I was torn on practice this week. I knew that we could work on forms without much risk to each other, but wanted to be smart about it. This is just a recreational activity.
We haven’t posted updates for a long time, but we are still working out in Bend, Oregon. Eric returned from a work trip to Brighton having connected with Chris Chatfield and his 1595 crew.
S., M., and E. in attendance and we worked on longsword.
Practice comparing longsword footwork patterns comparing heel-first drop and toe-first drop. With the heel-first footfall, the stride is naturally lengthened, while with toe-first, the stride is shortened.
To know the perfect length of your sword, you shall stand with your sword and dagger drawn, as you see this picture, keeping out straight your dagger arm, drawing back your sword as far as conveniently you can, not opening the elbow joing of your sword arm; and look what you can draw within your dagger, that is the just length of your sword, to be made according to your owne stature.
Met two new participants, T. and J., today! Welcome!
Backsword basics Explanation of compass step Practice compass step with passing with left and right foot True guardant and open fight Cutting basics Distance practice on pole Distance drills with partner Switched to plastic trainers Worker attacks from both sides, makes light contact to shoulder Feeder moves head, keeps posture and vision forward, tries not to blink Feeder can counter attack to check distance, after touch Same drill with movement Balance adaptation drill Feeder in posta frontale with two hands on stick Worker in posta longa with one hand on stick Worker pushes, feeder follows Feeder pushes, worker follows Same drill with worker practicing dagger strikes
Another basics workout
Warmup Sword squats on heels and toes Working volta stabile as stretching Working volta stabile with thrusts Working volta stabile from rear-weighted posta donna with cuts Sword planks Cutting fundamentals Descending blows with two hands from point, working weight shifts Ascending blows from point Review of low guards: full iron gate and boars tooth Three-step cutting drill: Full descending blow with pass, full ascending blow with pass, half cut to posta longa.
We are starting the beginner’s cohort as promised! Come on out to the Masonic Hall of Bend this coming Tuesday. Practice starts at 5:30 sharp.
This week:
Historical review Brief discussion of the Fior di Battaglia, Fiore, and Armizare Balance fundamentals Setup is feeder with two hands on stick, worker with one hand.
Light warmup
Longsword Basic oppositional counter setup:
Oppositional counter blow in response to pass and fendente Counter to above: displace counter-blow outside, elbow push and strike across arms Counter-counter: parry with false edge and strike while retreating Work elbow push as a flow drill
Short sticks Box system review Roof and inside interrupt strikes Discuss concept of aggressive defense Longsword Passes with fendente and compass step Passes with fendente, feeder slips using box footwork Feeder adds parry and displacement/thrust with agent in presence Feeder adds parry and counterblow with agent yielding Agent adds pommel / close-in follow-ups Backsword Same footwork combo’s with backsword
Staff Staff rolling hits With body drop Reverse rolling hits Parry/thrust game Parry/avoid/collect game Parry/avoid/strike game
Longsword Basic grips and striking mechanics Compass step Box step with parry and counter Stationary parry/counter and counter-measures - various arm wraps, elbow pushes, etc Working box step and parry/counter as 2-part drill with masks on
First practice of the new year! We broke out some hardwood staffs and had fun with staff and transition to empty-hand.
Staff hitting w/ body connection Setup is point stance, middle grip, palms down or one up / one down
Hitting and footwork fundamentals
Striking with oval pattern, hitting/suppressing, combining power and control Add body drop and body raise Work with partner applying pressure; advancing and retreating Backsword basics
Took a break from backsword and did a bit of longsword.
Hitting and footwork fundamentals
Striking with oval pattern, hitting/suppressing, combining power and control Add body drop and body raise Work with partner applying pressure; advancing and retreating Longsword
I met with Jean and Matt today from the Bend Masonic Lodge and finalized our year’s lease for Tuesday practices. This is a big step for our club, and just in time because today was just a freezing wet day in Bend.
We have a stable training location now, at the Masonic Lodge of Bend, which is on 8th just north of Greenwood. The space is ideal for us, with lots of space and high ceilings.
We worked on single-time oppositional counters from a low position. It is getting dark really early now and it’s time go indoors. Eric is scouting around for possibilities.
Basic striking pattern, downright from open fight with compass step, recover into true guardant.
The second backsword was finished today… So we got to do some steel on steel backsword.
Longsword cutting to warm up Review of box step against fendente Drill box step quite a bit Evasion and attacking drill, feeder has longsword Same, feeder has virtual weapon and workers can throw one counterblow Basic backsword attacks and parries from open fight, transitioning to bastard guardant Working variant strong side or reverse blows, same parrying dynamic First play of the zhogo stretto: inside disarm Squats, sit-ups and sword-planks
Backsword basics today, with some distance and pressure drills
Feeder in open fight, worker in open fight.
Feeder passes forward with a downright blow to the head, half speed.
There was a family night at Juniper tonight so we worked outside on the playground for the first bit. Fiore dagger and backsword:
Reviewed ninth master basic catch Connected up the three attacks of the dagger disarm flow drill Box step (slips) against downright blows Thrusts and hand parries Transitions from open fight to bastard guardant, with box footwork Working same with occasional direction changes by opponent, work bastard guardant on other side or just do quick right-side parry as emergency remedy Reviewed tondo reverso against squalembrato reverso (reverse side attack) More thrust and hand parries Some flow and evasion drills Sword situps and three-point plank at end
My friends at Lonin’s BWAHAHAHA group helped out our club by supplying two Gus Trim i-beam blades and a pair of substantially pre-built baskethilt kits. My process, depicted below in pictures, was to assemble the baskets, design and build a hardened leather cover for the basket, and create a suitable handle and final assembly.
Lateral counterstrike application (tondo roverso from true guardant) - see notes from Paul’s video https://docs.google.com/document/d/132leOciEGw2DEbE3hwARQ20Opb2fQkumqhUDZjOh_xk/edit?usp=drivesdk Striking and distance practice with same blow against a feeder with targets Same application, one feeder against three defenders Longsword: fendente’s delivered from rear-weighted fenestra guards, working compass step Calisthenics Passing step, downright blows, right hand Shuffling step, downright blows, right hand Same as above with left hand, other lead Squats and vertical cuts Sword situps Sword planks
Four of us present.
High thrust from open fight, agent yields to patient’s parry (bastard guardant), hits around and compass step out Led to review of compass step footwork and discussion of starting distance Partner movement drill: moving while balancing a baton between the partners Dagger striking (palm stick) with pressure Light dagger catches from strong and reverse side with palm stick Third master dagger disarm from Pisani-Dossi MS08B (two panels at top of page) Backsword cutting drills Backsword passes and compass steps Squats with downward blows, on balls and heels Three-point plank with sword Situps
I asked Paul Wagner if he had any suggestions for George Silver footwork and cutting combinations, for my group’s explorations of backsword. He responded by making me a video! It’s posted on the Stoccata YouTube channel.
This weekend, I got to spend a little bit of time watching my old club, Lonin, preparing for the 2018 Swordsquatch event. They were running a “Teeny Tiny Tournament” to test a new ruleset for the open steel and women’s steel longsword tournament.
I fractured my ankle last week skiing. I hit a submerged rock and chipped a small piece of bone off the bottom of my tibia. I’m seeing an orthopedist on Thursday who will fill me in on my healing process and timeline.
As part of my club-bootstrapping activities, I have started to acquire some gear. I bought two of the steel techniques feders from my friends at Purpleheart Armory.
These are solid training swords.