Armour

I posted before that I am working on my Kit and trying to make it look at least a little better. So I thought I would share a few small updates. Ok, so I am adding padded gambanison cuisses to my kit. Now adding them is not something that I would say is functionally better but it will give me a bit of padding which will be nice since I have been fighting with no upper leg amour at all for the past 3 months. They should look great and add a nice snap to my kit and a more period look. Which I do want because when it is all said and done it looks great!

After looking at this image you may say look! that knee armour is not enough to be legel well I fudged a little and there are black floating knees behind that metal knee. So you ge to have the 100% period knee with the legal protect behind it. Also it is all acting well together (walking around the house) and should work. I am also going to have the greaves I made before on too . Just an other layer of fun added to my kit. I am hoping it looks great and I have everything ready for crown.

Stick Fighting or Training

Are we playing or are we training to fight?

In the SCA there is a general cloud of emotion around fighting, either you are part of the bigger picture or you aren’t.  Are you really learning to fight (in our own way) or are you just hitting people with sticks?  Should you train like a warrior or just though stick an hit someone,  Should you take the time to learn why SCA fighting has developed the way it has or try to learn from watching movies.  Are we training our mind to be sharp as steel, or just playing in the sand.

I am starting to think there are two classes of fighters; the ones that have or are fighting everyday, and the ones that play once in a while.  Neither is right and neither is wrong, but the first path is hard, rocky and at time very painful.  The second allows for one to just be part of the society, they can experience everything that is going on around them. 

Now, I have chosen the path of a warrior.  Why, well that is what I ask myself all the time.  Day in and day out I work at fighting, honing my skills and my body.  But yet still people put the SCA down, and put us (fighters) in to a box of this is just playing with sticks.  It is starting to get old, very old to have people look down there nose at me and my fellow fighters.  This is no different than most other contact sport or more spificialy marshal arts.   We train muitple form and styles, even from sheild shape to shape the system changes, from region to region almost everything can change. 

This could be a hole of our forfathers dug for us and it is up to us to dig our selves out of it if we feel we need / want to.  But I will continue on my path and keep ducking and douging the rock that are tossed.

Post Pennsic Run Down

It is a week after pennsic finished up and closed down.  My armour is now dry, made a new sword and starting working on my kit more.  The Monday after Pennsic ended I had a flight to Minneapolis and than San Fransisco, with long lay overs, many cups of coffee and red eye flights.  If you are interested you can check out my day to day BS here ( http://twitter.com/HoraceSerpent ). 

Pennsic 37: What can be said?  There were high and lows, times were I wanted to pack up my gear and go home and times were I was higher than a kite on the excitement of war.   I feel the best way to summarizer maybe to take my top 5 points and run with that.

1) OTC-ed: I was awarded my OTC this pennsic, and it was amazingly awesome!  I didnt see it coming (I never do) and was blown out of my boots when it happened.  Unfortunately, at the time I was suffereing from a light neck injury.  In the town Battle my hand became entrapped behind some ones sheild with my spear in hand than a charge happend and lets just say I got my butt jacked up and my head almost came off.  So, i was out of armour when I got my OTC and I wish I was in my armour, but between the Doc and Mrs Sir it wasn’t going to happen!  Either way it was great!  I do want to say thank you to my knight for his guidence and support, my boys for traveling, bleeding and sweeting with me every step of the way and of the kindness of the women in my life that let me be the man and geek that I am.  I truely believe I couldnt have done this with out your support. 

2) Heroics Battle:  I believe I fought well, this was after I watched the film 10 times and convinced myself I did well.  I was nervous and my mind was racing, It had been a long time since I had to go all out and preform like that in front of people.  So I was stiff and my movement sucked, but I didnt get one shoted and F*&K that is good for only fighting for 2 years.  Still wish I won and brought back a W to the house but you cant always get what you want right?

3) Barrack: The Barracks worked out great! We had more than enough room for the guys and gear, also it aided making sure everyone was up and mustered at the correct time.  It did keep us virtuous as well, which is the most important part of war.  We go to throw stick not  bow chicks ( I have a GF and I wont mess it up) and it just leads to drama anyway.   Finally, living with the guys was great!  It really is something to get to hang out with them full time and not for an hour here and an hour there.  It was a blast and thanks guys for making it fun!

4) Friends: As always it was great to hang out with my buddies at pennsic each one of them adds a little something richer to my life and I couldnt be happier to know them!  They are all great people and I love them all. 

5) Unbelts: Now this was a experience!  To keep it on the positive side i would just like to say it is all about understanding the plan, following said plan and than hitting hard!  Also, all the rule of engagement go out the window when you make it in to the middle of the dog pile! 

 

Now that the Past is posted lets start talking about the future!  It is only 9 weeks till crown and crown will be deep this fall, I think all the big guns are showing up and bring all there toys too.  So I need to get my game up and going before than.  So training has started; last week when I was traveling I started running and weight training, this is the start.  Now I have moved in to pell, jump rope, running and Kelletball training to mix it up.  Keep my feet moving and my hand fast.  I am going to revise my sword making.  I need it lighter but with the same balance, so I am going to go though about 3 stick of rattan to make a better blade for myself.  Also, working my on sword work.  If I can move, and than stick harder, faster and with more accuracy than I will have a few more trick and tools to use.   Finally, my Kit might be ready by crown.  The padded cuisses should be ready, i am adding plastic copes under the padding to hide them!  (side note: I am going to work out a winter kit and a summer kitt)