How to Throw a Stage Punch

For all you theatre and movie fans out there that have always wanted to know how the actors fight onstage or on screen, without actually hurting themselves, yet making it seem life-like, now is your chance. Follow these steps and you will be looking like Chuck Norris in no time. Alright. Maybe not Chuck Norris, but you will impress your friends.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Let your partner know, in advance, whether you will be throwing the punch with your right or left hand. This is critical. Otherwise, your partner may react in the incorrect direction, leading to not only the failure of the allusion, but also potential harm.

2. Make sure you have enough space to throw the punch without getting jammed up. If you are throwing the punch with your right hand, place your left hand on your partner’s shoulder and step back until your left arm is fully extended. That is one arm length's space. That is all you will need. Reverse this if you are throwing the punch left-handed.

3. Know that slow motion is the best motion. Everything from this step forward you will execute in slow-motion and practice multiple times, until both you and your partner feel that you are ready to move to real speed.

4. Follow the spot. If you are the one throwing the punch, choose an imaginary spot just to the left of your partner’s right ear (if throwing punch right-handed), or just to the right of their left ear (if throwing punch left-handed). This is the spot you will aim for when executing the punch.

5. Make eye contact with your partner before you begin. This allows you and your partner to let each other know that you are both ready, and to proceed. This is critical. If you or your partner is not on the same page before you begin to execute the actual punch, it will lead to disaster.

6. Draw back your punching arm.

7. Throw the punch to the imaginary spot chosen from Step 4.

8. Pull away. As soon as your punching arm has extended to the imaginary spot, pull the arm back immediately.

9. Practice, practice, practice. Continue practicing Steps 4-8 in slow motion. It is recommended that you keep it in slow-motion for approximately 5-10 times before trying it at full-speed. It may be shorter if the 2 partners have some stage combat experience, or they have been executing this same punch for many days in performance. It may be longer for partners who have never executed any type of stage combat.

10. Let ‘er fly. Execute the punch at full-speed.

Tips & Warnings

• Have patience when practicing in slow-motion. If you are ready to move on, but your partner isn’t, keep in slow-mo. It takes two-to-tango in the process. Otherwise, injury will definitely occur.
• On the drawback (Step 6), try and keep your punching arm at shoulder height. This helps your partner keep track of your hand, and can get out of the way if anything goes wrong.
• When punching (Step 7), try and rotate your punching arm slightly as you approach your imaginary spot. This lends a little more authentic look to the punch for the audience, and also allows another built-in safety valve. In case you miss your spot and clip your partner, your hand is rotating away from them, so they won’t take a direct punch to the face.
• Make sure your partner has a big, genuine reaction. This is the key to making the punch look authentic. If your partner’s reaction isn’t big enough or there at all, the allusion will die.
• Do not get carried away. If you let your adrenaline get the best of you, you will miss your imaginary spot and injuries will happen.
• Never throw a punch, even in slow-motion, unless you are absolutely sure that your partner is ready!

Resources

• More Information and Locations for Stage Combat Lessons