Brutal Bond Fights - and My First MA instructor

[Andy_S]

Conventional Interweb wisdom is that Bourne fights better than Bond, but personally, I felt the Bourne rucks were just too technical/choreographed and looking back, there are some really underrated rucks in the Bond movies, but as these were filmed as chaotic fights, the technique/skill is less clear.

The Bond fights feature plenty of one-twos to the jaw, knees to the midsection, use of improvised weapons and tactical deployment of the furniture and environment, but also some real moves. Moreover, what makes these fights reasonably realistic is that they feature pretty simple techniques that anyone could be trained in, whereas the Bourne fights feature intricate, master-level MA that would require regular, intensive training.

From Russia with Love (the best Bond fight ever?):
Gun slap disarm
Jacket pull to restrict the villain's arm movements
Mount and reversal
Guillotine choke
Crazy monkey guard (sort of)
Full nelson
Rear nekkid choke to garrote

HM's Secret Service (A solid spanking from George Lazenby)
Standing arm bar
Reverse elbow
Hammer fist to kidney (ouch!)
Uppercut-downward elbow combo

Spy Who Loved Me (Moore punches like a pouffe, but not bad moves)
Double knife hand to floating ribs
Round kicks
Head control

Sean Bean fight (cant remember name of film - Brosnan was even less convincing than Moore as a fighter IMO)
Double arm pass/hammerfist to back of neck
Cross-arm lapel choke
Head butt
Standing arm bar

Quantum of Solace (Craig does the business as effectively as Connery, though the fights in Casino Royale were better, I reckon)
Clinch to headbutt
Outer wrist lock
Straight leg lock

Diamonds are Forever (excellent close-in work from Connery)
Double lapel choke
Double knife hand to floating ribs (clearly, a popular MI6 technique)
Hammer fist to back of neck
Fire extuinguisher to liver

FYI, the villain in the elevator ruck in DAF was my first MA instructor Mr Robinson - my judo teacher as a seven year old! Very big, stern chap, who held dans in judo, karate and JJ, which was pretty unusual back in the early 70s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-bDoEG8skQ


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEoh49r3SiA

[Alexatron]

Two comments:
1. Very interesting.
2. You need to get out more.

[Steve James]

The ruck in the elevator in DAF was the best. The train car fight with Shaw comes in second. Then there's the tussle in the storeroom.

[Michael]

Speed and strength is all that's required, lol.

[chud]

Conventional Interweb wisdom is that Bourne fights better than Bond, but personally, I felt the Bourne rucks were just too technical/choreographed...

Bourne may be the more technical fighter, but Bond gets all the ladies.

[Michael]

Well, he is a cunning linguist, lol.

Bond, I mean.

[KEND]

Personally I liked the one in Japan, where every karate school in Tokyo was used for extras. Moore was trained by Lajos Jakov who was a remarkable martial artist but always seemed stiff , great scripts but, together with Brosnan my least favorite Bond, Sean Bean who is now in series Legends] would have made a good 007 but got relegated to 008

[Steve James]

Well, Connery was much better at judo --and so was Moore, though his fight scenes were generally hokey, and Honor Blackman.

It seems that Moore was Fleming's idea of Bond, and would have been his choice over Connery. Moore was producing "The Saint" at that time and couldn't do it. He considered Connery to be too working-class for an Eton graduate. Ironically, I think that's exactly what made Connery more "realistic" to Americans, in particular. Maybe that's why many consider Moore to be more of a campy Bond than a British secret agent. Now, McGoohan's portrayal of an agent --more interested in missions than Misses or Mrs-- is still one of my favs.

[Dajenarit]

Nothing ruins a good movie more than forced romance.

[Andy_S]

SNIP
2. You need to get out more.
SNIP

Ain't it the truth?

SNIP
Nothing ruins a good movie more than forced romance.
SNIP

Too true. Which is why I like Bond, whose MO is generally:
Meet gorgeous babe in exotic locale
SInk a Martini or two
Shag babe
Roll over and crash out
Babe gets whacked in outlandish manner by villain
Bond wakes up
Offs villain in desperate ruck
Delivers off-hand, witty one-liner
Strolls on, none-the-worse

I think Casino Royale was the best Bond film (and Craig the best Bond), but it was marred by the romance.

Bond in lurve? With a Whitehall accountant?

C'mon.