IDFIGHT NEWS: 15.05.2026 -STUDENT SPOTLIGHT, THE BSR AND A NEW FIREARMS COURSE!

ID FIGHT
May 15
7 min read

Updated: May 28

IDFIGHT NEWS:

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT, THE BSR AND A NEW FIREARMS COURSE!

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

At ID, we love to celebrate the members of our ID Fight family!

Students come to us from all walks of life, all with different goals. Whether you're just someone who's curious about combat, an actor who's keeping their skills sharp, or someone who is out there performing fights and stunts regularly, we're proud of our community and love to champion people on their journeys.

This week, we are celebrating...

NATASCHA MAIR & ROMANA MEYRAT

Natascha Mair first joined the ID Fight family in 2024. Originally a Principal Ballerina from Austria, Natascha has hit the ground running in the world of stage combat and stunts.

Romana Meyrat is a multi-lingual, Swiss actor, who joined our family back in 2023. Also a talented musician and dancer, Romana's fight and stunt adventure is really taking off!

How did you find ID Fight, and what was your first training experience like?

N - I just found it online as I was looking for more screen combat experience after my acting course. I had the best week ever learning unarmed combat . It was so fun and so rewarding that I actually started considering doing more.

R - No kidding, I hopped on the internet one day and typed “stage combat classes near me” into the search bar. ID Fight was the first result that popped up, I saw that they had an open spot for a BASSC (British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat) Unarmed course the following week, and the rest is history.

Did you already know you were interested in stunts when you started?

N - No. I was going more towards that acting route and only started to train towards stunts later on in my journey.

R - Not at all! I had just finished my drama school MA and apart from a love for fantasy, sci-fi, and the action-genre, stunts and the BSR was a completely new world to me.

You're training for the British Stunt Register! What disciplines have you chosen and what made you pick them?

N - Taekwondo, Kickboxing, Scuba and Climbing. So far I am passionate about every single one of them. My main theory about BSR disciplines is, to do the ones that I would enjoy doing either way so I never feel like wasting my time but am truly passionate about each of them.

R - Scuba diving, swimming, rock climbing, horse riding, judo, and a sixth discipline that I haven’t settled on yet. Maybe gymnastics, maybe trampolining, maybe driving, who knows! (Spoiler: not me.) My main criteria for picking the disciplines was fun. I had conveniently already started training in judo before I learnt about the BSR, so that was easy, and with the others I made sure to pick disciplines that I either had always wanted to learn about but had never gotten around to doing (scuba, horse riding), or disciplines that I already had some experience in and knew I enjoyed (rock climbing, swimming).

How has stage combat helped you in your stunt training?

N - Knowing all the basics and safety and performance aspects in order to keep working and building the right strengths. But also being able to see and analyse other performances to understand what can be inspiration or a lesson!

R - Aside from helping me gain the skills to convincingly sell a fight, training in stage combat also has helped my confidence a lot. It showed me that, if I’m patient and put in the time, I can learn a skill from the ground up, even when it seems impossibly difficult.

What's been your favourite thing about training so far?

N - The people and communities.

R - It’s tricky to name only one! But if I’d have to choose, I’d say it’s how many amazing people I’ve met and become friends with through training!

What’s been the most challenging thing about training so far?

N- It’s a daily hustle! Trying to physically, mentally but also financially keep up with everything can definitely sometimes raise doubt! That’s why I try take it day by day and just enjoy the journey!

R - Learning how to deal with comparison! It happens so quickly that you look at someone else’s journey and go “oh man, I wish that was me” or “If only I had what they have”. I need to keep reminding myself that we’re all on our own unique journeys, and we’re all going at different speeds and in different directions.

Do you have any advice for people who might be thinking about training for the BSR?

N - It’s a big commitment! I’d advise to only do it, if you can find yourself passionate and interested in multiple disciplines. Choose things you genuinely want to do and don’t rush them!

