Class with Sal, Chris and Charlie. Nate called out. I discussed the upcoming October events and highly recommended trying to make it to at least one day or weekend. We then did requirements twice through, with me reviewing Sal and Chris for their White Rope requirements. After a break, we did an awareness and reaction drill, placing partners approximately twice-ma apart, and then either one could initiate an attack motion and the other tried to beat them to completion using a different cut or thrust. We faced each other student in turn, the final time incorporating a side step in the responder’s movement. We finished with Balance 1 and 2.
Tag: wcos
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I hosted a Day of Combat in Redding today. We have eight fighters on the field and a few guests. The event site had a variety of terrain available to us, so we started with 10 melees in a hollow/grove, then moved to a gravelly location for another 2 melees, followed by 2 melees in a rocky dry creek bed, and finished with one scenario melee of President in a slightly less rocky section of the creek bed where there was a lot of young willow growth. The temperature ranged from low 90s and up, possibly over 100 in the creek bed, however everyone stayed hydrated and there were no injuries besides the normal bruising.
Afterward, we reconvened at the Redding Dojo for food, a review of the video, and a little bit of Bushido Blade on the PS1. -
Class with Sal, Chris, Nate, Joe and Charlie. Discussed the upcoming event, quick stretch, then requirements twice through (I focused on Joe and Charlie). I then reviewed the I Move (new move for Joe) and we took a break. After the break, I did a multi directional machine gun drill, having two lines at about a 120 degree angle. alternating attackers from each line and rotating through each line. We started with just head cuts, then moved to any upper cut (head,neck, decap).
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Class with Sal, Chris, Nate, and Charlie. Joe called out, Sabrina has returned to Humboldt for school. During seiza I discussed the upcoming Labor Day Weekend event. We then had a short stretch and a drill practicing moving in good stance, using the thigh muscles rather than spring with toes/calves. Then we went through requirements twice, switching partners. During the break, I instructed Sal on Double Chop for his 12th move. After the break we had 35 matches total.
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Class with Sabrina, Sal, Chris, Nate and Charlie. Joe called out, no sign of Jeffery. Stretch and requirements twice through. I worked specifically with Charlie and Sabrina. After a break, we did machine gun drill with head or neck attacks, then rotated twice through several drill stations; cutting pattern 1 with partner on a grounded beam, two thrust hay bales, and two thrust rings (large and small).
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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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Class with Sal, Sabrina, Nate, Joe and Charlie. Tonight was a dagger training night. I started with a discussion on how virtually anything can be a weapon, and on intelligent life and death choices, when to fight, and when to walk away. We then examined different styles and knives and daggers and discussed the differences, and then took some time practicing throwing boken daggers into hay bales, getting a sense of how length and heft change the rotation of a weapon. After a break, we put on helmet, gloves and gorgets and had one-on-one dagger matches, using best of three to cycle opponents. I concluded with a single four-way free for all match.
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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 Sal, Chris, Nate, and Joe. Charlie and Sabrina called out. Stretch and requirements once through, then basic cuts and blocks and cutting pattern 1 once more. I then went over Double-Thrust and we took a break. The second half we had a total of 45 one on one matches.
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Class with Sal, Chris, Joe and Charlie tonight. Stretch and requirements twice through (Sal/Joe,Chris/Charlie;Sal/Charlie,Chris/Joe) while I provided adjustments. After a break, I instructed on Jumping Tiger 2, a new move for Joe and Charlie, then we did refined strikes a few times through, and finished with a series of boffer melees.
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Class with Sal, Sabrina, Nate, Chris, Joe and Charlie. Stretch and requirements. After a break, we had a total of 30 one on one matches.
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Class with Nate, Joe and Charlie. Stretch and requirements, first me with Nate and Charlie with Joe, then me with Charlie and Nate with Joe. After a break, we had Balance 1 with some thrusting bales and some light striding and leaping incorporated into it. We finished with refined strikes, pairing once with each of the others.
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Class with Chris, Nate, Joe and Charlie. Sal and Sabrina called out. Charlie and Joe came early again to work on their boken. Stretch and requirements, with Nate paired with Charlie and Chris paired with Joe. I roamed making corrections and improvements. I then did a focus session on Dragon’s Tail for all four of them. After a break, I did light armored parry followed by three light sparring matches (helmet and gloves) with Charlie and Joe, then had seven matches of light (full armor) sparring with all Charlie, Joe and Chris and six with Nate.
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Class with Sal, Sabrina, Chris, Nate, and Charlie. Joe called out sick. Stretch and paired requirements a couple-ish times through. I specifically worked with Sabrina on all requirements, Chris and strikes and blocks, and Sal on one handed variations. After a break, we did 200 full circle cuts, then machine gun drill for head and neck, and battle movement with altered terrain, and finished with altered terrain light unarmored parry.
