BAT practice

Was something of a bust. Or rather, it wasn't very good for me.

I started out fighting Oscad. Ok, I know better than to fight the best guy first. It always takes me a few fights to wake up. Sure enough, our first fight he takes me leg and then kills me, easy as pie. Second fight I get agressive, move to my left, and manage to take his leg, but he gets me with a belly thrust from his knees as I'm stepping in. Third fight I land a hook thrust to his arm. fourth fight,.... I'm not sure. Were there four or five fights? Anyway, he's figured out a good way to fight me. He pressures me with a lot of herky-jerky fakes to see what I'll do, looking for an opening, usually a leg (I'm using a half round, go figure). If *I* presuare *him* he backs out and then jumps right back in, always keeping me off guard. My last two fights, four and five, I went back to classic Beatrix style, hitting hard and pressuring him in a slower but steady attack, which throws him off. I get him with a paul-like back hand body shot.

My next fights were with Gil. He got me with a good thrust once, and once in the face. As usual he was fighting with his buckler, but his defense was great. I took his leg and then, for some reason, I turned it on full. I just went in and pressured him hard and fast. All I cared about was agression. I hit him in the leg an then the body and then in the head. Our last fight we took each others legs and I just started beating him like I was after his milk money It worked very well.

My last set of fights, with Bill, were really good. I got him on a cut to the head as I moved right and with an inside thrust. But then I started with a plan. I tapped his shield with an offside shot (remember, he's lefty). He kind of over blocked and I thrust to his chest. Then I did it again and he over blocked again, and I thrust him in the face. Then I did it again, he over blocked again, and I hit him in the body. Then I moved on to other techniques. They were good fights.

But that was it. I was kind of in a mood where I might have been too relaxed, trying to recreate the zone I was in last BAT. Didn't work. That's probably why I dialed up the agression.

I have learned on thing, though: I am not planning my fights out. The closest thing I do to plan is decide what ward I'm going to use. I'm mostly using basic attacks and reacting. That's a good thing.