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Zwaardkring
Jan. 13th, 2012 08:01 amFeeling very out of place in my pink vest and capri sports pants, I practiced the 8 attacks. High right was easy enough, then high left. Low right, low left. Horizontal -- I'm sure it was a bit wobbly -- right and horizontal -- urgk -- left. Er... what was the last one again? Ah yes...thrusts right and left. Easily remembered, but not as easily done.
After I managed to get the eight basic attacks drilled in, Merlyn handed me a shield and I got tangled up in it right away. The left thrust was the worst, already an awkward step-and-wrists-crossed combination, the shield got even worse in the way. I tried my best, and Merlyn actually seemed impressed. He set me loose on the group.
The small gym near the Ringbaan was not nearly crowded enough to be dangerous even while playing with swords, but I felt a bit out of place. I managed to get the eight attacks down soon enough and now I was told to keep my sword arm behind my shield, to protect it. The boy I was paired up with was patient with me.
The next series of exercises would show us exactly what would happen if we were to forget this basic rule. The defender was told to try and chop off the arm of the person attacking, who deliberately kept his shield close to his body like they do in the movies. "Even in re-enactment battles the shield is kept close to the body, because it's too dangerous to fling it about as you would in a real battle. Remember: you're holding two weapons in your hands. Both can be used to parry and to attack."
We switched partners, each taking a step to the left, and I was paired up with the only other woman in the room. She and her partner looked familiar and I later heard they run a shop called "Zwaard & Volk" and I must have seen them at faires.
The next exercises got us defending with the sword angled over the shield, trying to hamstring the opponent with a thumb-grip on your sword so it angles more easily behind a shield, and trying to strike over the opponent's shield at their heads with either sword or shield.
I was paired up with nearly everyone in the room, from an experienced youth who was almost lazy in his attacks, a flawless ease of pointing that nylon sword (that seemed to grow heavier by the minute), to an acne-riddled boy who seemed to be very afraid to hurt me even more. I had scraped my knuckles on something, probably a shield, and in the end borrowed a glove for my right hand.
At some point, my arms and back cashed their check and my energy levels plummeted. I took a break then, afraid to slice someone's ear off with a nylon practice sword, because I couldn't aim anymore and my arms were trembling. I could barely keep from crying, but this was not the crying of failure but the utter exhaustion taking its toll - my face tried to force itself into a snarl while all I wanted to do is gulp sweet air. Ten minutes later I was feeling much better and I joined in the games that signalled the end of the two hour exercise. First a round-about, people taking turns trying to hit a single defender (and I did take my turn as a defender!) and then a king-of-the-hill game that went to the last man standing 'on the hill': the experienced boy who had such a lazy grace.
I was pleasantly surprised that I picked up the techniques as if by osmosis. The main reason I never joined a fighting sport before is that I was afraid to not get the techniques right away. Perhaps my larp experience finally paid off, or maybe muscle memory works. I just remember when I was eight I had a hard time picking these things up.
I'll definitely need a whole pile of gear if I continue these lessons, but my birthday is coming up in a few months. A good gambeson, a pair of padded gloves (#1 priority!), a gorget, a practice sword and in time maybe even a real sword. I also got a better look at the gambesons they wore and it looks like mine might have the sleeves set too low, the shoulder seam could do with 2 centimeters less length.
Definitely a lot of fun, a very good work-out and worth getting back to next week!
After I managed to get the eight basic attacks drilled in, Merlyn handed me a shield and I got tangled up in it right away. The left thrust was the worst, already an awkward step-and-wrists-crossed combination, the shield got even worse in the way. I tried my best, and Merlyn actually seemed impressed. He set me loose on the group.
The small gym near the Ringbaan was not nearly crowded enough to be dangerous even while playing with swords, but I felt a bit out of place. I managed to get the eight attacks down soon enough and now I was told to keep my sword arm behind my shield, to protect it. The boy I was paired up with was patient with me.
The next series of exercises would show us exactly what would happen if we were to forget this basic rule. The defender was told to try and chop off the arm of the person attacking, who deliberately kept his shield close to his body like they do in the movies. "Even in re-enactment battles the shield is kept close to the body, because it's too dangerous to fling it about as you would in a real battle. Remember: you're holding two weapons in your hands. Both can be used to parry and to attack."
We switched partners, each taking a step to the left, and I was paired up with the only other woman in the room. She and her partner looked familiar and I later heard they run a shop called "Zwaard & Volk" and I must have seen them at faires.
The next exercises got us defending with the sword angled over the shield, trying to hamstring the opponent with a thumb-grip on your sword so it angles more easily behind a shield, and trying to strike over the opponent's shield at their heads with either sword or shield.
I was paired up with nearly everyone in the room, from an experienced youth who was almost lazy in his attacks, a flawless ease of pointing that nylon sword (that seemed to grow heavier by the minute), to an acne-riddled boy who seemed to be very afraid to hurt me even more. I had scraped my knuckles on something, probably a shield, and in the end borrowed a glove for my right hand.
At some point, my arms and back cashed their check and my energy levels plummeted. I took a break then, afraid to slice someone's ear off with a nylon practice sword, because I couldn't aim anymore and my arms were trembling. I could barely keep from crying, but this was not the crying of failure but the utter exhaustion taking its toll - my face tried to force itself into a snarl while all I wanted to do is gulp sweet air. Ten minutes later I was feeling much better and I joined in the games that signalled the end of the two hour exercise. First a round-about, people taking turns trying to hit a single defender (and I did take my turn as a defender!) and then a king-of-the-hill game that went to the last man standing 'on the hill': the experienced boy who had such a lazy grace.
I was pleasantly surprised that I picked up the techniques as if by osmosis. The main reason I never joined a fighting sport before is that I was afraid to not get the techniques right away. Perhaps my larp experience finally paid off, or maybe muscle memory works. I just remember when I was eight I had a hard time picking these things up.
I'll definitely need a whole pile of gear if I continue these lessons, but my birthday is coming up in a few months. A good gambeson, a pair of padded gloves (#1 priority!), a gorget, a practice sword and in time maybe even a real sword. I also got a better look at the gambesons they wore and it looks like mine might have the sleeves set too low, the shoulder seam could do with 2 centimeters less length.
Definitely a lot of fun, a very good work-out and worth getting back to next week!
