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Stage your Fight Choreography Like a Pro! Learn how to produce convincing but safe medieval swordplay, bar brawls, knife fights and beyond.
14 chapters of premiere video content—
learn at your own pace.
1.) Intro to Stage Combat | (8:45)
2.) Safety in Stage Combat: Part 1 | (11:43)
3.) Safety in Stage Combat: Part 2 | (25:19)
4.) Physical Conditioning | (11:05)
5.) Basic Combat Techniques | (17:05)
6.) Advanced Combat Techniques | (27:41)
7.) Working with Stage Weapons: Part 1 | (18:20)
8.) Working with Stage Weapons: Part 2 | (14:05)
9.) Choreographing Fight Scenes | (16:07)
10.) Keeping It Fun | (4:04)
11.) Acting the Fight | (14:46)
12.) Fighting Styles in Shows | (38:21)
13.) The Future of Stage Combat | (6:51)
14.) BONUS - More Fighting Styles | (53:36)
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Stage Combat Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated. It Just Has to Work.
If you direct theatre, chances are you’ve faced this: a big fight scene that feels clunky, confusing, or worse—unsafe. You don’t need a Broadway budget or a cast of stunt performers to fix it. You just need a better system.
This class with fight director Mike Catron gives you exactly that. It’s a straightforward, no-fluff guide to building fight scenes that look sharp, tell the story, and keep everyone safe. Mike doesn’t just show you the moves—he shows you how to think about fights as a director. What needs to be clear? What needs to be felt? What actually serves the scene?
You’ll learn how to break down violence into choreography that your actors can actually execute. How to stage slaps, punches, and sword fights without confusion. How to create tension and character through movement. And how to rehearse it all without anyone getting hurt.
This isn’t about turning your show into an action movie. It’s about helping your actors feel confident, your audience stay engaged, and your fight scenes do what they’re supposed to do: move the story forward.
No gimmicks. No overkill. Just clean, confident stage combat that works.
“ Direct better fight scenes. No stunt training required.”
Trailer & SAMPLE CHAPTERS
Stage combat, simplified. Learn from pro stage combat choreographer Mike Catron how to stage fights that are exciting, safe, and story-driven—without overwhelming your cast or your budget.
All About Musical Theatre | Class Trailer
(1:10)
Sample Chapter Clip | Intro to Stage Combat
(8:45)
Sample Chapter Clip | Pro Tips & Secrets
(4:30)
What Directors & Students are saying
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"Mike is incredibly gifted at efficiently walking his students through the 'WHY' of whatever he is teaching, but especially in his Three Esses Work in 'Safety, Story and Spectacle.'"
Brooke Phillips | Director of Millard West Theatre
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"Mike works with performers to make sure they understand the ways violence elevates the story and focuses on the safety of the students and any weapons used."
Devin H. | Theatre Student
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"Mike takes the time to prepare students fully on expectations and safety. He gives students all the tools they needed to rehearse on their own and to move forward with safe and effective rehearsals."
Debbie Prost | Theatre Director, Johns Creek High School
Mike Catron is a seasoned educator, theatre artist, and nationally recognized stage combat choreographer with over two decades of experience in the classroom and on the stage. As a certified English teacher at Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Mike has taught a broad range of courses—from AP Literature to Creative Writing—and has been a mentor teacher and curriculum leader throughout his career. But it’s in the theatre, and particularly in the art of staged violence, where his passions for storytelling, safety, and student engagement intersect most vividly.
Since 2009, Mike has served as the Assistant Director of Theatre at Millard West, helping produce four major productions each year. He specializes in stage combat direction and collaborative performance development.
His signature approach—centered around the "Three S's" of Safety, Story, and Spectacle—has guided countless students through the physically demanding and dramatically rich world of theatrical violence. Whether it's hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, or choreographed brawls, Mike emphasizes character-driven choices and precision technique, making every moment of action serve the narrative.
Mike is a frequent presenter at state and national theatre festivals, including the International Thespian Festival, where his high-energy, high-impact combat workshops have become a favorite among both students and teachers. He has choreographed complex fight sequences for schools and universities across the country, including productions of She Kills Monsters, Macbeth, Peter Pan, Romeo and Juliet, Mean Girls, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Play That Goes Wrong, among many others. His recent work on Little Women at Millard West earned top honors at the International Thespian Festival in 2025.
Mike is also a 7th-degree black belt and the founder of Catron’s Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo Academy. His deep background in martial arts informs his choreographic style and reinforces his commitment to discipline, safety, and respect—core values he instills in every student he trains.
Praised by directors and students alike for his clarity, enthusiasm, and professionalism, Mike brings a unique blend of literary insight, theatrical artistry, and physical precision to everything he does. His course, The Art of Stage Combat, is not just about learning fight moves—it’s about crafting powerful moments of conflict that elevate performance, deepen character, and captivate an audience.
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
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Stage Combat Choreographer
2021, 2023 -
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Stage Combat Choreographer
2024 -
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Stage Combat Choreographer
2024-2025 -
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Stage Combat Choreographer
2023 -
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Stage Combat Choreographer
2024-2025
COURSE FAQs
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Enrolling in this class means you will have permanent access to pre-recorded video chapters and lessons.
You can watch these lessons as long as you like, whenever you like, and on any device you own including laptops, tablets and phones.
If any new content is added to the class, such as activities, guides or supplements, you will have access to those as well!
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Yes!
After you complete all of the chapters in a course, you’ll be able to take a short quiz proving your completion and comprehension of the class lessons and principles.
If you score over an 80%, you’ll receive a certificate from Theatre Ave Academy proving your completion of the course.
Theatre Teachers! It’s important to note that every state has different requirements for approval for PD hours. In some states or districts, you can send in your certificate as proof and they’ll award you hours. In others this class must be approved at the state level. Theatre Ave Academy is in the process of getting all of our courses approved in those states.
Please feel free to reach out if you have further questions!
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It’s simple! A ticket to your dreams:)
Yes, so our all-access pass means that for less than $15 a month ($179/annually), you’ll have access to all of our online video courses.
As new courses become available, you’ll have access to those as well. This includes the opportunity to take quizzes and receive certificates for each of the courses as well.
If you remain a member for at least one year, you’ll receive access to other treasures like special merch, videos, and announcements.
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If you purchase a course or an all-access pass and decide you’d like to cancel, please reach out to us within 5 days and we’ll give you a full refund.
Let’s Do This!
Stage your Fight Choreography Like a Pro! Learn how to produce convincing but safe medieval swordplay, bar brawls, knife fights and beyond.