Practice in a Nutshell
Type of Practice: Dueling
Dueling night! I love dueling nights. It’s such a good time to hone skills.
Hey Students, I’ve linked the lessons you’ll be getting on Friday over beneath Lessons. If you will please read them before you come, so you know what is going on, that would be much appreciated.
Swordsmen, you get Open Workshop for a half hour! Please come with something specific you would like to work on. If you can’t think of anything visit with an Officer or a Master Swordsman for some ideas. After Open Workshop we would be very grateful for your help with giving the students a chance to practice what they just learned in lessons. It would be awesome if you brushed up on Block/Attack Combos or Case and joined the students at 6:30.
After lessons I have a challenge for you on Victory Conditions, then I’d like to play some dueling games, maybe a King of the Hill, or a dueling adaptation of that game Damian invented last week. I’m also open for requests. Let me know if there is a dueling specific thing you’d like to try.
Lessons
- Newcomers: As Needed
- Initiates: Block/Attack Combos
- Novices: Case
- Swordsmen: Open Workshop / Student Assist
Announcements
Fees
Can you believe it is April already? If you are not a Shire member please bring your company fee of $5 this week or next week. Your fees are very much appreciated and make it possible for the Company to go on having fun! Thank you!
BAND
BAND Testing is going very well. Thank you for helping. If you haven’t logged on in a while, please do, and answer this weeks progress question.
Shay’s Thoughts
I had a ton of fun working with the Students during their Open Workshop last week. It was very inspiring. I was able to talk with them about what they had learned in the last two weeks and how they felt they were doing on certain skills. We then all got together and worked on those things and it was really cool to watch them get better just in the course of 30 – 40 minutes.
I think the thing that stood out to me the most, was their ability to think carefully about where they lacked and then to strategize. With one student we even went through a recap of a couple of lessons that would help them with a specific skill they wanted to work on. They then went and improved on that skill. The ability to do that really impressed me!
I think we can all do this. I’m sure those of you who’ve been around for a few years are familiar with the concept of ‘changing the victory conditions.’ It is just one that I love. This is where you choose a skill that you want to perform, and then no matter whether you win or lose, you work on that skill and count it as a self victory when you accomplish it.
We often focus on the ‘win’ as the only victory condition. But that leads to a fencer just doing the same thing over and over again and never really improving. It’s when you can harness this skill that the Students were using, of thinking through your performance, defining what you’re lacking, thinking through what you need to do to improve, and pairing that with the concept of changing the victory condition, that your skill improves dramatically.
I’ve been working on a few very specific skills relating to my master Evanlyn’s style. On Friday I got completely stomped in a set of duels. But I was really proud of what I had accomplished because I was doing what I had been taught. I changed the victory condition. Now, this week I’m going to learn from the students’ example to think through what I need to improve and, hopefully, that will lead to a lesser stomping. I’m excited to try at any rate.
I hope that inspires you on your journey this week.
I think we’ve started the season off really well. Thank you for your great attitudes. This is going to be an awesome season! I’m excited to see you all Friday!
