Staged Fights in MMA???

OK, not quite.  But, now that I have your attention …

MMA fights are quite real in terms of combat sports, as real as it gets in the cage. No WWE-inspired theatrics needed. But that’s not what this post is about.

I’m pumped to be attending the International MMA Expo in Los Angeles tomorrow. I’ve been invited by my good friend and mentor, stunt coordinator John Kreng, who will be performing live stunt-fighting demonstrations. He’ll also explain the differences between a movie fight scene, a MMA bout, and a real, life-and-death street brawl.

This is a chance not just for MMA and movie fans to see the stylistic differences among the types of fights, but it’ll also be an opportunity for MMA fighters to learn what it takes to make the transition to feature films.

And John’s a great teacher. He has more than 20 years of stunt fighting experience, having worked with everyone from Jet Li to Steven Speilberg. Plus, he’s the author of Fight Choreography: The Art of Non-Verbal Dialogue.

If you’re going to be at the show, swing by John’s booth, where I’ll be milling around like an unwanted vagrant =)

Tags: fight choreography, Lyoto Machida, MMA, Randy Couture, stunt coordinator, stunt-fighting, UFC, WWE