friendly/unfriendly, attentive to visitors, etc.

2) Watch and Learn
Always visit and observe at least one class in its entirety before joining. I also recommend watching multiple classes for different levels of students (beginning and advance). It will give you an idea of the severity/ease of the training, how well do students advance, as well as the culture of the school (Traditional? Militant? New Agey?).

3) Ask Questions
Never be afraid to ask questions. Anything and everything should be open for discussion (cost, advancement, development, styles, affiliations, practicality). If the teachers or students act insulted or defensive in the face of your questioning, there's a good chance that maybe you don't want to be there. Certainly, you should be aware of cultural differences (in traditional Asian martial arts schools run by an advanced instructor from the old country such questioning can be taken the wrong way), but you should also keep in mind that (if you join) such slights can be healed by being earnest and dedicated in your study.

4) Contracts
Personally, I avoid martial arts schools that sign you to contracts. This has been recommended to me by teachers and students from a variety of disciplines, from Aikido to Kung-Fu and Tae Kwon Do. Many martial arts schools are run like aggressive health clubs - they want your money and are determined to get it. If you really feel the training they offer is worth it, go ahead. But personally, there's no need to get tied down in such a way.

5) What's Right for You
Ultimately, you need to find a martial art and a school that suits you. Your personality, your temperament, your physical tolerances and your mentality. It can be difficult. No one likes to feel like they "can't cut it" when the training at a certain school feels too strenuous or difficult. And sometimes (more often than not) one simply reaches a wall in their development that may take years to overcome. But at the same time, if you can a reach a point where you can confidently say without equivocation that a particular style or school is right (or wrong) for you, than you are already heads and above most martial arts students.

Shoot 'em up Sunday: A history lesson.

The 1911-A1 pistol and the .45ACP cartridge; the story of America's bigger better bullets. . .

If you happen to be a gun dork what follows is likely a story that you've heard, read, re-read, and told countless times. Still, I think it's an interesting bit of history. What's more, over the years I've noticed that you can learn a lot about the character and sensibilities of different nations by looking at the weapons their militaries adopt. So, maybe there's some help in character development in here somewhere. . .

Imagine this: you're an American soldier in the Philipines and the year is 1905. Your weapons, equipment, and training are the best in the world, and you happen to be fighting these guys:
they're guerillas (Moro warriors) fighting for Philipine independence. Take another look at that picture. Notice anything? Oh right, they don't have guns. Yes, you are an American soldier with the best military equipment in the world, and you're fighting a bunch of guys that quite often are armed with only spears, knives, and a crap-ton of spite. Feeling pretty cocky, ey? Well, my over-confident West Point educated friend, you're in for a surprise.

You see, the moro warriors had two secret weapons; rage and drugs. Rage does peculiar things to a person, not the least of which is it amps up their adrenaline and lessens their pain response. Add a healthy dose of narcotics and you've got all the makings of a berserker rage of epic proportions. Historical accounts abound with stories of really high, really angry, and really gunless moro warriors attacking American positions getting shot six or seven tims and killing a bunch of people, before they eventually dropped dead. That's quite a pickle of a situation, if I do say so myself.

So let's pick apart the situation. If you're an officer watching the horror unfold, you're likely armed with a .38 Colt M1892 revolver just like the one you see here:

Despite (or perhaps in spite) of the fact that it's a cool looking modern gun, it's also chambered in one of the most anemic and underpowered cartridges ever; the .38 Long Colt cartridge. The bullet in question leaves the muzzle traveling at 770 feet per second, measures .35" at its widest point, and weighs in at 150 grains. If you're not a gun dork, those specificiations are probably meaningless.

So let's put this in perspective. When the Army called in its engineers they responded with the 1911A1; an even cooler even more modern looking pistol design which was chambered in the new .45ACP caliber. The bullet leaves the muzzle at between 850-900 feet per second (a full 100 feet faster and just shy of the speed of sound) weighs in at 230 grains (a full 80 grains heavier or 65% heavier) and measuring .45" at its widest point (for a gain of .1" in width or more than a 10% increase). In other words, the Army went from being armed with pistols that shot out a pea to pistols that--for all intents and purposes--drove a metaphorical bowling ball towards the enemy at near supersonic speeds.

The new gun was named the 1911A1 pistol and looked a little something like this:

Designed by John Moses Browning the 1911A1 was the standard sidearm of the American military forces between 1905 and 1989, and still remains the top choice of elite tactical units the world over (the FBI SWAT team still arms its members with 1911 pistols). What's more, for the almost century long career of the 1911A1 pistol, the American forces had the biggest most powerful pistol of any other nation. Aside from bigger bullets, the 1911 design allowed officers to reload their guns more quickly than ever before, carry an extra 2 rounds than before, and (perhaps most importantly) look way cooler than their allies or enemies.

