Post by Vladislav Chrnek on Mar 29, 2006 8:48:20 GMT 8
At the request of Voivode D'Gaunt, I am posting this list.
Advanced Right Handed Sword and Shield
(or: The Path from"Doesn't Suck" to "Really Doesn't Suck")
Prepared for: Ansteorran Academy of the Sword Prepared by: Earl Alaric Drake, KSCA
1. Do the basics extremely well and automatically.
2. Remove unnecessary activity or movement from your fighting.
3. Get rid of inefficient techniques (no matter how much you adore them). This includes a defense or stance that does not allow you to reliably beat opponents at or above your own skill level.
4. After fighting an opponent, ask them what you did WRONG.
5. Closely examine the fighters in every list. Attempt to understand their stratagems, favorite techniques, weaknesses, tricks and style of fighting. This will serve you in good stead in future lists, and you may learn new techniques. Become a student of the art.
6. VERY closely scrutinize the fighters in the CURRENT list. If you do not know them/their style, at least get a feel for their skill level and fighting style by examining their equipment and carriage.
7. Warm up and stretch. This includes doing a variety of pickups before the start of the list.
8. Your equipment must fit well and not bind. Tailor sword length, weight and balance to your fighting style.
9. Cardiovascular conditioning.
10. Mentally focus yourself on the opponent at hand. Attempt to get a feel for his energy level and any possible flaws that day. Envision yourself in past fights with that opponent. If he/she fights an unusual style, have someone around attempt to duplicate that style for a minute or two.
11. Look sharp, feel sharp, fight sharp. Exert your will upon your opponent from the moment you enter the list (or before). Examples- wear nice new fighting garb for a big event and practice a nice salute(s). A good presentation and confident aura (even if feigned) can go a long way toward chipping away at your opponent's confidence.
12. Make a hit list. Select a number of local or Kingdom fighters that give you fits. Analyze them, counter their strengths, exploit their weaknesses and defeat them. Repeat until there is no one left .
13. Movement or stance blocks the legs. The shield is only the last defense for the legs.
14. Like any athlete, develop a tolerance to heat.
15. Always throw a shot when you close. Movement will add power to your shot AND disrupt possible counter-attack. Heck, move with virtually ANY shot, closing or not.
16. Develop range sensitivity. If you are initiating offensive action while already within range OR are being consistently hit while not actively engaged you are TOO FREAKIN' CLOSE! Remember, range is comprised of a composite of your opponents' distance, reach AND foot speed.
17. If you are attempting to reinvent the wheel, go for it! Just realize that it might be rolling over your lifeless body for years to come.
Advice- creation of workable unorthodox styles is GREAT for those who are amazingly physically intelligent and who already excel in orthodox styles.
18. Test your defense constantly. (Try this drill/test) If, while standing still at medium range, you can be hit by another fighter while you are entirely focused on defense- you have a hole somewhere. To validly test this (most important) portion of your technique, your opponent must be of a somewhat higher skill level than yourself. Your mileage may vary if you are a lefty or are testing yourself against one (but it will be exciting!).
19. If you are on the offensive and lose the initiative, get the heck out! It is very easy to get overly involved in just slugging it out inside, but a finely tuned sense for the ebb and flow of combat is vital for advanced combat. Obviously, this is presupposing that you have actually developed this sense. If you haven't, it is absolutely imperative that you do so.
20. Stop time your opponent. To accomplish this, you must deliberately slow down your movements, thereby causing your opponent's movements and reactions to slow as well. For example, after a very active volley of blows fade tiredly back. Your opponent will often drop his guard, thinking you are disengaging. Spring quickly back to the offensive.
Written by: Alaric Drake, March 2004
Ganked from www.swordmaiden.com/
Advanced Right Handed Sword and Shield
(or: The Path from"Doesn't Suck" to "Really Doesn't Suck")
Prepared for: Ansteorran Academy of the Sword Prepared by: Earl Alaric Drake, KSCA
1. Do the basics extremely well and automatically.
2. Remove unnecessary activity or movement from your fighting.
3. Get rid of inefficient techniques (no matter how much you adore them). This includes a defense or stance that does not allow you to reliably beat opponents at or above your own skill level.
4. After fighting an opponent, ask them what you did WRONG.
5. Closely examine the fighters in every list. Attempt to understand their stratagems, favorite techniques, weaknesses, tricks and style of fighting. This will serve you in good stead in future lists, and you may learn new techniques. Become a student of the art.
6. VERY closely scrutinize the fighters in the CURRENT list. If you do not know them/their style, at least get a feel for their skill level and fighting style by examining their equipment and carriage.
7. Warm up and stretch. This includes doing a variety of pickups before the start of the list.
8. Your equipment must fit well and not bind. Tailor sword length, weight and balance to your fighting style.
9. Cardiovascular conditioning.
10. Mentally focus yourself on the opponent at hand. Attempt to get a feel for his energy level and any possible flaws that day. Envision yourself in past fights with that opponent. If he/she fights an unusual style, have someone around attempt to duplicate that style for a minute or two.
11. Look sharp, feel sharp, fight sharp. Exert your will upon your opponent from the moment you enter the list (or before). Examples- wear nice new fighting garb for a big event and practice a nice salute(s). A good presentation and confident aura (even if feigned) can go a long way toward chipping away at your opponent's confidence.
12. Make a hit list. Select a number of local or Kingdom fighters that give you fits. Analyze them, counter their strengths, exploit their weaknesses and defeat them. Repeat until there is no one left .
13. Movement or stance blocks the legs. The shield is only the last defense for the legs.
14. Like any athlete, develop a tolerance to heat.
15. Always throw a shot when you close. Movement will add power to your shot AND disrupt possible counter-attack. Heck, move with virtually ANY shot, closing or not.
16. Develop range sensitivity. If you are initiating offensive action while already within range OR are being consistently hit while not actively engaged you are TOO FREAKIN' CLOSE! Remember, range is comprised of a composite of your opponents' distance, reach AND foot speed.
17. If you are attempting to reinvent the wheel, go for it! Just realize that it might be rolling over your lifeless body for years to come.
Advice- creation of workable unorthodox styles is GREAT for those who are amazingly physically intelligent and who already excel in orthodox styles.
18. Test your defense constantly. (Try this drill/test) If, while standing still at medium range, you can be hit by another fighter while you are entirely focused on defense- you have a hole somewhere. To validly test this (most important) portion of your technique, your opponent must be of a somewhat higher skill level than yourself. Your mileage may vary if you are a lefty or are testing yourself against one (but it will be exciting!).
19. If you are on the offensive and lose the initiative, get the heck out! It is very easy to get overly involved in just slugging it out inside, but a finely tuned sense for the ebb and flow of combat is vital for advanced combat. Obviously, this is presupposing that you have actually developed this sense. If you haven't, it is absolutely imperative that you do so.
20. Stop time your opponent. To accomplish this, you must deliberately slow down your movements, thereby causing your opponent's movements and reactions to slow as well. For example, after a very active volley of blows fade tiredly back. Your opponent will often drop his guard, thinking you are disengaging. Spring quickly back to the offensive.
Written by: Alaric Drake, March 2004
Ganked from www.swordmaiden.com/
