The Weekly Warfare   Musings martial from across the SCA

Wistric in his infinite wisdom has realized it will be a lot more amusing to make other people deal with my endless supply of newbie questions rather attempt to field them all himself. Ergo: the Newbie Question of the Week, which will no doubt run the gamut of SCAdian things from fencing to flirting, depending on what has me stymied, puzzled, and otherwise flummoxed each week. Milords and ladies, I throw my ignorant self to your tender mercies.

~ Dreya

This week’s question:

The Lazy Off Hand: How do you make it sit up and take notice?

I come from an Olympic epee background, so I at least can recognize the entire body as a target area. However, the prohibition against using the off hand in a bout has left me with a somnolent sinister. I imagine someone with no prior combat experience might have a similar issue. I literally squee’d with delight the first time my left hand did something useful in practice without me having to think about it. Having a buckler in the hand seems to help remind it to be active (I have yet to try dagger or case), but until such time as I actually own an off-hand accoutrement, I’d like to induce it to make itself as useful as possible. What sorts of drills, thought processes, and other encouragements have the rest of you found successful?