Ask "BAMBAM" - Spoilers ALL seasons, all SG Shows/Movies

[Major Tyler]

To James or any of the mods:

Is this thread more informal than the other "ask" threads? If we just want to chat or leave comments for BamBam can we, or are we just supposed to ask questions and leave it at that?

(feel free to delete this if I'm violating a rule )

[2BAM]

To James or any of the mods:

Is this thread more informal than the other "ask" threads? If we just want to chat or leave comments for BamBam can we, or are we just supposed to ask questions and leave it at that?

(feel free to delete this if I'm violating a rule )

Feel free to leave comments...............they are all welcome. No worries.

[knocknashee]

Hey BamBam...it's the naughty one who let the nickname out of the bag...


Do you enter fight tournaments, and have you ever won anything major? That's assuming you go in for the whole competitive thing...


*For the record, I'd love to go in for the competition, but I'm not allowed - because I actually have a couple of medical conditions, my sensei doesn't fancy the idea of full contact too much for that reason, and because I'd get disqualified from a semi-contact tournament in no time - for being overly heavy-handed. (Hey, why teach a girl to punch if you aren't gonna let her do it hard?! Though breaking your Sensei's nose probably isn't the slickest move going...especially when you were only on your second belt at the time... )
I was learning Kali for a while, in the hope that weaponary might teach me some discipline, but my teacher moved away, and finding a Kali class in the UK is like finding a needle in a haystack... (Would welcome any info from anyone about Kali classes iin the Midlands...or even a related art. I really enjoyed that style of combat.)

[Wraith_Hunter]

Hi Mr Bam,

Thanks for answering my last question. I kinda at first thought that maybe you only chose arts that you were trained or knowledgeable in due to your crosstraining. This way you could do it for yourself or you got some of your stunt guys to do the demos for the actors. I knew it had to be one of them.

So far we have see the Athosians (Mainly Teyla), Use the sticks when fighting the Wraith & Shep in training. Then in 'The Siege' it moved on to Knives with yourself. Due to the Wraith's abilities & power I would have thought larger bladed weapons would have been far more effective in a 1-on-1 direct confrontation with them. Is this something that is planned in S2 or 3 & just not had a chance to see yet. I know Teyla uses the P90 with the rest of the team. So it'd more likely be the other Athosians or other offworld firends of hers.

More likely what I think is that the Swords are too dangerous for the actors to be messing around with, an Escrima/Kali stick will hurt if accidentally hit with one, but a sharp sword will do a lot more accidental damage. So due to the strict timeframes that you all have to work to, then you & your team just don't have enough physical time to bring the actors up to speed on their use.

Thanks..

[Saqqara]

So, no one has asked just how many hours a day do you and your team practice. do the producers give you a schdule when you have to be on set or work with the actors, or do they like call you a day before and say they need something. {and yes saying a day before was an example, but it's been known to happen}

[David]

To James or any of the mods:

Is this thread more informal than the other "ask" threads? If we just want to chat or leave comments for BamBam can we, or are we just supposed to ask questions and leave it at that?

(feel free to delete this if I'm violating a rule )

As long as everyone is curteous to BAMBAM and doesn't make personal requests, I don't see that as being a problem right now

[roguephoenix]

hi mr. bamford. so that was you on that atlantis scene on 'the siege'. at first glance i thought it was a preview scene from sg1 season 9 with ben browder, until i saw teyla. i guess they don't need to find a double for ben. he he. anyway, great fight sequence there. is rachel as skilled as she looks? it didn't look like anything was being pulled on that scene. every hit looked real.

[Hex.FTB.enabled]

You've given lots of info on various fighting techniques you spend time on(very cool by the way), but I was wondering, what's a typical day like in life of an Atlantis stunt coordinator? What's the routine of your job?

[2BAM]

Hey BamBam...it's the naughty one who let the nickname out of the bag...


Do you enter fight tournaments, and have you ever won anything major? That's assuming you go in for the whole competitive thing...


