When last we left him, Douglas Herring was just about to explain fight practice and procedures used by the Seattle Knights, an inspiring group of re-enactment performers who enthrall audiences at many a Renaissance Faire in the fair state of Washington. Douglas Herring does all the poster and flyer work for the Knights, and he is the webmaster/designer for www.penumbrafaire.com, and www.piratesofpugetsound.com.

As Douglas told me, “I am by no means one of the premiere fighters and I would not want to mislead anyone. The artist side of me is my professional side as well.  I have always drawn.  I worked as an artist/art director in the computer games industry for fifteen years, retired five years ago.   I was really fortunate too, to work on such subjects that are close to my heart, like King Arthur, Spider-Man, Larry Niven’s Ringworld, historical games like Age of Empires and Close Combat, fantasies such as Shanarra and Fable.”

Dame Sylvie:

Douglas, I know you have worked backstage not just for the Knights but for other productions. Can you explain what is involved in rehearsing a fight scene?

Douglas:

We move fast and our performance are designed to be seen in the round, which is why we work in-distance, as opposed to most of the other fight systems that tend to work out-of-distance for safety’s sake. The latter only works visually from certain angles.

Dame Sylvie:

Can you explain the difference between in-distance and out-of-distance for us please?

Douglas:

In context, the Seattle Knights work in-line; that is to say, we fight closely, sometimes in very small spaces.  A lot of movie and stage fight systems work out-of-line.  That is to say, from certain angles the fighters look to be close to each other, but in fact, there is a bit more distance between them and they are “safer.”   The SK system is based on telegraphing what your next blow is going to be, and not deviating from that blow so your opponent can put up the proper defense.  To be proficient at this is to be able to work safely in much closer quarters, and that is one of the major advantages of our system.  There are a lot of different aspects to this.  Most of the fights you see the Seattle Knights do in show are choreographed.  A lot of time is spent in rehearsal making the fight a true entertainment, just as the big staged fights in films are.  As I said, entertaining the audience is our goal.  The outcome is always pre-determined.

Dame Sylvie:

I think readers will be very interested to know that fights are choreographed. Is the SK system used to choreograph fights that take place in the movies?

Douglas:

In the US, the movie/stage fight system usually used is the SAFD, overseen by the Society of American Fight Directors.  www.safd.org It is a great system for its intended use, the stage.  It is based, as I understand it, on the defender doing a guard (block) and then the attacker attacking that guard.  The SK system is the opposite, the attacker telegraphs his move, and the defender does the appropriate defense of which there are many options.  The attacker must follow through as if the intended target has not moved, so moving is the best defense in a lot of ways.  The motto here is always “move first, defend second.”

The basic SK system, from my perspective, also has a lot more options and the like.  Two people that know the system well can go into “god mode” (ad-lib) and do a wonderfully fun fight.  This is where the SK system really kicks in—it may look chaotic and spontaneous, but in fact it is based on a series of moves and counter moves that our folks are constantly practicing.

Equipment is important too.  People sometimes use the term “live steel” in context to what we do, but to many the term “live steel” implies a sharp edge on the weapons, which we do not have.  But we do use true steel swords; they just don’t have an edge on them.

Dame Sylvie:

That doesn’t mean the fighters can’t hurt!

Douglas says:

Swinging metal things in the air will always have a danger aspect to it, the proper training is the key.  Yes, they can hurt, and the occasion bump or bruise does happen, but I think it is safe to say we have a great track record with very few injuries overall.  It is one of the things the Seattle Knights are particularly proud of.

Dame Sylvie:

How hard is it for a new performer to become a seasoned entertainment fighter?

Douglas:

We teach classes at quite a few levels.  It is a lot of work, but it is a martial discipline, with dedication most can learn it.  New classes generally start in the spring and fall.  How many people sign up varies greatly, from 4 to 20, depending.  I think it is safe to say at least half finish the class and it is also safe to say that most that drop out do so because of time and other commitment reasons. Generally students have a good time though we work them hard.  The Academy can be found at http://www.seattleknights.com/Academy/default.asp

Dame Sylvie:

I think the last question I have would be which upcoming event(s) are you most excited about?

Douglas:

I am very excited about our Penumbra Faire.  It is very ambitious and though I know everything we would like to see in such a faire will not happen right off the bat, it should be a show for everyone and a great foundation for future events. 

With the Penumbra Fantasy Faire, our focus is fun for the whole family.  The site has a lot of kids games already built into it and we are bringing more.  The “fantasy” aspect is akin to the basic Seattle Knight back-story, where beings from different times and different worlds come together and interact, to the pleasure of all.  Where else can Robin Hood fight Captain Hook as he attempts to rescue a kidnapped member of Queen Titania’s Court?  It’s going to be a lot of fun!

Tags: Close Combat, Douglas Herring, god mode, king arthur, Penumbra Fantasy Faire, Pirates of Puget Sound, Queen Titiana, RingWorld, Seattle Knights, Shanarra, SK system, Society of American Fight Directors