The Weekly Warfare   Musings martial from across the SCA

Thursday at work was cranky-making, and then FedEx failed to deliver my new sword as promised, so I did not have my sword (which is named “Happiness” because money sure as hell can buy that), and I had an enduring funk by the time I got to practice with a brain that had checked out and gone looking for better things, all of which led to…

Doing me a Great Honor

I was talking with Master Nikulai after practice and managed to put into words what was sitting on me at practice.  Master Nikulai, who is picking up rapier (and I believe rattan) for the 40 for 40 project, is doing me a great honor by coming to my practice to learn to fence.  So is Master Eldrid.  So is Baron Girard.  So is Baroness Guenievre.

At the same time, I know I need to put a shit-ton of dedicated time into my own game to kick it up the backside of this plateau it’s hit trying to bring Giganti into my style.

And the socialist voice in my head says that I need to be working just as hard with the three brand-new to new-ish fencers as I do with the cream of the OP.  Oh, and also Gawin, who’s, like, my student.

I am too much in the sun.

People at practice commented on how overwhelmed I looked, and boy did I.  My brain, already checked out, peaked in just for a minute to say “HOLY SHIT DUDE, HOW YOU GONNA WORK WITH ALL THEM?!” and then left without giving me a plan.

Bah.

Training New Fighters

All of which would probably have been much reduced if I had remembered that Roz, Percy, Letia, and Giovan were there to work with everybody.  So I think the plan going forward is going to be “Your Excellency, grab Letia and have her work on disengages with you” so my brain can do what it does best: think up shit at random, make notes, and then con others into doing the work to implement my ideas.

Still, some significant drilling will be needed.  This week’s plan:
Footspeed work using some of Alejandro’s hell drills that he uses on his strip fencers out at Mizzou
Footwork drills as usual
Line drills to reinforce lunge form, parries and ripostes, and starting to emphasize range (with these I may need to make sure that new fencers are paired with experienced fencers so that feet don’t move)

Also, it may be time to start introducing brief group discussions of tactics (“what do you do with this parry thing then?”)

But What about Me

I think “coach time” will end shortly after the line drills so I can do an even mix of my own stuff and some one-on-ones with the new fencers.  Regardless, I think I’m going to limit each fight to ten passes.

I went to Elkin Fight Club this weekend and got a bunch of passes in with Christian, Jaeger, and Raph, and was able to ramp my game up much higher than it’s been in a long time.  I need to make that same ramp-up at practice, but sustaining it more than 10 passes gets difficult just because, frankly, I get bored.  By pass 10, either it’s working or it isn’t, and if it’s working I’m not learning anything by continuing to do pummel my opponent, and if it’s not working I clearly need to go sit down, re-think the fight, and identify the needed improvement.  Way too many fighters, myself definitely included, end up playing for thirty minutes and not coming out any better for it.  Well nuts to that (BTW, Gawin, this is why I told you to go fight somebody else on Sunday, you’d been over there way too long).

Also, Friday, Happiness arrived and I got to take her out and play on Sunday.  She fights almost as fast and tight as my 37″.  Just need to make sure the tip doesn’t kink (got a bend 3″ in).  On the other hand, my shoulder was already burning when I picked her up to fight Raph, and the extra weight did not help.  I’ll have to work on the endurance of that arm.