Serfo 2017 has come and gone. UWF Fencing brought 8 fencers to the tournament this year. Nik medaled in ringen, conventional rapier, and first blood rapier, and one of our students won the Franco-Belgian tournament. I’m proud of both of them.

Leading up to Serfo, we had to lift less because I was experiencing muscle fatofue when training, but we did still did both (just less intense lifting). In addition to all that, I got a sinus infection the Monday night before the event. I medicated it aggressively and felt better for the tournament – not 100% but better.

Believe it or not, I felt at my best when I was fencing. I never made it out of pools, but I did some good fencing, especially on Sunday (I don’t feel proud of my performance in the first blood tourney). I competed in Women’s Longsword, First Blood Rapier, Conventional Rapier, and Sword and Buckler. Women’s Longsword conflicted with Franco-Belgian Rapier, and I didn’t care to do the Open Longsword or Ringen. I’m pleased with my longsword and conventional rapier fights, and I feel like I absolutely crushed the buckler tourney in the last fight of my pool.

In addition to competing, I attended a Friday night class on rapier and observed part of a cutting class on Friday morning. I took a lot of notes on drills we can do in the club.

I also took notes on what needs to change about my own fight and my expectations for tournaments. I want to increase my muscular endurance, my cardio capacity, and my timing. I have the skills, but I got caught flat footed more than I’d like. We debriefed our students and have some feedback on things they want to improve as well. It’s never too late to start preparing for next year, right?

We drove back Sunday night, rested Monday day, and returned to fencing Monday night. Nik and I hit the weights again today. I intend to have a fitness assessment done in the next month or two so that I’ll have a direction for my physical training. As far as fencing in particular goes, I think I need more drills, more conditioning – all the tedious stuff that really makes a difference.

I’m still around. I went to a couple tournaments but didn’t post about them. Basically I trained, I went, I fenced well enough but didn’t win… the usual. My mentor told me to lead less and focus on my fighting, so that’s what I’m doing now.

Right now I’m gearing up for a big tourney: the Southeast Renaissance Fencing Open. We’re about a week into our 30 days of fencing. I’m doing this on top of some pretty rigorous weight training.

Nik and I have been going to the gym pretty much every day since the summer. We do have rest days, and we miss when life gets in the way. When we go, we focus on arms or chest & shoulders (since fencing works the legs). In a month I gained a fair amount of weight but lost 3% body fat.

I’m still doing Krav but on a different schedule. Enrollment dropped enough that we cancelled that class. Now we’re doing seminars every couple of weeks. I took and passed my P4 test. We need to start studying P5, but I’m kind of focused on my tourney prep now. I don’t know if I will progress beyond P5. I have an opportunity to take CIC 2, but I’m apprehensive.

So for now it’s just a ton of fencing and weight lifting.

I’m back, baby!

I’m finally out of the sling, and I even got to fight!

Let’s rewind. I didn’t see much point in updating during my recovery. Mostly my life consisted of being uncomfortable in the sling, occasionally taking it off and doing light stretching, and icing it regularly. I had a few opportunities to go watch other people fence, which wasn’t quite as terrible as it could have been. I enjoyed little victories like being able to wash my own hair.

Then came Thursday. I wore my sling religiously, even the entire ride up to Atlanta. I was so very careful that I felt comfortable leaving the sling off all day on Friday. I attended a discussion about destreza that morning and then a practical lesson that night. To play things safe, I went through the drills left handed and avoided doing ringen afterward. I didn’t even do both halves of the class, partially because I wanted to keep some energy in reserve and partially because my friends had arrived in town.

On Saturday, I fenced for the first time since the injury. I rigged together a shoulder guard and fought in my pool in the women’s long sword competition. I met my goal of not embarrassing myself.

After that, I competed in the dussack tournament. I fought left handed and wore extra padding but didn’t deal with any hard blows to that side. Unfortunately I did smash my fingers and need to sit out the rest of the day, so I missed the first blood rapier tournament.

On Sunday I elected not to participate in the open long sword tournament, and based on some of the fighting I saw, I made the right call. I was able to compete in the conventional long sword tournament, and I made it out of my pools but washed out in elims (fencing right handed since the tournament was thrust only).

I went back to Krav on Monday without the sling. This time I got to participate since I need to catch up on my P3 skills. My Krav buddies marveled at my bruises, and I worked out three weeks’ worth of pent up energy.

Now I’m experiencing a delayed event hangover, so I’ll take it easy tonight. I’m looking forward to Krav practice tomorrow. I’ll let you know when I get to test.

The ortho says I have a Level 1 sprain (so not too bad). I’m supposed to stay in the sling, keep icing it, and generally resting up. I’ve been abiding by those instructions pretty carefully.

I told him about SERFO and what I wanted to do. He said that if I really truly rest, I should be able to compete, BUT (and I can’t emphasize how big this but is), if I’m not feeling 100%, I could cause further injury. A hard fall or blow could cause an AC separation, which would require surgery.

If I were going to SERFO today, I’d do rapier but probably not dussack and definitely not long sword. We’ll see how I feel in two weeks. I’m going to talk to the people in charge of the tournament, evaluate my armor situation, and otherwise figure out what I’m going to do.

In the meantime, my life is super sedentary and boring. I’m getting frustrated, and I don’t have much of an outlet. I am still doing yoga, but class doesn’t meet next week or the week after, so I’ll have to do gentle movement stretching on my own. I’m thinking I need to go for a walk or something to get moving around without straining the shoulder any more.

Last weekend Nik and I took a bunch of our UWF fencing students to Gatalop. I couldn’t fight, of course, but I marshaled, and I had a great time watching our students have a great time. This weekend is Panhandle Skirmishes. I’m considering gearing up so that I can be on the field giving orders, but again, I’m not fighting. It may be better to leave my stuff at home to remove all temptation.

Krav was canceled on Monday since people in my class have kids to take trick or treating. We’re back at it today. I have no idea how class will go since Michael (the other “TA” as I call us) is also hurt – from doing the same move. He’s hurt way worse than I am, so I don’t know if he’ll come in or not. I know we’re mostly doing review, though, so class should be manageable.

I typed a post (painstakingly slowly) on Monday with a lot more detail and then lost it. I’m not a happy camper, so this will be a little terse.

Saturday was a good workout/fencing day. I lifted some weights with Nik, and then I practiced long sword with Nik and Nikita.

Sunday instead of fencing, I practiced Krav with Gaby and Kita. I did a high forward roll poorly (after doing it mostly right) and crunched my shoulder. I iced it, dealt with it, soaked it… realized I needed to go to the ER. The shoulder isn’t broken, but it is quite painful. I have to wear a sling, and no fighting for at least a week.

I stayed home from work on Monday and slept weird tramadol dreams all morning. I felt better in the evening and visited Krav to drop off the pads and help call out activities.

I was back at work on Tuesday, and I explained my situation to my yogi. She came up with some yoga that I could do, and when I couldn’t do something, I visualized myself doing it and focused on my breathing instead.

Tonight I’ll go watch Krav some more. This has been a nice exercise in teaching using verbalization since I can’t demonstrate anything.

I see the ortho on Monday. I’m going to ask for a fast (if temporary) situation so that I can possibly still fence at SERFO. At the very least, I’d like to do rapier and dussack left-handed. I really really want to do long sword though. Really. Keep your fingers crossed.

At any rate, #fightingeverydamnday is on hold. In the meantime, though, I can read, watch films, and visualize… and be jealous as Nik continues with #fencingeverydamnday

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.