An Introduction and Critique: Whip vs. Whip Fight

What makes for a good theatrical fight? Is it how fast the individuals are fighting? Maybe. But if there is no intention or motivation behind the movements then they are simply that. Movements. What then, I ask you, makes for a good fake fight?

Hi. My name is Amy. I have been studying Stage Combat for about 2 years. I have learned from many different people and organizations, including the Society of American Fight Directors  and Anthony DeLongis.

I am still new at this. Even so, I feel that I have begun to understand the concept behind what makes a good fight good and a bad fight…well…horrible. In this blog, I will look at various stage combat scenarios and analyze them. By learning from the mistakes and accomplishments of the people who have come before me, I will stand on their metaphorical shoulders…. at least that’s the plan.

But before I look at other people’s work, I’d like to share my own. Here is a video of a fight that I choreographed and performed with the help of my fiancé, Bryan (also a Stage Combatant).

I must say, this fight is a little embarrassing. It’s the first fight I ever choreographed and is the result of maybe 2 hours of playing around and practicing. So, needless to say, it’s not the finest of all work. But, let’s break it down:

 The first thing I do not like about this fight is the camera. It’s far away from what’s going on and you can’t clearly hear the dialogue, which inhibits the viewer’s ability to understand the storyline. While there are word bubbles that help with this problem, it would be better if you could actually hear it. The word bubbles are incredibly distracting, at least to me.

Aside from the technical issues, there are a few other things that drive me crazy.  In the beginning, both Bryan and I wrap each other with our respective whips. However, my whip didn’t wrap very well around the guy’s waist. This is only a small detail and could have been fixed with more practice. However, I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me.

Another issue is that about 12 seconds in, the part where Bryan has me in his arm’s. “Something” happens that forces him to let me go. Now, since I was the one who made this fight, I know that I elbowed Bryan in the gut. However, you can’t see it! This could be because the camera is to far away and my arm blends into the background. It could also be the result of the move not being big enough in general. Either way, it would need to be fixed probably via practice or a small shift in choreography.

Let’s look at the fall that occurs about 20 seconds in. Bryan “swings” me off of his back. I find this fall unconvincing. I think that the solution would be PRACTICE. Again, I’d like to reiterate…2 hours! That’s all the time and effort that went into the choreography, practice and filming of this fight.  And it was our first attempt at anything like this. So it’s almost a “duh” statement to say I think that this is the solution to all of the problems in this fight

But let’s look at some of the good things about this fight:

This fight does have a story. While hard to hear, the story is there with a beginning, middle, and an end. This is important for any fight because otherwise…why fight? If you see two people fighting without rhyme or reason, then you get stuck thinking about what’s going on and don’t even concentrate on the fight itself.

There are also some very cute moments in the fight. For example, I think the moment where I leap onto Bryan’s back is very convincing. There is not only intention but also motivation behind the action. Additionally, and more importantly, the leap looks real and uncalculated. There is no hesitation between the moment I start running through the instant my feet leave the ground and I land on Bryan’s back.

Another convincing action that stands out is at the end of the fight. This is when I knee Bryan in the groin and take the whips. I think this looks particularly realistic. I believe the scene that is going on.  

This fight is far from perfect, but it does have a few nice things going for it. If given some time and practice, it could be improved and made into a real performance. With a little more TLC, this fight could be a gem.

Thanks for Reading!

Amy