Stage Combat with Swords

What is the main difference between real combat and stage combat, especially when it comes to employing a weapon such as a sword? In real life, you are trying to disarm, disable, or kill your foe as quickly as possible without getting yourself injured in the process. In stage combat, the exact opposite holds true: you are exchanging fanciful blows with the enemy, attacks that are designed to make both of you look dangerous and powerful while at the same time doing no real damage to either of you. Stage combat is full of thrusts and slashes that look convincing to the audience or camera’s eye.

One is potentially lethal and one is complete fantasy, but many people believe that "movie combat," either with weapons or fists, would work in real life situations. Even though some fight choreography may look real, it is important to remember that it is not, and it should never be used as a form of self-defense.

Mock combat can trace its roots all the way back to the ritualistic war dances that many different cultures the world over would perform, either before or after a battle. A kata, a sequence of movements practiced by those in empty-handed martial arts as well as kendo (Japanese sword fighting), is another example of mock combat. Staged fencing matches became popular events in the latter portion of the middle ages. These later evolved into fake battles in the theater for the express purpose of entertainment and has been with us ever since.

Some of the earliest forms of stage combat utilizing movie swords are the films of the 1920s, starring charismatic young actors like Douglas Fairbanks and later Errol Flynn playing characters like Robin Hood and Zorro who are synonymous with swordplay. More and more films began using stage combat and fight choreography and today you would be hard pressed to find Hollywood set that doesn’t use a fight choreographer of some sort.

Today, the combat coordinators who employed mock sword combat in films that most people know and love are celebrities in their own right. Peter Diamond and Bob Anderson worked on the initial Star Wars films. They decided how lightsaber combat would look and work, and they based it off existing martial arts to give it a more authentic feel. Tony Wolf was the mastermind behind all of the incredible fight sequences in The Lord of the Rings, which stayed true to its fantasy roots while trying to retain a sense of how historical combat worked.

As time goes by, choreographed swordplay is getting closer and closer to how real combat looks and feels, but it still has a ways to go.

BladeMaster Steve is a staff writer at HeavenlySwords.com, your online retailer and importer of high quality movie swords. For great deals to buy game swords, visit them today!