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Class with Sabrina, Joe and Charlie, and both Sal and Chris called out. Stretch, 10 body builders, and then extended requirements sessions, pairing Sabrina with Charlie and myself with Joe, then switching Sabrina and I, going through all my requirements and working on improving their basics. After a break, we did a short set to three drill stations; (1) 100 full circle cuts, (2) Refined Strikes, (3) thrust rings. Everyone cycled twice to obtain 200 full circle cuts (myself with steel, 100 with two hands, 100 with one hander).
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Class with Sal, Sabrina, Chris, Joe and Charlie, Nate called out. Brief reminder about the Best of the Best in seiza, then stretch and 10 body builders. I paired Sabrina with Chris, Sal with Charlie, myself with Joe and worked on requirements, then paired Joe and Charlie to go through what they know several times while I worked with Sal. He’s going one handed for the current time being due to a left hand finger injury. I then worked with Sal, Sabrina and Chris on Basic Strikes, covering the two chop cuts and advanced thrust, and also reviewed acceptable angles for neck cuts.
After a break, we had Balance 1 and 2+ (caber, rising caber, elevated beam (2.5ft high), jump to grounded beam, platform with thrust ring, caber, edge-on brick, two end-on bricks, edge-on brick and short stride, then run and leap over elevated beam). We followed this with machine gun drill, first for head or neck, then for neck or leg, and finished with 100 full circle cuts (wood only). -
Class with Sal, Sabrina, Chris, Nate, Mark, Charlie and Joe. Brief seiza and stretch, then I did a focus session on Thorn (first move for the three new students). Then while the experienced students went through requirements, I worked on the basic requirements pattern with the three new students, after which I paired them with the Sal, Chris and Sabrina while I reviewed Nate to get him back up to speed.
After the break, I went over Refined Strikes, and paired everyone to go through it a couple times, then we had 24 matches of sparring total for Sal, Chris and I while the other five rotated through logging, thrust practice and pairing for Refined Strikes with either of the two available experienced students. -
Class with Sal, Nate, Mark, Charlie, and Joe. Chris called out, and Don did late. I talked a little about proper bowing and seiza form, then we stretched and started on requirements. I put Sal and Nate together and worked with Mark, adding thrusts, then had him pair with Nate and Sal alternately to go through Cutting Pattern 1 which I worked with Charlie and Joe, improving Charlie and adding thrusts, and getting Joe started on the second half of the cuts and blocks. I also reviewed Nate’s basic cuts and blocks.
After a break, we started with some Blind Man’s Boffer, then the students made a Balance 1 and 2 course, and we finished with a round of machine gun drill, head cuts only. -
Class tonight with Sal, Chris, Nate, Don, Mark, Charlie, and Joe. In seiza, I reviewed the six traditions and the three rules of swordsmanship. We then stretched and I paired Sal with Nate and Don with Chris, and worked individually with Mark, Charlie and Joe. I continued Mark working on his basic cuts and blocks, instructed Charlie on the second half (decap and leg cuts and blocks), and instructed Joe on head and neck cuts and blocks, also covering defensive stance for both Charlie and Joe. After a break, we had a total of 40 one on one matches between Sal, Chris, Don and myself.
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Class with Sal, Mark and Charlie tonight, plus Joe observed a second time and Jill observed her first class. During the opening seiza, I spoke about the Best of the Best, and I talked about the guiding WCoS principle of adaptability and evolution of our sword fighting technique based on the trial by live and realistic combat. We then had a quick stretch and then Sal worked on his own while I worked with Mark and Charlie, going over the head and neck cuts and blocks, and then continuing with Mark on the decap and leg cuts and blocks. I checked in with Sal for a short bit, then introduced Mark to Cutting Pattern 1.
After a break, we had Balance 1 and near-2, followed by machine gun drill for head cuts/blocks, then neck cuts/blocks. -
Class with Sal, Chris and Mark tonight. Charlie and Joe observed. Quick stretch and then Sal and Chris went through requirements while I instructed Mark on defensive stance and head and neck cuts and blocks. I then worked individually with Chris and Sal, and finished with a review of Mark. After a break, we had 18 matches of one-on-one sparring with Mark logging.
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Class with Sal and Chris, Mark observed a second time and Charlie observed his first class. Stretch and briefly reviewed Mantis with Sal, then Chris arrived and I paired them for requirements while I went through mine. I then worked individually with them on various techniques. After a break, we alternated for Refined Stikes pairs and working the thrust rings, then went through Balance 1 and 2+ incorporating the thrust rings again. We ended with a modification to the machine gun drill, what I’ll call a 180 machine gun drill, with one opponent on either side attacking in alternate succession. We started with just head, then head and neck, and lastly neck and leg.
Conditions: Light to medium rain during class, heavy prior to class leaving large puddles and significant mud.
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Class with Sal and Chris tonight, and Mark observed (and assisted with logging). Stretch and requirements (mine with steel), followed by a focus session between me and Sal and Chris separately. After break, we had best-of-three one-on-one matches, with the winner of each set staying in the circle.