Things I have been working on up to now.
Don Godfrey has been helping me work with the shorter blade that I use rather than trying to imitate those with longer blades. Makes sense. Instead of trying to mimic the strengths of the stronger blade focus on your own strengths and find your opponents weaknesses.
One new thing on this is that I’m now only using sword and dagger. The reason behind this is that with the shorter blade I have two choices: I can stand further out beyond my opponent’s reach (and much beyond my own) and counter punch what they throw, which may be sometimes effective, but I can’t parry everything all of the time; and the second is to close to where I am within a comfortable distance and my opponent is having troubles because I”m too close for them. What this means is that I”m at a range where I can use a sword, but my opponent will be using his dagger. In order to combat that I will need to use a dagger myself. That way I will equalize their advantage, and surpass it. I will have two blades which I can easily wield at that range, and my opponent will only have one.
Another new thing is a better understanding of sword mechanics and gaining the sword. For more info take a look here: http://www.salvatorfabris.com/UnderstandingGainingTheSword.shtml. It made a lot more sense. They break it down to three parts:
- The point of intersection of the blades is closer to your hilt than to his (=strong on weak).
- Your blade is above his.
- Your sword crosses over his and remains pointed in the vicinity of his silhouette (=point in or near presence).
With those two new things (fighting close, and gaining the sword) I have been working on the best ways to implement them. Different ways of gaining the sword, making sure that I have sword control before stepping in to my fencing range, the importance of working off line (as illustrated by my bruises from last week), etc.
I’ve also had the privilge of working with two amazing teachers: Warrick Drakkar and Don Godfrey. Warrick has been most instrumental in helping me understand sword mechanics and hand position, and Godfrey has been amazing in helping me to learn about fighting with a shorter sword.
Tonight’s plan:
- 50 lunges against the pillar with dagger in off hand
- Work on gaining the sword of someone who is fighting in refuse
- Strengthen my dagger parries, without those I”m dead, do this by having one of the other students practice their lunges against me
- Fight more aggressively, pay attention to how others react to an aggressive fencer
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