R - Do it because you love it! Training is hard, takes a lot of time, and costs a lot of money. It’s a big commitment, and if you’re not sure about becoming a stunt performer, or if – when you’re really honest with yourself – you’d rather be an action actor, then there’s absolutely nothing

wrong with deciding not to train for the BSR.

Have you just finished something cool or do you have something exciting coming up on your fight journey? Tell us about it! Email newsletter@idfight.com with your combat related news for a chance to be featured!

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YOU ASKED, WE DELIVERED

ID FIGHT - New Firearms Course: Civilian & Law Enforcement Level 2

We are excited to announce our highly requested, brand new theatrical firearms course! Available to those who have completed Civilian & Law Enforcement with us and are ready to level up their skills.

A one-day intensive, refreshing techniques and building on existing knowledge, this course also features a graded assessment which was developed by industry working professionals, as well as a certificate upon passing, assessed and awarded by ID Fight!

Your first chance to get your hands on Theatrical Firearms: Civilian & Law Enforcement - LEVEL 2 is on the 30th May, with further dates also listed on the training diary.

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WHAT IS THE BSR?

ID FIGHT News: BSR Highlight - Tom Cruise - Mission Impossible

Image features the Mission Impossible Bike Chase, as shown on the BSR website

The British Stunt Register is a professional directory for stunt performers and coordinators, which was set up as an optional pathway for those wishing to get into the stunt industry.

Before the 1970s, the world of stunts was largely unregulated. Aside from a small team of known stunt performers, stunts were often performed by actors or circus performers, or people who were ‘willing to take hits’. In 1973, the register was conceived as a way to regulate and standardise the way that stunts took place across the industry, as well as being a way to protect cast and crew.

The British Stunt Register developed through many forms before it became the BSR as we know it today. The current format requires those wishing to join the BSR to complete a variety of tasks, including 6 ‘physical competency tests’ across 4 categories - with no more than 2 from the same category - all to a highly trained level.

BUT WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES?

A - Fighting (Any martial art - other than tai chi - as long as it can be authenticated by World or British governing bodies - completed to the level immediately below black belt)

B - Falling (Trampolining or High Diving. A BSR specific test, demonstrating a list of skills such as somersaults, twists, baranis and gainers and more!)

C - Riding & Driving (As it says on the tin! Horse Riding, Cars or Motorcycles. Horse riding is another BSR specific test, covering proper care, as well as skills like jumping and riding whilst holding a lance or sword and shield. Driving and motorcycle pathways are assessed through either through a BSR precision driving specific test or by evidence of competition experience from external boards.)

D- Agility & Strength (Gymnastics, Rock Climbing or Mountaineering. Gymnastics is another option with a BSR specific test. It varies for men and women, but requires skills across multiple bits of apparatus, and is marked similarly to how they score the Olympics! Rock climbing and mountaineering have a BSR test option for climbing, but both need instructor level qualifications that can be assessed externally.)

E - Water (Swimming or Sub Aqua - aka, Scuba Diving. The swimming test is broken down into unclothed and clothed, with both sections having BSR test specific tasks to complete. Scuba Diving requires training to a professional level, with the title varying depending on the certification board.)

F - Miscellaneous (An 'exceptional skill’. If an applicant already possesses a skill that’s not listed above, they can submit to the BSR committee for approval at their discretion. This skill could be anything physical, as long as it’s to an ‘exceptional’ level, such as competing nationally or at Olympic level.)

As you can see, there’s a lot to do, and the six disciplines are only the beginning! You can find out more and check out updates to the discipline requirements here: BSR WEBSITE

Training for the British Stunt Register can sometimes take as long as 5 years (or longer!) to complete, as well as costing anywhere from £15,000 to £30,000 (0r more!). This requires dedication and discipline.

The BSR is just one route into the stunt industry and is not legal requirement. That said, anyone pursuing a career in stunts should develop a high level of skills in at least one discipline, alongside an understanding of performance for the medium they are working in, whether that's live shows, film or TV.

(Information based on the BSR Application Requirements document, Sept 2019 revision)

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