*For the record, I'd love to go in for the competition, but I'm not allowed - because I actually have a couple of medical conditions, my sensei doesn't fancy the idea of full contact too much for that reason, and because I'd get disqualified from a semi-contact tournament in no time - for being overly heavy-handed. (Hey, why teach a girl to punch if you aren't gonna let her do it hard?! Though breaking your Sensei's nose probably isn't the slickest move going...especially when you were only on your second belt at the time... )
I was learning Kali for a while, in the hope that weaponary might teach me some discipline, but my teacher moved away, and finding a Kali class in the UK is like finding a needle in a haystack... (Would welcome any info from anyone about Kali classes iin the Midlands...or even a related art. I really enjoyed that style of combat.)

The answer is yes, I have fought in both point tournaments, and full-contact kickboxing. I have only won "am" bouts, nothing pro. I did receive the bronze medal in the 1991 World Police and Fire Games, in Memphis. I was on Team Canada for the Karate-Kumite division. I don't know of any Kali masters in the UK at this time but I bet there is plenty of info on the net.

[2BAM]

Hi Mr Bam,

Thanks for answering my last question. I kinda at first thought that maybe you only chose arts that you were trained or knowledgeable in due to your crosstraining. This way you could do it for yourself or you got some of your stunt guys to do the demos for the actors. I knew it had to be one of them.

So far we have see the Athosians (Mainly Teyla), Use the sticks when fighting the Wraith & Shep in training. Then in 'The Siege' it moved on to Knives with yourself. Due to the Wraith's abilities & power I would have thought larger bladed weapons would have been far more effective in a 1-on-1 direct confrontation with them. Is this something that is planned in S2 or 3 & just not had a chance to see yet. I know Teyla uses the P90 with the rest of the team. So it'd more likely be the other Athosians or other offworld firends of hers.

More likely what I think is that the Swords are too dangerous for the actors to be messing around with, an Escrima/Kali stick will hurt if accidentally hit with one, but a sharp sword will do a lot more accidental damage. So due to the strict timeframes that you all have to work to, then you & your team just don't have enough physical time to bring the actors up to speed on their use.

Thanks..

The sticks directly translate into the use of swords, or any bladed weapon. If it was written, we would be using swords..................I have faith in my actors on this show. No worries here regarding safety.

[2BAM]

So, no one has asked just how many hours a day do you and your team practice. do the producers give you a schdule when you have to be on set or work with the actors, or do they like call you a day before and say they need something. {and yes saying a day before was an example, but it's been known to happen}

When it is time to rehearse a fight sequence, I check everyone's schedule. The actors, the stunt people.....etc. Then I arrange the rehearsal time based on the best available time for everyone involved. For a standard fight sequence on SGA, you are looking at a four hour rehearsal time for everybody. For a longer one, and eight hour.

[2BAM]

hi mr. bamford. so that was you on that atlantis scene on 'the siege'. at first glance i thought it was a preview scene from sg1 season 9 with ben browder, until i saw teyla. i guess they don't need to find a double for ben. he he. anyway, great fight sequence there. is rachel as skilled as she looks? it didn't look like anything was being pulled on that scene. every hit looked real.

We went at it pretty hard..............this is just because we trust each other. Yes she is that good. We work together more than anyone so when I fight with her, I push her harder than my stunt guys do. She steps up to the plate everytime! And you are correct in assuming the Ben Brouder thing. When he does require a double, which he does not, it is me.

[2BAM]

You've given lots of info on various fighting techniques you spend time on(very cool by the way), but I was wondering, what's a typical day like in life of an Atlantis stunt coordinator? What's the routine of your job?

Everyday varies. Some days are all about prep, paperwork, meetings, editing. Other days are up early, rigging wires, flying monsters, shooting fights. Some days are a combination of all of those plus a possible rehearsal. I usually end the day in the gym, sparring with one or more of my guys from about 730 to 1030. We will train different ways....................stand up Muay Thai..................Submission........whatever. Oh ya, and once in awhile I eat and sleep too.

[Ephemetheus]

Since both SGA and SG-1 deal, mainly, with completly alien societies, have there been any scenes where you were able to create a truely original fighting style.

[roguephoenix]

And you are correct in assuming the Ben Brouder thing. When he does require a double, which he does not, it is me.

cool. yea, i thought you looked more like him. you looked really different in that "the siege" scene than you do at the stuntcanada.com site. how long ago was that photo taken? also, did you ever film any scenes for the xmen 2 film? on the rumors sites years ago, you were named as being gambit. they had that picture i was talking about posted. that's why when i saw it i was like, "hey it's gambit that was cut from the film (supposedly)." was any of that true?