The Tangled Web of Fencing
It’s easy to forget how interwoven fencing is and how our lessons play into one another.
The Assassination of Damian Azure
Out of the corner of his other eye, he could see another assassin charging at him, a glint of steel in their hand. He thought quickly. No time to draw his sword…
Keening: Part 8 – Let the Dead Rest
“People always want their soul-searching and self discovery cheap, but it doesn’t work like that. You have to be ready to experience some hardship and fear.”
If I Could Be a Newcomer Again…
With the new Training Program this year, a lot more responsibility has been given over to the students on what you want to learn and where you want to focus your training. That’s awesome and it offers so much flexibility and ownership! But it can be challenging to navigate the waters of your own progression … Read More
All I Want For Christmas Is My Rapier
Enjoy this little diddy as you sit around the fire, staring at your presents, greedily hoping your parents or significant other ordered your fencing gear before next season. You know the present. That one over there behind the tree. That must be a helmet. Some gloves. Maybe even…a rapier! And if you like this one, … Read More
Tabard Sewing Instructions
Instructions and Notes – Written by: Melonie Fitch Notes: All pattern pieces are labelled with Pattern Number (see size chart for sizing) what to cut and NSA. NSA = No Seam Allowance. You will have to add seam allowance when you cut into your fabric. Don’t forget! My recommendation is 1/2” but 5/8” is standard … Read More
You Want to Buy A Sword, But Don’t Know What to Get
With steel prices going up and the group growing, it’s a good time to buy a sword and start getting your gear together. Once you have your kit, you won’t have to worry if the loaner gear will run out or if you’ll get to train with the same gear every week. You’ll just have … Read More
Being an Underdog… Again
In my Big Orange Book, I wrote a chapter on Being an Underdog and how that mindset is so beneficial in fencing. Here’s my general stance. I believe one of the strongest positions a fencer can be in is as an underdog. It may seem counter-intuitive, but being an underdog can be incredibly advantageous because … Read More
An Over-Attention to Oddity
I’ve been thinking a lot about learning lately. Reviewing the training program and working with Shay to study her style at a high level put my brain on high alert for ideas floating around related to learning. In this case, it was an idea of Exception Bias that come up in one of the RPG … Read More
Veron’s Tips for Feeling Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed in a fight is normal, even feeling overwhelmed with information is normal. We have given the students in our training program so much knowledge it can become burdensome in a fight. If you are going through training, and you are feeling this; try to focus on one thing at a time. If you … Read More
Strength, Power, Speed, Endurance, and Agility — What’s the difference?
When we talk about a Fencer’s Physicality instead of Mentality, we often think about the basic skills we are using. Blocks, Attacks, Footwork, etc… That’s all well and good, but I wanted to take a broader look this past week and focus on the building blocks of physicality itself. From there, as always, how could … Read More
I Wonder, What If, Let’s Try! | Persistence in Fencing
I’ve always been a strong believer that you can learn about fencing anywhere. The things you learn at work, at home, at your grandma’s house, or walking down the street may be hiding exciting principles you can apply to your owning fighting or fencing philosophy. A case in point would be what I learned from … Read More
Stretch Your Mind Towards New Opportunities
Two experiences this week prompted this train of thought and something that I wanted to share. The first was in Shay’s Thoughts for our upcoming practice (March 19, 2020) and the other was a video Sigmar posted to BAND. Here was Shay’s Thought: “We are going to work on intentional movement. There is so much … Read More