Hmmm.
I've lost a lot of tournaments simply because my focus more often than not, is primarily on teaching others, trying to pull off a difficult & challenging shot or weapons form instead of going with the high percentage shot or form, by experimenting myself with things just to see if I can pull them off as it amuses me or by fighting my opponent's game instead of my own.
ANd perhaps most importantly, to win you should control the fight, take the initiative and dictate the pace and tempo. Fight your fight and don't let the opponent fight his fight and force you into his comfort zone. I often fail to do this, sometimes on purpose.
Don't get me wrong, I am always trying to win. It is just that if you make maximizing your chances of winning your bout the number 1 priority, you will win more. Often a lot more.
By fighting my opponent's game, I mean that each combattant has strengths and weaknesses. And if you want to improve your chances of victory, your strategy should be to control the fight so that your strengths are in play and you take advantage of his weaknesses while minimizing his changes to employ his strengths. And at a tactical level to use footwork, blows and defense that support this strategy.
Why do I toss this out the window at times?
Because I find it challenging and amusing to see if I can fight my opponent at his game, in his comfort zone and try different things. Even if it means I lose.
Good examples are Konrad, Thorvald and Steffan Von Dresden. I know that if I fight them in close and just go for it, fighting aggressively balls to the wall, I will probably lose. But I find it tremendously fun and challenging to do that. And I learn something from it every time. But I will probably lose.
So once in a while I get smart, fight at mid range and try actually using defense. I don't necessarily win (I pretty much never hit Steffan anymore) but I live longer and improve my chances substantially.
But I'm also an older fighter and a knight. I don't feel like I have anything to prove, except to myself. So as long as I'm trying things where I push myself, I feel good about it.
On the other hand, having gotten back into fighting more regularly, I'm curious to see what happens if I actually try very hard to win by maximizing chances and not trying to pull off lower percentage shots. I found that to a degree, I'm still capable of being pretty effective at times. I've also learned that some of the things I thought I did well, and did at one time in the past, I've gotten sloppy on or my timing and targetting is off.
So I really do need to go back to getting my form, timing, footwork back and add things as well. In many cases the game has changed and I need to modernize and improve my technique to be successful and not just get by on youth, power and speed, since I'm no longer young, strong and fast. For example we face thrust a lot more and a lot more effectively these days across the board, polearm work kingdom wide has improved and is much more deadly across the board, the more modern sword parallel to the shield hybrid of hanging guard and high A-frame dominates Eastern fighting which causes my preferred hyper aggressive attacks to put me in different risks and alters my shieldwork, we are no longer deep wrap happy but the shorter 1/2 wraps at medium to short range (exemplified by Count Gryffith who is great at this) open gaping holes in my defense.
If I really want to start winning more and setting a good example for unbelts, instead of having them copy my less effective moves, I need to start fighting smarter.
I'm still back and forth on this. I had great fun at war of the roses. I won the roses tournament against some pretty good competition and came in third in the baronial. There were a couple fights like the one against master Thorvald were I decided to try really hard to win and resist the impulse to close and slug it out, knowing I would have had more fun but probably lose. And I won all of those fights where I tried hard to do the high percentage choices.
I think I went undefeated in the roses tournament and lost two fights in the baronial. In both tournaments I tried to win every fight, but had some fights were I was just having fun trying stuff but pullled off wins anyway even though it reduced my chances.
Deacon beat me in a sword and shield bout, where I should have played him at range or rushed him and crushed him (or tried to anyway), not stood at mid range. But I wanted to see what happened if I played his game; what happened is he beat me fair and square at his game. And I won one fight against Yoshi using sword and shield. In the bout to see who would go to the finals, I resisted the logical choice which was to stay with sword and shield, because fighting him bastard sword and just going for it is way too much fun and I failed to resist temptation. While I am glad I went to bastard sword and it was a great & fun fight (better than winning as far as I'm concerned), it cost me the tournament as he beat me fair & square and advanced to the finals.
