Just not ready for prime time...

[Sir Brian]

I just watched an act on the show "America's got Talent" with a husband and wife sword fighting I:33.

They didn't make it. Goes to show us that the general population would rather watch parrots perform magic tricks than something cool like swinging steel at another person! 

[Thorsteinn]

They may have been skillful but were they entertaining & possibly have a million dollar act?

[Sir Brian]

Oh most definitely not! 
They were your typical renfair variety of entertainment, then again IMO 90% of the acts on those kind of shows are not good enough to justify even the audition time but I suppose therein lies the entertainment value ~ i.e. the morbid fascination of watching someone commit an epic fail on national television.   

[Sir Rodney]

True, much of the entertainment value is watching for an epic failure.  The last Renfair act that made it close to the finals was the juggling group Danger Committee which performs at the MN Ren Fest.  They have a great act in my opinion.

[Sir William]

I think a highly stylized, fully choreographed sword fight would knock them all dead...unfortunately, it would need to be in the Hollywood style of screen fighting to be remotely entertaining to the unwashed masses, or MOPs as they call it over on the other side of the pond.  You could always add elements of real swordplay, grappling, the odd punch or kick even.

Like this:  

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3nN8j4BF8[/youtube]

Watch the man in black...he's actually grinning at one point, like he's just having himself a blast!  And the guy in red, I want a hauberk fitted like is!

[Sir Gerard de Rodes]

That`s a really cool find Sir William 

G

[Sir William]

Thanks Sir Gerard...someone had actually posted it on another forum I was on some months back but it stuck with me because it was balletic(sp), I knew it for what it was but you know, its swords and I do like to watch them being used, even if it was all flash and no substance.