Second day at Arata, with 7 steel fighters and 1 steel choreographer (Sal, green braid). Two sets of 15 rounds.Weather today included bouts of light right, making for light mud in the arena.
Tag: steel
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Class with Sal, Chris and Charlie (Sabrina, Nate and Joe called out). Stretch and requirements. I worked with Chris and Charlie individually on their requirements for White Rope and Green Braid, respectively, and instructed Charlie on Jumping Tiger 1. After a break, during which I reviewed rank requirements with Chris and Sal, we did Refined Strikes with each possible partner, 100 full circle cuts (mine with steel), and then Balance 1 & 2.
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I attended the Best of the Best this year. It was steel only this year, and there were only 10 competitor slots of which nine were allocated to previous champions and special guest fighters. I opted not to compete for the final slot and was thence asked to assist with the marshaling. I additionally fought some 35+ boken matches in the second circle after the primary tournament was over.
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Class with Sabrina, Sal and Chris. Requirements twice through (Sabrina/me, Sal/Chris; Sabrina/Sal, Chris/me), then a break. After the break, we started with a machinegun drill with head or neck cuts. I then had each of them take up one of my steel and do 30 continuous full circle cuts, followed by once through defending Cutting Pattern 1 with steel. We moved back to wood, having three unarmored light contact multi-opponent melees, then finished with one round (once each) of single-life Blinde Man’s Boffer, then a second round in reverse order with three lives. This concludes classes for 2009. There will be no class next week, resuming on Monday, January 4th.
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Class with Sal and Chris, Don called out. Began with 50 full circle cuts (myself steel), then requirements, the two of them paired, myself on my own. I then reviewed one of their moves each, and followed with individual break out sessions; with Sal to instruct Cutting Pattern 2, with Chris to review Kata Ich. After a break, we did several drills. I started with a multi-opponent drill with one person in the middle with an opponent on either side. One side attacks once which the center blocks then counter attacks three times, at the end of which the other side attacks once, starting the pattern over, going back and forth between the two opponents. The next drill placed both opponents side by side where they worked as a team to make a total of three attacks, and the defender then countered with three attacks total to either opponent, mix-and-match. The third drill placed all three in defensive stance in a triangle with sword tips an inch from each other. One one person was allowed to attack at a time, and could do so to either of the other opponents. The goal was to use awareness to avoid trying to go when someone else was going, and to block any incoming attacks. The final drill was a line of four 6×6 in a line on the ground which we proceeded down with basic cuts, then one thrust at each of the three decreasing size rings, and back to the beginning.
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Class with Sal and Chris. Stretch and 100 logged full circle cuts (myself with one-handed steel), then requirements: Chris with Sal, myself solo with steel. We then did a focus session on Mantis and Thorn. At the end of the break, Sal took and passed his Green Braid evaluation, then we armored up and had 32 one-on-one matches and three rounds of three-opponent matches.
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Class with Sal, Don, Chris. Stretch and 50 logged full circle cuts (me with steel, them with wood). Requirements twice through, first me/don and chris/sal, then me/sal and don/chris. After the break we did continuous opponent unarmored parry (twice each with an opponent and then they step out and the next steps in immediately attacking, cycling through each of the available opponents). We finished with balance 1 and 2.
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Class with Sal. 100 logged full circle cuts (me steel, him wood). Requirements. Refined strikes, unarmored parry, and balance 1 and 2.
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Class with Chris, no call outs. All of both our requirements, a break, then Refined Strikes, thrust ring target practice, elevated cuts and blocks, logged full circle cuts (100 steel for myself), and ending with unarmored parry.
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Yesterday I ordered two new live steel swords for WCoS combat, both tempered high carbon spring steel Slayer’s. Neither was exactly what I was looking for, but as with the gauntlets, I have not left myself the luxury of time to wait, so I had to go with what was readily in stock. They should arrive by next Friday.
One-handed Sword with Spherical Pommel & Downturn Guard – 36″ total/28″ blade, 3.25lbs
Hand-and-a-Half Sword with Faceted Conical Pommel & Downturn Guard – 43.875″ total/31.875″ blade, 3.5lbs
(image of similar but not exactly the same sword)
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Just ordered two pairs of gauntlets from By the Sword.
They only ship one size, which is one reason I ordered two pair as I waited too long and need them for the upcoming October steel fighting coliseum in Half Moon Bay.
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Another weekend of sword fighting, but only Saturday this time. Details to follow.
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The second day dawned and we returned to the gladitorial hay arena at Aratas Farms. This day we had 5 ranked steel fighters in attendance and I obtained another 30 matches between melees and one on one sparring.
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Today I began steel fighting in earnest. I arrived at the Arata’s Farm in Half Moon Bay with plenty of time to spare. I have failed to upgrade my armor for steel fighting as yet, so Kaiden Gad loaned me torso armor and Martin was very kind to loan me his metal gauntlets. The day proceeded with a total of 8 ranked steel fighters (plus a few lower ranks to die in pre-arranged methods for the audiences benefit). I fought approximately 50 steel matches all totaled (log to be included later), of which around 35 were one one one sparring. All matches were with my two handed steel sword.
After the event, I worked with Kaiden Gad a bit. We reviewed the six deflections, which in brief are: right dash, left dash, stepping forward right bash, stepping forward left bash, catch left stepping forward toss right, catch right stepping forward toss left. We also reviewed practiced moves. One of my previous 13th move concepts, The Phantom, is getting some use, so I will keep that one. We also covered The Samurai (cross forward as pull back right, cross forward with chop to mid section, turning counter clockwise with draw, reorient and chop to back (neck) to finish opponent swiftly). Last we looked briefly at The Femoral, but Gad would like to see me get The Samurai strong first. I also got some clarification on a few items in regard to lefties vs righties for my own class instruction.
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I journeyed to the Half Moon Bay WCoS dojo today for some personal training. Kaiden’s Aaron and Brennan were also there and, after Gad went through steel parry with me, I did armored steel parry with Aaron and then sparred 5 matches with both Aaron and Brennan. Later, Gad worked with me on a few questions I had and some new techniques. I demonstrated four practiced moves that I have previously observed and he approved them: Casper, Lighting, Dragons Tail and Defense Cut. He reviewed Advanced Blocks, adding two low advanced blocks and the advanced head block and he also reviewed the six deflections. I asked about variances for one-handed technique and we covered the basics so that I will be prepared to pass on instruction for one handed students.
The steel combat today is my first as a Red Rope with the Western Circle of Swordfighters. It was exhausting and I was very slow, over-controlling my blade to avoid causing injury. I was also much more defensive and leary of my opponents blade, the heightened level of fear causing poor blocks and bad movement. I have much to learn and improve. As Kaiden Gad and the others said, moving to steel combat is in some ways like returning to square one again. -
This evening I tested for and earned the rank of Red Rope with the Western Circle of Swordfighters. Upon receiving my new rank, I requested the right to start my own WCoS dojo in Redding and was granted a limited Kaidenship to train a maximum of five students up to the rank of White Rope.
