Combat Notation

Notation systems, such as Lab notation, can be very valuable to any choreographer, if the system is thoroughly absorbed.  However, I expect that the need to choreograph a fight doesn’t arise very often for most of my readers, who therefore need not learn a complex notation system.  I suggest a much simpler, yet effective, method to create and notate a hand-to-hand fight on paper, which may easily be taught to the actor/combatants as well.  This simple method requires three basic parts: (1) narration, (2) outline, and (3) blocking.

Narration

First, begin by writing out the fight as you envisage it in longhand.  Here is part of my written description of a group fight I created for a production of Arturo UI:

Arturo UI

Gang Beating One Victim

The first attacker, A, grabs the victim by the front of his shirt and spins him into the waiting arms of two other attackers, B and C.  Attacker B grabs the victim from behind by his arms, while attackers A and C, punch the victim in the stomach.  C punches the victim’s stomach, then A punches his stomach.  The victim slumps forward and C punches the victim’s face with an uppercut, driving the victim upright.  Then A punches the victim’s stomach and C punches him in the groin.  The victim doubles over, and B lets go from behind but continues to hold the victim’s left arm.  C grabs the victim’s other arm, and together B and C throw the victim, face first, onto the waiting lifted knee of attacker A.  The victim reacts by rebounding off the knee and falls to the ground on his back.  Ernie Roma swaggers up and kicks the victim in the groin.  All the attackers exit.

Outline

     The outline of the fight will be a working blueprint for the choreographer, the combatants, and the stage manager.  The stage manager will include a copy in the promptbook.  Table 3.1 is an example of an outline for the same fight from Arturo UI, as narrated above.

     Reading from the top to the bottom of the outline, you can readily ascertain the correct sequence of techniques as they occur in the fight.  If any actions are written in at the same level on the page, then those actions happen simultaneously.  All the details involved in the execution of the techniques are left to live training sessions and rehearsals.

Blocking

     The spatial patterns created by the combatants as they move about the stage space will affect the stage “picture” and the overall impression of the fight.  An added complication for the fight choreographer is that the fighters need a certain amount of stage space in order to perform their fight safely.  Stage distances are strictly dictated by fighting distance between combatants and by the space requirements for particular techniques.  For example, a Shoulder Roll and Layout requires a large amount of linear space.  If several fighters are sharing the space, then the choreographer must time the fights so that when the roll and layout occur the space will be available.  A blocking diagram will help the choreographer and the actor/combatants keep the flow patterns within the fight clear.

     Figure 3.1 is an example of a blocking diagram for the same portion of the fight from Arturo UI that was described in writing and notated above.  The number in the upper left-hand corner of each box corresponds to the number of a section in the outline.  The letters within the circles correspond to those of the combatants in the outline.  Arrows signify the direction of movement.  The tip of the arrow indicates the point on stage where the combatant ends up.  Stage right (SR) is to the left side of the box, and stage left (SL) is to the right of the box, corresponding to the performer’s stage right and left.  The top of the box corresponds to upstage (US), and the bottom of the box to downstage (D S).

     Figure 3.2 shows some examples of broad blocking patterns that can be used when staging mass fights.  Each circle with a line running through it signifies a pair of fighters.