30 Minutes for 30 Days: Day 1

Last year, a fencer I know took up this challenge: thirty minutes of sword practice for thirty days. For a half hour, every day, you must have a sword in your hand for your work outs.

I decided to take up this challenge and this was my first day.

My first 10 minutes was foot work. This, by itself, can (and should) be a 30 minute work out but, today it was the first 10.  In this, I broke the motions of advancing and retreating into parts so I could analyze my foot placements and balance.  The last two minutes were spent doing a burst of full speed motion drills.

What I learned, do not drag my feet, take care not to lean.

The second 10 minutes were spent practicing lunges. Again, breaking the motions into parts, working both right and left hands and working both on line and off line.

What I learned, let the rapier lead, keep the motions smooth.

The final 10 was point control. Tracing the edge of a pendulum using only wrist motions to train disengages.

What I learned, my left wrist needs much more work, don't be afraid to work small.

I am excited for the next 29 days!

Off Line

Wednesday saw a lot of buckler and dagger work.  One of the things I have been given to work on is the off line lunge, where you step off the center line and delivering the attack from an angled position.

It's important to both keep the sword arm extended and using the off hand to cover the lower exposed lines.  Obviously, timing matters as this works best if the opponent can't track your movements.

After remembering to disengage with smaller movements, I found success twice that night.  More work ahead.

Fireworks and Fencing

Well, this is in at the last minute.

With fireworks flashing and booming in the distance, we crossed blades and had some great visitors to test our skills against.

I started working on disengages and off line lunges.  Timing needs work as well as making the techniques cleaner.

There were good fights and got some buckler work in.

I also started putting together a home training program to work on techniques, footwork and stance training.

Busy days coming up!

A Night of Daggers

Our Hawthorn practice was small and we were all tried, but got some work done.  Malcolm taught us a couple of trap and parry techniques using rapier and dagger, so we pretty much fought that all night.

I did fight single a couple of times, it is important to keep skills tight with the first form.  I make it a point to do so at each practice.

An Off-Handed Buffet

"For the animal's soul is mine..."

Enjoying Disturbed on the way down to the Bhakail practice tonight, feeling pretty good.

I decided to fight all of my weapon forms tonight.

I opened up with single rapier, lots of binds and disengages.  Off hand could have been a bit more active but, overall, things went well.

Second match went rapier and buckler.  I haven't fought this form in about six months or so, but it came back quick.  Our bouts were pretty aggressive and I learned about a few new feints.

Next up was rapier and dagger. My opponent was quite smooth with her techniques and I found myself working a cutting game more than usual.

So far, all of my previous fights were matched bouts, my opponents having the same weapon form as me.

My final fight, I brought out cloak.  My opponent used a cane as his parry weapon.  These passes definitely kept me on my toes! The cane is really effective in trapping and tying things (like a cloak) up. The engagements traded off between patient and fast and furious.

A great way to end the evening.

In between bouts, there was review and discussion on technique and strategies.

I left there sweaty, tired and knowing it was an evening well spent.

Two of Swords

Of the Case of Rapiers

"There are also used now adays, aswell in the schools, as in the lists, two Swords or Rapiers, admitted, and approved both of Princes, and of the professors of this art, for honorable and knightly weapons, albeit they be not used in the wars. Wherefore I shall not vary from my purpose, if I reason also of these, as far as is agreeable to true art. To him that would handle these weapons, it is necessary that he can aswell manage the left hand as the right, which thing shall be (if not necessary) yet most profitable in every other kind of weapon. But in these principally he is to resolve himself, that he can do no good, without that kind of nimbleness and dexterity. For seeing they are two weapons, and yet of one self same kind, they ought equally and indifferently to be handled, the one performing that which the other does, and every of them being apt aswell to strike as defend. And therefore a man ought to accustom his body, arms and hands aswell to strike as defend. And he which is not much practiced and exercised therein, ought not to make profession of this Art: for he shall find himself to be utterly deceived."

                                                -Giacomo DiGrassi 1570, Translated by Kelly Hatcher

The challenge put forth by Master Orlando last night was for "every older fencer, having been fencing for three years or more, to seek out the newer fencers and for the newer to boldly take on the old. Moreover, I challenge all to take on a new weapon form they have yet to try or an old form that they rarely use."

I decided to spend the night fighting two sword, or case.  It was a huge challenge, and I took more losses than wins, but it was a lot of fun.  Because of the equal lengths of the weapons, the risk of getting them entangled was a lot greater, footwork being paramount to navigate proper defense and offense.

This is not the first time I used two weapons, the Asian Arts have dozens of forms of wielding twin weapons, yet the conventions of European Fencing, a weapon that I am still young in learning and new footwork made this a very good challenge.

I plan on purring this weapon form further but most likely, not until the end of summer, as time permits.

Round III

It's a small group that comes out to Hawthorn, but it gives everyone a chance to fight everyone and we can take a little more time to break down our matches and see where we need to improve and what is working.

Doing three practices in a week felt pretty good.  My goal at the moment to to keep a minimum of two practices weekly, if I can keep three, that will be a bonus but two is my requirement for the foreseeable future.