Simple vs Exotic

Typically, the most practical martial arts techniques are the most simple. The straight punch, the front kick, basic blocking... It isn't flashy, but it gets the job done! On screen fighting frequently requires a more dramatic flair. Spinning kicks, jumps, flips... All the moves not generally used in a real-life fight. I say not generally, because every now and then, you do see one of these exotics effectively used.

The key to good choreography is balancing a mix of simple, practical, and exotic. All simple and practical, and the fight loses its style. All exotic, and the fight looks more like an exercise in tricking and acrobatics, not a realistic fight scene.

But what is that balance? If only it were as simple as giving you a ratio... Sixty percent practical, forty percent exotic...

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. The ratio changes based on the requirements of the film and the fight. Finding your simple/exotic ratio for your fight scene begins with pinpointing the tone of the film, followed by the tone of the scene.  Simple moves work better in more serious and dramatic scenes, while exotic moves work better in more high-action/high-style scenes. In both cases, though, going strictly simple or strictly exotic will fail on camera.

So, how do we teach this?

The Perro Worldwide Comics formula depends on a building a practical understanding of martial arts. That means starting with the basics and building from there. If it doesn't work for real, it won't work on camera. That can be a difficult ask for the eager performer looking to jump kick their way across the camera, but when the simple is executed at a high level, the exotic can be learned from a knowledge-based understanding of the practical.  Then it can be applied on camera, in the correct ratios for the scene.

This process takes a bit longer, but it also elevates an entire fight scene in a way that makes it both real and stylish at the exact same time.