Sometimes winning and having a good day are not synonymous. I'll remember that fight with Yoshi for years, where I'll probably forget many fights from the tournaments where I've actually won or done very well this year.
And frankly, when I try something challenging and win anyway instead of maximizing my chances to win, it is often more gratifying.
I had several incredibly fun fights in the two War of the Roses tournaments with D. Sebastian (sword and shield, great Danish axe and single sword/saber) where I would have been much better off with sword and shield in all of them and/or just trying to win no matter what, not teaching and pointing out things he could do differently. But both of us tried new, different or challenging things, pulling off tricky shots that exposed us to counter attacks that could really hurt
and I had more fun than I can relate in words. In those cases I ended up winning all the bouts, but it could have gone either way. But I'll remember those fights more than others I won where I was patient, forced the opponents to play my game, at my pace and maximized my defense. Different kind of fun.
At Kings & Queens champions, I brought out sword & spear, did best of three axe fight in a bye round (very tiring, not a good way to conserve energy) and tried to fight Konrad in close where he is awesomely effective. I had a really good time. Did it cost me the tournament? Who knows. I know it reduced my odds of victory. But despite all that I did make the quarter finals in a 90 man list while hung over and tired from getting home from Gulf Wars the day before. It isn't that I was not trying to win. I was trying very hard to win. But I greatly reduced my chances of success. Looking back? I would not change a thing. I did what I thought was the best thing for me to do on that day.
Some think I set a bad example at times for unbelts, as they often really need to focus on winning in order to improve, they don't have the luxury of screwing around with low percentage shots and being entertaining. Perhaps that is true. On the other hand, I want people to try new things and not be afraid to try to excel by trying something new. And I still look at every tournament as a teaching opportunity. Sometimes I teach someone by destroying them quickly so they see the gaps in their fighting, other times fighting their game and letting them work at perfecting it while improving my defense by trying something where I am deficient helps me as well.
So I still plan to try weapons forms like sword and spear, which really only work so well. But I also plan to go into some tournaments and try hard to win. Though once I start having fun, it is hard not to start goofing off and trying things.
If I fight in the next crown tournament, I'm going to go for it 100% and try as hard as I can to focus, to win, to avoid the temptation to try risky and fun things. Because I want to see how I do when I'm really trying hard to defeat people and see if I can do so, when they are trying their best to win. Crown tends to be more serious than any other tournament we have, so it is a good way to measure yourself against people's A game. Despite my tendency to play around in crown. I did try to win in this past crown and not screw around, I did had all fun fights, I just wasn't successful (out in four) and my temptation to close and hammer got the better of me and my arm went out too fast. I also failed to properly prepare my weak shield arm (tendonitis) so I had to go away from my game too fast and go to a lot of sword blocking and overly aggressive offense, which played into my opponent's strengths in two fights.
Anyway, if you want to win?
Focus. Concentrate on doing what what you do efficiently and accurately.
Conserve energy. Don't end up at the end of the tournament out of gas.
Dictate the pace and type of fight. If you are a fighter who belongs at range counterpunching, stay at range and counterpunch. If you are an aggressive in close fighter, stay in close. Have a strategy for the fight overall, based on what you expect him to do, how you want the fight to go and have options ready in case he does the unexpected.
Know your opponent. Study what he does against others, talk to people about his style, strengths, weaknesses. Use this to your advantage. Is he a very fast, strong guy but one who tires quickly? Don't die in the first minute, let him tire himself out. Find out what his comfort zone is and take him out of it. Stay in your comfort zone.
Your high percentage shots. Know what they are. Throw them at the right time. Mix in feints and other blows so he does not know they are coming.
