Initial data dump

(a C-belt is in my future. Also some particular yoga moves.)

Well, as typical for me finding a new rabbithole, it's going to be All Fighting! All The Time! for a bit at Greet's Middle Ages, until I find balance again. Some of you will love that…everybody else just hang on. There will be tents and tunics and graphic design and embroidery soon.

Progress report:

I have read The Armored Rose, and I liked a lot of it. The part I could judge was of course the psychology/chemistry/physiognomy part. Which jived completely with the swimming, dance, working construction sites that I have done. (She got tears out of me at page 78. Twice.) The rest – the flip photos, and the drills, remain to prove themselves.

I have tried two things. One is the 6-zone pell drill. I am slow, of course, and my arm tires, but the satisfaction of putting the blows in precise places is keen. Just like in ballet – there are marks to hit, and a form to be in when you get there, and a development of body shape to get there efficiently/safely, and a certain amount of energy that should be there when you get there. (No music cues though. Darn.)

The other is the forward leg stance. I like it. I observed when I worked with Earl Robert, that I kept wanting to step forward with my sword leg, because to not step meant I was choking off the end of the swing. (I resisted then, because I thought that was the Right Thing. Now I know better – the Right Thing is What Works For You. Try stuff.) I also like it because:

it leads with my dominant, aka smarter, side.
it aligns my right knee, which has had the ACL reconstructed.
it feels like going into a particular turn from dance that was very powerful. I'm not sure about directing this power, but I figure that'll come with practice.

Of course I don't expect to go through fighting life always with my right foot forward, but this is an interesting observation, and journals are for notes.

More advice from the Inbox. Bart: "Go to Res Ducis* and pay very close attention to what Duke Gaston has to say about how exactly to throw shots…to avoid debilitating elbow, wrist, and forearm pain from throwing shots the wrong way."

People continue to shower resources upon me. I'll be compiling these in the Links To Places Elsewhere monster page referenced at upper left, but for now the list is as follows – much comes from a recent thread on the ArmourArchive.

The Armored Rose (book)

The Knights Next Door (book)

http://swordmaiden.com/armor/talon/ (which goes directly to the original core of this armor kit)

http://www.createforum.com/thegirlsclub/

http://forums.armourarchive.org

www.bellatrix.org

http://www.midrealm.org/kith/kith/

http://www.vitaporten.se/

http://houseasgard.com/files.php

Res Ducis (I just google this and get YouTube videos, but there may be more)
"Duke U videos"
House Asgard's "Two man kata"
http://board.belegarth.com/viewtopic.php?f=135&t=26377

Kyrax's Glaive Fighting Tutorial
Sir Kyrian's Florentine Fighting Tutorial
Advanced Sword and Board Class at Ragnarok pt.1, pt.2, pt.3, pt.4, pt.5, pt.6, pt.7 (Video)
Same Side Single Sword (Video)
Tons of SCA Related Videos (Video)
Fighting Definition Videos: Round 1