What does it take to throw a convincing punch or sell a dramatic fall on screen? How do you choreograph a complex fight scene involving dozens of actors? What should you consider before diving off a burning rooftop, and how much does it really hurt? Join us for an afternoon talk, “Martial Arts On Screen,” where Film Studies lecturer and action movie expert Dr. Lindsay Steenberg (Oxford Brookes University), along with fellow professional stunt performers and martial artists Jordan Squires, Scott Witham, and Jon Xue Zhang (The Eternals, The Fast & Furious), will answer these questions and show you a few moves. No martial arts experience necessary!

The session will include a guided tour through the British stunt industry and introduce you to Jeet Kune Do, the martial art invented by Bruce Lee. The experts will break down a selection of iconic screen fights to show you what goes on behind the scenes and take you through some re-creations of their fight design. You will even have a chance to try out some basic action choreography.

Tickets for the talk are £5 each (£3 for UPP Members), and if you purchase a ticket for our evening screening of The Way Of The Dragon (Sat 9 Nov, 6pm), you’ll receive a further £2 discount. Click here to book a ticket for The Way Of The Dragon.

Speakers:

Dr Lindsay Steenberg is Reader/Associate Professor in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes University where she is Chair of their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Research Network. She has published numerous articles on the crime and action genres and is the author of Forensic Science in Contemporary American Popular Culture: Gender, Crime, and Science (2017) and Are You Not Entertained? Mapping the Gladiator in Visual Culture (2020). She is currently completing a monograph on the fight sequence in post-millennial action cinema with Lisa Coulthard (at the University of British Columbia) and has recently been training with stunt performers for a new project on the British stunt industry.

Jordan Squires is the Manager at Can Do Martial Arts in Abingdon, UK, where he also serves as a senior instructor and coach. With over a decade of experience in martial arts, Jordan holds black belts in Jeet Kune Do, Shotokan Karate, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Inspired by his love of martial arts cinema, Jordan offers instruction in a variety of disciplines, including self-defense, MMA, and personal fitness training

Scott Witham is a senior instructor at Can Do Martial Arts in Abingdon, UK. Scott plays a pivotal role in the dojo’s combat-based fitness program, Training for Warriors ands holds black belts in Jeet Kune Do and Karate, and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Scott is also a keen cinephile and co-hosts the film podcast, The 3 Retro Movie Geeks.

Dr Jon Xue Zhang is an actor (The Brothers Sun) and former stunt performer (Marvel Eternals, Fast and Furious, The Gentlemen), lifelong martial artist (Author of The Martial Heart), musician (Aethereality album) and sport psychologist based in Oxfordshire. He currently teaches stunt / screen fighting workshops.

This screening is part of the BFI’s national Art Of Action tour. For more information go to: