Choreographed movie fighting : which is best to learn?

[Action_hero_fan]

Hey guys,

 

I am interested about learning a martial art that could be applied to both self-defence and inparticular, to produce entertaining choreographed fight sequences.

 

I am interested in learning to start acting lessons aswell and gain some experience whilst trying to get an agent someday. Even for just a small 5 second part on a film to get my * kicked by the hero!

 

Im sure knowledge and skill in martial arts would look really good on an acting resume when looking for agents, aswell as just a good skill to have in life in general.

 

Do you guys recommend any martial art that would be most helpful in choreographed fighting or are there specific classes for this purpose?

 

Thanks alot for any advice.

[battousai16]

i think wushu would be your best bet, but, y'know, chow yun fat (crouching tiger) isn't a martial artist... niether is keanu reeves... uma thurman... tom cruise... the list goes on. movies don't really need martial artists any more; we have computers and wires for that. a damn shame, really. still, jet li is a wushu guy, and jackie chan has done wushu-esque stuff, so i'd say go there. the trouble is the self defense angle. me thinks you might have to take two styles... or just settle for one.

[Drunken Monkey]

um, i would stay away from wushu.....

 

if you really do intend to have a part in choreography, i think it'd be better if you had a base in something that gives you a better idea of how 'traditional' moves work.

 

things like hung gar or eagle claw has enough flash as well as having a good real technique base.

 

other wise you will either be relying on outside knowledge (which will hamper your control over the set) or trying to make up how something might work.

 

the guys from yuen wo pings know traditional styles such as hung gar, wing chun, tai chi etc NOT wushu.

 

a lot of the guys who work in hk have a hung gar base.

 

it's only recently that wushu has featured more.

 

what jackie chan did in the past was better refered to as 'tumbling' (for the opera).

 

that was his base.

 

but him being a total fanatic about learning and training and getting things right, as well as having learnt/trained/practiced with such people as yuen wo ping and his crew, lau jing jing, emil farkas and lord alone knows who else in his 40+ years has meant that he also has deep knowledge of how a lot of traditional styles work.

 

that knowledge is what helps put together a good fight scene.

 

mostly, once you've got the agility and ability, putting together a good fight scene is a totally different plate of sushi.

 

for that, nothing beats experience.

 

camera angles, pans, perspectives, movements, framing are all things that you learn by trying and doing.

 

hehe, you all know who i'm going to recommend for some examples of top quality 'amatuer' fight scenes.....

[battousai16]

well then, i stand corrected.

 

although the point it was trying to get to, and i guess i just didn't cement it enough, is that indeed, it's experience and "camera angles, pans, perspectives, movements, framing" often times make more of a difference than the backround in fighting you have. of the little amateur fight scene videos me and my buddies have, more often than not all it takes is a little creativity to make the little fights look like everyone's on an even playing field, even if someone is years ahead of someone else. not to say they don't come out like crap, but...

 

definitely zerogravity, i'm hooked now. nothing but admiration for 'em. check 'em out, though most of those guys seems to have a heavy backround in capeira.

[battousai16]

oh, and DM, what the hell is that in your avatar?

[Drunken Monkey]

....and sometimes, all the acrobatic flash really detracts from the fight scene.

 

for a start it almost always requires a change in shot which really breaks up the sequence and timing/pacing/flow.

 

generally it kinda stops the action in order to accommodate it.

 

the best fight scenes for me has always been the ones where things have been simple.

 

two good examples would have to be jackie chan in police story (in the shopping centre)

 

and jackie chan VS benny urquidez

 

and yeah, a lot of the guys in zero gravity have a capoeria base (but there are kinda two zero gravity teams so maybe that might have something to do with it)

 

there's the odd guy who does something else as well like the guy who played kid gusto.

 

and um, the 'big' kick-boxing guy was cool and made flash withput jumping about like a monkey.

 

and to think it all started (and still is) just their hobby.....

 

hey ben, NOW you know what a real martial arts geek is!

[battousai16]

"....and sometimes, all the acrobatic flash really detracts from the fight scene.

 

for a start it almost always requires a change in shot which really breaks up the sequence and timing/pacing/flow.

 

generally it kinda stops the action in order to accommodate it. "

 

that's true. using jackie chan as an example (still the man!), his prettiest stuff is often the most simple, just well timed. same with jet li.

 

and hold just a second there, DM. you said yourself there are two teams, and if you look at there website (you kind of got me hooked), you'll note that the LA team is a bit more focused on a career. still... i have a long way to go to work my way up to that level of geek status.

[gcav]

TKD or KF

[Action_hero_fan]

I am intending on taking this seriously and spending a year in acting school to learn more of the acting and filming techniques needed.

 

However on the martial arts side of things, if I want to use it mainly for choreographed fighting, is it better to take one martial art really seriously for years and get a black belt or have a bit of a try of lots of different styles even though I wont be that experienced at any of them?

 

What do casting directors and agents look for in this sort of thing?

[Action_hero_fan]

any more info on this anyone?