The studio saved money paying him $350 per week to act and do his own stunts, whereas the professional stunt men made money per-stunt. Ward was very athletic, but did get injured and visit ER's many times in three years of Batman.
His own falls look reasonable, but when that guy did the hip throw on Burt, that looked painful. I know they are standing on some sort of cushioned mat, but wow. You really could hurt yourself, even if they were really young at the time.
He actually was good friends with Bruce Lee. Him and Bruce Lee used to spare together in karate. They also lived in the same complex as each other and would get together with each other and their families and go to Chinatown out to dinner and Bruce knew all the really good spots to eat since he came from Hong Kong. They also appeared together in an episode of Batman where it had the green hornet appear and bruce was 'Kato'.
Burt Ward must've had some kind of martial arts background. Very well done, especially for such a small guy. He had a lot of confidence and that's that most important thing.
Linda Smith Remembering back to when I read Adam Wests' autobiography 'Back To The Batcave',Adam said something like this:"Burt claimed he was a black belt in Tai Kwon Do and even claimed he was friends with Bruce Lee and used to spar with him. But I have a sneaking suspicion Bruce went easy on him".I had to laugh out loud when I read that last line with Adams' voice in my head. As I did through most of the book.
5' 8" is average height for a male but did you not see his skinny ass? Jeebus!! He can't be more than 135 lbs. soaking wet! I coulda picked him up and snapped dat boys back over my knee in one breath.
it's easy as fuck when your "opponent" is cooperating with you. that's why karate lessons are BULLSHIT. they don't take into account the other guy is resisting and fighting back.
@@capacola262743 So true I still recall are teacher in school , having Judo classes and he would let us small girls and guys throw us. Then he would actual do sparring where he would resist and then it was not so easy.
@@PL-up5ig i dont know how "REAL" it was, but i took lessons as a kid, and even then i knew it was BULLSHIT because your opponent is NEVER going to do what he's supposed to and he won't cooperate when you try to do your karate moves on him. he will be flailing wildly and resisting constantly. that's why ufc fights don't even vaguely resemble karate movie fights. okay, now tell me why what i have just said is wrong (please try to be rational in your response).
@@capacola262743 I took Kyokushin and BJJ and my karate has been effective in Amateur MMA and Army Combatives events. There good and bad instructors in all martial arts (including BBJ) but also bad students. You opinion is not complete because you didn't include the school age, the style name and at what age you took the training, and you asking to give a rational response without any data from your part.
Burt Ward did a lot of complaining during his time as Robin. Though in all honesty, it's hard to blame him. Many times Burt was injured on the job because 'certain powers' were too cheap to pay his stunt double to do the stunts. With all his faults, I can't see anyone else as Robin. Thank you for your years of service Burt Ward!
I was two in 1966...but by the time I was able to read, I remember reading a TV Guide interview with Burt discussing how many times he'd been injured on the set.
eternalhalloween1 - While he may have been injured on set it wasnt during any of the fight scenes. If you watch them closely you can see that it is clearly not Adam or Burt. In fact, Burt's double had a very noticeable receding hairline.
AgnosticProle I became a big Batman fan with the 1989 Burton film but then I would watch some of the 60's show.I remember every time I saw the intro I wished that was the kind of show they made, at least somewhere along the line.They were featured guests on Scooby Doo, so there's that anyway.
I was so besotted by Burt playing Robin as a teenage kid and watching this now 30 years later nothing has changed, He was one hell of a good looking guy. Yum
Can't believe they still had this video . My respect for Burt Ward just increased. I used to think he was a clown in those campy Batman fight scenes but he's legit
peter who ever, there is only one Robin and only ONE BATMAN, ive realised it back in the 70's when i was still a little girl, and i realised it when my layed my eyes upon them 22 years later. they were the heroes, they were my childhood friends. how could i forget, and how greatfull i am to have found them back. still going strong. And Robin( Burt Ward) , ive said it before and i will say it again. you are as real as a hero gets.
It showed that he was well disciplined. Obviously, he studied some form of martial arts. That's how come they chose him. A great combination of youth and maturity.
Wao amazing! He didnt even know he had the part after this performance. Aint that something? 19 yr old kid. Looked confident. Well, the rest is history!
