ACADEMY OF THEATRICAL COMBAT
One of the nation's foremost centers for training in the art of combat, fencing, swordplay, and fight choreography for stage and screen, the Academy has ongoing classes, seminars, private instruction, and the Academy Apprentice Program, which includes performance opportunities. Weaponry and fencing equipment sales and rentals are available. 6560 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. www.theatricalcombat.com. (323) 939-7345.
ACTION ACTOR'S ACADEMY
The Action Actor's Academy is a company of actors learning to tell stories through physical movement and acting techniques. Classes include martial arts, T'ai Chi, European, Asian, and Filipino weapons. Robert Goodwin, sword/fight master of the academy, has trained (or choreographed) the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Illeana Douglas, Ving Rhames, Eric Roberts, Ron Perlman, and Jennifer Tilly. Film projects include: fight coordinator and sword master for the King's Guard; just completed tenures as stunt coordinator on the films Fast Sofa and Circuit. (310) 558-1143.
ANTHONY DE LONGIS
De Longis has more than 25 years of professional experience as a performer, fight director, and weapons master for feature films, television, and stage. He is the fight coordinator and sword master for the new action series Queen of Swords. He trained and choreographed Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, and has taught, choreographed, and performed with Anjelica Huston, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Adrian Paul, David Carradine, Dolph Lundgren, and Charlton Heston. He taught stage combat and character movement at UCLA for 19 years, and has staged the action for the L.A. Opera since 1986. He offers both private and group instruction. www.delongis.com. (323) 874-9698.
BOB GOODWIN
Goodwin is the Action Actor's Academy's master at arms. He has been choreographing skirmishes for theatre and film for 16 years, including Off-Broadway and for the films Rob Roy and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Goodwyn has trained or choreographed Ving Rhames, Ron Perlman, Illeana Douglas, Jennifer Tilly, Eric Roberts, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others. (310) 558-1143.
DAVE LEA'S STUNT FIGHTS
Lea has 25 years of martial arts experience, and is a stunt and fight coordinator whose focus is on motion picture fights and choreography training. He has worked with Sly Stallone, Michael Keaton, Ashley Judd, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. His classes include on-camera training, martial arts, audition preparation, reactions, kick-boxing, street fighting, stretching, and weaponry. (818) 603-9696.
SWORDPLAY FENCING STUDIOS
Owned by swordmaster Tim Weske, this school teaches sword choreography and combat for film and TV, as well as Olympic competition-style fencing. The classes have a "concentration on inner balance and physical poise." With a "detailed focus on the history and art of fencing, actors are trained to blend both body and characterization into the throughline of their story." Classes include any and all weapons for stage and film, unarmed combat, competitive fencing, and yoga. www.swordplaystudios.com. (818) 566-1777.
THE THROWN GAUNTLET
Andrew Villaverde and David Kessler, who teach at the Thrown Gauntlet, call stage combat "a skill classical actors must acquire to complete their training." Professionals at the Thrown Gauntlet work "to give you the edge with safe and up-to-date armed and unarmed stage and screen combat techniques." Classes and private lessons are available. The first class is free. (818) 409-6176.