The Armour Archive

I have been fighting (this go around) for just approching 3 years. I have, for the first time, been able to watch a video of myself fighting. I had previously seen many pictures, but never video.

It was weird. I must have watched each clip 2 dozen times before stopping. Then I went back later and watched them in slow motion - rewinding and going ultra slow at point to analize the fight..... and did that several times.


What were your experiences watching yourself fight for the first time?

I am right there with ou Wulfe.
A great friend took video of my WS authorization feb 2004 and i watch it every now and again to simply laugh at it. Now the two short fights i had that day were .... well amusing.

I wish i had more video of my fighting that way i can with my knight disect my fighting and figure out what i'm doing wrong.

next big purchase a digital video camera.

I have a movie of my first day in armour Sep 21 2003 and one that was taken last month. there was a definate improvement but still not as good as I thought it would be.

- Amos

Video is an amazing help. You dont really have any idea what you look like until you see it like others see it. Personally, when I saw myself fighting it about broke my heart. See, in my head when I'm fighting, I'm beautiful. Graceful and flowing, it's like a dance to me. Now by this time, those of you that have fought me or seen me fighting are laughing themselves sick. Screw you guys. Seriously, when I saw how awful I looked when I was fighting it really woke me up and helped me fix a lot of what was wrong. I'm still not pretty to watch,but the improvements are just amazing when you can see what you need to fix.

Video is a great help for those of us who need to study and visualize the why's and how's etc. The first time I saw myself fight I was embarassed not by my skill but by the look of my whole kit. How could I call myself a medieval fighter when I looked like crap. So its been about 4 years and I have steadily been building a nicer looking rig that is more photogenic for those who come and see me fight.

I really applaud the efforts of those who take the time to work on their fighting and really give it the effort it deserves. I express to all those that I work with and/or teach to try an visualize their fights and learn by memory rather than watching video, but video play backs are a demon to some people. Especially when the fight you were in and you see yourself getting hit, and then you ask yourself "is this what others are looking at?".

Christian

Video is a great training aid.


First video i watched of myself, i was awful, any small chid could fight better

After training out the flaws, i found (after seeing footage from this year) that i have turned my fighting style around and am almost unrecognisable.

Get someone to video you at the beginning and end of each year, see how you have changed.

That was the weird part of it, I think. The video was taken during a demo we were doing. After all the fighting, I was talking to the other people saying how off I felt. I was feeling a bit "flaily" and uncoordinated. Everyone agreed that I seemed a bit off and compared it to how "on" I was just this past Sunday and recently at practices.

Then I watched the video.

I did not really look "off" I did not look "flaily" - I looked a bit repetative in my actions....and looked like my responses were a little slow or incorrect....

Perhaps part of that feeling of "off" is just having a day of bad judgement?

I will post the clips (they are Quicktime .MOV format.) when I get home. I would like some mass critiquing.... Be honest and straight up.

I will post my own comments on them when I post the links.

First of all, Christian, your current rig looks nice.

Secondly, I do remember my first video - and I was just a victim. It looked like I didn't have a clue as to what was going on. I've got one or two of those QuickTime movies still around somewhere. (I know I still have the movie of the time I knocked down Tbone and he skidded across the floor. )

These days, when I fight, I feel very simple and slow. When I watch my fights, I see the same thing. My friends disagree. Um, hooray? I would absolutely love to see video of my fights at this past Crown Tournament. I think those would be more telling to me than the occasional fight practice ("fight only as good as you need to") videos.

Video is a wonderful tool, ive been heard to say many times video shows you just how much of a bad ass you are not.

I actually had somewhat of the opposite experience of most. I was really feeling like I had plateaued and was rather down on my fighting. Well the last Coronet list I fought in, I drew a Count and it actually had to go five fights to a resolution, but I was feeling really bad about how the fight went.

