Stage Combat Terms

Stage Combat Terms

These terms help you understand the safety and movement principles that

underlie all of stage combat. Understanding them will help you and your 

partner create the techniques in a manner that is both safe and productive.

Attacker

The attacker is the combatant initiating the technique such as a punch, kick,

 or slap.

Victim

The victim is the combatant on the receiving end of any attack. Combatants

 can potentially change roles from attacker to victim many times throughout

the fight.

Fight Distance

The correct spacing between you and your partner should be at least 1 

metre apart. Check distance by having the taller student (the one with the 

longer arms) reach out toward the partner with a straight arm. The hand 

should be at least 15cm from the partner’s chest. This allows for maximum 

safety while maintaining the illusion of reality.

Breath

Remember to breathe throughout the fight no matter how much physical 

exertion is needed. Since breath and voice are linked, this will help you to 

vocalise during rehearsals and while performing fight techniques. It will 

also help the body to relax.

Tension Relaxation

Avoid becoming too tense when performing the fight. Excessive tension 

gets in the way of body control and quickly tires you out.

Eye Contact

Making eye contact prior to each and every sequence in the fight is a 

constant reminder to be ready and prepared for the next sequence. For 

example eye contact is made between the combatants before a slap is 

thrown to help both the attacker and victim prepare for the next move. 

The attacker knows the victim is ready to react and the victim knows the 

attacker is ready to initiate the next move. It is not necessary to maintain 

constant eye contact, but it is important to “check in” before each 

technique, and during potentially dangerous moves.

Stance and Balance

Always stand with your weight centered, your legs at least shoulder width 

apart, and with your knees slightly bent. This stance allows for freedom of 

movement in all directions. If your weight is leaning on one leg or the other, 

it will be hard to change directions when needed.

Cueing

The signal given from you to your partner at predetermined times 

throughout the fight. Cues should be choreographed into the fight at 

specific places to establish each other’s readiness to continue. All cues 

are made either physically (a touch, or a push for example), vocally (a yell 

or grunt for example), verbally (a line from the play for example), or through

eye contact.

Contact Blow

A blow delivered to a major muscle group that actually strikes the victim and

produces a realistic sound. The energy of the contact punch or kick is 

always pulled.

Pulling the Energy

Pulling the energy of a strike means the quick withdrawal of the punching 

or kicking action to avoid potential injury to the victim’s major muscle group.

Non-Contact

A blow delivered with the illusion of contact, a non-contact punch always 

misses its target by 15cm or more.

Reverse Energy

Reverse energy is the concept of energy moving away from the attacker’s 

target area to protect the victim. For example, when a strangulation is 

performed the attacker actually pulls the energy away from the victim while 

the victim holds the attacker’s hand in place to stabilize the contact. This 

“reverse energy” results in a technique that is safe for the combatants.

Masking

Masking is the concept of hiding a moment of contact so that it will look as 

if the blow has struck its target. This is always true of non-contact blows and 

sometimes true of contact blows. All techniques need to mask the knap and 

fighting distance from the audience.

Timing

Good timing is crucial to the effectiveness of a good stage fight. Avoid 

anticipating the fight moves either by rushing the attack or reacting before 

the blow is delivered. Reacting too late also makes the fight look unrealistic.

 

Reference 

Fight Light Video Publishing

www.firstlightvideo.com