Fencing Update
Gentle Readers,
Before I forget too much of what happened, I should probably write up my weekend fencing.
Sunday SCA practice was not as good as I would have liked, mostly because there was really no one there. I had hoped to play some Epee but I didn't really get any opportunity because the only two fencers who were fencing were Isaac and Grace. Arngier (which I'm sure I'm spelling wrong) and the Lady Blacksmith were there but just to practice their calibration and not to hit other people.
I fenced quite a bit with Isaac and it was pretty fun. We swapped blades around a bit and I used his sword for a little. He uses a 40" schlager and it is a terrible sword. It's poorly ballanced and moves like a piece of rebar. There is no delicacy in it's use at all. He's handicapping himself more than he realizes by using it.
We stopped fencing mostly so that Grace could have someone to fence (she asked very nicely). She's interesting. She is very much a student of the poke and pray school of fence, however she is pretty hard to fence because she does a great deal of poking and very very little praying.
In both cases I spent most of my time looking for ways to keep from being hit. Unlike many fencers, the idea of discouraging them with an attack doesn't work so you have no way to convince them to abort their attack and need to focus much more energy on defending yourself. This can keep you distracted enough that you don't get a chance to make your attack before they are upon you.
In addition, because they are comeing in, I don't wan't to do an agressive counterattack because it will hurt them and it won't teach them anything useful.
After practice I chatted with The Blacksmith and Arngier for a bit and then made some buttons while I waited for the Academy class.
The Academy class went well. We did more teaching on Inside Fighting. In this style it means how to use the inside distance to your advantage because we do not allow cuts or any body contact. If we did, the moves we teach would not be nearly as effective. In this method, the best way to escape from the inside fighting is to continue with the pass and move beyond. I really really don't like the idea of turing my back on my opponent as I run past but after some experimentation, it was difficult to see how the inside fight could be escaped without at least on person willingly moving away.
I'd like to find a better/safer way to move away. Otherwise, it seem to me to be something like the low pary to a low attack. You end up stuck unless one of both of you choose to retreat.
The class was followed by a meeting where we discussed our vision for the club. Or rather how the other branchs of the club were really unclear on their vision of the club. It went later than planned.
Monday night we had a shorter class than usualy because a fencing supplier came to sell his wares because as of next week I will be requiring masks and jackets and gloves for the drills. We worked on engagement and disengage with extention in response to an invitation. Next week I'll be drilling actual lunges against an opponent. I think that will be very exciting.
Before I forget too much of what happened, I should probably write up my weekend fencing.
Sunday SCA practice was not as good as I would have liked, mostly because there was really no one there. I had hoped to play some Epee but I didn't really get any opportunity because the only two fencers who were fencing were Isaac and Grace. Arngier (which I'm sure I'm spelling wrong) and the Lady Blacksmith were there but just to practice their calibration and not to hit other people.
I fenced quite a bit with Isaac and it was pretty fun. We swapped blades around a bit and I used his sword for a little. He uses a 40" schlager and it is a terrible sword. It's poorly ballanced and moves like a piece of rebar. There is no delicacy in it's use at all. He's handicapping himself more than he realizes by using it.
We stopped fencing mostly so that Grace could have someone to fence (she asked very nicely). She's interesting. She is very much a student of the poke and pray school of fence, however she is pretty hard to fence because she does a great deal of poking and very very little praying.
In both cases I spent most of my time looking for ways to keep from being hit. Unlike many fencers, the idea of discouraging them with an attack doesn't work so you have no way to convince them to abort their attack and need to focus much more energy on defending yourself. This can keep you distracted enough that you don't get a chance to make your attack before they are upon you.
In addition, because they are comeing in, I don't wan't to do an agressive counterattack because it will hurt them and it won't teach them anything useful.
After practice I chatted with The Blacksmith and Arngier for a bit and then made some buttons while I waited for the Academy class.
The Academy class went well. We did more teaching on Inside Fighting. In this style it means how to use the inside distance to your advantage because we do not allow cuts or any body contact. If we did, the moves we teach would not be nearly as effective. In this method, the best way to escape from the inside fighting is to continue with the pass and move beyond. I really really don't like the idea of turing my back on my opponent as I run past but after some experimentation, it was difficult to see how the inside fight could be escaped without at least on person willingly moving away.
I'd like to find a better/safer way to move away. Otherwise, it seem to me to be something like the low pary to a low attack. You end up stuck unless one of both of you choose to retreat.
The class was followed by a meeting where we discussed our vision for the club. Or rather how the other branchs of the club were really unclear on their vision of the club. It went later than planned.
Monday night we had a shorter class than usualy because a fencing supplier came to sell his wares because as of next week I will be requiring masks and jackets and gloves for the drills. We worked on engagement and disengage with extention in response to an invitation. Next week I'll be drilling actual lunges against an opponent. I think that will be very exciting.