#and has done a bunch of slow speed drills without any injury

[platypusisnotonfire]

I just learned the basics of disarming in longsword grappling today and

Yes this is the fulfillment of the human condition

[historicalfightingguide]

loved your recent posts about structuring classes, however as a fairly new fencer with no teaching experience im having trouble applying the same concepts to my solo practice. would you have any advice for solo drills, especially to someone who has never self taught? im guessing this is a common trouble in these times, with the quarantine and all.. thank you for all your posts!

First of all I’d be delighted to help but do consider I will be able to give out only fairly general advice here if I don’t know your specific focus in terms of weapons and systems you study. Feel free to message me unanonymously if that feels ok to you, or here again with such details and I can send you a follow up that’s more specific if this post doesn’t cover your questions well enough. Second of all there’s a fair bunch of footwork drilling that can be done solo that’s highly useful to beginners and advanced fencers alike. It may require more or less space and conditions to train in but realistically you don’t need an entire hall to train footwork solo, a semi-small room with a bit of space to move forwards and backwards can do the trick in a pinch.

And while different systems emphasize different types of footwork even if you were to only do solo training that focused on olympic fencing or boxing like footwork you could still apply a fair bit to historical fencing generally. That being said if you do have a specific source or weapon you’re studying do try and find the bits in the manuscripts or manuals you’re focusing on that mention footwork or general movement and try and apply that. It can be via set drills that do specific things, it may talk about principles you can try to apply with a number of different attacks or defenses you can drill with a sword, it may be good to do a sort of ‘shadowboxing’ footwork where you imagine an opponent and keeping distance. Hell if you have a wii or a VR of some sort you may even try and apply purely distance management with super basic footwork to games(bonus points if you try to use only that and not any actual combat mechanics to try and survive longer within a game). If that’s still too confusing try picking a few footwork movements that are the most basic(step forward/backwards,lunge,passing step for example) and try doing them only, without a sword or anything. At most just extend your arm before you as if you were holding a sword when lunging/doing a passing step but don’t focus on the arms technique. Then try doing them+a few movements that are related to or special versions of those movements alongside them. Then try doing the same at different stance levels,with your knees bent more or less-a deeper stance is harder on your legs but can be more stable and once your muscles adapt also a bit more explosive, tends to work better for linear movement, while a shallower stance allows some more options for direction changing and is easier on the legs but you’re less stable and generally a bit less explosive. Ideally you want to be able to use both. Which brings me to my next point - you can then try doing all those movements and every now and then switching the depth of your stance. Then you may try adding on forward/backward weighted stances(often called ‘offensive’ vs ‘defensive’ but they may also map more specifically to particular stances of a specific system you study) and doing the footwork moves in one, then in the other, and then switching from one to the other.

After that try switching your stance both up and down, forwards and backwards, first in place, then while moving trying to stay fluid. Then repeat the entire process while holding a sword. Try to go through it all with both a left leg forward as well as a right leg forward stance. You may go through it all with all the guards that exist in the system you study. First do it while standing in that one guard that’s easiest for you to hold or the most ‘basic’  one, then go through the entire set of movements within another guard, and then another etc. Then try switching between two or three guards while going through all the movements. Then try switching between all the guards while going through all the movements.

If the system you study has a lot of guards merely moving from one to another while standing in place first may also be a good idea. Doing it fairly slow at first, focusing on just moving and getting the grasp of the mechanics of it, keeping good form is good. Then slowly from session to session start always slow but during the session amp up the speed bit by bit. Basically what you’re doing in this example you’re taking a super basic set of moves and then building on from there with related concepts. You can do this within one session or you may spread it out over several training sessions if you feel a part of this feels too off. Don’t be afraid to go through it all unless you have some specific injuries that would prevent you from doing so.

The idea is basic step-step variants-stance variants-combining it all. You can apply this to cuts, thrusts, winding, etc.  You may want to go basic-a bit less basic-a bit less basic-complex etc. You may want to go basic-more basic options-a bit less basic-a few more a bit less basic options etc. You may want to combine the two approaches after a bit. You may want to focus on a set of cuts, thrusts and windings that may use similar mechanics within a set of drills,  working on one then the other etc. and then giving yourself options to pick between them. Or you may want to do the same with things that may be different mechanically but same or similar tactically. Important bits to keep in mind are not trying to do big jumps in complexity of movement, or duration of exercise, or intensity of doing so. Generally speaking you want to slowly increase it, one by one. Sometimes the sources give us exactly this approach, sometimes they don’t. If you can use at least bits from the manuals and manuscripts we study to apply to the specific workout session you’re planning that’s awesome, if not that’s ok. It may have to do  with the principles of the systems you study being trained through the exercises you picked, it can be about the specific motions and tactics described in the text, it can be about a specific detail of a movement you’re trying to get down. Many flourishes  do focus on basically giving you that option.

There’s more ways to do it obviously but that’s one of the ways I’ve found easiest. Another thing that’s easy to forget or that can feel weird when we’re on our own is time management. You don’t have to have a preset amount of time you train for but if you have the energy to plan stuff out I suggest you do so. Carving out a general idea of how much time you want to spend on what as well as the breaks to catch your breath in between can be very useful. Personally I like doing several minutes of training then a small break of a couple of minutes and so on for an hour or two. If you’re just starting out that sort of time table may not work for you and you may want to work just a couple of minutes, rest for a minute etc. and go on like that for half an hour. There’s no one absolute rule there but try to find a rhythm that works for you where whenever you’re training you’re actually training your fencing skillset, you are able to primarily(if not exclusively, these are hard times after all) focus on your goal, where you’re not primarily training endurance or some other form of physical capability( you can cross train and physical exercise generally is great but trying to mix it all into one thing can be counterproductive), and give yourself good rest times that don’t take too long either so that your body doesnt cool off and your mind stays on track without being overworked.

Always factor in some time for a warm up before working out - it can help put you in the right mindset and help relax and is good for injury prevention. And similarly it’s useful to consider a cool down period afterwords, a useful way to do so is to stretch. Do keep in mind that static stretching before active exercise is not good for you and may potentially be bad for you  That being said a warm up comprised of mobility routines and the like can be great, and using stretching after a work out can help sort of ‘finalize’ the session and help our body cool off slowly. It can also be a useful time to work on flexibility as well. Folks may worry about flexibility a bit too often compared to how useful it is in practice but it’s not irrelevant in martial arts and combat sports generally and the same applies to historical fencing. One can achieve the necessary flexibility through purely drilling fencing movements of various sorts however at such times we want to focus on doing the moves right and at the right time etc. so focusing on flexibility simoultaniously can be a bother. Working that bit out separately can help us in our regular practice that way. Also aside from getting books/pdfs of whatever system you study something that can be quite useful is Understanding Fencing by Czajkowski that focuses on olympic/sport fencing but gives you a framework that you can apply to create all sorts of drills(primarily but not only partnered ones) for basically any fencing system out there even though you may have to adapts parts of it. Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym

Also here’s a few pride-themed things to check out getting as well as a few related topics

And stay safe

And if you can consider donating to any of these causes.

Consider getting this rashguard or this one or something from here

We need change and justice for all.

This may be a useful link as well.

For anyone unclear on this Black Lives Matter.

Good luck everyone.

[thegloober]

Derek Boles Continues His Road To The Draft

It was another one-score loss on Saturday, a recurring theme for Arizona in a season that has been derailed by injuries on both sides of the football as UCLA ran out the final 6+ minutes of the game to hold on for a 31-30 win. Even on a 3-5 Wildcat team, there are still impact players looking to show that they are ready for the next level.

Game Stats: Did Not Play

A lingering ankle injury finally caught up to Khalil Tate, forcing the Arizona quarterback to the sideline for a game while Rhett Rodriguez picked up the offensive slack with a two-touchdown performance. Ultimately, it was not enough, as the Wildcats found themselves looking at a third one-score loss out of five losses this season.

Despite the third conference loss now hung on the ‘Cats, Tate and crew are in a logjam in the PAC 12 South, with five of the six South teams having two or three conference wins. As of Monday afternoon, Kevin Sumlin had not provided an update on Tate’s availability for Saturday’s game when the 5-2 Oregon Ducks come to town, but getting the top signal caller back should be the top priority.

Gameday Grade: Incomplete   

Current Draft Stock: Undrafted Free Agent

Next Week: No updates from Kevin Sumlin yet on Tate. If Tate is available on Saturday, the Oregon defense presents an interesting matchup. Nationally, Oregon is in the middle of the pack based on total defense.

However, just last week, the Ducks were picked apart by Gardner Minshew, who completed 39 passes for over 300 yards, so Tate (or Rhett Rodriguez) could be in line for a productive Saturday.

Game Stats: 6 REC, 106 YDS, 2 TDS

After a rough three-game stretch and playing in a game without the luxury of Khalil Tate, it was a pleasant surprise to see the Wildcats leading receiver Shawn Poindexter turn a corner and haul in six catches, eclipse the 100-yard mark, and find the endzone in the second and third quarters against the Bruins subpar passing defense.

While the Wildcats ultimately fell short, Poindexter was productive throughout the game and Saturday’s performance showed big bounceback ability that no doubt helps his draft stock.

Gameday Grade: A-

Current Draft Stock: 2nd Round

Next Week: With Oregon in Tucson on Saturday, Poindexter now takes on a Ducks defense that gives up 250 passing yards per game, and just saw Washington State drop 34 points. Oregon has a much better defense than UCLA, but is leaky nonetheless. Expect Poindexter to have a productive game if whoever Saturday’s quarterback is can smoothly run the offense.