We all want to hang on to our youth and looks , we are doing a better job , then the generations years ago , but we are still getting old and fat.Please keep in mind many of these actors starved themselves for years especially during filming a movie or tv show , due to the fact that they are skinny one minute in the movie and fat in another and then they catch hell from the director.
@Ivan Rakitić He's a charming actor playing a young super hero. He also did some of the stunts. Supposedly Tom Holland also does his. Should I go on? Both are white and have brown hair lol...
@Ivan Rakitić might as well compare him to newer Robin Chris ODonell lol neither Chris or James look like Tom or Burt. In gay lingo we would call them "twinks".
Fun fact, no one actually informed Burt Ward that he got the part. After being asks questions about his measurements did news drop. Apparently it was one of those "I thought you told him" deals.
Believe it or not !, when Burt Ward was chose to play Dick Grayson/ Robin, he had never heard of Batman comic books or never even read one. How ever he had read Superman comics as s kid.
@@johnbockelie3899 and yet he knew how to be Robin instantly. Just be Superboy...except you work with Batman so acrobatics is how you fly...because he pretended to be Superboy a lot...also make puns so you actually get a laugh out of Bruce.
I'm amazed at this footage from Burt Ward 's screen test he was only 20 years old he was only 5'8" I thank my lucky stars they picked him as Robin today Burt 's role as Robin was different than any role that he had back in the day 1960's but I think Burt was fabulous when he was younger though and now he is in his 70's but he still remember what he did for Batman t.v. show
He was not gay...and he was like 19 or 20 when he did that He was born in 1945 .. married twice and has two daughters. He is 71 now. Works with great dane rescue in san bernardino.
Holy bat cow. He's good. 1:18 No wonder why they gave him the job! I remember being a kid when the batman show first started being on TV. Back in the day when there were 3 channels. I recall being fascinated by that TV show like it was some super good treat to watch.
it's so weird to see him in costume without the mask. i can't remember robin, batgirl or batman with their cowls/masks off while wearing the costumes in the show or the film. if they did it was quite rare.
Wow he was talented I heard so many times thats why he got part. But two see it he was about 19 years old what great piece of history. He really broke that board and that got him part. But he was so good on throws. Thanks for see this. I'm even more glad I have his autograph
I can see why they cast him as boy wonder. He was really sort of a boy, lol. Batman was on TV when I was in Kindergarten, so to me then he looked old, lol. His mask also made him look older. He was a cutie.
@@chachiarcola3208 that's right he should have had Bruce Lee teach him how to really crack that board In half The wood didn't even look damaged it just chipped at the ends
@@georgeplagianos6487 If you pause it at 1:57 you can see that he has broken it in half as his hand goes through it completely and you see the two halves falling.
many times for auditions you just get some general info in advance- they probably said action/sidekick part so he prepared some physical demonstrations. it's unlikely he would know the exact tone and feel of the show.
he's just an actor. reminds me of my brother doing his auditions. I didn't know he did such stunts but my brother trained at stage fighting, I think all actors are required to. definitely Burt's wonderful radio voice, very sharp toned.
There is no specific training required for actors. If a producer sees you and likes you, they can give you the job even if you have never been onstage in your life.
Moozensoo ME TOO! I'M ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THE '66 ROBIN! HE HAS AN ADORABLE BABY FACE! AND THE WAY HE WOULD HOLD HIS LIPS IN A PUCKERING WAY ALL THE TIME IS WHAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE! 😍 😗
"Sorry, we don't think this role is fit for you."
"Holy tomato juice, this is terrible."
"Wait, come on back. Your perfect."
hahahaah good 1
I still say "Holy Guacamole" all because of Robin in 1966.
It's incredible that this footage has survived, and Burt Ward looks like a 16 year old kid. Nice find.
Grew up in 60s. This is nostalgic
He looks like he is 90 pounds here , soaking wet .
Yeah. Couldn't believe he was actually 19 during this audition
@@rithvikmuthyalapati9754 19 & married.
I love how everyone has good manners.
Thanks to Batman he always kept correcting Burt in the series.. saying things like " Good grammar is essential Robin" that Batman's a hoot
Aw yes...manners. Respect. Politeness .
