Giving Up?

I'd say it's always too soon to give..... make a choice about something. Do it or don't, but don't make excuses.
People like to give reasons for a decision they have already made.
I don't want to ask others, I don't want to hold them back....
The one that gets me the most.... "I never quit, but...."
So you never quit? But now you are quitting....

Make choices and see those choices for what they are, be honest, and don't make excuses....

Interesting article on Georges Dubois, the Forgotten Master of Ancient Fencing (L’Escrime Ancienne)

Inspired by Egerton Castle and Alfred Hutton, he went on to write works on histroical martial arts, mixed arts self defence and stage combat, and all more than 70 years ago.

Find the article here

The Choreography and the Fight

In training and rehearsal many if not most people mistake the choreography for the "fight". The choreography tells you what the "fight" should look like if all those involved apply the Principles and Actions correctly.
When what is being done is not the choreography then we should start to look at what has changed, most people start looking for what they have forgotten, as if the problem lays in memory and not application of skills/training.

It also needs to be remembered that there are those things that one does in rehearsal/training and what happens on stage. One prepares you for the other, one provides feed back on what has worked in training and what needs more attention. However the focus of performance, the "fight" that takes place on stage, is to tell the story not do the choreography. So in application the "fight" may not look or feel anything like the choreography.

Projects

Teaching in to the swing of things, new students starting, current students learning new things.

As well involved in project for various productions. The duel in les liaisons dangereuses, slapstick violence in A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. A scuffle between an abusive husband and a vicar in Racing Demon.

Today off to work on a killing at a dinner party! The teaching the Rutgers kids, then working the Liaisons fight on stage this evening!

All in the scope of the job description.

Happy New Year

Here's to a Happy New Year and the very best for 2012...

Re-emergence of aspects of bare knuckle Pugilism in MMA

An interesting piece on how aspects of Pre Marquis of Queensbury rules boxing are reappearing in modern MMA can be found here; The Pugilist: Nick Diaz, Daniel Mendoza, and the Sweet Science of Bruising

Jonathan

'Tis Pity She's a Whore......

Finished working on Cheek By Jowls current production of 'Tis Pity She's A Whore. It is off to Paris to open it's international tour, which will carry through till late in the Spring next year.

As so often happens there were 3 ex-students in the cast.
Ryan Ellsworth and Jack Hawkins, from LAMDA and Laurence Spellman from Guildhall.