Two fighter practices, and a workout.

i haven't written for awhile, but I've had a lot to write. Go figure.

NUTLEY

Oscad and I went to Nutley on Wednesday. Had a great time. Fought Vasili, William Vicenti, Heinrich, and... well, at least one other person. i was fighting very well with the strapped kite. I used it as a center-grip against Vasili and, surprising myself, did great.

But the most interesting things is kind of a discussion I was having with Bill (Villiam Vicenti, not Vasili). He has some of the best pure technique of any unbelted fighter out there. It's really a pleasure to watch him fight. He'd been watching Oscad all night, never having seen him before (Oscad had a great set of fights against Gregor). Bill kept saying that he wasn't ready to fight against Oscad, but when the time came he totally turned it on. His shots were crisp and precise and he was beautiful to watch. Afterward we talked technique, and some trouble he was having generating power (unusual for Bill). I told him about the technique stuff I've been working on for awhile. It kind of stemmed from a discussion I'd had with Alfred a few days before.

For a couple years now I've been adding to my technique power generation that begins not from the foot, as i was always taught (and which I still believe to be the most efficient, at least for me) but from the core muscles. This is not the Gendy technique of using the lats and forearms to generate power with a hilt-heavy sword. This is using the core muscles to pull the shoulder forward, like the would if you were driving the hip, only you aren't driving the hip. I got this partially from talking with Radnor and Paul, and partially from watching the fighters whose technique is based on Boxing or punching arts. So far what I'm doing is breathing out slightly and doing a "crunch" with my stomach to pull the sword down and forward from a high guard. My hip barely moves and it actually moves up and back as i tighten my stomach (this is not unlike tightening my diaphragm when singing). Boxers often exhale when they punch, which tightens the core muscles. The scream in martial arts does the same thing. I was doing this but adding almost a whipping action, beginning at the naval and ending with the sword blade. It is slightly related to Lucan's parallel feet technique, which is designed to stretch the core muscles tight so that when they are released they contract and provide power tot he whole body. I've been trying this for awhile now, but this might have been the first time I've ever taught the technique to anybody. It won't replace hip mechanics in my arsenal, but it will add a new wrinkle.

WORKOUT
Had a great workout Saturday. I did spin class, did about twenty minutes of abs 9a full range of crunches plus some pilates stuff), and the circuit, two or three sets at each station. i was mostly concentrating on legs,because I'm working on strengthening my knees right now.

BAT
I had to leave BAT early today, so I only got to fight Teric, Rav, and Kaz. I did well against all of them, but my fights with Teric were the best and most important. I goofed around with a few things, like trying the Lucan passing technique, and Teric made me pay, but when I just locked down and fought him straight up I won. He said that witht he kite shielld I am fighting taller, which I guess is right. Agaisnt good fast fighters like Teric, even though striving for height is an important part of my style, I'd crouch a bit more with the bunny round. Even if I didn't, I would be thinking low because of my exposed leg. With the kite, even though there's a hole in the leg defense, and even though i crouch a bit at times, I still am able to stand tall through most of the fight. This is allowing me to use my height better against Teric, and it opened him up in lots of ways, both his legs and his head. I took his leg a few times with different shots, and killed him with a wrap as he charged, which I rarely do. it is an interesting revelation.

One of the problems, however, is that I hadn't really planned to learn the strapped kite. I wanted the center grip kite, but I'm getting good with the strapped kite, and may not want to change (I did fight center grip against Rav, till my arm went out. I can't do it seriously till I get a lighter shield).