Weekly Drop-in Classes in Austin

Train. Play. Fight. Come back next week.

Weekly stage combat training for performers who want to build their physical skills, try something new, or simply get more time on the floor.

No previous stage combat experience needed. Each class works as a standalone session, so you can drop in for one or train regularly.

What to expect

These are practical, physical sessions built around the foundations of stage combat.

You'll work with other performers, learn safe and repeatable techniques, and explore how those techniques become believable moments of action onstage.

Training will move through different areas of stage combat, including:

• Body Control — falls, reactions and safely creating the illusion of impact

• Close Quarters — unarmed techniques and working safely at closer distances

• Mid-Range — weapon skills, distance, timing and partner awareness

The focus will change as we train, so there will always be something new to explore and something familiar to keep developing.

Drop in for one. Come back for more.

The details

Saturdays · 90 minutes · $30

Where: TBD

What to bring: Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely, enclosed shoes and bring a water bottle.

Sandals, Crocs and bare feet aren't suitable for training.

How does drop-in training work?

Book the sessions that work for you. You don't need to commit to a full term or training block, and you don't need to have attended the previous session to join in.

Each session stands on its own while still giving regular participants opportunities to keep developing their skills.

New to stage combat?

Great. No previous experience is required. Safety, communication and consent underpin the way we train, and techniques are developed progressively so you can work at an appropriate level.

Who is teaching

Tobie Minor is an Associate Professor of Practice, the Director of Stage Combat/Intimacy, and teaches Movement and Acting at The School of Theatre, Dance, and Film at Texas State University. He is also the co-founder of Violent Crown, a physical theatre training and performance group.

He is a member of the Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME), a certified Vocal Extremes Teacher/Coach with VCT (Vocal Combat Technique), and has been a certified Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) since 2000.

He has choreographed violence at Texas State, Zach Theatre, Austin Shakespeare, Austin Playhouse, Hidden Room Theatre, and Penfold Theatre to name a few. He has been nominated and won many awards both locally (B. Iden Payne) and internationally (Falstaff Award), and his choreography has been featured at the Blackfriars conference and on The Globe stage in London.

Train. Play. Fight. Come back next week.