Britain/Americas got talent

[rossmartino8]

Me and my friend were going to go in for britains got talent ( americans got talent for americans ) to do tae kwon do but we thought it would be too similar to strike ( a previous martial arts show ) and we were wondering what ways we could do to make it different than just doing moves and flips . we were thinking bored breaking but other than that we cant think of anything . any help would be grateful . thankss

 

[igillman]

How about a choreographed fight routine? Sort of like "combat forms" (if you follow me). It looks good as you are still doing your moves like jumping and spinning but there is the added drama of "who is going to win".

Talk to the crowd, crack jokes (corny ones work) and generally make them feel part of the show. This will make them interested in the choreographed fight as they will be wanting their favourite person to win. You may want to have a good-guy, bad-guy thing so that the audience wants the good guy to win the fight. That way you can choreograph the good-guy getting beaten up until the very end (think Rocky).

Deliberately hype up one break that looks really difficult, then miss it on your first attempt. It makes it look twice as difficult when you succeed the second time you try. Maybe hit the board but not hard enough to break it then fake a limp, your partner must play to this and look and act really concerned.

Have fun up there, someone who is having fun and is happy transmits that happiness to the audience. By connecting with the audience (talking to them, cracking jokes etc...) they will be pulled in to the routine and will actually want you to succeed. They will ride the rollercoaster with you which is what you want.

Demonstrate some moves by having one of you dressed up in sparring gear, go over the top with the dress-up, have them padded out like never before. Then "demonstrate" the moves by kicking them. Make sure they fall over every time, if possible make sure that the audience feels each hit. They will get sympathy with the guy in the padding (especially if they are small and look weak) and then during the staged fight scene have them beat you. The audience will love their favourite underdog winning the fight.

I used to be a magicians assistant and I can tell you that 90% of any routine is hype and fluff. Magic tricks take only seconds to actually do but they take many minutes when you add in the build-up, patter and what we used to call "fluff". The trick is simple and boring (like board breaking) but what sells it to the audience is the "fluff". In fact, I recommend watching magic shows and try to see how they build up the routine. Some people use tension and suspense (escape artists) others use comedy (Mack King) and some use no words at all, just a flair of artistry (The Pendragons).

One final word of advice. There has to be a reason for doing whatever it is you do. Magicians sometimes use the "I found a pack of cards, let's use them" reason for doing a trick, some have a small story (fluff) surrounding the illusion. It does not have to be a very good reason, just one that people can follow.

I just thought of a storyline. Two people meet going opposite ways on a bridge. neither of them wants to give way to the other. They start an argument, one of them says "hold this" and hands them a board and then breaks the board. The other one pulls out a board, gets the first one to hold it and breaks it with a better kick. The board breaking escalates, each kick looking better than the previous one until finally they start sparring. Eventually they find that they have switched positions on the bridge and they stop sparring and continue off on their journey as if nothing happened.

 

[Sukerkin]

Very nice advice, igillman. Sadly, the OP was underage and so will not be able to reply. It doesn't take anything away from your excellent post

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[igillman]

Some more things to consider...

On stage every movement has got to larger than life. The people at the back of the theatre will not see a finger waggling but they will be able to see the whole arm waggling. Make it big and bold.

You will make mistakes on stage, suck it up, get used to it and, above all, don't let it phase you. Keep going like it never happened. Making mistakes is normal, it is how you react to them that shows how professional you really are. It is also worth noting that you may spot the mistake but nobody else does. That happened to me a few times on stage.

Give them a good beginning and a good end, the beginning will hook them and the end is the impression they will leave with. The middle of the routine is simply there to keep the two ends apart

It is all about looks, not skill. The audience will appreciate something that is easier but looks good to something that is very difficult but doesn't look that good. You are trying to appeal to the masses who know nothing about TKD rather than the experts.

Good luck and, above all, HAVE FUN!!!!!

 

[Tez3]

The last series of Britain's Got Talent had martial artists on it,TKD I'm told (don't watch the programme) it's hard though to compete with boy sopranos, dancing dogs and 'disabled' lads dancing!

 

[Claire]

Here's a link to view the TKD team from last series.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LZnI8w7100c

 

[Touch Of Death]

Me and my friend were going to go in for britains got talent ( americans got talent for americans ) to do tae kwon do but we thought it would be too similar to strike ( a previous martial arts show ) and we were wondering what ways we could do to make it different than just doing moves and flips . we were thinking bored breaking but other than that we cant think of anything . any help would be grateful . thankss

Forget the uniforms. Dress up in some elaborate garb and enact a scene from a movie or senerio involving a multiple opponent situation. Go to you tube and watch "Them heavy people" by kate bush; something like that. But not so weird.
Sean