The Art of Unarmed Stage Combat

Chapter 8Partnered Conditioning

After warming up, a good regimen of strength conditioning can be useful to improve muscle tone and further develop coordination. If alone, a performer can do a series of solitary exercises such as push-ups, planks, burpees (squat-thrusts,) and sit-ups. However, theatre is a collaborative art and is at its best when people come together to be in the same space at the same time. To further cultivate the collaborative spirit of the performing artist, the following are a series of partnered strengthening exercises that should be done with a partner. Most of these exercises I learned originally from Kyle Rowling, a fight director and head of the Sydney Stage Combat School in Sydney, Australia. Over the years I have ...