Three-fer
So it's been a while since I've written, and I've been to three practices. A lot of that was teaching, most of it was heat acclamation. The war is coming up, and I need to be in shape.
This was a light practice. I drove up with Arnne and Luthor, as they are both getting ready for herroic champions, and wants to get in as many singles as possible. I love it up there with the Middletown guys, and it was a very fun trip. Mostly it was a teaching practice for me, but that's good for me and for the fighters up there.
I fought just four people, Derrek, Matt, Arne, and Hassan. It's a long way to go to fight four guys, but it was fun.
The main reason I go up there is to do some training with my man at arms, Derek. That fight was pure teaching mode. He really needs to bring his sword back into position before he throws. He is starting his lies way too far forward--a real rookie habit that he needs to break. He's big and strong so he gets away with it up there, with no Knights to fight.
Matt I thought mostly goofy foot, trying to build on what I had done Sunday. He has improved markedly in the few months that I've been going up there. I got with Silver's technique, The one I mentioned in my last post.
Arne I got three times. That felt great. He relies way too much on that offside body counter, and now I'm picking it up. He likes to zone block with that center grip kite, and when he does so he is susceptible to deep wraps. I even got him without thrust once.
Hassan, as always, is fast and Squirrley and ducks a lot takes deep steps with a wide stance, and squares up a little too much. He blinds himself a lot, and I took advantage of his slot once with timing and once with a hidden shot.
The funniest thing was, as we were leaving, seeing dozens of people wandering the streets with their nose buried in their phones searching for Pokémon.
IRONBOG 6/17
This was the mellee practice that wasn't. The team has been announced, it was way too hot, and almost everybody who said they were showing up failed to do so. So it became a very good single combat fighting practice.
I Fought seven people, including Goldstein, VDK Gavin, Bloodguard Joe, Sterling, a poleman named Henry, a two sword fighter in white Japanese kit, and a lady with sword and shield.
I wasn't working on anything but surviving the heat.
A few things stand out.
Goldstein fought me with sword and buckler. He killed me once. I think. Maybe. He has a great rotation leg block.
Against the two sword fighter, I started out with the straight thrust out of the a frame. The first time he blocked it, but the second time he walked right into it. I played William the Lucky a bit--I hid underneath my shield and pounded his leg, then his body. I think he beat me when I took his arm and we fought single sword.
The lady fighter (never got her name. Green shield with gold crescents), gave me a good fight. I was in training mode, and she jumped in my shorts. Very determined with great pop to her shots. She just needs to tighten her defense.
Henry tried to stay out and I rushed him, then he bull rushed me and I wrapped him.
Against Joe I decided to use the one-shot drill. I only threw straight snaps from a high guard. No fakes even. I won all three of our fights. First one I one-shorted him with a counter--as soon as his hand moved (it was a leg shot) I hit him. Then I double tapped him with a step to my right. Then from the en garde, I threw a very high, broken-wrist snap that went over his sword guard.
Sterling was the only person who killed me more than once. He figured out all he had to do was aim for the highest part of that tall great helm. I could barely feel the shots, but they were clean so I took them. I did best against him from the a frame but also did well with Bellatrix style. We double killed once, and I won three to his two. I killed him with a butterfly at one point, which felt good.
It was too hot.
MCCARREN PARK
so, there are only two fighters in armor, me and Aleel. That's OK, it was a hot night there had been a huge rainstorm and it gave us a chance to work on stuff. He's a relatively new fighter, but he is strong and fast and he works with Stefan, which means he's deadly. When he learns what to block and where, he'll be really good.
All we did was fight several passes – he killed me in the first one. I fought most of them in a frame, and had his offside head and his leg pretty well pegged, while he landed a couple of high on side head shots. Our last fight I went all Bellatrix on him, which was kind of fun. One thing about that style is that it's so aggressive it gets people's defenses out of position, which is how I took his leg. Eventually, I took his arm, and then we paused and took a break.
After that, we did the Bellatrix offense/defense drill. He attacked while I defended, and the fight was over when I have thrown three blows – I got one each of an onside had, and offside had, and an onside leg. Then we repeated that with him defending. The main point is learning to defend, but the secondary point is using a one-shot counter if you see an opening. He took my leg at the end, which is excellent. After a short breath, we did the same drill with me kneeling and him standing, and then vice versa.
That was it, a very short night.
It is 10 days until Pennsic. My next time in armor will probably be Thursday night at Hawthorne.
No comments:
Post a Comment