Back in armour! Yay!

Injuries and working retail have cut into my fighting this spring. My endurance is down, but only a bit, since working retail is the best workout I know other than living in a 12th floor walk up (which I voluntarilly did when I lived in the dorms and just stopped using the elevator one day).

So I went out and fought at the Kingsbridge Heights/Riverdale River Fest demo. It was a blast. First to a few words once again about demos.

This was a rare demo for us when we had more heavy fighters than rapier fighters. There were a total of 17 heavy fighters for the demo, and it worked out really well. We divided up time with the four (counting me, who isn't actually authorized) rapier fighters. Our first bit was just some general practice and smash and bash. We didn't do any heraldry for it. we just went out and fought pickups. Folks liked the noise. Then the rapier fighters took the field and did the same, with some heraldry framing the show. Our second set we fought at the barier. I have probably said it before, but I can't stress enough how useful bariers are at demos. They anchor the fighting in one place, they make it easier to see, they give the crowd something it wasn't normally expecting--even if they knwo a thing or two about swordplay or even wicker-whacking--and the crowd actually learns something. You can frame that part of the demo as a 14th Century tournament a plaisance, and it tends to work well. We had a herald announcing each fight (who was a fighter himself, and fought one bout himself). We had a good number of fighters particpate in that set (I think it was 12), and we provided a good variety of fights: two pole arm combats, a two on two sword and shield fight, single swords (girpping the barrier), a one on one sword and shield fight, and bastard swords. All of the combats were to three blows landed, even the two on two. The crowd loved it.

Our third set we did some melees to liven the crowd up, culminating in "the battle of Kingsbridge Heights," wherein an army (seven guys) under Sir Balin took on the Broken Bridge army under Gui (also seven guys). We fought three times and Balin's force won twice. Balina dn Gui are both great at working the crowd, so it was a really good show. Then we did pickups for the rest of the day as a cool down set later. (two fighters didn't arive till after the battle). This was a great fighting demo.

Ostgardr has a great demo crew. There were probably as amny non-fighters as there were fighters there. We had six pavillions up (plus our two changing pavillions). In one was a glass blowing demo. In one was a mongol culture demo. In one Poison Pen Press was selling books. In one was a mail-making demo. In one was an archery display. In the big tent was the main arts and sciences display, plus food for all of us. We looked really good.

As to my fighting, I was having a blast and doing well. Sword and shield was working fine. My fight at the barier was the finale, greatswords against Gui. I spotted him two blows by letting him hit me twice before coming on guard. Then I scored two and he scored one more, winning the bout. I wore the body armor for that one, and my wind was a bit forced. But when I wore my normal kidney belt and gambesson my wind was fine. My sword and shield work was adequate. My best fights of the day were the three bouts with Balin. He killed me in the first one. we took each ohters legs and then I killed him with a thrust in the second. I took his leg and killed him witha a thrust in the thrid. In both my wins I cheated to my left, which got me inside his defence. It was a lot of fun.

John the Bear posted some photos on facebook:

Oh yeah: I now has kettle bell (!!!)