stage combat terms

noncontact strike

illusion of contact on blow masked from the audience with a well-timed knap; you will always miss the target

eye contact

technique of frequent cueing your partner by looking into their eyes during a fight in order to assure connection between partners

avoidance

a movement to dodge attack

invitation

temptation for partner to attack

performance speed

stage combat should always be first reheared in slow-motion adh slowly get faster. four performance speeds: 1/4 (slow-motion), 1/2 (a lil faster), 3/4 speed (almost full), and full speed

break fall

any maneuver that dissipates the energy or force from a fall or roll and gives the illusion of impact

side fall

knees bent and fall w majority of the impact on thighs, not knees. sprawl out the hands in the direction of the fall in order to send the force outward

back fall

step back w one foot and bend down so one leg is completely bent underneath your bottom w the other foot in the front. curl backward and put your arms out to the side and make a smacking sound w your arms, palms down and feet sprawling.

front fall

step forward and to the right with the right foot. bend down on the right foot and “jump off” of your foot to the left and send energy out w both arms and legs extended as much as possible. more of a superman slide than fall

shared fall

one person stands facing the attacker and the attacker goes toward the victim w both arms extended to the side. as they make contact, the attacker’s arm comes across the victim’s chest, the victim uses a back fall and the attacker uses a front fall

BLOOD (balance, line of sight, eye contact, distance)

what is yelled out if a fight is being done unsafely and alerts someone if they are forgetting something (and what does it stand for?)

knap

sound created by actors to make a sound w their own bodies that mimics the sound of the blow

body knap

sound made by striking a major muscle group, either victim or attacker

clap knap

sound made w both hands clapping together, typically by the victim

slip hand knap

the attacker claps hands and follows through during the act of delivering the strike

shared knap

sound made when the attacker’s open hand meets his partner’s open hand or major muscle group

punch

hit w closed hand or fist

punch to stomach

punch w whole body but pull the energy back right after the hit and open the hand as it hits the stiff, contracted stomach

john wayne

punch w (if right handed) having feet shoulder-width apart and left foot in b/n the victim’s feet. rest left hand on victim’s right shoulder (fighters facing each other), pull right hand back and punch across the face, and open the hand to clap the hands together as they go in front of the victim’s fact to make a slip hand knap sound, then clench the first right after.

slap

hit w open hand

shared knap to face

person being hit holds open hand under chin w elbow close to their side, the audience to their back. the attacker slaps the open hand to make the sound and right after the hit, the person holds the hit hand to the “hit” cheek

front jab

fighters face each other and do quick jab to the fact but hit their own body for the knap sound as the partner reacts to the punch by throwing their own head back

clap knap to face

victim claps their hands and reacts to the slap as their partner moves their hand across the font of their partner’s face, keeping a safe distance from the face

kick to face (on the ground)

the person kicked is on the floor and cups both hands in front and just below their face and the person kicking winds up and kicks the cupped hands to make a knap sound. the person being kicked throws their head back in reaction. have the foot pointed

kick to face (on ground)

grunt is used instead of a knap sound, with victim either laying to the side or crawling on their hands and knees. the kicker should pull the energy of the kick back and the kicked should react by jumping up and arching their back

kick to groin

kick is carefully placed to the inside thigh just below the groin

knee attack to stomach

the knee comes up in front of the stomach although no actual contact is made. the victim reacts by jumping, arching their back, and grunting.