why maintain training?

Objective for Stage Combat Teacher. To train and educate stage combat to actors.

Challenge for Stage Combat Teacher. Ensure that the training will withstand the length of their career to combat the issue that no doubt there will be no regular maintenance of skills. To over come that challenge one must have a strong conceptual approach that is more than just a series of techniques. Or encourage an actor to maintain training...

To ensure that an actor can perform a violent moment; armed or unarmed and, or a slapstick / comedy routine while navigating the stage or area of performance, without any danger to other performers, crew, audience or equipment in a safe and believable manner at the height of any emotionally demanding situation or scene. The actor must be strongly disciplined and well versed in the art of stage combat. Like any profession this ideal ability could only happen if the skills in question have been taught in a diligently affective methodical way and are maintained on a regular basis over the course of the actor’s professional career.

Over the years I have born witness to some wonderful exponents of the art form of stage combat both actors and teachers, but unfortunately what I have observed for the most part in my career with respect to actors performing or training in stage combat and teachers of stage combat alike is:

• Actors without any skills
• Actors with a poor level of base knowledge
• No attention or thought given to a ‘building block of knowledge’ method or process of teaching required to effectively deliver the subject matter with any sustainability of the actor’s career
• A lack of comprehension on the teacher’s behalf of how to integrate the subject matter into and actor’s career and or process
• Geographical challenges for instructors to maintain or challenge their own skill development
• A lack of qualified in a lot of teachers (globally)High level of self-taught experts

From my observation I have ascertained this situation can be attributed to but is not limited to some points of concern:

Little or no attitude or desire from actors to maintain the skill

• A lack of time to maintain the skill
• A deficiency of funds to maintain the skill, usually because actors are out of work
• A lack of appreciation of the skills
• An under valuation of the subject matter
• A lack of universities providing the subject or next to not enough time schedules to deliver any strong syllabus

As a result of the above observations; the common denominator faced by qualified Fight Directors is unskilled actors (or next to no skills) in the work force. If actors are unversed physically with the skill of stage combat, then artistic choices as a fight director are usually compromised in order to maintain a safe working environment. What compounds this problem is when actors are unskilled and coupled with no real control of emotions in the heat of performance then extra care and concessions need to be made in a bid to protect other actors involved in the scene and more importantly the actor who has no emotional control. 

While performing stage combat in context of a scene or moment on screen or stage, despite the actor’s ability or inability to control their emotional and physical needs; and even regardless of their technique or their style of acting. A balance needs to be struck amid the relationship that exists between the emotional and physical demands in order to maintain believability and safety. So I guess I’m just saying find the time to maintain the skills required of you as an actor to be an asset in the workforce just as you might maintain your voice.