What happened in 1989? America's allies in NATO grew tired of not being able to have compatible ammunition with them, because American guns were way bigger. So, in 1989 the United States officially retired the M1911A1 pistol in favor of the 9mm Beretta M9. Which incidentally, decreased the bullet size to the same .35" that had prompted the adoption of the .45. Now, a few years after switching to the 9mm (.35 caliber), many elite units of the Marines are dusting off their old stores of 1911's, mostly because they're tired of getting overrun and killed by poorly armed enemy combatants (sound familiar?).

So, what's the lesson to be learned from all this? There are probably a few. First, never ever ever underestimate your enemy. Second, when in doubt grab the biggest gun you can. Third, American philosophy towards armament had a historical bigger is better philosophy.

Excelsior!

Epilogue

Watch 1998's film: Ronin starring Robert De Niro, and you'll notice he's carrying a 1911. In the opening moments of the film his character gets into a discussion with a weapons expert/dealer about what his choice of sidearm is. His answer? After being told the virtues of the most modern 9mm pistol; "[sic]a 1911, because it works."

Fun Fact Friday

Here at the Winter Wonderland Workshop at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL there are 158 students which makes us the largest stage combat workshop in North America!

Definitely a fun fact!

Greg

Think Tank Thursday: Historical Accuracy or Rose Colored Fallacy

There are plenty of folks in the stage combat world who strive towards historical accuracy in movement. A majority of the debate that is kicked up revolves around the surviving fight manuals from different time periods.

A few important problems arise from trying to read too much into historical manuals.

One, the progression of art can be seen as the manuals move through history. The Codex Wallerstein (which is on the Fight Jam site!) is one of the oldest fight manuals and all of the drawings are flat. Depth and Perspective had not been developed yet. Despite this, many claim that the Codex advocated parrying with the flat of the.blade. The images do seem to suggest as much but it is not clear whether it Is intentional or a consequence of the artistic abilities of the time. By tue time you get to Capo Fero artistic techniques developed to show great detail and edge to edge parries that we use today can be seen.

This leads to number two: ideal vs Practical
You can take martial arts training in present day as a suitable example. No matter how much someone trains in a particular discipline the ideal situations practice in the dojo rarely arise and fights tend to quickly degrade into furious fist and foot flying.
So, the manuals may demonstrate a prevailing theory of the time but that does not necessarily mean it represents the historical way the weapon was used.

This in turn leads to three: Many Different Theories

The manuals we use to base historical accuracy are the surviving manuals. While it wasn't as easy to make your own manual in the past there were certainly more than one or two per century or country.
Self defense was just as much a business then as it is now. Sure, they actually encountered violence more but that is all the kore reason for a surplus of self defense schools. Old manuals survive for a variety of reasons. Some are lucky, some had extremely motivated and charismatic authors to ensure longevity, and some were just plain good. Many, many more disappear for the exact opposite reasons.
So are we really looking at history or are we looking at what was lucky enough to survive history?

This doesn't mean manuals aren't valuable resources. They can provide great inspiration, and even instruction at times. What they do not provide is anything definitive and if we aren't sure you van bet the audience won't understand or know the difference.

If interested in forming your own opinion check out the historical manuals we have on our site (www.fightjamchicago.com).

Greg

"And That's Real"

Text Tuesday: Master Of The Blade

By Richard Ryan

This book demonstrates more how Ryan is a "master" of self promotion than anything else. Master Of The Blade reads like a dry cell phone manual, highlighting old techniques as if they are new and improved and touting new but useless tools.

Where it differs from a manual is in how it spends enormous amounts of ink bashing every other method only to place itself as the one true way to fight with a knife (in some ways fight at all). Some of the cover praise talks about a scientific approach to self defense. If coming up with your own fancy names for things (Dynamic Combat System) qualifies as scientific then I am a the rocket scientist of Simulated Hitting Involved with Theatricality (S.H.I.T.).

Before it seems like I have a one way ticket on the negativity express, I do applaud his gusto in developing what works for him. I also think the book can provide hope, because if he can be "successful" then there Is no reason why anyone else cant be to. My biggest qualm is the idea bashing mentioned above.

If you hate martial arts and are drawn to type Omega A personalities then this is your book.

If you are looking for an honest look at knife fighting and violence, go read stuff by Marc "animal" Macyoung.

Greg

"And That's Real"

Martial Arts/Movie Monday: Kung-Faux

One of my quibbles about movies and TV is when a non-existent fighting art is presented.
Not that there is anything wrong with indulging in a little fantasy or being creative, especially if the movie is set in a completely fictional universe (the planet Pandora in "Avatar" for example). However, there is a big difference when the fantasy has some grounding in plausible reality, and when it seems to have been seemingly created on a whim with no thought or research. In terms of onscreen fighting, all the best fictional fighting styles feel like they were devised by someone with knowledge of how combat functions in the real world. In my opinion, a good example of creative talent applying themselves to the fullest would be Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movies. No where in history have there ever been elves, orcs, goblins or Uruk-Hai, but working from Tolkien's text and in cooperation with the costume and props staff, the LOTR crafted believable and distinctive fighting styles for each of the races of Middle Earth, all with (apparent) grounding in actual medieval fighting, but not overly derivative of one particular culture.

However, then there are those other movies and TV shows that leave you wondering, what they were thinking? Here's a few of my least favorites:

Anbo-jutsu from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
In this circa 1989 episode, Commander Will Riker attempts to settle his personal issues with his father by engaging in a one-on-one match of "anbo-jutsu" (translation: "blind-technique") that more closely resembles a bad episode of 'American Gladiators' (or Nickelodeon's 'Double Dare') than a lethal form of combat. (BTW, their Japanese pronunciations is God-awful)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6DvMKmhenQ

Kosho from "The Prisoner"
One of the best, mind-bending science fiction/espionage dramas is the late-60s show "The Prisoner" starring Patrick McGoohan. If you've never seen it, it's brilliant. I highly recommend renting it on DVD. HOWEVER, for some reason McGoohan himself (as co-creator and co-writer) came up with a bizarre tournament martial art for the characters to periodically engage in that involved trampolines, water and some silly outfits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTqAfJYWe58

"Last Hero in China" (1993)
Okay, even the great ones can make missteps. Jet Li made a name for himself in Hong Kong in the 90s with a series a films about legendary (and real-life) martial artist Wong Fei-Hong. In this sequel, Wong encounters a cult that battles using a giant centipede puppet (no joke). In a fit of inspiration, Wong invents a new fighting style based on the ancient enemy of the centipede - the chicken(?!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RhZiegns9o

"Warriors of Virtue" (1997)
It's not so much the fighting style in this movie as the fighters that I take issue with this time around. This forgotten feature is an odd Wizard-of-Oz-ish fantasy about a boy who travels to a magical realm where he teams up with some kung-fu fighting warriors against an evil overlord (blah, blah, blah). However, the writers decided that the most fearsome creatures they could come up with for our protagonists was a race of anthropomorphized giant bunny rabbits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzofuNqUb4c

"Gymkata" (1985)
I included this in an earlier posting but it definitely deserves mention today. An awful, awful, stupid, ridiculous movie in which then-Olympic star Kurt Thomas beats down bad guys with a martial art based on . . . gymnastics. The pommel horse fight is classic badness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gTkUcXGF_Q

Shoot 'em up Sunday; Two for flinching. . . .

Alright, your flinching might not look like existential horror, but. . .

(Before proceeding, please follow these safety rules. First, choose a good safe place to practice, where everyone knows you're practicing. Second, point all guns in a safe direction. Third, when in doubt STOP and find an expert to help you out. Use of the following information is done at your own risk and you accept all personal liability for it.)

Remember that game, when you were a kid where someone (generally an older sibling) would feign an attack, and if you flinched, you'd get hit twice? If you're older now, I hope that you've either (a) watched them lose their hair and/or grow fat or (b) made much more money then they have. . .

However. . .There's a lesson to be learned in all of this. . . Especially when it comes to playing with guns, for stage and screen.

Let's think about the flinch response. The whole point of the two for flinching game was for the person not to hit you. Even so, you flinched. Why? Because when you're caught by surprise or you think something bad is about to happen you tense and cover--evolution has granted us the gift of survival instincts. Eventually, even if you got used to the notion that you wouldn't get hit, you'd still tense and flinch.

Right about now, you're asking yourself what all of this has to do with guns. . . Plenty!

Let's face it, guns are loud and--particularly if you don't have much experience with them--they're kind of scary. All of this amounts to one thing, many people will flinch and look nervous when they're about to pull a trigger. Natural? Yes. Helpful? Hell no. If you happen to actually be shooting a gun, flinching is the enemy of accuracy.

Standing on stage, or--worse yet--with a camera close up flinching is also the enemy of looking like a bad ass. Whether you're watching John Wayne or Daniel Craig, they neither blink nor do they bat an eyelash while pulling the trigger. That says something about their characters, doesn't it?

On the other hand, you might be playing the part of a terrified person pulling the trigger out of desperation. . . in which case you might just want to ignore this next bit. . .

Rehearsal and more rehearsal. . .goes a long way toward getting rid of your flinch. There are a couple drills that are helpful.

First off, try out the "ball and dummy" drill. Have someone else (like your friendly stage manager / theater armorer) load your gun for you. Choose a SAFE location to practice firing. The important part is for that other person to substitute dummy rounds at random, or not load the gun without telling you and than have you pull the trigger. Chances are, the first time you pull the trigger on an unloaded gun; you'll be flinching. Equally likely, will be the embarrassed look on your face when you realize you're reacting to nothing. However, you're well on your way to curing your flinch. . . Keep doing this drill, until you train your instinctual flinch out of your muscle memory.

Second, dry firing. This may or may not be an option for you, but if it is; take advantage of it! Taking the unloaded gun, pulling the trigger, and handling it will help you out a ton. Again, choose a SAFE PLACE to do all of this. However, the more accustomed you become to the feeling of the gun in your hand and its mechanics, the less likely you'll be to let your fear/anxiety inform the way you handle the gun.

Third, be your character. . .At the end of the day, your character will tell you what kind of gunfighter you are. . . Therein lies the secret to it all. . . .If that doesn't work, check out numbers one and two above.

Excelsior!