The Essence of Stage Combat
Differentiating between Swordplay and Historical Swordsmanship

By William Eric "Vistar" Slyter. Photos by permission of the Seattle Knights

In examining the topic of swordsmanship, people are often uncertain as to the distinction between historical Renaissance swordsmanship (as a martial art and European heritage) and stage combat and swordplay (as a form of entertainment). William "Vistar" Slyter - A member of the Seattle Knights - clarifies the role stage combat, differentiates it from historical sword arts, and the covers the different activities and the swords or props used.

Understanding what stage combat is, and what it is not, is important in accepting it on it's own merits and enjoying it for what it represents. The intention of this article is to hopefully enlighten the reader about sword techniques commonly seen in stage combat, as well as the swords themselves. I preface this article by saying that I'm primarily drawing on my own experiences as both an observer and a trained choreographed live steel stage combatant. This is in no way intended to represent a 'how to' for stage combat. Certified training will save you a lot of unnecessary risk, possibly your life, and is obviously recommended. In other words, don't try this at home.

The first goal of stage combat is to entertain. What you see on TV, movies, or at faires isn't necessarily supposed to represent how real combat would appear. The best stage combat combines aspects of both, being entertaining AND realistic. The problem is that most stage combat systems are simplified to be learned quickly and safely by nearly anyone. This creates several issues with this type of stage combat:

Distance/Movement

A lot of stage combat takes place 'out of distance', meaning that the combatants are never really close enough to hit one another. Attacks are also made with exaggerated motion to help project the attack to the defender. So, why bother blocking when the blow will never make contact? The answer is that audiences enjoy seeing swords swung in mighty arcs and hearing them smacking against each other. This is referred to as 'entertainment value'. It has the side effect of making swords seem like unwieldy and clumsy weapons, as well as being an inaccurate representation of how swords are meant to be used. Also, because there is no real threat of being hit, a lot of stage combat lacks realistic movement of the body and footwork. When the threat of being hit with a sword is real, even in choreography, you find a way to get out of its path! Proper training in movement can dramatically effect the visual impact of a fight.

On target/Inline

Most stage combat is done with generalized targeting. Any blow aimed at the upper part of one's body is blocked the same regardless of where it is intended to land. The same applies to the lower part of the body. Some advanced combat systems have very precise and numerous target areas, with exact methods on how such blows are to be blocked. Being 'inline' refers to thrusting attacks that are actually aimed at the target. Most systems fight 'offline' in this respect, actually aiming thrusts off to the side of the target, for the safety of the combatant.

Speed

Most stage combat is done at a very slow pace, often well below half of what might be considered the speed of 'real' fighting. Again, this is primarily because of safety. Entertainment value figures into this also, as faster attacks may be more difficult for the audience to discern. This slowness of movement also helps perpetuate the misconception that swords are extremely heavy and tiring to use.

Additional issues, not safety related, are edge blocks and openings. Edge blocks are still prolific in most stage combat, despite the fact that there is more than substantial evidence that blocks, when done at all, were historically done with the flat of the blade. The simple fact is that edge blocks wreck swords. Openings are points in combat during which one combatant has an undefended area that the other combatant can exploit. Often, the advantageous opening is ignored in favor of a flashier, more entertaining move. This also applies to attacks to areas that are already amply defended by armour, a shield, or another weapon, as opposed to attacking the area where the armour, shield, or weapon is not present. Again, entertainment value is a decisive factor, as the audience enjoys seeing and hearing armour getting hit, shields getting whacked upon, and blades clashing.

As indicated previously, the best stage combat is able to sidestep some of these problems and create fights that are both entertaining and fairly realistic. It takes more time and training to learn an advanced choreography system, as well as a competent instructor and fight choreographer to bring it together. In better productions, one will more often see this kind of dedication because they can afford to get the best people and pay for the time and training. Many movies, TV shows, faire events and actors cannot afford those luxuries, and so they do the best with what they can, usually with the inherent issues listed above.

There are many differing opinions about which swords are suitable for stage combat. Starfire Swords have received considerable acclaim for being suitable for stage combat, and not unjustifiably. Because they have extremely thick blades, edge blocks can be made with almost no damage at all. This also makes them very heavy, which facilitates slow movement. Even though such features make them unrealistic as swords, these are good features for that style of stage combat. The type of stage combat I learned is better suited to real swords. Here again there has been considerable controversy about what make of swords is suitable for stage combat, live steel 're-enactment', or what have you.

It is my opinion that, of 'production' swords, CAS Iberia and Del Tin are both good values. Some CAS Iberia swords are reasonably durable and hardy, and can take a considerable amount of punishment when used properly For the price, they are generally attractive, well made, and often have a decent balance. The drawback is that their life expectancy, for continual use, is about a year. (Editor's Note: CAS Iberia is a wholesale distributor carrying various brands. Each brand has its own properties. The author speaks of the Iberia brand manufactured in the Philippines which we've measured to average 40 on the Rockwell "C" hardness scale (HRC). Del Tin swords - mentioned later - rate at 50 HRC. As with any brand, select your swords carefully.).

Del Tins are notably more expensive, but you get a much better sword for the money, too. They are very attractive swords, very well made, and for the most part, balanced well. They are very durable and well suited for heavy use, with a life expectancy of several years. (Editor's Note: Del Tin swords are made in Italy and sold through dealers in various countries.)

Both brands have a pleasing historical look about them, which I find very desirable. Having used a number of different sword types and styles, the weapon will often show the user how it needs to be used. The genius of sword design really only makes itself apparent when one is using the weapon, and to create realistic looking fights, a weapon with realistic style and design can't be topped.

Vistar is a seasoned live steel performer with the Seattle Knights (www.seattleknights.com). The Seattle Knights is a fantasy medieval jousting and tournament troupe who specialize in choreographed medieval combat using a wide variety of weapons, including swords and bladed weapons of all sizes, impact weapons, and polearms.

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