The art of dying is dying, according to a recent article on NPR:<\/p>\n
\nNow 69, Fukumoto recalls landing his first job in the movies as a stuntman and extra with Toei studios in 1959.<\/p>\n
“When I was younger, our studio had some 400 stuntmen and extras,” he remembers. “I wanted to stand out. I wanted to be on screen. The best way to do that was to become a ‘chopped-up actor’ and to fight with the stars.”<\/p>\n
Fukumoto’s art is known in Japanese as tate,<\/em> a stylized sort of stage combat that combines elements of martial arts, dance and kabuki theater. Its use in Japanese film has influenced foreign cinematic styles from “spaghetti Westerns” to Hong Kong kung fu flicks. But few Japanese actors practice it today.<\/p>\n
— NPR: In Japan, ‘Sliced-Up Actors’ Are A Dying Breed<\/a> by ANTHONY KUHN<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Here is an example recorded from Japanese TV, in which Kirareyaku (or “Chopped Up Actors) demonstrate their art, and their use of camera angles:<\/p>\n