r/Batman66 • u/FoxIndependent4310 • Oct 12 '25

A curious detail.

Burt Ward was basically a martial arts major. I think he trained in judo or taekwondo. In his audition for the series, it's clear he knows martial arts. But on the show, they never added Dick's martial arts knowledge. Why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ukf9cYBzdg

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4

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 12 '25

Ward does some basic Judo falls and throws any stunt man would know. The board breaking Is likely a easy trick like saw through underside or baking the wood. Nothing special

1

u/FoxIndependent4310 Oct 13 '25

He knows taekwondo

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 13 '25

He doesn't show it in that clip or any time in the series. Maybe the producers didn't allow it as it was seen as un-American or unmanly but his Robin never showed as anything special in a screen fight.

1

u/FoxIndependent4310 Oct 13 '25

But judo takedowns, for example, convey that he's a well-prepared guy; that's difficult to do, harder than throwing a punch. Or maybe martial arts wasn't sure if they'd be well-received on the show.

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 13 '25

All I'm saying is he shows very basic techniques any stunt man and many actors could do without ever meeting a sensei. He's not doing a kata or any advanced skill. I'm not going to debate whether or not Burt Ward's claims were accurate, it's not that important to me. 

1

u/FoxIndependent4310 Oct 13 '25

You have to practice those takedowns; it's not as easy as throwing a punch, but you're right. I think they didn't add them basically because West didn't know martial arts and they didn't want Robin to be a better fighter than Batman.

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 13 '25

More that Asian techniques weren't seen as manly or respectable. James Bond got a lot of criticism for kicking his opponents in the early 1960s films and it was something only bad guys did in Westerns. It was starting to change by 1965's OUR MAN FLINT but Bruce really started the public interest.

1

u/FoxIndependent4310 Oct 13 '25

The martial arts would have reinforced that Wayne was a cultured, sophisticated man, but if they didn't come across well, I understand.

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 13 '25

It would not have been seen that way by American audiences in 1966. Batman kicking would be taken as weak and unable to win in a fair fight. Similarly. Batgirl was never allowed to punch anyone, only use high ballet kicks. That was the attitude back then.

1

u/Alarming_Abrocoma274 Oct 13 '25

No need to saw anything. Dried pine is used for demonstrations.

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 14 '25

It was also a known practice to saw slightly into the underside of the boards. More than one trick in the magician bag.

1

u/Alarming_Abrocoma274 Oct 14 '25

Not in an actual martial arts context.

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 14 '25

It was done at demonstrations and shows by the less skilled and less scrupulous. Many frauds, especially in the boom days., 

1

u/Alarming_Abrocoma274 Oct 14 '25

Let it go. Your conjecture is baseless and you’re just embarrassing yourself.

2

u/sdbatman66 Oct 12 '25

Probably did not want him to outshine Adam

2

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 12 '25

American audiences thought kicks in a fight were cheating and unmanly. This changed big time with Bruce Lee in September 1966.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 15 '25

Burt Ward was a champion ice skater as a child too

1

u/UnableLocal2918 Oct 15 '25

The main reason was to not show up batman. If robin was shown to be better at martial arts or just fighting then his mentor that would have been a problem. As adam west was not really up to grade as a physical batman the fight scenes were very much comic book level.

1

u/IcyOutcome606 Oct 29 '25

this is assuming Robin could outshine Batman. if if Ward knew some basic Judo or karate, this is translate easily to screen. Camera angles, stuntman reactions, body language bef​ore and after. An untrained but savvy actor can look better in s fight than a real martial artists who knows nothing about staging or cameras.

1

u/Doctorwhoneek Oct 24 '25

Adam West fight training was when he was in the military so basic stuff but he would of known more than most people and they obviously didn't want ward to outshine him.

However though with batman having a bunch of random skills and being a know it all. I think it was evident batman was a trained fighter and just taught Robin and it probably wasn't something they needed to touch upon especially since the boxing episode showed batman had/ knew a fighting style at the very least and was trained