STUNT TRAINING AT THE BAVARIA FILM STUDIOS

Yup, here comes another one! I’m churning out blog entries these days like machine gun on caffeine tabs.

Anyway, I went to join a stunt seminar at the Bavaria Film Studio’s very own Stunt Center on Monday & Tuesday.

Mini Me

It was a 4 hour drive to Nuremberg where I picked up stunt bro Tommy. From Nuremberg to Munich it’s another one and a half hours... we gave bro Bernie a lift downtown Munich, got a speeding ticket (Tommy was driving) & eventually made it to the studio gate in one piece... only about half an hour late. Hooray! 

Tommy loves goofy pics... I don't (I'm deep).

The workshop itself was hosted by the German Stunt Association & stunt coordinator Mac Steinmeier & his team... pretty, pretty cool. I met some old friends (Chris Gneissl, Essi Tesfay) and made some new ones (sexy stunt girls Verena & Scarlet of the Bavaria Film Studios Stunt Show).

The Stunt Center's fancy indoor stage & training hall

We went through some basic weaponry, learned about the Para 9mm semi-automatic & double action revolvers caliber .45.

We got to do a little shooting, as well... only plastic bullets, though. Dayumm!

What else did we do? Ah yes, some climbing basics (rappelling, ascending)... safety knots (figure-of-eight knot, Prusik knot,  clove hitch, etc.)... some wire work (Chinese wrap and some simple flips, hops and spins)... a little fight choreo (basic saloon style, mainly)... and last not least, high falls.

I chickened out on the 30 feet high fall, since I’d never jumped from that kind of height into an airbag before (plus, I’m actually on an 8 week sports prohibition due to a severe case of bilateral jumper’s knee). There was no step-by-step approach that day. It was just... go ahead... JUMP! Good luck.

So, I limped over to the indoor falling pit & did a few 15 feet sissy headers & suicides instead (which I shouldn’t have done, either, ‘cause at that point my right knee was already swelling up like a baboon’s... err, never mind!).

Me doing some girlie jumps into the pit

Guess I’m gettin’ too old for that kinda shit! It was fun, though.

Fortunately, I got a chance to burgeon during the fight choreography part... which got me a sock in the mug & ample opportunity to get in close (body) contact with the Bavaria Studio’s pretty stuntwomen.

Sweet.

In addition to those seven hours of stunt training in Munich each day, Tommy and I rushed back to Nuremberg to squeeze in a Wushu class on Monday and a stunt training with G-Action on Tuesday evening (but I skipped the latter, ‘cause I could hardly walk that night).

After this stunt marathon was over, I bandaged my knee real tight, popped a handful of Diclofenac pills and set out on a night drive back home.

Knee's much better now, and I’m already looking forward to the next stunt training and to seeing all of them crazy bastards again.