Tag: fencing

This weekend I went to Castle Wars. The only one-on-one fighting I did aside from the prize fight consisted of pickups. Most of what we did was melee fencing.

My friend received the highest level rapier award one can get in the SCA (Master of the Order of Defense). I missed the vigil, but I was happy to fence with him in his prize. He told me he’s seen my “murder face.” I feel like that’s a step in the right direction.

I had the chance to lead a small army in several bridge battles. When we weren’t doing organized fencing events, I did pickups with several fencers I don’t see very often.

I’ve decided to revisit the lunge challenge since someone pointed out that I don’t commit to lunges. I’d rather that be a choice, not a limitation. I’ve always felt like I shouldn’t play the distance game because I’m short, but I know plenty of short people who do killer lunges, so I should adjust that mind set.

SERFO 2015

Okay, where do I even start?

Nik and I got to Atlanta Friday night and had dinner with friends who were also going to participate in the tournament. Four of our students came up as well, but we left them to their own devices.

Saturday

We were up bright and early on Saturday to check in by 9. The Franco-Belgian Tournament was a good warm-up. I won a couple of fights but didn’t make it to finals or anything like that. It knocked the dust off. Nik did make it to finals, and after four and a half minutes of fencing (which doesn’t sound like that much time unless you’re in the ring) took second in the event.

After that, I officiated the Open Longsword Tournament and the Invitational Longsword Tournament (Nik came in fourth place, I believe). I don’t practice much longsword, but every time I go to this event, I remember how artful and powerful it is. I’d like to learn more about it.

After lunch, we had the First Blood Rapier Tournament. The only touches on me in the pools were from my own students. I was super proud of them. I ended up coming in fourth (out of 25 people), a personal best. One of my students came in second, and Nik won first.

I had a fantastic evening hanging out with friends, eating amazing cashew butter cookies, and getting on the HYPE TRAIN with my HEMA friends.

Sunday

The Women’s Longsword Tournament was first thing. That tournament is my goal for next year’s SERFO.

After that, we had the Conventional Rapier Tournament. I didn’t do so well in the pools that time, but I didn’t feel like I choked or did bad fencing. I was simply bested because of the choices I made. One of my students made it to finals, and she and Nik fought for third place that afternoon. He took third, and she took fourth.

After lunch (before all the finals for the day, of course), I had the opportunity to participate in the dussack tournament. I’ve never done dussack before, but I have done some sabre and some backsword, so I signed up and crammed during the lunch hour. I won one fight out of my pools and was generally knocked around, but I LOVED it. Nik and I are looking into getting some dussacks ourselves. None of my people made it to finals, but Nik and one of our students did participate in the elimination round.

I also had the chance to fence some pick-ups with some awesome fencers, and I saw my students doing the same. I received compliments on my progress and also on my students’ skill, sportsmanship, and comportment. I’m so proud of them, and I’m thrilled to see some progress in myself after a plateau.

Nik and I got in from Atlanta around midnight. We’ve turned into the Professor and Mr. Burns, respectively. Despite general soreness from fighting and stiffness from being in the car, I’m going to try to stick it out and go to Krav tonight.

I think I’ve written everything out here, but please let me know if you have questions about the event as a whole or any of the tournaments.

Sorry about the non-fencing posts. I removed those so that I can stay on track here. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Yesterday I did indulge in doing nothing until it was time for practice. At fencing practice, we ran through mock tournaments and took turns officiating. My students got to practice technique and also wearing all the required equipment and officiating. We’re ready.

The pools for two of the rapier tournaments have been published, so I know what to expect. Tonight Nik and I are resting, cleaning gear, watching find, and packing.

I’ll have my tablet on the road, but I’m not sure if I’ll have time to update before Monday.

Wish me luck!

I didn’t go see any doctors about the leg. I slept a lot because of the meds. I felt marginally better on Monday and went to work. Walking around and moving seemed to help, so I put on a brace, stretched thoroughly, and fenced that night.

…and I’m fine. I have no idea what the problem was. Tonight was yoga night, and I talked to my yogi about stretches and how the muscles in the core interact with the muscles in the leg.

I was super proud of my fencers again. I’m still having a personal mental block with cuts. I just don’t see them (in addition to my problems with cuts to the head).

Tonight after yoga, Nik and I spent some time in the studio. I practiced some punches and palm heels against my new strike pad because I’m skipping Krav this week, and we got out the swords and messed with tempo a little bit. I’m working on seeing cuts and parrying up instead of just side to side. I feel like I’m 2D fencing in a 3D world.

I don’t have work tomorrow. I may spend some extra time training, or I may indulge in doing absolutely freaking nothing.

Last night Nik and I met up with some students from the fencing club to run a few mock tourney bouts. I saw a lot of good fencing, and I’m confident that they will do well. I’m still working on those cuts. I’m not comfortable throwing a cut to the head, no matter how fine with it I think I am. I always end up pulling it even if I don’t want to. It’s something subconscious, so it’ll be hard to overcome.

After practice we all had dinner and went over the rules for Serfo. We talked about protocol and equipment. I think they’re ready.

Now for the bad news. Everything was fine during practice and dinner, but later that night my hamstring (I think?) started screaming at me. The pain starts behind my knee and radiates up. It’s worse when I engage my core; I can walk and put weight on it, but bending hurts. I tried compression last night and took a muscle relaxer this morning. If I don’t see any improvement, I’m going to the ER or UC. I’m afraid of blood clots. I don’t have any previous knee injuries, and I didn’t overextend or anything crazy last night. I have no idea what’s going on, but it really hurts.

Last night I had a great time helping in the ladies’ self-defense class. It’s challenging to teach something relatively new to me, but I’m understanding the material much better now.

Now I’ve shifted gears. I have a tournament coming up next week, so I’m working really hard on training for that. Tonight I went to the club meeting and did some drills and free sparring. Expect to hear about a lot more fencing.

Last night at Krav we reviewed static chokes from the front and went over static chokes from behind. We did a bunch of plucks, but this time my back isn’t as sore. I guess those muscles are getting stronger (or I did a better job stretching since I knew what I was getting into).

I also had the chance to talk to a friend about some lady fighter stuff. Any of you fellas out there who fight with women should know that adrenaline affects us differently than it does you, and it can be very unpredictable. I’m still gathering my thoughts, but expect a longer post about adrenaline dump and training with lady fighters.

I also realized that Serfo is next weekend, so I’ll be taking next week off from Krav to practice fencing more.

Yesterday I turned 30! Happy birthday to me!

It was yoga day, which was just what I needed since my back muscles were super sore from plucking those chokes Monday night. My yogi noted it was my birthday and asked if I had any special requests. She’s so thoughtful! I told her about the soreness, and her class really helped stretch out those muscles between my shoulder blades.

…Now to do it again tonight.

Nik gave me a striking pad for my birthday, so now I can punch to my little heart’s content at home. I’m excited at the prospect of training with a person on non-class nights. I’d like to do more fencing too, but with the weather and all our other activities, I just haven’t been practicing much outside of class time.