Then they go out to the casting couch
The Devil's Advocate Yeah everyone’s polite on camera......
Don't forget this was also the era of men with long hair, hippies, sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Not everyone was this polite.
The studio saved money paying him $350 per week to act and do his own stunts, whereas the professional stunt men made money per-stunt. Ward was very athletic, but did get injured and visit ER's many times in three years of Batman.
His own falls look reasonable, but when that guy did the hip throw on Burt, that looked painful. I know they are standing on some sort of cushioned mat, but wow. You really could hurt yourself, even if they were really young at the time.
@@John-ct9zs Very bad Judo .
The worst was his first 10 days.
Fights scenes clearly see his stunt double
But great fight scenes
It was probably more than he was making as a real estate sales rep.
It's hard to believe he was already married with a kid during this audition.
People married young back then.
I am sure he really needed that job with a kid and so young. Glad he got it, the real Robin !
I think he would eventually have like 7 kids or something
Yes according to him he was collecting soda bottles off the beach to eat and pay the rent
No he has 2 .His second one born later in life
I read once that when Burt found out he got the part, he and his wife celebrated by spending their last 25 cents on an order of chicken wings.
@ernie woods he was gay
@@lendrury2771 hes not gay moron.
@@lendrury2771 what made you think he was gay lol
He actually was good friends with Bruce Lee. Him and Bruce Lee used to spare together in karate. They also lived in the same complex as each other and would get together with each other and their families and go to Chinatown out to dinner and Bruce knew all the really good spots to eat since he came from Hong Kong. They also appeared together in an episode of Batman where it had the green hornet appear and bruce was 'Kato'.
@@lendrury2771 he wasn’t but so what if he had been gay? Big deal.
He was such a hottie, stunningly beautiful-wow!
Absolutely
He was 20 years old here, but looks a lot younger.
tryptychUK he looks like a boy
tryptychUK He was already married with a kid.
Downtownman79 Well.....he was the Boy......Wonder! 💥
tryptychUK I think he's only 5'8
tryptychUK I think everyone looks younger these days😂😂😂😂
Burt Ward must've had some kind of martial arts background. Very well done, especially for such a small guy. He had a lot of confidence and that's that most important thing.
Linda Smith Remembering back to when I read Adam Wests' autobiography 'Back To The Batcave',Adam said something like this:"Burt claimed he was a black belt in Tai Kwon Do and even claimed he was friends with Bruce Lee and used to spar with him. But I have a sneaking suspicion Bruce went easy on him".I had to laugh out loud when I read that last line with Adams' voice in my head. As I did through most of the book.
he is not small he was pretty tall actually he was 5'8
That's small.
César Hernández-Meraz that's actually average height for a male human
5' 8" is average height for a male but did you not see his skinny ass? Jeebus!! He can't be more than 135 lbs. soaking wet! I coulda picked him up and snapped dat boys back over my knee in one breath.
Wonderful manners and true professionalism....A real Star.😃
He was such a cutie.
Burt Threw that guy down like he was nothing POW!
it's easy as fuck when your "opponent" is cooperating with you. that's why karate lessons are BULLSHIT. they don't take into account the other guy is resisting and fighting back.
@@capacola262743 So true I still recall are teacher in school , having Judo classes and he would let us small girls and guys throw us. Then he would actual do sparring where he would resist and then it was not so easy.
@@capacola262743 I suppose that you never took real karate.
@@PL-up5ig i dont know how "REAL" it was, but i took lessons as a kid, and even then i knew it was BULLSHIT because your opponent is NEVER going to do what he's supposed to and he won't cooperate when you try to do your karate moves on him. he will be flailing wildly and resisting constantly. that's why ufc fights don't even vaguely resemble karate movie fights. okay, now tell me why what i have just said is wrong (please try to be rational in your response).
@@capacola262743 I took Kyokushin and BJJ and my karate has been effective in Amateur MMA and Army Combatives events. There good and bad instructors in all martial arts (including BBJ) but also bad students. You opinion is not complete because you didn't include the school age, the style name and at what age you took the training, and you asking to give a rational response without any data from your part.
Did every man above age 30 sound like a movie announcer back then?
Yep
Burt was 20 here lol
It's from performing in many plays
@@opticbigevil7828 He's talking about the man talking to Burt
Yes, that was before soy.
Burt Ward did a lot of complaining during his time as Robin. Though in all honesty, it's hard to blame him.
Many times Burt was injured on the job because 'certain powers' were too cheap to pay his stunt double to do the stunts.
With all his faults, I can't see anyone else as Robin. Thank you for your years of service Burt Ward!
You want to see a complaining Robin watch Batman and Robin
I was two in 1966...but by the time I was able to read, I remember reading a TV Guide interview with Burt discussing how many times he'd been injured on the set.
eternalhalloween1 - While he may have been injured on set it wasnt during any of the fight scenes. If you watch them closely you can see that it is clearly not Adam or Burt. In fact, Burt's double had a very noticeable receding hairline.
WilliamT1964 I also was 2 in 66 and the first thing I remember about batman was that I was disappointed that it wasn't a cartoon show.
AgnosticProle I became a big Batman fan with the 1989 Burton film but then I would watch some of the 60's show.I remember every time I saw the intro I wished that was the kind of show they made, at least somewhere along the line.They were featured guests on Scooby Doo, so there's that anyway.
I was so besotted by Burt playing Robin as a teenage kid and watching this now 30 years later nothing has changed, He was one hell of a good looking guy. Yum
Thank the lord they picked him for Robin!
Burt was born to be The Boy Wonder
Why?
@@garyv2196 he was perfect for the role.
Can't believe they still had this video . My respect for Burt Ward just increased. I used to think he was a clown in those campy Batman fight scenes but he's legit
"Okay, what can you do"
*"I'm willing to wear a silly costume"*
"You got the part"
And not one, "Holy" anything to get the part. I never thought about the try out being more physical but it makes sense. I enjoyed this video.
Lol
have you seen superhero costumes today?
@@hm3drake99
This was 1965,
Not today....
I'm willing to play a part for three years which will define my professional career for the rest of my life.
He was so awesome, he smashed the board in half and it got back together before it hit the floor.
peter who ever, there is only one Robin and only ONE BATMAN, ive realised it back in the 70's when i was still a little girl, and i realised it when my layed my eyes upon them 22 years later.
they were the heroes, they were my childhood friends.
how could i forget, and how greatfull i am to have found them back.
still going strong. And Robin( Burt Ward) , ive said it before and i will say it again. you are as real as a hero gets.
Nice, but as Dick grew up, he started calling himself Nightwing. And then Batman, but he never liked being Batman.
It showed that he was well disciplined. Obviously, he studied some form of martial arts. That's how come they chose him. A great combination of youth and maturity.
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Wao amazing! He didnt even know he had the part after this performance. Aint that something? 19 yr old kid. Looked confident. Well, the rest is history!
I didn't realize just how flexible he was, and agile. The show didn't quite capture it as the auditions did.
Shut your female mouth
He was a cutie and i would have picked him
Holy cow, the things that boy had to do, so awesome.
And this is where the legend begins.
Gosh he was a gorgeous! This reminds me that I'm gonna get old one day
We all want to hang on to our youth and looks , we are doing a better job , then the generations years ago , but we are still getting old and fat.Please keep in mind many of these actors starved themselves for years especially during filming a movie or tv show , due to the fact that they are skinny one minute in the movie and fat in another and then they catch hell from the director.
U can bank on that!!!
Dani Lang Happens to the best of us!!!
We all get old much faster than we realize!
@@Jay-vr9ir Agree, but hate to agree.
Damn, Robin really would kick your ass for real! Congrats, Burt Ward for your very hard work and Hollywood star. You deserved it for SURE.
It was destined to be from this very point, a legend was born!! 🦇🦇🦇🦇
So nice. The good old days.
So cute. Had a big crush on him when I was little.
Christopher Thorkon erm.... Your a guy
Canadianmaster1 does it matter?
Only to other non-degenerates
@@callithowiseeit5806 Any other people you hate for imaginary reasons? Might as well get 'em all out now.
@@JustPassingThrough27 I'm a guy too. And I had a big crush on him too. Get over it.
Burt Ward-- the Tom Holland, before Tom Holland.
