To defend Winterfell against the Night King’s army of ice zombies in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Arya Stark became a real international martial artist: Eskrima, the authentic fight recreation of the Philippines.
Game of Thrones celebrity Maisie Williams plays the youngest (residing) Stark sibling inside the Emmy-winning TV model of George R. R.
Martin’s fantasy novels have been put via the wringer in all eight seasons. As it should be played, Arya, a noblewoman who travels for the duration of the recognized world to become a deadly assassin, Williams has taken up schooling in fencing, horseback riding, and something that permits her to pull off this dope knife trick.
However, for the Season 8 episode “The Long Night,” which staged the long-awaited Great Battle of Winterfell, Williams took up Filipino martial arts, or FMA. She became skilled in Eskrima (additionally known as “Arnis” or “Kali”), an area characterized by the use of sticks, knives, and improvised weapons.
Of course, Williams’ Arya doesn’t exactly use Eskrima against the Night King’s undead horde. The Philippine Islands don’t exist in GRRM’s sandbox universe. But the display’s combat choreographers taught Williams a tailored version in keeping with Game of Thrones stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam. Kali is a fashion we drew from,” Irlam tells Inverse. “My team comes from a vast heritage of martial artists and gun professionals, so we draw from all styles we can.
Filipino stick paintings are considered one of them for this piece, as are double-edged works. Williams’ FMA schooling is visible onscreen. Arya, caught in a literal tight spot, separates her new spear (forged through her friend-with-advantages, Gendry, a guns smith) into “sticks” that let her be more agile in near quarters. When it comes to pasting work, particularly -surpassed stick work, Irlam says “there may be no other subject” to model from than FMA; when it comes to double-stick paintings, [it’s] the Filipino martial artwork,” he says. When her spear is cut up into sticks, “the nearest weapon is the Kali sticks. You draw from all styles, and you also attempt to incorporate them. Eskrima is a historical martial artwork originating in the pre-colonial Philippines.
After Spain was colonized in 1521, the Spanish crown feared insurrection, so it prohibited Filipinos from wearing Kampilan swords and different guns in public. The natives tailored to using sticks and farming knives as an alternative. Today, Eskrima prospers because it is the official sport of the Philippines and is certainly one of Hollywood’s favorite martial arts. Several celebrity users who were educated in FMA for film roles encompass Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli), Melissa McCarthy (Spy), Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace), Caity Lotz (DC’s
Legends of Tomorrow), and Matt Damon (each Bourne film).
The use of FMA in Game of Thrones came out of the situation. During the episode’s pre-manufacturing section, the filmmakers determined that Arya could fight in a tight indoor stairway built as part of a $2 million expansion to the show’s existing Winterfell set. The stunt crew also gained Williams’ dance knowledge for her FMA training. “Everything she learns, it’s discovered in a sort of dance style,” Irlam says. “With double-stick paintings, often the sticks are following each other. You strike with one, and the alternative follows through—it’s fluid.
