In this post, I will be discussing a worrisome concern that I've seen among some Red users in Dagorhir, as well as a drill that I've come up with that I hope will address and eventually correct the issue. Enjoy...
Red fighters are crucial to the success of any unit on the battlefield. They break shields, weakening the enemy, and provide aggression and intimidation which can turn the tide of battle. Now, I don't have a ton of experience with Red fighting, which I plan on changing very soon, but I have watched my fair share of Red fighters, and what I've seen from some, not all, Red users is that they seem to be stuck in "Power Mode" regardless if the person in front of them has a shield or not. I find this very concerning because Red weapons are bigger, often heavier weapons that can cause a lot of damage and their wielders are quite often fighters of larger stature. However, this is not the fault of Red users. The style itself is aggressive and meant to be used with power, and it can be difficult to switch out of that "Power Mode". There's also the VERY gray area known as the "Sufficient Force" rule in the M.O.A, which is often abused by some shield users and other fighters in order to stay in the fight longer. What's considered "Sufficient" force to one fighter could be "Insufficient" or "Excessive" to other fighters. In my opinion, some common ground needs to be found on this issue before serious injuries occur. The same can be said for other weapon styles, but the most concerning is with Red weapons because of their size and weight.
It's the abusers of the "Sufficient Force" rule that have molded the "swing for the fences" mentality that some Red fighters have come to adopt, so as soon as a Red is put in their hands, the "Power Mode" switch kicks on and often remains in the 'On' position. With that being said, I've come up with a few ideas, including a training exercise/drill, that I hope will help these Red fighters to be able to switch the "Power Mode" 'Off' when needed.
Weapon Checking
I encourage all fighters to learn the art of weapon checking, as it will help them become better weapon makers, know what a passing and failing weapon feels and looks like, which will in turn help them know when repairs are needed to their own weapons. This will help keep Dagorhir a safe game. But I strongly encourage Red users to learn weapon checking, especially if they're new to the style. Have them test a Blue and a Red Weapon so that they can feel for themselves what it's like to throw a Light, Medium, and Hard shot. Then, have a Blue and a Red tested on them so that they can be trained on what a Light, Medium, and Hard shot feels like when they're the ones being hit. Have this be a regular occurrence if it isn't already, like with my realm, we have weapons check once a month before practice, with new weapons always being tested before being brought on the field, and arrows checked at every practice. Repetition will help make this second nature.
Meditation
I know, some of you are probably thinking "What do Red fighting and meditation have to do with one another?!" Well, for the purpose of this article, quite a bit actually. Meditation has long been used to become more mindful and focus on the present moment. This is where I think some Red users can use some training. Red fighters are a little like Bulls; when they see a shield, it's like the Bull seeing red. Once they start breaking shields, it can be hard to get out of that mode, regardless of who or what stands in front of them. This is where Mindfulness training and focusing on the present moment can come in handy. If you're more focused and more aware of who you're fighting, then you'll likely be able to recognize whether you need to be in "Power Mode" or "Power Saving Mode".
"Power Mode" should be reserved ONLY for breaking shields(and those frustrating abusers of the "Sufficient Force" rule).
"Power Saving Mode" should be your default mode when you're fighting enemies who don't have a shield in front of them. When fighting an enemy as a Red user, if they are not using a shield then you should not be striking them any harder than you would with a normal blue. Yes, this would be open for interpretation, but the point is that you should not be going full Red unless your opponent has a shield or doesn't want to take hits.
There's plenty of information on meditation on the internet, including videos, so I highly encourage Red users to seek out this information. I hope it improves your Red fighting.
Hit Calibration Training Exercise/Drill
Coupled with the ideas above, I've come up with a training exercise that I hope will help Red users discern when it's necessary to be in "Power Mode" or "Power Saving Mode". The most important part about this training exercise is the changing of variables that the Red fighter encounters. With that being said, here's the exercise:
Round 1: Small Female Fighter
Find the smallest female fighter available in your unit or local realm that's at least average to above average in skill. Arm her with a weapon, preferably single blue or Florentine. Avoid Reds and ranged weapons as the point is for the other fighter to be in melee range of the Red user, and another Red would just confuse matters. Try and discourage "light" calls from the non Red fighter, as this may lead to harder than needed shots. Call shots if necessary if they are being shrugged off.
Level 1: Weapon Only
Have the female fighter square off with the Red user with only weapons, no armor or shields. Allow only light to medium hits. If any hits are deemed "Hard" or "Excessive", call the Red fighter dead and restart the fight. Repeat this process at least 5-10 times before moving on to Level 2.
Level 2: Weapon and Armor
Same as Level 1, only this time give the female fighter armor(at the very least torso armor). Allow Medium hits from the Red fighter against the armor only, as armor can absorb a portion of the force of the hit, but encourage the non Red fighter to take light hits as well. Again, Hard or Excessive hits should result in the immediate death of the Red fighter. Restart the fight. Repeat at least 5-10 times before moving on to Level 3.
Level 3: Weapon, Armor, and Shield
Finally, give the female fighter a shield in addition to the weapon and armor. The female fighter should preferably be above average at sword/board, but at the very least should know the basics of sword/board, especially the rules regarding Red damage. Allow Hard or "Power" shots on the shield only. Once the shield is broken, allow Medium strikes for the armor only like in Level 2. Follow the immediate death rule as in Levels 1 & 2, and repeat at least 5-10 times.
Then to make it more interesting, go backwards down the ladder. Go from Level 3 down to Level 2, then down to Level 1.
Round 2: Average/Medium Sized Male Fighter
Find an average to medium sized male fighter in your unit or local realm that's at least average to above average in skill. All of the same rules apply as in Round 1 with the female fighter, including moving backwards down the ladder of levels. Try and discourage "light" calls from the non Red fighters, as this may lead to harder shots out of frustration. Call shots if necessary if they are being shrugged off.
Round 3: Large Male Fighter
Finally, find the biggest male fighter you can in your unit or local realm that's at least average to above average in skill and have them square off against the Red fighter. All of the same rules apply as in the previous 2 rounds. Again, try and discourage "light" calls from the non Red fighter. Call shots if necessary if they are being shrugged off.
Advanced(Optional)
If the Red fighter is exceptionally good, to make it more challenging, you can have him/her face two enemies at the same time, presenting that Red user with a multitude of variables all in the same fight. For example, you could use a small unarmored female fighter without a shield and a large male fighter in armor with a shield against the Red fighter.
The Goal: The goal of this training exercise is to condition the Red fighter to react accordingly to the variables that they encounter on the battlefield. Typically you would strike a smaller female fighter lighter than you would a 350 pound guy(yes I know there are some pretty tough ladies in Dagorhir that can take a beating and give it back), you'd hit an armored fighter slightly harder than an unarmored fighter, and you hit a shield with power. They should be able to discern between each variable and switch to the proper mode, meaning they shouldn't be in "Power Mode" when fighting an unarmored enemy without a shield(unless they're calling "light" or shrugging off shots), and shouldn't be in "Power Saving Mode" against an armored sword/board fighter. This should be an ongoing training regimen for all of your Red fighters. All 3 rounds do not have to be completed in the same practice. You can also tweak the exercise however you see fit. I've merely provided the foundation from which to build upon.
I would like as many units and realms to try out this training exercise and report back to me and let me know the results so that I know if it's a success or I just wasted my time. You can comment in the comments section with the results, or find me on Facebook(Durrok Thunderaxe).
In closing, I would like to make it clear that I'm not calling out any particular fighters or talking down to any Red users out there. I just want to promote safety and responsibility with Reds. I'd rather see the "swing for the fences" mentality broken, not a fellow fighter.
Hope this article was helpful and thanks for reading. Until next time, be safe and LAY ON!!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
The Basics: Drills
Boring as they may be, drills are vital to developing proper form and improving your skills as a fighter. While you will learn quite a bit on the field fighting as many people as possible, you'll want to supplement what you've learned with drills. They are often overlooked because of how boring and repetitive they can be, but the repetition is key in developing muscle memory. Drills are the building blocks of what we do in Dagorhir. Think of it like building a house: you need a good foundation to build the rest of the house. If you don't have a good foundation, the house will be unsafe and crumble to the ground. Drills are the foundation of our house. The drills I'm going to outline in this article are simple and will benefit all fighters of any level. Ever wonder how the best fighters got to be as good as they are? Want to know how they did it? Chances are they used some or all of the drills I'm going to cover below. Read on and let's get fighting!
Footwork
Footwork is VERY important to building a good foundation and having proper fighting form. If you have bad footwork, little else will matter because you won't have proper form and your improper footwork will get in your way and quite literally trip you up. As someone who studied martial arts, I quickly learned that proper footwork is key, and if your feet don't have it, neither will the rest of you. You have to build your foundation from the ground up, therefore it's vital to learn proper footwork and everything else will follow suit.
One of the first things I tell new fighters is to NEVER NEVER EVER cross your feet under ANY circumstances. Doing so will only lead to injury, no matter how good you may be. Sure, you can control YOUR body and YOUR movement, but there are so many variables on the field, especially at Ragnarok, that you CAN'T control. So please, DON'T CROSS YOUR FEET!!!
There are a number of good videos that can be found on YouTube for footwork training. Below are the ones that I have used and encourage others to do the same:
Triangular Footwork
Wing Chun Footwork
With the video below, watch all 3 parts to get the full effect:
Boxing Footwork
I recommend giving all three a try for variation to see what you like best.
First, practice these without a weapon in your hands to get used to the movements. Doing these empty handed will put all the focus on your feet, which is where it needs to be. Do as many repetitions as you can as many times a week as your able. Repetition is what will make these movements more fluid and they will become like second nature.
After you feel comfortable with the movements, you can then add a weapon into your hand(s). Repeat the movements with your weapon, but don't throw any shots. Just get used to doing the movements with your weapon in hand.
Finally, after you're comfortable doing these movements with a weapon in hand, you can then do these exercises while throwing shots. It's best to have a pell, punching bag, or one of those blow up punching bags that return back to you after you hit them, with sand in the bottom for balance. You can also use a partner if you have one. The point is to be practicing your footwork WHILE throwing shots. This will get your hands and feet coordinated and working together.
Muscle Memory
Next to footwork, Muscle Memory is the best drill that you can do in my opinion. If you do no other drills, do Footwork and Muscle Memory and you'll be sure to see an improvement in your fighting with those drills alone. Muscle Memory conditions your muscles to throw shots to the 6 major strike points on the body: Right Leg, Right Side Hip/Torso, Right Side Arm/Shoulder, Left Side Arm/Shoulder, Left Side Hip/Torso, and Left Leg, as well as to return to a defensive posture to block an opponent's return attack.
How It Works:
First get into a proper stance. Generally, this is knees bent, sword foot pointing forward, back foot pointed outward, almost as if your feet are forming a right angle. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart, and your torso should be sideways, facing the same direction as your back foot. The slimmer the profile you show your enemy, the less they have to hit. This is the stance that I use, but of course, the stance that you use is up to personal preference and what is comfortable for you, as well as what weapon type you are fighting with. Different weapon styles often require different stances that work best for that particular weapon. And other fighters will teach being square to your opponent when fighting. There is nothing wrong with this approach, only the fact that you will be presenting your opponent with more body surface to strike, thus creating more areas for you to have to block if you don't have a shield. Keep these things in mind.
Always start with your offhand. Unless you were lucky enough to be raised to be ambidextrous, you will need to build up the motor skills in your offhand. I recommend 240 shots(40 complete reps) with your offhand(120 with your dominant hand). You can use a pell, punching bag, tree, a partner if you have one, or you can make marks on a wall with tape. To do this, stand facing forward against the wall and place pieces of tape at your left shoulder, left hip, left knee, right shoulder, right hip, and right knee.
Now, while in your stance, take a step forward with your sword foot and SLOWLY, as slow as you can, throw a shot toward the right leg, but don't make contact. Right before you would make contact, begin slowly pulling your sword back into a defensive posture while slowly stepping back into your stance. Repeat the process at the enemy's right hip, right arm/shoulder, left arm/shoulder, left hip, and left leg. Continue the process until you've thrown 240 shots. Then switch sword hands and adjust your stance so that the sword foot of your dominant hand is now pointing forward(it was the back foot when you were training your offhand). Repeat the same process as with your offhand, only you'll be starting the reps on the opposite side now. So if you're right handed, you will begin on the enemy's left side. Continue the process until you've thrown 120 shots.
Use the chart below to determine where to start, based on which hand is your offhand:
Setup
Offhand(Left)
3-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm 4-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm
2-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso 5-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso
1-- Enemy Right Leg 6-- Enemy Left Leg
Offhand(Right)
3-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm 4-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm
2-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso 5-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso
1-- Enemy Left Leg 6-- Enemy Right Leg
Remember that this drill is ALWAYS to be done as SLOWLY as possible. DO NOT speed this drill up. The slow speed puts tension on the muscles, which is what will help build muscle memory.
Doing this drill daily will make your shots more fluid and precise, you will have better weapon control, and you will also be able to link shots to create combos. Once you are comfortable with the standard version, you can add on to it:
Inside Lanes of Attack
You will follow the same process as the standard version, only you'll be attacking the inside lanes of the enemy: Inside Right Leg, Stomach(slicing out to Right Hip from the bellybutton). Right Pectoral(Chest), Left Pectoral(Chest), Stomach(slicing out to Left Hip from the bellybutton), and Inside Left Leg(this will be reversed depending on which is your off hand and which is your dominant hand). For this drill, only attack the inside lanes. Once you become comfortable doing so, you can link the standard version and the inside lanes of attack version together. Doing so will offer more attack options and combos, and will later lead to the ability to do feints/baits to fake out your enemy.
Note: When throwing a shot to your enemy's chest, use the Slot shot, shown here:
Slot Shot
The 1-6 Drill
The 1-6 Drill is very similar to the Muscle Memory drill, but the setup is a little different. All of the odd numbered shots(1, 3, 5 or Right Arm/Shoulder, Right Hip, Right Leg, or the left side if your offhand is your right hand) will be on your sword side and the even numbered shots(2, 4, 6 or Left Arm/Shoulder, Left Hip, Left Leg, or the right side if you're offhand is your right hand) will be on the opposite side of your sword arm. Follow the same procedure as the Muscle Memory drill.
Start with your offhand. To begin, get into your stance. Remember to take a step when throwing a shot, and step back into your stance when returning to a defensive posture. The patterns for the drills are as follows:
1-1-1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-1-6
2-1-2-2-2-3-2-4-2-5-2-6
3-1-3-2-3-3-3-4-3-5-3-6
4-1-4-2-4-3-4-4-4-5-4-6
5-1-5-2-5-3-5-4-5-5-5-6
6-1-6-2-6-3-6-4-6-5-6-6-6
Setup
Use the chart below to determine your starting point, based on whichever hand is your offhand:
Offhand(Left)
1-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm 2-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm
3-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso 4-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso
5-- Enemy Right Leg 6-- Enemy Left Leg
Offhand(Right)
1-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm 2-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm
3-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso 4-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso
5-- Enemy Left Leg 6-- Enemy Right Leg
You then switch to your dominant hand and repeat the process. Start off doing this drill slowly until you get comfortable with it, then you can gradually increase your speed.
This drill is great for learning to throw combos. Combos offer you a better chance of killing your enemy because you're varying where your throwing your shots, and it can throw your enemy off balance and offer them little time to react.
For reference, this drill is also explained at http://www.scabastardsword.com/pellworkdrills.htm
Block/Strike
Block/Strike is another very important drill to practice. It teaches you how to block an enemy's attack and then follow up with a counter strike of your own. You ALWAYS want to throw a return shot after an enemy throws a shot at you. Doing so can give you an opening to take a limb or get a kill shot because of a missed or errant shot by your enemy.
To do this, you'll need a partner. Before beginning the drill, agree upon two areas where you will be aiming your strikes(Right Leg, Right Hip, Right Arm/Shoulder, Left Arm/Shoulder, Left Hip, or Left Leg). The 2 shots should be on opposite sides of the body.
Start by getting into a fighting stance(per the Muscle Memory drill above). Make sure you and your partner are about a swords length apart. There should be no movement other than blocking the incoming shots. Start the drill Right Handed vs. Right Handed, and make sure to go slowly, just like with the Muscle Memory drill. One person throws one of the 2 agreed upon shots and the other blocks it. The person throwing the shot returns to a defensive stance to block the incoming attack. Repeat this back and forth process for a desired amount of time, then switch so that one person is fighting Left handed while the other remains fighting Right handed.
Repeat the same back and forth process using the same 2 shots. After a desired amount of time, switch it up so its now Left vs. Left. Repeat.
Then switch one last time so it's Left vs. Right, with the person who didn't switch after the first round switching sword hands. Repeat.
You and your partner should not increase the speed until you both are ready. Use the slow tempo to work on proper form and returning to your defensive stance. Increasing the speed too soon can lead to the formation of bad habits.
While doing this drill, try alternating between fighting guards to see how each works. Start off with a horizontal guard, like the Bait guard here:
Bait Guard
http://youtu.be/2dDd3q4tDxY
Then transition through the others:
Denial Guard
http://youtu.be/LMpmwNtY23g
Range Guard
http://youtu.be/XHiki-GW8ac
Lazy Guard
http://youtu.be/y7bDXoLHgJs
(Note: The Lazy Guard is more for veteran fighters as it invites your enemy to attack you, mainly in the upper body. This guard makes it appear as though you don't know what you're doing, when in actuality, you do. You're baiting your enemy to attack, effectively getting them to do exactly what you want them to do. Learn and practice the other guards first, and eventually learn how to use baits before using the Lazy Guard)
Read the 'Guard Flow' drill at http://www.scabastardsword.com/pellworkdrills.htm for practicing transitioning through the guards.
Trying out each will allow you to discover which works best for you and when it's best to use each.
Well, that's it for now. Sorry for such a long post, but I hope it was informative and helpful. Until next time, thanks for reading and LAY ON!!
Footwork
Footwork is VERY important to building a good foundation and having proper fighting form. If you have bad footwork, little else will matter because you won't have proper form and your improper footwork will get in your way and quite literally trip you up. As someone who studied martial arts, I quickly learned that proper footwork is key, and if your feet don't have it, neither will the rest of you. You have to build your foundation from the ground up, therefore it's vital to learn proper footwork and everything else will follow suit.
One of the first things I tell new fighters is to NEVER NEVER EVER cross your feet under ANY circumstances. Doing so will only lead to injury, no matter how good you may be. Sure, you can control YOUR body and YOUR movement, but there are so many variables on the field, especially at Ragnarok, that you CAN'T control. So please, DON'T CROSS YOUR FEET!!!
There are a number of good videos that can be found on YouTube for footwork training. Below are the ones that I have used and encourage others to do the same:
Triangular Footwork
Wing Chun Footwork
With the video below, watch all 3 parts to get the full effect:
Boxing Footwork
I recommend giving all three a try for variation to see what you like best.
First, practice these without a weapon in your hands to get used to the movements. Doing these empty handed will put all the focus on your feet, which is where it needs to be. Do as many repetitions as you can as many times a week as your able. Repetition is what will make these movements more fluid and they will become like second nature.
After you feel comfortable with the movements, you can then add a weapon into your hand(s). Repeat the movements with your weapon, but don't throw any shots. Just get used to doing the movements with your weapon in hand.
Finally, after you're comfortable doing these movements with a weapon in hand, you can then do these exercises while throwing shots. It's best to have a pell, punching bag, or one of those blow up punching bags that return back to you after you hit them, with sand in the bottom for balance. You can also use a partner if you have one. The point is to be practicing your footwork WHILE throwing shots. This will get your hands and feet coordinated and working together.
Muscle Memory
Next to footwork, Muscle Memory is the best drill that you can do in my opinion. If you do no other drills, do Footwork and Muscle Memory and you'll be sure to see an improvement in your fighting with those drills alone. Muscle Memory conditions your muscles to throw shots to the 6 major strike points on the body: Right Leg, Right Side Hip/Torso, Right Side Arm/Shoulder, Left Side Arm/Shoulder, Left Side Hip/Torso, and Left Leg, as well as to return to a defensive posture to block an opponent's return attack.
How It Works:
First get into a proper stance. Generally, this is knees bent, sword foot pointing forward, back foot pointed outward, almost as if your feet are forming a right angle. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart, and your torso should be sideways, facing the same direction as your back foot. The slimmer the profile you show your enemy, the less they have to hit. This is the stance that I use, but of course, the stance that you use is up to personal preference and what is comfortable for you, as well as what weapon type you are fighting with. Different weapon styles often require different stances that work best for that particular weapon. And other fighters will teach being square to your opponent when fighting. There is nothing wrong with this approach, only the fact that you will be presenting your opponent with more body surface to strike, thus creating more areas for you to have to block if you don't have a shield. Keep these things in mind.
Always start with your offhand. Unless you were lucky enough to be raised to be ambidextrous, you will need to build up the motor skills in your offhand. I recommend 240 shots(40 complete reps) with your offhand(120 with your dominant hand). You can use a pell, punching bag, tree, a partner if you have one, or you can make marks on a wall with tape. To do this, stand facing forward against the wall and place pieces of tape at your left shoulder, left hip, left knee, right shoulder, right hip, and right knee.
Now, while in your stance, take a step forward with your sword foot and SLOWLY, as slow as you can, throw a shot toward the right leg, but don't make contact. Right before you would make contact, begin slowly pulling your sword back into a defensive posture while slowly stepping back into your stance. Repeat the process at the enemy's right hip, right arm/shoulder, left arm/shoulder, left hip, and left leg. Continue the process until you've thrown 240 shots. Then switch sword hands and adjust your stance so that the sword foot of your dominant hand is now pointing forward(it was the back foot when you were training your offhand). Repeat the same process as with your offhand, only you'll be starting the reps on the opposite side now. So if you're right handed, you will begin on the enemy's left side. Continue the process until you've thrown 120 shots.
Use the chart below to determine where to start, based on which hand is your offhand:
Setup
Offhand(Left)
3-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm 4-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm
2-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso 5-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso
1-- Enemy Right Leg 6-- Enemy Left Leg
Offhand(Right)
3-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm 4-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm
2-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso 5-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso
1-- Enemy Left Leg 6-- Enemy Right Leg
Remember that this drill is ALWAYS to be done as SLOWLY as possible. DO NOT speed this drill up. The slow speed puts tension on the muscles, which is what will help build muscle memory.
Doing this drill daily will make your shots more fluid and precise, you will have better weapon control, and you will also be able to link shots to create combos. Once you are comfortable with the standard version, you can add on to it:
Inside Lanes of Attack
You will follow the same process as the standard version, only you'll be attacking the inside lanes of the enemy: Inside Right Leg, Stomach(slicing out to Right Hip from the bellybutton). Right Pectoral(Chest), Left Pectoral(Chest), Stomach(slicing out to Left Hip from the bellybutton), and Inside Left Leg(this will be reversed depending on which is your off hand and which is your dominant hand). For this drill, only attack the inside lanes. Once you become comfortable doing so, you can link the standard version and the inside lanes of attack version together. Doing so will offer more attack options and combos, and will later lead to the ability to do feints/baits to fake out your enemy.
Note: When throwing a shot to your enemy's chest, use the Slot shot, shown here:
Slot Shot
The 1-6 Drill
The 1-6 Drill is very similar to the Muscle Memory drill, but the setup is a little different. All of the odd numbered shots(1, 3, 5 or Right Arm/Shoulder, Right Hip, Right Leg, or the left side if your offhand is your right hand) will be on your sword side and the even numbered shots(2, 4, 6 or Left Arm/Shoulder, Left Hip, Left Leg, or the right side if you're offhand is your right hand) will be on the opposite side of your sword arm. Follow the same procedure as the Muscle Memory drill.