Mental. Fighting is a head game that is lost at the lay on. I've won plenty of fights against better fighters, rested fighters, faster fighters, because I took them out of their game. Often the best opponent does not win, the smarter fighter wins. If you are exhausted? Exude confidence and energy, odds are he's tired too and it does not help him to think that he has an edge. Keep him guessing. If you don't see any openings? Let him come to you and he will hopefully give you one when he approaches. Talk to him during the fight if it isn't going your way. People get distracted easily in many cases or are totally freaked out that you are so comfortable chatting while fighting, that they obviously are not dominating the fight
However with me, chatting like this just encourages me, so this goes back to knowing your opponent. I am unusual in that I love it when my opponent is doing great and really making me work just to survive, many of us in the chivalry live for those fights, which is part of a winning mindset; look for the best possible fights so that you are forced to try your hardest and improve. It is somewhat Darwinian, you have to toss out what doesn't work or you will lose a lot and die.
Don't be tense but don't be too relaxed either. Be vigilent, aware and ready to act or react at all times. If you are out of breath, so something silly to buy time. Take a step back and an odd stance or wave the sword around, ask how his kids are doing or compliment him on his heraldry and ask where he came up with it? Get him thinking about anything but hitting you.
If you have nothing left in your arm and fear you are about to be overwhelmed? Suck it up, throw an insanely hard shot into the middle of his shield or the lower edge with a lot of body; give him the impression you are ready to crush him should he not block the next blow. Boy does that buy time and make people change their defense temporarily. Unless it is Darius, who reacts like Joe Frazier and likes it
One thing I do, is grin constantly. In my case it is because I am simply having so much fun being out there, I can't help it. But many people actually find it disconcerting or intimidating. Use this sort of thing to your advantage.
People also get nervous, scared, angry, frustrated, confused, tired, panic, take chances, etc. This is when they are most dangerous offensively, but also most vulnerable defensively. Know the signs. Avoid letting this happen to you. Take advantage of others when they exhibit these. Have a plan.
More people beat themselves before they even enter the lists, than you might imagine. Many people hear their opponent's name called and think "I can't beat him" and they are toast before being lit up. I have the opposite reaction. I hear the name of my opponent called and I get excited if it is someone who is better. Even if it is Steffan and I know I probably won't win. That is NOT the same as knowing I can't win. On any given day, anybody can beat anybody. It may not be likely, but it is possible. Never start out a fight already defeated. You might get lucky, but you have no chance if you don't at least try.
Take your opponent's confidence away. How? Find out what the absolute best thing they do is. Their bread and butter blow or their fastest, most powerful and dangerous weapon. Purposely put them in a position where they will be tempted to use it, but where you are 100% ready for it. Defeat that blow, look as casual as possible, look them in the eye and smile so they know that you know it is coming, that you can stop it whenever you want and that they need to try something else. Give them that "Is that all you got?" look? Or "You did not really expect that to work on me, did you?" even if it almost took your head off and you just got lucky that it did not land; he does not need to know that (until after the fight)
Compliment them on a well thrown blow you just barely got out of. Tell them you really love the way they throw that blow, that it is something you've been watching, that you really like defending against it because, while you can block it pretty easily every time, you noticed how incredibly effective it is against others and you really appreciate the opportunity of practicing against it.
Don't focus on the crowd. Block out all other distractions. Think only about the person in front of you, what they are doing and what you want to do. Try to have your shots be automatic, so you are not thinking about how you are throwing a blow when you are doing it. You want to be thinking about what you are doing in the fight step by step, often one or two steps ahead, with your blows coming and being executed automatically when the brain calls for them, so they are not tying up your thinking at the execution level.
Look like a knight. If you look like a powerful, experienced and dominating warrior type, people are more likely to assume you are a powerful, experienced and dominationg warrior type. Often they will be afraid or less likely to go at you 100% aggressively and crush you, as they don't want you to pick them apart. So a beginner or intermidiate fighter who has decent armour, heraldry, nicley constructed weapons, can often buy time by having the other fighter think you are better than you are. And also you will look more like someone worth teaching, so knights & masters are more likely to try to help you as you will look like you want help and advice. Much like riders who show up for instruction with proper riding boots, gloves and a helmet, properly polished and maintained; it shows respect for your instructor and that you want to do things right and learn.
