Secrets of Drawing Action and Fighting in Comics/Animation: Today's Lesson: Path of Action

Cartoon Action Fight Force and Momentum Is Always Visually Horizontal

Fighting Poses are always more intense and dynamic when They're Horizontal

Please refer to How to Draw Comics: The Marvel Way: Page 59: "Action"

Always lay out anatomy poses with a path of action.

When Drawing Action and Fighting, Keep the Path of Action Sideways and diagonal (Horizontal)

Nearly All Major Action Panels & Camera Shots feature a horizontal path of action

Striking an opponent is a sideways force, NOT a vertical force, unless the characters are in flight. But even then they're throwing punches, kicking, and striking horizontally the vast majority of the time.

No matter what kind of action scene or sequence your watching in animation or reading in comics, whether it's manga, superheroes, or TV action cartoons and anime, punches, blocks, and kicks, their force will 99% of the time be horizontal.

And that's all there is to that...Oh. Wait. Come to think of it, art students like visual examples, don't they.

Very well. Here are some poses I drew to demonstrate my theory. Note the curve of the torso / path of action / spine...

For more information on this comics fight drawing technique, check out the most classic book on comic book fighting: How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way. Though the artwork is a little dated, it's a must read for any artists who wants to portray action in their comic book illustrations and sequential art. If you want to draw Shonen or Seienen manga, it's also useful. Action is a universal language in comics and animation, so really, people shouldn't care if you're using a Marvel academic book to help you draw manga, indie comics, or anything else for that matter. Action is a universal language, regardless of filmmaker, illustrator, publication, country or genre. Fists move at the same pace in any language. 

LINK TO THE BOOK