Start with your offhand. To begin, get into your stance. Remember to take a step when throwing a shot, and step back into your stance when returning to a defensive posture. The patterns for the drills are as follows:
1-1-1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-1-6
2-1-2-2-2-3-2-4-2-5-2-6
3-1-3-2-3-3-3-4-3-5-3-6
4-1-4-2-4-3-4-4-4-5-4-6
5-1-5-2-5-3-5-4-5-5-5-6
6-1-6-2-6-3-6-4-6-5-6-6-6
Setup
Use the chart below to determine your starting point, based on whichever hand is your offhand:
Offhand(Left)
1-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm 2-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm
3-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso 4-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso
5-- Enemy Right Leg 6-- Enemy Left Leg
Offhand(Right)
1-- Enemy Left Shoulder/Arm 2-- Enemy Right Shoulder/Arm
3-- Enemy Left Hip/Torso 4-- Enemy Right Hip/Torso
5-- Enemy Left Leg 6-- Enemy Right Leg
You then switch to your dominant hand and repeat the process. Start off doing this drill slowly until you get comfortable with it, then you can gradually increase your speed.
This drill is great for learning to throw combos. Combos offer you a better chance of killing your enemy because you're varying where your throwing your shots, and it can throw your enemy off balance and offer them little time to react.
For reference, this drill is also explained at http://www.scabastardsword.com/pellworkdrills.htm
Block/Strike
Block/Strike is another very important drill to practice. It teaches you how to block an enemy's attack and then follow up with a counter strike of your own. You ALWAYS want to throw a return shot after an enemy throws a shot at you. Doing so can give you an opening to take a limb or get a kill shot because of a missed or errant shot by your enemy.
To do this, you'll need a partner. Before beginning the drill, agree upon two areas where you will be aiming your strikes(Right Leg, Right Hip, Right Arm/Shoulder, Left Arm/Shoulder, Left Hip, or Left Leg). The 2 shots should be on opposite sides of the body.
Start by getting into a fighting stance(per the Muscle Memory drill above). Make sure you and your partner are about a swords length apart. There should be no movement other than blocking the incoming shots. Start the drill Right Handed vs. Right Handed, and make sure to go slowly, just like with the Muscle Memory drill. One person throws one of the 2 agreed upon shots and the other blocks it. The person throwing the shot returns to a defensive stance to block the incoming attack. Repeat this back and forth process for a desired amount of time, then switch so that one person is fighting Left handed while the other remains fighting Right handed.
Repeat the same back and forth process using the same 2 shots. After a desired amount of time, switch it up so its now Left vs. Left. Repeat.
Then switch one last time so it's Left vs. Right, with the person who didn't switch after the first round switching sword hands. Repeat.
You and your partner should not increase the speed until you both are ready. Use the slow tempo to work on proper form and returning to your defensive stance. Increasing the speed too soon can lead to the formation of bad habits.
While doing this drill, try alternating between fighting guards to see how each works. Start off with a horizontal guard, like the Bait guard here:
Bait Guard
http://youtu.be/2dDd3q4tDxY
Then transition through the others:
Denial Guard
http://youtu.be/LMpmwNtY23g
Range Guard
http://youtu.be/XHiki-GW8ac
Lazy Guard
http://youtu.be/y7bDXoLHgJs
(Note: The Lazy Guard is more for veteran fighters as it invites your enemy to attack you, mainly in the upper body. This guard makes it appear as though you don't know what you're doing, when in actuality, you do. You're baiting your enemy to attack, effectively getting them to do exactly what you want them to do. Learn and practice the other guards first, and eventually learn how to use baits before using the Lazy Guard)
Read the 'Guard Flow' drill at http://www.scabastardsword.com/pellworkdrills.htm for practicing transitioning through the guards.
Trying out each will allow you to discover which works best for you and when it's best to use each.
Well, that's it for now. Sorry for such a long post, but I hope it was informative and helpful. Until next time, thanks for reading and LAY ON!!
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