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."
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