Terrain. Know your footing, check for elevation differences, list size and borders. Use all this to play to your strengths and your opponents weaknesses. For example, if you are short, get your opponent on the low ground to make head shots easier and the high ground to make leg shots easier. If you both have great weapons and it is a tight list, back him up so you have room to maneuver and he does not. Make him feel pressured, closed in and dominated.
If the other fighter is just plain better than you and you have little chance of victory? Try the unexpected. Charge the Duke, throw suppression shots directly into his sword to get him to commit, maybe you will be able to take the initiative, get him to blink or make a mistake that you can take advantage of. If nothing else your courage might inspire him to take notice and teach you something after he crushes you. Better than standing back and letting him have his way with you. Or just go 100% defensive, block like crazy while moving laterally to get him out of position. What have you got to lose? Sometimes we experienced fighers lose to newbies or less talented fighters, simply because you guys do the unexpected and we don't expect some odd hail Mary blow that the other good fighters rarely throw because it is a low percentage shot. Try a war cry as you close.
In the end, if you really want to win, there is no substitute for being confident, capable, in shape and smart. That comes from training, exercise, study and experience. Don't just fight at practice, learn, use a pell, work on technique, get critiques from others, get advice, read, watch the known world symposium videos and study online fight guides (the Bellatrix stuff is great), innovate and try things on your own. Hang out with knights and fighters with kingdom level fighting awards, find out how they win and how they lose. Learn from this.
Once you are truly good, winning comes naturally. You want to be the last one standing? Walk into a tournament as best prepared as you can be. Dominate your opponents, sieze the victory by besting them honorably, intelligently and with conviction. Success breeds success. Never leave anything on the field, give it 100% in every bout.
Finally? Killer instinct. Some have it, some don't. Some have it in real life, have actually hurt or killed people for real (lots of former boxers, MMA or athletes, ex military service personel in the SCA) but don't have it here as they don't want to really hurt their friends. In the SCA, you don't have to actually hurt anyone. But those that win fights a lot, often have killer instinct. Here it translates to when you see an opportunity for a winning blow or setup, you instinctively jump on it, acting decisively to finish a fight with ruthless efficiency. Many people fight a good fight, but don't finish it properly, they let victory slip away, miss chances, wear down and don't capitalize on opponent's errors or weaknesses. You see it in some people's eyes, you make a mistake and they pounce without hesitating, the kill happens instantly. They will see an opponent's flaw or problem, and seize upon it, mercilessly tearing at it and exploiting it, like a boxer throwing jabs at an opponent's eye once it is cut, until they break the opponent down, either physically or by breaking their will.
Many of us have tried hard to become nice guys and we are. But we are in a fight we want to win and we see some small mistep or opening and we instantly exploit it to maximum advantage and take someone down. It can be over in a nano-second and then we want to be sure our opponent is OK. But there is that flash of "I will destroy you now, you are food and I don't play with my food." that is almost primeval.
Look at the old black and white photo of Ali standing over a vanquished opponent, bicep flexed, almost roaring and you'll see the look that expresses that moment pretty well. Many of us who have excelled at SCA combat at one time or another, have actually had to restrain our competitive impulses as even simulated combat in the real world or contact sports often have a significantly higher level of impact, violence and danger than what we do in the SCA. Often when I land a killing blow, my lizard brain is telling me to now close, grapple and take the opponent to the ground and really finish them off. Kind of scary actually, as you guys are my friends and I have no real wish to hurt you. But the lizard brain is telling me to destroy you utterly. I lose a number of fights because I'm busy restraining the lizard brain
When I fight more for fun, the lizard brain chase, catch, kill commands don't kick in and I think more about the technical aspects of the fight, the splendid armour, the joy of competition, the grace with which a weapon cleaves the air. When I'm trying to win, the beast comes out. I don't always like the beast...
Just some thoughts.
Richard Blackmoore
KSCA East