The next day my husband showed me the video of the fight, and I realized that I actually looked a heck of a lot better from the outside than I felt on the inside. I was dwelling way too much on my mistakes and it was bringing my confidence level down - that was affecting my fighting more than anything else. When I started taking a good critical look at my tourney performance, I realized that my record was a bit better than I had fooled myself into believing.

So - video DOES give you a more realistic view, and it can cut both ways.


Broinnfinn

Ok... here they are for your entertainment.... I am in the Green with the Greathelm...

A few things that I note -

My reaction time is slow - possible feeling of being off.

I was being a bit repetative with the sword and buckler - it ended up working for me that time, but was not my norm - Another possible off reason....

I am never on with a Pole weapon....or rarely.

http://www.ravenslake.com/assets/video/000_0319.MOV

http://www.ravenslake.com/assets/video/000_0321.MOV

http://www.ravenslake.com/assets/video/000_0324.MOV

This was all I could fit on the site for now....

They are in Quicktime format. SOrry, I am currently missing my conversion application or they would be RealPlayer or Winamp compatible.

I take as much video as possible, and I keep an "analysis" file of all my fighting I've caught on video. I edit it down so it starts with the last bit of "lay on" and finishes when the good hit hits me. Rarely do I get a shot where I get the hit in...

It is interesting on how my game has evolved over the last nine months. I throw shots early on that I could SWORN were good, that I would be grossly embarrassed if anybody took them now.

Other times I'm impressed with my early work, and wondering where my skill went...

And, I know I will look back at the video later and have even more issues.

-Aaron

understood Aaron,

Like I said previously Video can be some people's biggest demon. We are by nature our biggest critic and biggest cheerleader.

I like video and at times I hate it. I have found the best "video" to study is the comments/instruction received by other fighters preferably those fighters who are advancing at a greater pace than yourself.

I honestly believe there is a time to fight and there is a time to practice. Events are not the time to practice so sometimes I really shy away from video cameras. I recall a tourney not long ago when I was being "video taped" and when I saw I was being "watched" it really made me nervous b/c I know that particular group of people will go home and dissect my fighting and expose my weaknesses. Something which I think it is slightly not nice, and cheapens the experience of the fight somewhat at an event. at practice I really dont mind, but I would like to be asked first "hey do you mind if we tape your fighting?".

I really feel sorry for the person taping all of the fights really. they pay money to go to an event and basically watch the whole tourney through a 1/4 inch hole and have to keep comments down so as to not ruin the video.

I started video taping myself fight about a year ago and found that I became very aware of problems that I had in fighting (mainly being repetative and predictable). Unfortuately only having fought actively for 3 years I find it hard to look at video and then develop ways to counter what I see. Getting a second opinion does help a lot. My biggest love for video is taping other people fighting. It's amazing how much you don't see about a persons fighting style when you are staring them down on the field. If you can fight someone, and then go to the video to watch how they fight, you can gain valuable insight into their weaknesses.

Wulfe,
Nice video. Now a question based on watching it. Why don't you throw a single shot with your left hand when fighting two sword?

Because it is an issue that I have been fighting since I started fighting. I am heavy on the right hand use. My left is essentially a shield with an ocasional shot thrown. I though tI threw a couple in there.... but I know it is an issue. I thought I had overcome it some last year when I made a strong push to improving. This year, I have had many mundane things keeping me from fighting, eventing and even practicing and it shows.... all that learnin I did to my left arm is gone... Gonna have to retrain it again.

I would like to suggest that to develop your left hand sword you spend some time fighting buckler and sword with the sword in your left hand. that way the left hand will *have* to learn to throw shots and work offensively.

Gavin

That is a very good suggestion.

Last year, when I was working on it, I had just been fighting single sword left handed. This, for me, seemed to be working very well. I was going to start that up again. Maybe I can work in some sword & buckler too.... lefthanded, of course.

Thanks for the tip!

Learning to use your off-hand well is one of the more difficult things in becoming a good two-sword fighter; we have someone here who is (relatively) a natural with two-sword, but she still doesn't throw blows with her off-hand as often, or with as much power and confidence, as with her on-hand.

