Today I spend the whole afternoon being trained in basic stage fighting by a professional fight director.
!!!
Slightly out of the ordinary, even given my new-found determination to try lots of new and challenging things. I am quite good at the feigned "dummy punches", hairpulling and strangling. But I am absolutely HOPELESS at the stomach punch, which involves actually touching my opponent.
My partner in this exercise is an ethereal-looking girl with a heart-shaped face and drifts of soft brown hair. Despite her telling me repeatedly that a sharp slap with the back of my hand on her abdomen does not hurt her, I cannot bring myself to make physical contact.
Things are getting frustrating, when I suddenly realise that all I have to do is imagine that it is my sociopathic work colleague Remora standing in front of me.
Success !!
I return to my assault with renewed vigour, and the room now resounds with my noisy slaps to her stomach. Later, when we return to the hairpulling, I add a bit of dialogue to make things convincing. My delightfully feminine partner is suddenly startled to hear me call her an "evil f***ing bitch" as I give the illusion of shaking her head violently from side to side.
Wow. It's so cathartic !
It is almost disappointing when we finish the fighting and start rehearsals...
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