The Haymaker: Part II

Last week, we talked about the haymaker...  The onscreen punch that's less of a knockout and more of a copout.

I argued against using it. And for the most part, that's true.

But, there is one occasion where the haymaker can be effectively used on camera, and now it's time to talk about when that is!

On-screen fights are unique because (in an ideal circumstance) all the performers are well trained martial artists. But that doesn't necessarily mean that their characters are well trained martial artists.

Often, low level henchman-type characters aren't particularly skilled. Their strength comes in numbers, and the purpose of characters like these are to attack the main character, while at the same time getting quickly knocked out.

They're body bags, and despite the fact that the performers portraying them are skilled, they need to look like unskilled attackers.

That's when the haymaker is an effective choice! Because it's a somewhat unskilled punch to begin with, looking more like a move used by an untrained street fighter, it's a great choice for a henchman. Not only that, it's such an easy punch to block, and opens up the attacker to a wide range of counters, it can seriously elevate the moves of the hero.

Good fight scenes take into consideration the skill-level and martial styles of the characters. While the haymaker is nearly always a bad choice for the leading hero, it's a powerful tool in the henchman's arsenal!