Duke Gavin knows a thing or three about two-sword (having been on the receiving end of his experience a number of times), so if you're serious about wanting to improve, I'd take his advice to heart.
Many years ago, I toyed with the idea of either modifying my shield for ambidextrous use, or making a new off-hand shield, but that didn't happen before I completely gave up fighting sword and shield.

Another technique which works, but I don't recommend, is that one I used (not consciously, but in retrospect, it's what caused the learning to occur): fighting 15+ years with katana as my primary single combat weapon forced me to be effective with my off-hand after losing an arm, because the only other option was to stand there like a large but not terribly dangerous target. I'm still not great with the form, but at least when I fight two-sword I can do and do throw 40%+ of my blows with my off-hand.

LOL, when ever I hear someone talk about loosing and arm in SCA combat and having to switch hands, I can't help but be reminded of the bridge guardian in monty python's holy grail!
"it's only a flesh wound, come on, you pansy!"
Your arm's off, man!"

Yeah, I am left handed naturally, and I love to practice with my off hand. I do a lot of katana fighting as well, and it helps to know your off hand. I am not quite as strong in my right hand, but I can still acomplish the same technique. An ambidextrous fighter has an advantage, as he/she can find the oponent's weak side and exploit it with the apropriate hand.

Wulfe, I am downloading those movies, now.

Damn, I could not see the movies...
Ratty computer...

just a thing I do, I stole it from duke loke in the outlands ... flip your off hand sword point down ( right hand ) and use it as an estoc. ( gotta have a thrusty on it)

now you have an effectiveoff hand weapon that can be used to set range while warding or killin with the point. and .... its not a madu...

http://www.midrealm.org/kith/kith/

whats worse is watching yourself in a crown....

fall 2003

Ray, they are quicktime and you would need to install the stupid program. I have not been able to find my converter to change them to MPEG or AVI format. I will see what I can do over the weekend.

Samuel if you're the guy with the center grip heater then you fought beautifully. I study that film every so often and every time I do I learn something new.

Animal Weretiger wrote:Samuel if you're the guy with the center grip heater then you fought beautifully. I study that film every so often and every time I do I learn something new.

ermine with the red cross and fluer.. yea thats me.. thanks. Ive not fought in a crown since.... but pensic 35 is next year so im yearning to fight outlands crown to goto pensic 35 as a king.

im a mish mash of about five different styles, just more evidence of my indesiciveness:)the first really good lefty I ever picked up stuff from was Duke Anton in atlantia, As Ive gotten older and lazyer Ive squared up more and move more from the hips instead of having my back foot way deep.. I also noticed from watchin that I react with blocking more from seeing the arm/shoulder in motion than the sword breaking.

theres a vid of Duke Brannos teaching basic movement and shot throwing on that site as well... IMO it gives a HUGE option for a more relaxed fighting style stance wise with a really quick boxer type shot selection...

Funny you say that. The last video of me I saw was from last summer at a workout and I've gone to squaring up on people and crossing their T. I dunno why but it seems to work out ok. Lets me fight in closer better or something.
Anyway, I'd love to fight with you at some point. I'd learn a ton!

one of the biggest things Ive found about a more squared stance apart from comfort is reach.

the issues against are mostly deleted with a center grip, the exception being the obvious sword leg more open. yet Im finding with the center grip heater I can drop block that leg and catch a whole lot on the shield. which when I fought with a strapped heater If I ever broke my sword leg more than 1/3 out from line it took a beatin.

Im still trying to work in Brannos' centering in the hips stance. basically you move your center of gravity from the shoulders to your hips and use wieght to encourage movement.


Im making every effort to be at pensic 35. this year is pretty much screwed for me and SCA. IM really immersed in building atm and will be past sept. ( Ill be back out in San Fran in Sept, more Crapaud tourney yay!)

thanks for the complements.