Winter WonderGang '08!
Hey, hip cats, I was in Chicago last weekend, living it up and playing with swords galor. And drinking. Heavily.
Here's the rundown.
Thursday!
Flight from Philly International to O'Hare. Upgraded, drank a lot. Whee! Get in, hang out with the awesome that is Jess Fabo, get to the hotel, meet up with more of the wondergang, get lit, party into the night with Shosh, Owen, Buchs, Jason, and Fabes. Awesome.
Friday!
Classes!
Mass Battle Tactics: several-on-several fights, how groups deal with each other, how having people at your back affects you. totally sweet. plus pool-noodle beatdowns.
Changing styles with the short blade: Knife with Bob Macdougall. Western big open bowie style vs eastern tight inside cut the fuck out of you style. Mac's ridiculously awesome.
lunch!
Angelo Disarms: Smallsword with Dave Woolley and Lewis Shaw. Hilarity ensues when we learn Angelo's disarms and McBane's similar, if more fuck-up-the-other-guy equivalents.
Forensics of Violence: How your body reacts when force is applied in different ways. me and my swollen black eye are used as visual aids.
Opening night party and sale: Bought a Lewis Shaw Smallsword. It's awesome. AWESOME.
Saturday!
Kali Double Stick: Scott Mann is awesome. Escrima stick fighting, also awesome.
Lightsaber: I heart Chuck Coyl. He hearts cutting people up with lightsabers and Forcing the shit out of them.
Lunch!
Deadly Serious Single Sword: Richard Raether is too uptight, but still hilarious and great. Serious single concentrated on the actual danger of the weapon as a transitional rapier, rather than the big garish Hollywood-style buckling of swashes. Lots of fast kill cuts that were barely survived.
Weapons Maintenance: Mostly just an excuse to hang out with Lewis and Neil Massey. Though some excellent information was discussed.
Saturday night was slightly quieter, the NSCW 06 gang of me and Lisa and Chris and Dave and Sarah went out for dinner and then hung out for a bit. Much quieter than Friday night. i think.
Sunday!
Dexterity with the smallsword: Bob Mac teaches to concentrate on glissades and the lightness of the smallsword rather that direct parries. we have a little scene where the blades never leave contact with each other.
Fighting bound: (rowr!) Shosh and I get tied together wrist to wrist and go for a knife. Hair pulling, chokes, throws, and falling on my ass abounds.
Lunch!
bullwhip (ROWR!) playing with whips, cracking them forward, backwards, and over the head. Taught by scott mann again, who can do FREAKING KALI STICK WORK WITH SHORT BULLWHIPS. AMAZING.
watched the SPRs for those renewing skills. Very cool.
Sunday night party, get loaded, listen to the winners of the raffle prizes, I come away with half tuition to the Action Film Workshop this summer. AWESOME.
Monday, get on the plane (upgraded!) fly back to philly.
So basically there were two kinds of classes. The fun new weapon types (bullwhip, lightsaber, kali sticks, tied up unarmed) and using the standard weapons differently (knife, smallsword, singlesword, tied up unarmed). All in all a totally great workshop. I can't wait to go back.
Here's the rundown.
Thursday!
Flight from Philly International to O'Hare. Upgraded, drank a lot. Whee! Get in, hang out with the awesome that is Jess Fabo, get to the hotel, meet up with more of the wondergang, get lit, party into the night with Shosh, Owen, Buchs, Jason, and Fabes. Awesome.
Friday!
Classes!
Mass Battle Tactics: several-on-several fights, how groups deal with each other, how having people at your back affects you. totally sweet. plus pool-noodle beatdowns.
Changing styles with the short blade: Knife with Bob Macdougall. Western big open bowie style vs eastern tight inside cut the fuck out of you style. Mac's ridiculously awesome.
lunch!
Angelo Disarms: Smallsword with Dave Woolley and Lewis Shaw. Hilarity ensues when we learn Angelo's disarms and McBane's similar, if more fuck-up-the-other-guy equivalents.
Forensics of Violence: How your body reacts when force is applied in different ways. me and my swollen black eye are used as visual aids.
Opening night party and sale: Bought a Lewis Shaw Smallsword. It's awesome. AWESOME.
Saturday!
Kali Double Stick: Scott Mann is awesome. Escrima stick fighting, also awesome.
Lightsaber: I heart Chuck Coyl. He hearts cutting people up with lightsabers and Forcing the shit out of them.
Lunch!
Deadly Serious Single Sword: Richard Raether is too uptight, but still hilarious and great. Serious single concentrated on the actual danger of the weapon as a transitional rapier, rather than the big garish Hollywood-style buckling of swashes. Lots of fast kill cuts that were barely survived.
Weapons Maintenance: Mostly just an excuse to hang out with Lewis and Neil Massey. Though some excellent information was discussed.
Saturday night was slightly quieter, the NSCW 06 gang of me and Lisa and Chris and Dave and Sarah went out for dinner and then hung out for a bit. Much quieter than Friday night. i think.
Sunday!
Dexterity with the smallsword: Bob Mac teaches to concentrate on glissades and the lightness of the smallsword rather that direct parries. we have a little scene where the blades never leave contact with each other.
Fighting bound: (rowr!) Shosh and I get tied together wrist to wrist and go for a knife. Hair pulling, chokes, throws, and falling on my ass abounds.
Lunch!
bullwhip (ROWR!) playing with whips, cracking them forward, backwards, and over the head. Taught by scott mann again, who can do FREAKING KALI STICK WORK WITH SHORT BULLWHIPS. AMAZING.
watched the SPRs for those renewing skills. Very cool.
Sunday night party, get loaded, listen to the winners of the raffle prizes, I come away with half tuition to the Action Film Workshop this summer. AWESOME.
Monday, get on the plane (upgraded!) fly back to philly.
So basically there were two kinds of classes. The fun new weapon types (bullwhip, lightsaber, kali sticks, tied up unarmed) and using the standard weapons differently (knife, smallsword, singlesword, tied up unarmed). All in all a totally great workshop. I can't wait to go back.