Need technique advice for a new fighter.

[Malcolmthebold]

We have a newer fighter in the shire (bout 3 months in). He has taken well to the basics. He throws a decent shot, stays alive well, and is just starting to take those first fledgling steps into developing his "style". The problem comes in the fact that over the last couple of weeks he has become really vulnerable to a slot moulenet (sp) slot shot off of a flat snap, and a deep wrap off of the shield press. It seems to me that when he is in his home stance he is well enough protected. When pressed with a flat however he covers up, rolls to his sword side, and opens the shot to the collar bone. After a while he began to compensate by bringing the shied with him when he stepped. This has led to the ability to press his shield and catch him with the wrap. He is caught in a catch 22 if he covers the slot, he makes himself open to the wrap. If he covers the wrap, the slot opens up.

For the sake of information, his shield is a 2' by 3' strapped kite, and he fights with a standard 36" sword. He is about 5'8" and weighs about 44 lbs.

I have given him a couple of things that might work, but I was wondering as to the infinite wisdom o the archive.

[GvR]

Malcolm,
I am not sure I am experienced enough but feel I should opine.....
I have been taught, and I practice, covering the body with the shield and the head with the sword.
I TRY to never cover up as I have local opponents who will teleport if I take my eyes off them.

Tell you new guy to keep that shield down, strike and recover the sword to a defensive position and keep
his feet moving.

It works for me.

[Malcolmthebold]

Sword blocking was one of the things we have started working into his skill set. His brain seems to be currently splitting his defense down his centerline. Shield covers shield side, sword covers sword side. Any body out there have any good sword blocking drills I could throw at him? I have shown him a bunch of the duke university drills, which I love. We are a small gene pool and I want to avoid him getting stale this early in the game by bringing as much new stuff as I can to him. I could just continue to throw the slot and wrap until he figures out how to make it stop all on his own, but that would just make him good at fighting me. I would rather give him some good basics and fundamentals instead of giving him skills specialized against my wonky ass style.

[Ali]

FWIW, I like to use body positioning a lot. If being pressed, step back(or into, that will sometimes throw your opponent's timing off). Don't engage at close range unless you are ready to, then use body positioning to negate your opponents' shots while setting up yours. Hard to describe in words, sorry.

Ali

[Hrolfr]

For the sake of information, his shield is a 2' by 3' strapped kite, and he fights with a standard 36" sword. He is about 5'8" and weighs about 44 lbs.

[Thomas MacFinn]

Anybody remember these illustrations?





Sounds to me like he may be squaring up with his body position.

[Thomas MacFinn]

You mentioned a kite shield. Would it happen to be round on top? That front corner on a heater can be very valuable.

[Ingvarr]

Go down to Granite Mountain some Wednesday and get Sir The B to work with him some.

[Dietrich von Stroheim]

Well, to start with if he is 5'8 and 44 lbs, he has bigger problems than slot shots!

In all seriousness though, I would recommend he practice MOVING as he defends. Have him practice using footwork to deny the opponent what he wants to do. ie a compass step to the right closes off that shot, and positions him for several counters including a deep wrap. Or if the other guy tries to shield press and wrap, have him train to step back out of it and throw a hammer blow down the center.

I'll say for 3 months in, it sounds like he is doing just fine!

[Cisco]

The way I'm reading this is a flat snap to the shield side head (which he is covering) and then the slot shot is raising the sword and throwing the shot vertically with the blade ending down and the basket high (I think). Is that what we are talking about...or is it an offside headshot followed with a moulinet or deep wrap?

If it's the former, stepping into the opponents space and covering yourself with their shield covers the vertical slot. Stepping in also allows you to shrug your shoulders back (as you rotate your sword hip forward to step in, going sword foot forward for a moment) to block the wrap if I am understanding correctly. That allows his sword to be free as well during the process.

If it's the latter, tracking the sword wrap with the shield blocks that and leaving your sword in a forward A-frame position will block a 'classic moulinet'. The sword block from that moulinet clears him to follow your shot back in.

Those are just two examples of what could be done given a thousand variables that I decided worked however I wanted to in my head. That help at all?

[losthelm]

Start with a video so he can see things from the victors side then spend some time at half speed.
See, talk, and name the shots as you go to control the speed.

[WendallVonDerEisenstein]

Teach him to attack at the same time he is using his shield to block the flat snap.

If he is just reacting defensively to his opponent, the opponent has the time and initiative to read and attack the open spot.

At the moment your fighter identifies the flat snap and responds to block, I think there are 3 likely attacks he could be throwing at his opponent. Attack the sword arm if it is being exposed beyond the shield, if shield low throw to shield side head, if shield is high then hit the opponent shield leg.

Footwork and body positioning will be different for each action, but they all help block the flat snap and also take away both the wrap and slot shot.

For the arm shot, pass the shield side foot back while the sword comes forward. This moves his left side away from teh opponent, so if the opponent wants to press and wrap, he has another measure of time to make up. If the opponent trys to throw offside or the slot, then your fighters defensive recoverywith his sword is shorter then the opponents swing.

For the head shot, the opponent either needs to shield block or commit his sword to it. Either way your fighter recovers his sword thru a high gaurd on his left side and comtinues by throwing to his opponents offside head. If the opponent didn't block with the sword on the first one, he is going to have to on the second one.

For the leg shot, the right foot steps with a crouch, moves his left side away from the oppoents sword, and moves the slot behind his opponents shield while giving your fighter a shorter distance and time to hit the opponents leg. This could even be a wrap if range is short enough. The most likey response by the opponent is a wrap, but since your fighter is using the opponents shield for defense, his shield is available to cover.

More new fighters need to be taught to fight in single time and to take the vor. Makeing seperate defensive and offensive actions is slow, letting your opponent attack is the easiest way to loose a fight. If your weapon isn't provideing an immediate threat to your opponent, it might as well be on the ground and out of your hand.

[Malcolmthebold]

so the techniques we did go over: Sword blocking the slot shot as he crosses out from behind the shield, and stepping toward the opponent to use their shield as a guard againts attack as you find the next opening and step away from the wrap. it is hard to explain, in words, but based on the responses i am getting, i have confidence that he and i touched on effective topics. I will refine what we were working on next week.

[ThorvaldR Skegglauss]

He needs to disrupt his opponents shots. If he is blocking a flat snap and he starts to see a deep wrap he should be rolling away from the shot and allow the kite to do its static work, that is what that tail is best for. He should be throwing his own snap at that same time. In other words don't worry about the deep wrap so much as keeping his shield presented to the front for the frontal attacks and allow a bit of movement and counterstriking to take care of any wrap attempts.