When Edward Monaghan was 11 years old, he wanted what most
adolescent boys want more than anything: to kick some serious
butt.
“I began (martial arts) when I was a little guy,”
said the UCLA theater professor of “Directing for Film &
TV: Combat for Camera,” a new course open to all students.
“I wanted to be able to take care of myself, so I started the
process by learning how to fight. It’s been a continuous
series of studies ever since.”
By “series of studies,” Monaghan refers to over 30
years of training in numerous fighting techniques; a Black Belt or
equivalent ranking in Shotokan Karate, Chinese Karate and Japanese
Jiu-Jitsu; certifications in Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai and Savate;
and experience in kickboxing and “No Rules”
competition.
But several decades after learning to kick butt, Monaghan has
learned to channel skill in the martial arts into more than just
beating up the neighborhood boys.
After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor
of Arts in acting (after abandoning studies in classical music),
Monaghan received a Masters of Fine Arts in acting from UCLA.
At that point, he realized the apparent fusion between the
techniques of the combative arts and acting, intertwining concept
with movement. A practicing Daoist, Monaghan cites martial artist
Bruce Lee and Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu among his principal
influences in his personal blend between Eastern and Western
traditions.
“When you study martial arts, you’re supposed to
study a healing or creative art as well. It is the fundamental
principle of the yin-yang,” he said. “And one third of
what you do as an actor or a performer is to study types of
movement. Acting is really something you have to do. You have to
actually be in it, doing it, not just intellectualizing
it.”
Monaghan is both a professional actor and a certified fitness
trainer, two roles which combine to inspire his work as a
pre-production fight trainer for film actors. During the six weeks
or so before film shooting, Monaghan teaches stars such as Chris
O’Donnell, Val Kilmer, Julianne Moore and John Malkovich
movement training specific to certain roles.
“I’m good at teaching people to look like they know
what they’re doing when they really don’t,” he
said. “They need to just be dialed into their own body, and
know the story they need to get out there.”
Monaghan uses the same techniques on his students, inspiring
more than martial arts skill: a sense of self-worth and positive
attitude.
“At the end of class it’s less about breaking
someone’s neck than about never forgetting who you
are,” said Ben Bradford, a former student of Monaghan’s
at UCLA. Bradford is also currently a student of the Combative Arts
Academy, a combat training center of which Monaghan is the
director.
“He’s helping these young people get through a hard
part of their lives,” Bradford said, referring to the
aspiring actors of the theater department. “Acting is one of
the hardest professions to be allowed to do.”
In addition to acting technique, “Combat for the
Camera” will train directors and cinematographers to create
and film effective combat sequences for camera. Students will also
learn firsthand the practical aspects of working with martial
artists and stunt people. As a professor of applied movement and
combat for stage and film, Monaghan’s students benefit from
his experiences in all realms.
“Ed is an actor himself, so he knows exactly what the
actor needs,” said theater Professor Jean-Louis Rodrigue, an
expert on the Alexander Technique, which trains the actor to be
fundamentally aware of the body.
“Teachers need to understand the process from inside out,
and Ed knows it. He knows the physical training that relates to the
art of acting.”
In addition, Monaghan emphasizes the importance of preserving
personal health, and is involved in the Mindful Awareness Research
Center of UCLA, run by the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and
Human Behavior. The center intends to change the way people
approach the process of being healthy.
“We are exploring a merger of Western sports science and
Eastern physical training as well as (non-religious) spiritual
training,” he said. Monaghan hopes to gradually increase his
involvement in the program, which in part explores the clinical and
non-clinical benefits of the martial arts in preserving
self-awareness.
“Awareness is a big deal,” Rodrigue said. “It
has to do with instilling in the actor a level of self-comfort that
enables them to know who they are.”
In preparing his students for fight sequences ranging from stage
sword fights to blockbuster action films, Monaghan teaches body
mechanics, flexibility and injury prevention. His general combat
knowledge, however, is also put to greater uses.
Monaghan has assisted an instructing course in defensive tactics
for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, has worked with the
L.A. and San Diego SWAT Teams, and has trained in Special Weapons
and Tactics with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“These guys are in general always really dedicated to what
they do ““ preserving a positive society,” Monaghan
said.
According to Rodrigue and Bradford, such dedication to a
positive society characterizes Monaghan, too, as the professor
hopes to help others attain peace and happiness through attunement
with their bodies.
He may no longer be an 11-year-old boy trying to kick some butt,
but Monaghan’s dedication to physical exertion remains as
strong as ever ““ for different reasons.
“It’s much more than just learning about how to
throw a punch for a camera, it’s about self-exploration and
learning how to express yourself physically, to express emotion in
a physical context,” he said. “(Physical movement)
makes it so you can’t hide behind any barriers. It’s
complete truth.”
UCLA student and professor profiles will run every Tuesday
in A&E.