Stage Combat Certification -Unarmed (18+)
6 day – Adults – Short Courses
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Overview
Stage Fight Scotland presents this six-day intensive in Unarmed combat for stage & screen. One of the foundational systems of stage fighting, and found in every major medium, this course explores what happens when your body is the weapon. From spies like James Bond and Jason Bourne, adventurers like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, superheroes like Black Widow and survivors like Furiosa. Ultimately, it all comes down to a fist fight.
You will:
· Gain practical, hands-on experience putting performance into action with the natural tools of the body – pushes & pulls, punches & kicks, locks & strangles, falls & rolls.
· Learn how to understand your relationship to the audience in the space, using sleight of hand and misdirection to safely and convincingly sell a conflict that punishes both parties, using a wide range of techniques and applications in a consent-based and trauma-informed way.
· Understand how to play characters who are driven to extremes; how movement, body language, voice and expression all affect a performance that requires life or death stakes and kinetic intention.
· Rehearse a choreographed fight sequence and set it to a piece of text, to perform as a scene with full intention.
· Industry Recognized Certification Opportunity: when undertaking the course, you will have the chance to take an externally moderated Fight Performance Exam with the British Academy of Stage & Screen Combat, the longest running stage combat certification body in the UK. If you pass, you will be able to add your certification immediately to your Spotlight upon qualification, valid for three years.
· Accredited course: earn 10 HE credits when passing this course.
* accreditation subject to validation
Is a weekly course right for me? Weekly courses are a great experience for those who love to work incrementally and consolidate their learning in between sessions. Lessons are short but intense, requiring you to show up prepared and revise techniques outside the room between lessons. The advantage is that you have additional time to absorb new information and ideas, and get movement patterns into the body. The challenge is to maintain your learning from each week into the next, and build on it: there is more recovery and consolidation time, but it requires diligence during downtime to progress.
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Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
FAQs
Please see our FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
The important details
Age:
18+
Cost:
£595
Date:
15 - 20 September, 2025
Time:
Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm
Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Course Information
Day One : Fundamental Techniques
We will introduce the fundamentals of stage combat as a performance art, and apply them to the Unarmed, including targeting, safety, movement, attacks, impacts, and defences.
Day Two: Fundamental Techniques
We will refine the techniques learned on day one and introduce more advanced techniques in short sequences, switching between long form and short form. At the end of this day you will decide your partner for the exam.
Day Three: Refinement, Style and Choreography
We will drill complex sequences, and experiment with flaring and staff tricks, before being introduced to the choreography you will use for your fight performance exam. By the end of this day you should know what scene you will use for your exam.
Day Four: Scene Direction
You will block and walk through your fight in the context of your scene, creating a story with compelling characters and moments, using the choreography in service of the text. You will rotate
Day Five: Rehearsals
You will run your fight in rotation and receive direction to improve toward your Fight Performance Exam.
Day Six: Exam Day
You will warm up your fight in rotation and then perform for the examiner, with the potential for a masterclass at the end of the day.
The course is designed so that self-motivated students will benefit most from the training. We expect you to undertake a certain amount of self-directed study and preparation out with class times.
Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work in partnership with others as a collaborator.
- Plan and prepare to attend all classes – absences may result in being unable to take the Fight Performance Exam
- Communicate any access needs in advance
- Commit lines to memory outside of session time
- Engage with the supporting materials sent out ahead and throughout the course
- Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in
- Bring a notepad and pen/pencil to make notes
- Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class and snacks to keep energy high
- Bring protective clothing – gloves at a minimum, knee or elbow pads if you use them
BASSC Certified Teacher, director and action designer Rob Myles. Rob is the principal instructor for Stage Fight Scotland. As a stage fighter, Rob has worked with the Royal Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe in London, as well as designing action for both stage and screen, including Sherlock Holmes: The Sign Of Four for Blackeyed Theatre and Sus at The Park Theatre.
A former martial artist and historical fencer, Rob began his journey in this artform 15 years ago, training in Japan with Kamui Samurai Dojo, who choreographed the final fight in Kill Bill Vol. 1. Outside Stage Combat, Rob is a globally recognised figure in both Shakespeare and Digital Theatre. For more information visit robmyles.co.uk
The British Academy of Stage & Screen Combat was founded in 1993 with the aim of improving the standards of safety, quality and training of stage combat and promoting a unified code of practice for the training, teaching and assessing of stage combat within the United Kingdom.
Since its formation the BASSC has established a reputation as the invigorating driving force behind the evolution of stage combat in the United Kingdom and is respected, both nationally and internationally, as the leading provider of professional level stage combat training. BASSC teachers provide stage combat training at RADA, Royal Central, and many more leading drama schools across the UK.
Credit-rated short courses are designed in accordance with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
It is worth 10 SCQF credits and 5 ECTS credits. This course is set at SCQF level 7.*
*subject to validation
By studying a credit-rated short course, students can benchmark their learning against national standards, and credits may be used towards further education programmes at many institutions throughout the world.
There is an additional fee of £100 to take part in the credit-rated portion of the course. Please ensure you have already signed up to the course via the Book Now button on the webpage. Once you have completed that, please sign up for the credit-rated option, by completing this booking form:
By studying a credit-rated course, you will need to be matriculated to RCS*, we require some additional information from credit-rated students for this reason. Please read through the section below thoroughly before you submit. If you have any questions about what is required, please email credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk and we can help you.
* Please note although Credit-Rated Short Courses students require matriculation to get their accreditation, you will not be a full time matriculated student of RCS. Credit-Rated Short Courses do not qualify for student visas due to the short term nature of the course. You will also not qualify for a student email address or student card.
Please read the following eligible evidence dependant on your nationality and immigration status:
Scottish/Welsh/English/Northern Irish (Please provide 1 of the following)
– Passport
– UK Driving Licence
– Other Photo ID
Irish (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
Europeans with Settled or Pre-Settled Status (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
– Online Immigration Status (via Sharecode)
Europeans (post-Brexit) (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
– Proof of Entry to the UK
– Online Immigration Status (via Sharecode)
Non-Europeans who can use the e-gates (Nationals of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and Japan) (Please provide all of the following)
– Passport
– Proof of Entry to the UK
– Vignette
– Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
Online Credit Rated courses:
– if studying an online credit-rated course from your own country (outside of UK) you are only required to submit your passport.
– if studying an online credit-rated course within the UK, but do not hold a UK passport, please follow the guidance from above.
The Credit Rated or Admissions team may require further information or proof from individuals, and may be in contact with you to provide further evidence.
Providing a ShareCode
If you are providing a ShareCode as part of your evidence please visit https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status and follow the instructions to access your code, and provide it in the Experience section of the Booking Form.
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk
