There are innumerable stage combat techniques for individual moves, but R&D articulates five 'pillars,' or underlying principles, that can apply to nearly every piece of violence to increase the verisimilitude and effectiveness of the action.

1. Shared Balance, or "Four feet are better than two": As fighters, balance is critical, but we can move past the comfortable notion of always maintaining our own balance. When connected with a partner, we can find times to control their balance, and other times to give control of our balance to them. This is easiest when in physical contact, but the concept can be applied to moments of vicarious contact (through weapons/props, for example).

2. Selective Control, or "Fighting on the edge": To maintain safety, certain immutable techniques must be controlled, like distance, targeting, and level of impact. But many other aspects suffer under tight control and suck the passion out of a fight. Find the barest minimum of necessary control for that character and that fight, and let the rest look ugly. Maintaining control only as long as you absolutely must (and no further) is not always comfortable, but it makes a hell of a fight.

3. Stubborn Acting, or "Ya gotta MAKE me": Always do the choreography. Always follow the script. Never endanger your partner. But by God, PUSH each other. If my partner is going to beat me in this fight, fine--but I'm not gonna roll over and die. They're going to have to make me lose. Don't settle for "Well, the choreography says you shove me back here." Work with your fight partner (dare I say, "scene" partner) to find the resistance between the characters. FORCE them do your will, and be forced, grudgingly and unwillingly, to do theirs. Does this mean you should sabotage the choreography or refuse to move unless you're really punched? Of course not! Choreography is as rigid as the text of any script. Just don't let your partner off easy: make them work for their victories and keep trying to win until the last possible moment. You'll feel the dynamic way this energizes a fight, and the audiences will too.

4. Application of Power, or "Don't pull your punches": In a fight, effectiveness depends on generating power. Power produces speed. Power produces impact. Power produces emotional engagement by character. And yet, the traditional teaching techniques of stage combat often neglect this aspect and work to dissipate power rather than focus it--and the audience can tell. Instead, power must be generated with every move, then redirected invisibly so that safety, illusion, and story are maintained. This creates a much higher degree of verisimilitude for the audience and a more natural feel of the fight for the performer.

5. Fighting in the Moment, or "This fight, right now": Too often, fighters go through the motions of their prescribed choreography during the fight, which can be boring or lackluster at best and downright dangerous to their partner at worst. Don't "fight the choreography." Fight THIS fight, THIS iteration, with THIS partner. Be in the moment, and watch what is really going on rather than the seeing "the movie" in your head. Doing so will increase safety--and the intensity of the scene--exponentially.