@Ivan Rakitić but it does make sense
@Ivan Rakitić He's a charming actor playing a young super hero. He also did some of the stunts. Supposedly Tom Holland also does his. Should I go on? Both are white and have brown hair lol...
@Ivan Rakitić might as well compare him to newer Robin Chris ODonell lol neither Chris or James look like Tom or Burt. In gay lingo we would call them "twinks".
@Ivan Rakitić oh my bad James is the one that played Cyclops in the first Xmen films. Jason is skinny.
Actually Burt would've been a good Spider-Man.
Wow. First time I ever saw Burt Ward without the eye mask, gloves, and cape.
Fun fact, no one actually informed Burt Ward that he got the part. After being asks questions about his measurements did news drop. Apparently it was one of those "I thought you told him" deals.
That's because no one gave a fuck. kinda like now.
Believe it or not !, when Burt Ward was chose to play Dick Grayson/ Robin, he had never heard of Batman comic books or never even read one. How ever he had read Superman comics as s kid.
@@johnbockelie3899 and yet he knew how to be Robin instantly. Just be Superboy...except you work with Batman so acrobatics is how you fly...because he pretended to be Superboy a lot...also make puns so you actually get a laugh out of Bruce.
Don't get hurt, Burt! We still have to promote the upcoming feature length Bat-movie, Return of the Caped Crusaders!
He did land quite hard on his hips, didn't he?
True. Judo training there.
WinningThisOne he a background in many martial arts
Burt Ward was my very first man crush!
Burt Ward is a great guy.
I'm amazed at this footage from Burt Ward 's screen test he was only 20 years old he was only 5'8" I thank my lucky stars they picked him as Robin today Burt 's role as Robin was different than any role that he had back in the day 1960's but I think Burt was fabulous when he was younger though and now he is in his 70's but he still remember what he did for Batman t.v. show
Burt Ward was a real badass!
He was so cute!
He was not gay...and he was like 19 or 20 when he did that He was born in 1945 .. married twice and has two daughters. He is 71 now. Works with great dane rescue in san bernardino.
Who said he is gay ?
Married To Bonnie Lindsey the first time , her father was the orchestra leader on The Merv Griffin Show.
his rescue is in Norco (Riverside county), not San Bernardino.
Well, that was a random comment.
Why do you think he was gay???
He must have known that he had the role,as Robin. As they took the time to measure him for the costume.
I was a fan of the show as a kid.
Actually THEY had to do the costumes by themselves to audition so they would be in character infront of the studio people.
Whatever happened to the other guy going for the role ???
@@garysmith8073 He is a chief creative officer for American biograph films in California. He also is a part time magician
@cdgates1 Did Burt ward and the other guy auditioning for Robin become acquainted????
@@garysmith8073 I don't think so
Holy bat cow. He's good. 1:18 No wonder why they gave him the job!
I remember being a kid when the batman show first started being on TV. Back in the day when there were 3 channels. I recall being fascinated by that TV show like it was some super good treat to watch.
dang, he was adorable
Perfect for the roll and completely cute!
it's so weird to see him in costume without the mask. i can't remember robin, batgirl or batman with their cowls/masks off while wearing the costumes in the show or the film. if they did it was quite rare.
Wow he was talented I heard so many times thats why he got part. But two see it he was about 19 years old what great piece of history. He really broke that board and that got him part. But he was so good on throws. Thanks for see this. I'm even more glad I have his autograph
he was ahead of his time for super heroes if this were today he would beat out the players of spiderman
ev dallas Yes
ev dallas
Well, Tom Holland did a standing blackflip for his Spider man audition, so maybe not!
So precious. Loved the hair. 1:07
I can see why they cast him as boy wonder. He was really sort of a boy, lol. Batman was on TV when I was in Kindergarten, so to me then he looked old, lol. His mask also made him look older. He was a cutie.
Great looking guy. Great personality.
“Boards don’t hit back” - Bruce Lee
keith green...I was thinking the same:)
ruclips.net/video/tlUuNg6PEXA/видео.html
"Blobby, Blobby, Blobby" - Mr Blobby
And of course they end up fighting each other
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OMG...my all time Favorite T.V show..
"Holy Cornball Batman"!!!
so cool to see these auditions**
More physical than he was on the show, lol.
