Kirk school of combat

[Admiral Stubbs]

Is anyone else a fan of Kirks fighting style in The Original Series?
I have been deliberating whether to create a series of videos demonstrating and dissecting the graceful art that is Kirks approach to combat.
Such moves as 'the forward dog roll', 'the doorframe swing', 'the double hammer fist' and the devastating 'kirk chop'.
I feel its a lost art nowadays with nonsense like UFC taking up valuable time on tv.
None of those pumped up imbeciles would stand a chance against the enigmatic slipperiness of a prime, 60's Shat.

 

[Phaser Two]

Lol! Of course! Shatner's outstanding physicality was a major part of the Kirk persona. My personal favorite is the "one leg falling down kick" or its two-legged variant, but there are many others. Would love, love, love to see your videos.

 

[Kor]

Now as detail-obsessed fans of the 2010s, it's up to us to over-analyze the effectiveness and the technical aspects of Kirk's fighting style.

Karate and Judo seemed to be the most well-known martial arts in 1960s Hollywood, so I would venture a guess that they were incorporated into Kirk's combat methods.

Kor

 

[Steven P Bastien]

I hope you include some of his strategic tricks too. The "wire across the door" trick, the "telling McCoy to fake illness" trick and the "dropping the card" trick come to mind. That always helped when he had to fight more than one person.

Also, he was smart enough to use a club when he faced a man with 5 times his strength (Khan).

With his brains and brawn he could even defeat Bruce Lee of those days.

 

[johnnybear]

Kirk's fighting style was great! Very believable with his chops and drop kicks! his fight with the Andorian (Orion) spy in Journey To Babel was probably one of his best too!
JB

 

[DonIago]

It's a shame we never got to see Kirk fight Chuck Norris. That could be an entire season of the show!

 

[Steven P Bastien]

That creates a paradox - much like the infinite force pushing the immovable object. Space-time would collapse and the universe would get rebooted.

 

[FormerLurker]

Also, he was smart enough to use a club when he faced a man with 5 times his strength (Khan).

Or Ruk, for that matter (not that that one actually worked).

 

[Ralphis]

I'm actually a brown belt in Kirk Fu. It's a really tough discipline to master.

 

[Steven P Bastien]

Or Ruk, for that matter (not that that one actually worked).

Kirk was just toying with Ruk using the stalactite (or was it a stalagmite - not sure) as a diversion. Lucky for Ruk that he decided to pull Kirk from the pit. Otherwise, Kirk would have applied the Kirk-a-pult move; whereby, using the greater mass of his opponent, he grabs his collar and catapults himself over his shoulder, while at the same time throwing his adversary to his death below. Did you see how long Ruk contemplated what to do? Eventually his computer brain realized his best course of action.

 

[PCz911]

I'm actually a brown belt in Kirk Fu. It's a really tough discipline to master.

Kirk fu.... oh that's brilliant! Where can I find a dojo near me?

 

[Poltargyst]

I think Kirk's fighting style is utterly silly, but it's awesome in its silliness.

 

[The Old Mixer]

With his brains and brawn he could even defeat Bruce Lee of those days.

You lost me there. Kato would have had Kirk out before he knew what hit him.

 

[Kor]

I think Kirk's fighting style is utterly silly, but it's awesome in its silliness.

I want to frame this and hang it in my living room!

Kor

 

[Vger23]

I don't know how anyone can think Kirk's moves aren't awesome and all utterly devastating.

 

[Steven P Bastien]

I want to frame this and hang it in my living room!

Kor

Yeah, that's funny. But, I thought "the last resort" was a cannon made out of bamboo tubing and diamond bullets.

Which reminds me that Kirk was not against making weapons from scratch including that one and bows and arrows.

 

[Vger23]

My favorite Kirk hand-to-hand moment is when he is fighting the Andorian (Orion spy) in the corridor in "Journey to Bable" and he just sort of hurls his entire body through the air at his opponent, stunning himself and resulting in his getting stabbed.

In seriousness, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Roddenberry wanted the hand-to-hand combat to look different, reflecting "advanced techniques" of the future.

Or something like that.....

 

[Steven P Bastien]

... he just sort of hurls his entire body through the air at his opponent, stunning himself and resulting in his getting stabbed.

.

Just remember that Kirk still won the fight.

One funny thing in that scene is when the Andorian stops fighting to fix his tunic.

 

[DonIago]

In seriousness, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Roddenberry wanted the hand-to-hand combat to look different, reflecting "advanced techniques" of the future.

Or something like that.....

So advanced as to be completely incomprehensible to our limited twentieth (at the time) century perceptions!

Kirk's combat tactics clearly extend into subspace.

Of course, by the 24th century Kirk's combat tactics along with many other forms of subspace weaponry had been banned by all civilized races, as noted in Insurrection.

 

[DonIago]

Just remember that Kirk still won the fight.

One funny thing in that scene is when the Andorian stops fighting to fix his tunic.

When someone stops mid-combat to fix their clothes you know they're a bad-ass!