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| Fighting on TV | ||
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On-screen combat
Many TV series and movies feature characters that are regularly
engaged in combat.
Without any hesitation, people leap into action, delivering powerful,
effective, accurate blows.
There is often no real sign of injury afterwards.
Fantasy
Size, strength, physics and even choice of target plays little part in
on-screen combat.
Apparently, you can be scrawny, small, weak, possess no combat experience or
training and yet still prove victorious every time.
Entertainment
Clearly, it is necessary to remember that on-screen
fighting
constitutes entertainment.
It is not meant to reflect real life.
It is highly choreographed and unrealistic.
The camera angles, the music, the emotional content - these are all
carefully orchestrated to provide optimal enjoyment for the viewer.
Faux expert
Yet... people attend martial arts or fighting classes and expect to
magically be capable of manifesting tai chi skills overnight.
Or worse, people do not attend classes, and dream that they can take care
of themselves because they have 'attitude'.
Actors and martial artists
Some actors are just actors, whereas some actors are also competent
martial artists.
It is easy to tell them apart.
The actors are slow and clumsy whereas the martial artists look casual and
confident.
On-going
In order to perform any martial art skilfully, considerable on-going training
is necessary.
If somebody on-screen makes it look easy, allow for the fact that they have
probably invested a lot of time practicing the movements and rehearsing the
scene.
No matter what level of skill is being shown, it is still pretend.
Impact
Most martial arts involve force against force.
The defender drives their fist into an unyielding, solid opponent.
This is common.
Pain
Newton's third Law of Motion dictates that for every action there is an
equal an opposite reaction.
In other words, the force that you exert against a solid object is also fed
back into you.
Impact affects you.
Hitting somebody else, or being hit yourself has consequences.
If reckless, he can be
killed;
if cowardly, captured;
if quick-tempered, he can be provoked to rage;
if he has too delicate a sense of honour, he can be easily insulted.
(Sun Tzu)
Being hit
When somebody hits you, throws you to the ground or into a wall or
another object... the experience affects you.
A knife cut cannot simply be shrugged-off.
A break cannot be dismissed.
Concussion disorients you. Injury prevents your body from working properly.
Pain wakes you up to the reality of your situation and warns you that injury
is occurring.
Fatigue
Combat is tiring.
The longer it lasts, the more worn out you will get.
The more dramatic your combat, the quicker you will tire.
The Art of War advocates a speedy conclusion.
Beating a man to the floor with your fists...
On-screen characters beat a man to the floor with their fists and
this is seen as being heroic.
Usually this involves punching the face with your knuckles.
Bone on bone damages the knuckle joints.
The mouth is filled with sharp teeth and bacteria; there is a high risk of
cutting your knuckles open and getting an infection.
Force-on-force is not a sign of skill. It shows no artistry whatsoever.
Wake up
Real life fighting is not glorious or exciting. It is dangerous and
should be avoided at all costs.
It will not be choreographed in order to make you look good.
There will not be a dramatic soundtrack.
Reality hurts
You may panic.
You may be afraid.
You may be surprised by multiple opponents. They may be armed.
You may be seriously injured, and you may even die.
You may be arrested and put in jail.
Combat experts
Miyamoto Musashi and Sun Tzu encouraged the martial artist to be
smart.
If you can avoid conflict, then do so.
Looking tough or acting macho only serves to attract attention, and not all
attention is good.
Why learn a martial art?
Martial arts training has the potential to make you fit, agile and
strong.
It is often a lot of fun.
Students typically become self-disciplined, patient and calm.
Weathered
You become increasingly seasoned to combat.
Whilst this does nor guarantee success against a real life assailant, it
does mean that you have the reflexes and the awareness to handle adversity
in whatever form it takes.
This may not be what the on-screen action heroes tell you... but remember:
they are not real people. They are fictional characters.
Do not get confused.
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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