Random musings from the past month and a half.

Poor health again. Not conducive to training.
Tonight I'm going to get some random thoughts down to keep my hand in, as it were.

So, within the scope of the SCA game, I am recently authorised in 'cut & thrust' which pleases me immensely, because I can start playing with the bolognese swordplay without being hamstrung to point-only play.

And, lets face it, swashbuckling is fun.

In other recent news, I had the pleasure of attending a class on English swordplay by Paul Wagner, a day on Silver, and a day on the English longsword. The English longsword is an interesting and fun approach, and I can see myself spending more time with it as time progresses.

With Silver's swordplay, I regret not having a blade suitable to the style, but certainly the guardant fight can be applied tactically within the scope of pre-17th century Italian fencing.

Notes on training:
I now have another student of sorts, and when schedules permit we have an additional training night outside of the usual wednesday nights.

Challenges:
- underdeveloped arm muscles (much like mine were 7 years ago) and tires quickly.
- easily flustered by flamboyant or aggressive bladework.
- treestump syndrome: hasn't yet learned to co-ordinate upper and lower body under pressure.

Strengths:
- willing to learn
- agile
- good habit of keeping the swordpoint at the opponent most of the time.

Current lessons:
- basic footwork
- basic blade defense
- converting a solid defense into an attack
- learning to deal with an aggressive opponent
- small strength building exercises mixed with cavazione practice

It proceeds well, and once she has a steel blade of her own, we will be able to make better progress, methinks.

Notes on what I need to work on myself:
- Footwork. Always footwork. I'll be bloody 100 years old and fencing from a zimmer frame and still practicing footwork, I can tell you. Current area of interest is the passing step. I've neglected the tactical advantage a passing step can present, and need to rectify this.
- Battere/beats - I'm improving, but I still need much better control and positioning
- Lunge - neglect it for a couple of months and what happens? It becomes bloody horrid.
- Blade control and timing during defensive bladework. I'm still too sloppy with my movements.
- Point control and targeting practice on the thrust. There's not enough room inside for my old training routines. I'll need to case out my apartment neighbours, and see if any are likely to get weird if I do some practice in the courtyard.

At the moment, I have put Capoferro aside to practice the simplified style of fencing that I am teaching to newcomers. Unless I'm comfortable fighting with it, I don't think I'll be able to teach it well. Thus far, apart from one or two hiccups which I have workshopped with the ever-helpful and skilled Jason, it progesses smoothly. I'm getting a much better handle over its strengths and weaknesses, and how people are likely to attempt to break the initial guard.

Well, that is all my fuzzy head can manage at this point. Bed, methinks.