Herbert Smith they should have let him do more realistic fight scenes.
@@chachiarcola3208 that's right he should have had Bruce Lee teach him how to really crack that board In half
The wood didn't even look damaged it just chipped at the ends
@@georgeplagianos6487 “Boards don’t hit back” -Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon)
@@georgeplagianos6487 If you pause it at 1:57 you can see that he has broken it in half as his hand goes through it completely and you see the two halves falling.
Great job Burt Ward ,Holy Wonderful ❤️👍
he was a real cutie
Amazing....and the rest is history ❤️👌🏼👍🏼🙌🏼
Burt Ward also appeared as himself on "The Robot Chicken's DC Comics' Special: Part Three." It's Burt time, baby!!!
Precious find!
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For being possible to see material like this is why the person (or persons) who design you-tube deserves a place in Heaven
Burt Ward exudes confidence.
The best and anthologique Robin !!!!
This man became my first crush when I was at the tender age of 4!
That was awesome. History in the making.
Never knew Burt Ward was trained in Judo. Kinda wish he did it on the show
I loved when Green Hornet and Kato shared the spotlight
He had me with the outfit.
Burt Ward is awesome!! WOWIE ZOWIE!!!
Jesus, he's talented!
+Pie Pierrot (Eta) ScreenCrush?
Impressed because he also deonstrated the proper break fall.@ 1:19 hift arm slaps the floor / mat. This helps lessen the damage.
Why was this grittier than the show
Lol
I’m guessing the “suits” probably told him to tone down the violence and act more cartoonish.
Probably because there was no fight music or "CRACK!" or "SMASH!" in huge cartoon fonts on the screen.
many times for auditions you just get some general info in advance- they probably said action/sidekick part so he prepared some physical demonstrations. it's unlikely he would know the exact tone and feel of the show.
Because this was the era of Silver Age censorship and camp.
Very athletic! Thanks for sharing this!
"Holy guacamole Batman, do I really have to wear these funny shoes?"
Amazing job
No acting was required here!😂
I had such a crush on him. Corny lines, tights and all!
I was expecting him to say something like "Watch out, Radioactive Man!"
UP AND ATOM!
Ze goggles... zey do nozing!
Can't wait to watch this Peter Pan movie
The superb karate chop and the overly-macho boots cinched the role for him
Their little conversation
Did he even use any of those stunts in the actual show? XD
If you look at some of the fight scenes - like where Batman throws him onto someone's back - you can tell he's a real athlete.
The emotion of the thing you want for a living
he's just an actor. reminds me of my brother doing his auditions. I didn't know he did such stunts but my brother trained at stage fighting, I think all actors are required to. definitely Burt's wonderful radio voice, very sharp toned.
There is no specific training required for actors. If a producer sees you and likes you, they can give you the job even if you have never been onstage in your life.
Epic historical footage! Thanks for posting!
Robin was always short 😂
Talent. No stopping it.
Wasn't he the cutest adolescent you have ever seen?
Sure was
He fit the role like a glove..
Holy Cholesterol, Bert is about 300lbs. today.
I was waiting for the "thwack, kapow, oofh pow" to appear on the screen
Lol Burt Ward was auditioned as if they would need an actual Robin for crime fighting.
Loved the original Batman They had such a cool attitude like the Munsters.
I broke a board like that at my first karate lesson. When I was 9.
Now that was very Cool!!
I know he looks cheesy, but when I was a kid, he was cool.
I always thought it was a bit creepy, but the theme song was cool. I was seven, what did I know.
are you kidding? I'm sixteen years old and I think he's amazing
Nice audition you got the job !
I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME AND KISS HIS CUTE FACE
I wish I was his brother
Moozensoo ME TOO! I'M ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THE '66 ROBIN! HE HAS AN ADORABLE BABY FACE! AND THE WAY HE WOULD HOLD HIS LIPS IN A PUCKERING WAY ALL THE TIME IS WHAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE! 😍 😗
he did the same with his ass!
Moozensoo think that in that time he was 19 years old
Moozensoo now all these replies make me not want to be his brother you guys do know he was 19 in 66 and i guess 20 in 67 etc
After seeing him break that board I am reminded of a Bruce Lee quote: "'Boards don't hit back." :)