We’ve officially made it to the second month of our Winter Warrior Challenge! Congratulations to all those who made it through last month’s Mentality Challenge. December’s theme is a Grab Bag!

During the busiest time of the year, I really like that this month’s challenge is a grab bag. A Grab Bag is a simple way of saying random or choose your own path. Instead of getting a specific series of tasks to do each day or each week, we’ve provided a large list of 100 potential activities that can do. 

All month, we recommend that you find at least one thing to do each day, or you could even do one thing for the 12 Days of Christmas and call it good. Whatever works for you. If you opted-in on the texting group (contact Kane for details), you will only receive a text at the beginning of the week with a portion of the full list as suggestions.

The goal of this month is to complete 1 activity per day for 12 days or challenge yourself to do something for all 31 days.

List of Activities

• Run/walk a mile
• 10 minutes yoga
• 10 minutes martial arts
• Make a medieval recipe
• 60 second plank
• You-tube video about fencing
• Ted-talk
• Read a story from the website
• Text another fencer
• Visit Woodland
• Name your gear
• Clean your sword
• Mend/wash your gear
• Purchase or make your own sides
• Make a plan to get your own kit
• 50 lunges
• Watch & analyse the fencing scenes of Princess Bride
• Critique Jack Sparrow & Will Turner’s sword fight in the first Pirates movie
• Design a t-shirt to submit to Kane
• Sew new garb
• Create a fencing playlist
• 10 Jacks, 10 squats, plank 30 sec, 2 times
• 8 basic, or 11 advanced blocks, 3 sets
• Read SMART Goals article on Website
• 10 Minutes Yoga
• Air Boxing 1 min, Stationary Lunges 2 sets of 10, 10 push ups
• Do something nice for someone without being asked and anonymously
• Gofora10minwalk
• Dance for 10 min to your favorite tunes
• Mind Map what you do well
• High Knees 2 sets of 10, Side to Side Lunges 2 sets of 10, Stretching 2 min
• Watch the fight scene between Montoya and the man in black from the princess bride and
• analyze it
• Set up 10 objects ie. Jenga Bricks or Dominos and knock them down one at a time with your
• sword or a dowel. (If you don’t have a dowel go buy one)
• Read the Wiki on Camillo Agrippa
• Play with a ping pong ball 10 min
• Read the Wiki on Ridolfo Capo Ferro
• Practice gauging shots 5 min, then breaking shots 5 min
• Read the Wiki on Gérard Thibault d’Anvers
• Text, message, or garrison mention, a fellow fencer and point out something you admire about them

• Footwork 5 advances, 5 retreats, switch and again, 5 to the right, 5 to the left, switch and again, 5 lunges, switch and again
• Mind Map things that increase your confidence and things that decrease your confidence
• Sword Dance slow for 5 min, then fast for as long as you can up to 5 more min
• Meditate on the meaning of your rose 10 min, if you don’t have a meaning, read Kane’s Rose of
• Valor article and start considering what you value and why
• Walk every trail in woodland then stand in the field in middle Woodland and do 5 minutes of
• breathing exercises
• Text, message, or garrison mention anything you want to Damian (this is a joke since he hates technology)
• With a helper work on off hand for 10 min
• Make a list of your positive attributes inside and outside of fencing
• Practice Multiple Attacks at different heights and depths for 10 min. If you don’t understand that
• read the lesson from the website then do it for 5 min
• Think of a fencing question you want to have answered then brainstorm for 5 min. extra credit for
• posting your question on the website
• With the tip of your sword or dowel circle a door knob clockwise for 1 min then counter for 1 repeat for each thing resting to a count of ten between each
• Watch the TED talk Swordplay and the Lost Art of Knighthood by Devon Boorman on YouTube
• 8 basic, or 11 advanced blocks, 3 sets with your non dominant hand
• No treats and eat healthy all day
• Yoga 10 min
• Memorize the Swordsman Oath
• Move any way you want for 10 min trying to experience the different muscle groups in your body start in your feet and move up think about how it all feels try closing your eyes while you do this exercise
• Read the Safety article that Shay wrote
• Play with Block Attack Combos for 10 min. If you don’t know what that means read the lesson on
• the website then do it for 5 min
• Read the Honor article that Shay wrote
• Learn to juggle
• Read the Attitude article that Shay wrote
• Turn on some music and fence to it think about the rhythm, tempo and how to time your shots
• Read the Skill article that Shay wrote
• Run in place 30 seconds, deep breath 30, air box 30 seconds, deep breath 30, repeat 3 times
• Then hold still for as long as you can keeping a clear relaxed mind for as long as you can.
• Watch 5 fights from our channel on YouTube, Terrasylvan Chroniclers
• While standing up and even moving around play with your fencing voice for 5 min focus on
• fencing phrases and commands and saying them very loudly
• Inch Worm 5 times, Mountain Climbers 2 sets of 10, Tricep Dips 2 sets of 10
• Write a Post on the Garrison
• Read the most current Woodland Watch & Comment (Multiple Options)
• Find a helpful TED talk and share it. Explain why.
• Create a signature move
• Add an additional detail to your persona backstory, you haven’t already.
• Describe in a single page, who your persona is.
• Ask a fellow fencer for advice
• Contact someone and see if they want to schedule a time to train together

• Go touch the Heart of Woodland
• Sword Fight imaginary enemies for 10 minutes
• Find a training exercise and try it out.
• Ask your nemesis what their favorite technique is
• Create an account on the website, if you already have read a lore story
• Sign up for the texting group, if you already have try to find Haute’s Den on the website
• Share in the Garrison why you chose your fencing name
• Find a grip exercise on Youtube and try it
• Visit Woodland today
• Ask someone for help with a challenge you are facing
• Reply in the Garrison thread with a suggestion for a future Woodland Watch
• Review a lesson you’ve previously taken in the Training Program
• Which Woodland Guardian calls to you? Why?
• Tell someone not in the group about Terrasylvae
• Post in the Garrison your best Terrasylvan Pun
• Stay in basic stance for 10 mins
• Design your dream sword
• Take time to consider your top three choices for your next Master. Your next Apprentice?
• Is there something that should be included in the Training Program that isn’t? Suggest it to the
• Captain in the Garrison
• Create a Fencing Playlist, bonus points for sharing in the Garrison
• Hold your sword (or sword-like object) for a total of 30 minutes today
• Watch the TED Talk “How to start a movement” by Derek Sivers AKA ‘The First Follower’
• Watch the TED Talk “Leading with Lollipops” by Drew Dudley