Layth Friekh, OL

Did Not Play

A nagging ankle issue that has been bothering Layth Friekh for three weeks sidelined the leader of the Arizona offensive line against UCLA after missing the second half against Utah. The Wildcats were able to put up an impressive 30 points in his absence, but ultimately lost the game.

Unfortunately, this is Friekh’s last year of eligibility, so there are only four games (five if Arizona can reach six wins and bowl eligibility) left for the senior to move his draft needle. Friekh put himself behind the proverbial eight ball when he had to miss two games after an NCAA ruling, and now the going only gets tougher with ankle injuries severely hampering a season that has had flashes of NFL potential.

I think that Friekh is better than most expect, and can definitely do more than anyone has seen this season. Whether it is in the later rounds of the draft or as an undrafted free agent, I expect Friekh to get a shot to make the league next year.

Gameday Grade: Incomplete

Current Draft Stock: 7th Round

Next Week: Friekh’s return against Oregon is up in the air, as Sumlin has to manage Friekh’s injury to both win games now as well as help prepare the senior for the upcoming draft. Friekh has a season plagued by ankle injuries and an NCAA ruling, so there is a lot more at stake than the Ducks on Saturday.

Oregon’s defensive line and linebackers are skilled, with Justin Hollins, Jalen Jelks, and Troy Dye being machines coming off the edge and can dominate a game at any time. If Friekh is able to make it back this week, how he holds up against the Ducks edge rushers will be a big measuring stick.

Game Stats: Did Not Play

Sophomore edge rusher Kylan Wilborn missed Saturday’s loss to UCLA after missing last week’s game due to an undisclosed injury. It was a game in which the Wildcat’s desperately needed Wilborn’s speed from the edge. After the Arizona offense pulled to within 31-30 following a field goal with 6:28 left in the game, the UCLA offense was able to run out all six and half minutes and win the game.

If Wilborn is healthy and playing in this game, there is a much better chance of the Wildcat defense getting off the field and giving the Arizona offense a chance to drive and win the game.

Gameday Grade: Incomplete

Current Draft Stock: Undrafted Free Agent

Next Week: After a 1-point loss to UCLA in which Wilborn’s edge rushing speed would have been much appreciated, Oregon comes to town with a offense that averages almost 40 a game and a quarterback who is projected to go at the top of the first round – making getting to the quarterback and Wilborn’s health that much more important.

Dereck Boles, DL

Game Stats: 3 tackle, 3 solo, 1 sack, 1 TFL, Forced fumble

Make that a solid month for defensive tackle Dereck Boles, as the senior defensive lineman had his fourth game in a row with at least three solo stops. While the Arizona defense has given up points and yards in bunches, Boles has found ways to continue to be productive, which is easier said than done when your team is 3-5 and faces an uphill battle to reach bowl season.

This time, Boles’ third quarter sack forced a Wilton Speight fumble that was recovered by the ‘Cats and led to a game-tying touchdown a few plays later. While this has been Boles’ first sack of the year, the Arizona prospect has been consistently producing through a run of conference games, and is showing he can hold is own in the difficult PAC 12.

Gameday Grade: B+|

Current Draft Stock: 6th Round

Next Week: Dereck Boles and co. now return home to welcome a top-20 Oregon team that has an overtime win against Washington and is averaging almost 40 points a game.

Luckily for Boles, he doesn’t have to cover the Oregon receivers and try to slow down future NFL quarterback Justin Herbert. Instead, Boles is tasked with containing C.J. Verdell, who comes into the game seventh in the PAC-12 in total yards.

Game Stats: Did not play

Cornerback Jace Whittaker missed his eighth game of a 2018 season that is now halfway over for Arizona. Whittaker was suited up against UCLA, but did not play, so it is mostly guesswork to when the talented defensive back will return to the field, but the return could be sooner rather than later.

According to Kevin Sumlin, Whittaker has progressed, but has not participated in 7 on 7 or 11 on 11 drills. At this point in the season, the Wildcats are 3-5, but have single-score losses to USC, BYU, and now UCLA. There is no question that having a healthy Whittaker would improve the Wildcat defence significantly, but now, all fans can hope for is a comeback that leads the push to a bowl berth.

Gameday Grade: Incomplete

Current Draft Stock: Incomplete

Next Week: Kevin Sumlin really needs Jace Whittaker back to have a fighting chance at stopping Justin Herbert and the Ducks. Herbert is the top-rated quarterback in the PAC-12, and receiver Dillon Mitchell is fourth in the conference in yards, so Sumlin needs all hands on deck.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/derek-boles-continues-his-road-to-the-draft/