Countdown to NJFA courses!

I'm now 1 week off from the latest iteration of firearms training - some basic pistol. I've had my hands on a few pistols over time, and squeezed off the occasional round in the appropriate setting, but I'm looking forward to a formal program with a variety of calibers and a variety of weapons. It's my hope that I'll come away from this weekend's schooling with a more in depth understanding not just of the tools, but the most effective uses of them. Once I've got that under my belt (and the appropriate paperwork) I'm going to make the purchase of a few blank firing props and begin marketing myself in earnest to the indie folks.

Speaking of indie folks - I also recently took place (just this past Saturday night, in fact) in the Vampire Cowboy's Saloon Series. Now, I've mused on the VC before, but since this isn't their production I'm not stressing it. The Saloon series is in fact something I had the chance to participate in briefly last year, however other commitments interfered, and left me hanging unable to keep playing. A shame since it was Mac Rogers' play "Asymmetric" a spy thriller that I adored. There was to be torture and gunplay all over. A fight stager's dream. Alas. In short, each year, Vampire Cowboys invite top indie groups and writers to stage 10-15 minute installments of a full piece. Each month, audiences cram in to view the latest "episode" of the plays.

This year, I'm involved in Crystal Skillman's show - "Hack" a twisted combination of computer IT hacker mystery and spaghetti western. Directed by John Hurley and featuring some of my favorite people to work with, it is also a nice little showcase for groups who don't know me. I also get to employ the gravelly "gunfighter voice" that no one in their right mind would ever employ on stage. Since it's 10 minutes once a month - no harm done. It's fun, and I hope to get to stretch my choreography muscles a little at some point down the line. It'll be tough since these are the nerdiest of the nerds and not exactly capable fighters, but that has it's own joys, I suppose.

Depending on how this process goes, I may investigate taking a class or two at the Vampire Cowboy's Battleranch (this is their studio space in Assendofnowhereburg, Brooklyn). I might be able to pick up a thing or two from them, and possibly trade a little knife and gunskill along the way.

On another note, now that things are getting cooler, and most of my compatriots are working semi-regular hours again, it's getting time to start actually shooting at one another again. Paintball season for the casual player is upon us. I'm hoping I can con my brothers out on a weekend jaunt at some point this fall.

In the meantime, it's practice practice practice in CSSD SC, keep working up fights, recording ideas for improvised melee weapons, and seek out excellent work on film TV and stage to be inspired by. By the way - "Leverage" has excellent stuff. It was recommended by my instructor, the venerable Michael Stone, and I have NOT been disappointed in the least. Brutal and accurate, it's not the usual flying fists and kung fu kicks. This is rapid, tactically efficient sequence after sequence (sometimes stretching realism) but ultimately fun. I love when I see something and either I am able to break it down into a series I can duplicate, or even more exciting, say "I know how to do that in real life!"

On the sad side... I saw another show with eastern styled martial arts slowed down to the point of looking like it was under water. I'm not naming names, but holy shav'ed cats. What a waste of time. I just don't get it. If you don't have the chops to choreograph something that advanced, DON'T DO IT. I don't know kung-fu. I'm not going to stage a fight with something remotely approximating it. And for god's sake, stop with the facing off. Ugh. It's cheesy in Japanese cinema, and it's even worse with two chumps on stage.