props

When coordinating a fight scene it is important to use real props to add a sense of realism. for example in the movie Gladiator the actors were wielding around real metal axes and swords, so in the movie when you experience the actors starting to breath heavy and you start to see them fatigue it adds a sense of realism at the fight. also in the movie Gladiator when Maximus is fighting in to Coliseum and the tigers jump up out of the ground onto Maximus those where real tiger's. Animal trainer Paul Reynolds says "Those tigers were raised in captivity and are as tamed as tigers can be." So that itself adds to the realism of the fight. The tiger is trained but it is still a wild animal so at any moment anything could happen which also adds suspense to the fight scene and puts you on the edge of your seat.