I own nothing having to do with any version of the X-Men, I just like to use them for chasing the demons from my head once in a while. I also don't own Popeye or Charlie Chaplin.
/GG/
Dancing With the Opposition
The gymnasium was quiet when he entered. The kids were either at school or in a training session with Logan at the time; so Mr. McCoy was sure to have the room to himself for a time.
He had been watching old movies lately, movies from before he was born. Just as a way to look into cinematic history. But while he was there he ran into something that he found interesting. Slapstick comedy could be used as an effective weapon if trained properly and a good way to fall if you were knocked down yourself.
Charlie Chaplin had been one of those great cinema heroes he had grown up knowing. Henry just wished he had had more of an opportunity to study the man's moves before. They would have been effective in any skirmish he'd had as a kid and as an X-Man.
There was no need for the hat or the shoes, but the cane was also something he could use. Gambit was always carrying a cane. Although he had no place to put it, it was sure something he could use in designing interesting ways of defeating the Acolyte.
Henry made sure there were mirrors on every side of the gym and video cameras behind every mirror to record his movements. This was definitely a test run, but if it turned into something he could use, he wanted to make sure to have every part recorded for further instruction.
The mirror to his left is where he started facing. He had compiled a montage of different clips of the actor as he bashed, smacked, whacked and bruised his opponents. Henry started off trying to follow the man; then had to slow the clips down since Chaplin moved too fast.
Once they were slowed to a crawl, he was able to mimic the movements with precision. Almost like learning a dance.
"They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I hope wherever Mr. Chaplin is, he is flattered I am using his stunts to create training exercises." The man said to himself.
Being who he was, tumbling out of situations came easy for him. For others it didn't. The actor seemed to be able to tumble and blunder into and out of everything, from the inner workings of a plant to getting into brawls while inebriated.
McCoy didn't condone drinking alcohol of any type let alone letting it affect your judgment, but he had to admit, Charlie was able to get himself out of some pretty interesting scrapes. Even if he was the one who originally got himself into them by alcoholic consumption.
He spent about an hour perfecting techniques to getting out of interesting predicaments by the slapstick routines; then he moved to the cane. He didn't have a cane that bent like Chaplin, but Gambit's staff didn't bend, so it was probably more beneficial to have one that remained erect.
The cane was an interesting choice, since it was a tool that could be used with a stick found in the park too. He worked on ways of removing the Cajun's staff from his hands, using the slapstick tricks, then worked on some of the ways Charlie used the cane in the various circumstances he managed to get himself into.
The actor tended to just use the cane as a way to move someone out of the way, or whack them in the noggin. There were also a couple of times the cane was used to swipe a person's feet out from underneath them. Henry worked on ways of utilizing all forms.
"I don't know that maybe this isn't a little violent." He stated. "But look at the cartoons our parents used to watch. Popeye was always using his muscles against the antagonist."
He worked for about a minute more.
"Of course, this would be a lot easier if I had a sparring partner."
Beast wondered for a moment who he could call. An adult would be the most effective, but he figured Wolverine would probably slice the cane into wood chips. Storm was always a good partner, but she was off visiting her sister and he couldn't very well use Xavier.
Deciding it would be better to wait until Storm's return before finishing with the cane, he put the stick of wood away.
"Let's work on foot movements for a while."
Henry realized he was only talking to himself, but all the great ones tended to teeter on insanity once in a while. When he started to actually kick his own hind end then he'd start to worry.
The foot movements were more along the lines of dancing. Most of the boys would probably throw a fit if they found out all fighting was just a violent way to dance, if you were seasoned enough. The girls would probably get into it to the point where it became useless, unless they just planned on charming the opposition.
That, of course, wasn't going to happen. But the way some of the opposition acted toward the girls, he wouldn't be surprised if they decided to charm the girls instead.
Back to work though. Henry tried to follow the steps Chaplin used in various techniques, including weaving about and keeping something between them and the opposition. That didn't always work, but with some of the abilities the kids had, it may have proven fruitful.
He was in the middle of working on sliding out of the way when he heard a giggle from the doorway. That unmistakable giggle stopped him dead in his tracks and had he been anyone else, he would have crashed to the floor.
"Uh, Mr. McCoy, like, what are you doing?"
Sheepishly, Henry maneuvered himself into a position that wasn't so contorted and looked at Kitty.
"I'm actually utilizing the slapstick routines of Charlie Chaplin to choreograph new fighting styles I intend on introducing next week."
Better just to come out with it. If he didn't then the rumor that he had a date with someone was sure to circulate.
"Do you plan for us to dance with the Brotherhood or something?" Kitty asked.
"No…but all fighting really involves is dancing. I figure we might as well learn all we can from whomever we can. This will keep the opposition on their toes."
He could tell Kitty was contemplating this before a smile spread across her face.
"You know Mr. McCoy, you're right. I never really, like, thought about it before. Can we try the moves with the roller-skates?"
Henry looked at his group of scenes and saw Charlie roller-skating with a blind fold.
"I don't know that this particular move will help most of us, but since you can walk on air, perhaps it may help you."
Kitty started to hover over the ground using her phasing abilities. Henry knew she didn't use them for the purpose of walking on air often, but if she had to make it over a bridgeless obstacle, she didn't hesitate.
"I've seen Bobby use a similar technique with his ice making ability. This should allow you to be a little bit freer since you don't need to have the ice in order to move."
Henry started to 'dance' with her so she could learn the basic movements. Then he let her try on her own. She was a natural when it came to acrobatics and this 'skating' technique she was learning would be enough to make anyone dizzy. Henry looked forward to seeing it in action when she wowed the pants off the other Xavier students.
"Ya know Mr. McCoy, I think this type of training might actually work." Kitty said.
"I'm glad at least one of you agrees with me thus far Kitty."
"When are you going to show the other students?"
"I'm thinking we should start next week. We need a little more variety in our styles. I don't know how everyone else will react to Mr. Chaplin's brand of movement, but if I don't tell them where I got the idea, then maybe it won't be so hard to get them interested."
Kitty stopped mid figure-eight. "I won't tell if you won't tell."
Henry laughed as Kitty descended to the floor and waved.
"This might work after all old man." He said to himself.
He went to his selection of clips and watched them again to see if there was something else he was missing he wanted to practice. It had been a good day and one in which he believed was invaluable; not only to himself, but to his student as well.
At least she didn't think she would be dancing with the opposition.
/GG/
A few hours after Kitty left, Henry made his way back upstairs. He had spent the better part of the day in the gym and time had flown. In his exuberance he had forgotten to eat both lunch and dinner and he wanted to get something to eat before he passed out from lack of energy.
It was quiet in the kitchen, so he assumed everyone was either in their respective rooms (or maybe not, he wasn't too sure since they were teenagers) or in the common room. He grabbed a sandwich from the refrigerator and headed off toward the common room to see if anyone was there.
About five doors down he heard a bunch of laughing, so he knew he had found the bulk of the students and he could smell both Wolverine and Xavier. Were they having a meeting without him?
He made his way to the room and stood in the doorway. There was a movie playing on the television he wasn't expecting. Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" was running and all the kids at the institute were laughing at his antics.
Leave it to Kitty to introduce their new 'role model' without them being aware. Henry wanted to smile. Hopefully when they started to learn his moves, they wouldn't laugh. After all, laughing at the opposition wasn't exactly the best way to win the war.
/GG/
Charlie Chaplin is a historical figure in movie history and his movie 'Modern Times' is considered one of the best movies in history. I have no association with either him or his family. I just shamelessly boast about his abilities.