Winter 2019-2020

I’m a slacker, I know. I haven’t really taken the time out to write posts, and that sucks, because just like groceries, info is better when it’s fresh. That being said, a lot has happened in the past few months, but rather than go into deep detail, I’ll just give the hightlights.

Following Fall Crown, I was able to take part in a training weekend with Duke Sean. I traveled up to Massachusetts with Antonio and spent the weekend at Trent’s place. The training was VERY different from what I’ve attended before. The focus wasn’t on developing specific combinations or forcing openings, but rather to be observant and exploit things when they reveal themselves. We did lecture at first to explain the concepts, then put our gear on and did some fights. When we fought, others looked on and picked apart where we went wrong based on the methodology taught in the lecture. It really was pretty great. That night we went over how to break down videos to see what happens and where people go wrong, and the next day we did footwork and pick ups. Overall a great weekend. I realized a lot of my problems with power generation are based on my lack of proper recovery, so I’ve been working on that since.

 

Post fight hug during 100 Minutes, mostly to prevent sub drop…

Following the Duke Sean class was 100 Minutes War. I ran a little late getting my gear on, and just missed the commander’s tournament. Eventually, I found out which side I was on and jumped in. This event was a blast for me. Had some great action packed moments, did some things I was really proud of, and also did some truly stupid and hilarious stuff as well. Our team won the day, and it was a really close battle, which was great. After the melee, I did pick ups with polearm for awhile. I was able to work with some of the more seasoned pole people and got some great tips. I’m hoping to be much better with it by the time Pennsic comes around. I really enjoy being able to switch, either between field battles, or when rez’ing during woods. I also plan to practice pole at the next melee practice in March, so I can better understand how it should be used in melee.

After 100 Minutes, life happened. Between then and Birka, I was only in armor twice. Once was a local practice in someone’s house (we fought in the living room, it was amazingly hilarious!), the other was Nutley. The Nutley practice was Birka prep, so we did a bear pit all night. With all the rust of the holidays on me, it was a pretty punishing practice, and I fought like shit. Still, practice is practice. I’ve had times before where I’ve had a few weeks off and somehow came back better, but wasn’t one of them. I was just hoping I could get my shit straight at Birka.

Birka was pretty rough. I did have some decent kills, and a few short streaks, but couldn’t manage much more than maybe 3 or 4 in a row. This year we also had less fighters, around 120, so once the first hour was over the line got really short. It stayed that way until the end. I had two main goals going in, and a secret goal I hoped for. My mains were that I wanted to stay in until the end, and that I score higher than the previous year. I did both of those. My secret goal, which I didn’t vocalize to anyone until after the event, was that I’d break into the mid 20’s. That didn’t happen, by quite a bit. I finished at 34. My Birka results are as follows:

2018: 61st out of 152 with 46pts
2019: 38th out of 137 with 72pts
2020: 34th out of 124 with 87pts

While this initially looks like I did better this year, I actually didn’t. If you calculate the numbers based on what place I’d be out of 100 fighters, I’d have been 40th in 2018, and 27th in both 2019 and 2020. I stagnated. That realization hurt. I thought I had gotten better, and while going through the pits people gave me encouragement saying I looked good out there. But the proof is in the pudding, and the numbers don’t lie. Sure, I could make excuses and cite other factors, but in the end I placed where I did. Sucky realization, but that just means I need to push through this wall if I wanna get better at this shit.

After Birka were three great practices. First, I went to an outdoor practice in Ostgardr. I did passes with a knight from another kingdom (can’t remember his name…I know, you’re shocked!), Ozurr, Brom, Gawain, and others. It was a blast, and I got some really awesome tips from those I fought. The next weekend I hit the PAL melee practice, and Aedult Swim the week after that. Melee practice was a TON of fun, and brought me out of my post-Birka funk. It reminded me that even if I never become a great singles fighter, I can still get it done on the field by doing my job in melee. The unbelted champion team this year is gonna be based on how good a soldier people are, instead of just the top 30 killers. The focus is on working together, and being great when fighting in a unit. As such, these practices and the upcoming events are focusing on training soldiers. I love this idea, because that’s what I really need to learn. Being honest, I wouldn’t say I’m there yet, as far as the team goes, but I think with hard work I could get there in a couple of years. A lot of it really comes down to understanding the tactics, positions, and responsibilities, and being able to execute. That’ll all come with experience, and this melee season I plan on getting out there as much as possible. The past two years I was injured during the spring, which kept me sidelined. Now I’m finally ready to get out there and learn. Anyways, that was what I focused on at the melee practice. I felt some things click, and hope I can keep that momentum going. As for swim, that was a wonderful gauntlet of beatings. I fought a bunch of really great dudes, many who gave me some solid advice. I also sought out a bunch of lefties, since I don’t fight them often. I got to spend the day around people I care about, bullshit with loads of folks, and generally just have fun.

So that brings us to now. I took a week off after swim so my body would stop being sore. Next week I head back to practice so I can start focusing on my most glaring problems. I also need to do some armor repairs, make a new sword, make a great sword, and make a fighting tunic. When melee season really gets going, I don’t wanna still be fighting in this gambeson because of the heat issues. I plan to make modifications to my hidden armor, and a lightweight tunic with some light padding and armor points so I can be more comfortable. I also need to cross train and get my cardio up. I’m my own worst enemy with that shit, mainly because I despise working out. It’s just boring as hell. Also, running on a treadmill or outside is difficult for me because of my torn meniscus. Still, it’s gotta be done, and if I ever want to get to the level of prowess I’d like to be at, then I need to do this. No time like the present, because after all, the clock just keeps on ticking…