Building Speed with single sword

Stacy Elliott · Post by **Stacy Elliott** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:31 am

Anyone have drills on building speed in single sword fighting?

I use a speedbag (old duffle) to throw shots against but thought I would ask for other ideas.

Giles

Diglach Mac Cein · Post by **Diglach Mac Cein** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 8:42 am

Form,form,form.

Use a partner (a spotter, really) and use slow work to develop *straight line* blows from the hand. If the hand travels a straight line, the blow will be faster - and you would be surprised how many VERY accomplished SCA fighters don't throw in a straight line.

Make sure you throw from the legs FIRST. Your arm should be the LAST and LEAST part of the "power/speed" machine in throwing blows. If you are generating most of the power with the legs, back and shoulders, you can focus on using your arm and hand for targeting and straight lines.

Keep your arm relaxed - this is a direct part of the previous point. A relaxed arm accelerates faster, reacts quicker.

Work out for speed. Muscle bulk does NOT equal speed. Burst or Acceleration lifts help with this. - - NOTE - - DO NOT DO THESE TYPES OF LIFTS UNLESS YOU ARE VERY EXPERIENCED IN WEIGHT TRAINING OR HAVE A SPOTTER.

Relax - my boxing coach used to say that 1/2 of speed in the ring was MENTAL.

Dilan

Sir Tristan · Post by **Sir Tristan** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 9:05 am

Strength is the key to speed, and is frequently overlooked. Form will improve speed, too. What you are looking while practicing your form is not using the muscles that are not needed. They usually impede your movement in small ways, taking energy out of your shot and making you expend more energy.

I would suggest some sort of strength training. For optimum results, strengthen your abs and back, shoulders, biceps and triceps, and forearms. If you feel that is too much and want to cheat, go for shoulders and forearms.

There are many techniques for building strength. The easiest thing is to get your hands on some freeweights and a bench. When you start your strength training, give yourself two weeks for your body to get used to working out. Your body will be sore for the first few days or week (depending on your current level of conditioning), but after that there should be little or no soreness after working out.

Russ Mitchell · Post by **Russ Mitchell** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 11:32 am

Throw a thousand of each of your blows, one grand per sitting. Do not stop. Do not pass go, do not take breaks, do not step back from the pell.

By the time you've gotten to shot 400, any parasitic motions you've got will have stopped, because the muscles will no longer be able to perform them.

Around shot 800, that part of your brain you share with lizards will start saying "hey dipwad, why don't you kick back and let me start throwing these for a while?"

Do this cycle ten times, each cycle containing a thousand of each shot. By the time you're done, shot speed will no longer be an issue. Did wonders for my jab and cross: I may not see the holes consciously, but lizard brain does, and I often don't even realize I've thrown the blow until the other guy's head is rolling back.

Am seriously hoping to take my own advice, for the cane (which has enough differences from the sabre that it's driving me nuts), this month and next.

Animal · Post by **Animal** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 12:35 pm

Speed is cool, but I never associated speed with strength as much as I associated it with timing. If you hit the gaps as they open you make people think you're fast. Obviously being strong helps, but the timing and as Irish pointed out, your form is what really makes the appropriate blow happen. Mechanically speaking a good strong cut comes from the hips triceps thing. A strong forearm/wrist is great for aim and those straight lines too. Cut the shortest angle you can and that gets your sword there quicker. lots of ways to do this

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Animal Weretiger
"Trample the weak; hurdle the dead"

Richard Blackmoore · Post by **Richard Blackmoore** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:53 pm

Tristan's list of muscles is correct. In particular the triceps in SCA fighters tend to be underdeveloped leading to premature fatigue, lack of control/aim/speed. There are plenty of tricep exercises you can do with dumbells or an EZ curl bar and a bench if you don't have access to a gym.

Sir Godfried of Frisia · Sun Jan 11, 2004 10:11 am

Well strength training and slow work only work to a point in developing speed. Irish comes the closest when he said "Muscle bulk does NOT equal speed. Burst or Acceleration lifts help with this", but I would probably argue that a better drill exists for developing speed in context of SCA heavy fighting. A drill that was taught to me by my knight Duke Baldar and one that Iâ€™ve continued to preach and pass along to all who will listen is called â€œSpeed Drillsâ€

Rainald · Post by **Rainald** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 8:34 pm

Matched single sword is one of my favorite styles to fight. Unfortunately most fighters don't seem to like it much. I find having absolute faith in my armour to be the key. I know I'm not getting any serious hurt fighting single sword with my kit.

This allows me to forget about the defense worries and instead go with the flow and try to "out twitch" my opponent. To improve, speed drills on a pell seem to help. I mark spots on the pell 1-4 on the right side and matched spots 5-8 on the left side. Drills were you hit two spots and then progress to the next series work well. For example:

1/1, 1/2,1/3.1/4â€¦..2/1,2/2,2/3â€¦up to 8/8â€¦then reverse the order.

Your mileage may vary.

Gaston de Vieuxchamps · Sun Jan 11, 2004 9:11 pm

Lots of good advice so far. Remember "SAID". This basic principle of physical training means "Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands". In other words, training should be specific to the goal. Basic weight training is useful for building general strength and is particularly important if you are lacking in that area. If you have good strength already then your time might be better spent developing those abilities more specific to throwing fast shots.

SAID means that working your muscles to the point of fatigue will cause your muscles to respond by becoming stronger but the WAY you fatigue them affects the kind of strength you develop. For most sports, explosive power (rapid contraction) is important and this is why "plyometerics" have become very popular with trainers of pro atheletes. Of course these atheletes have already spent plenty of time with traditional weightlifting to develop a good level of basic muscle mass which is always useful, but doing fast, explosive movements can give you the extra edge. Do a search for "plyometrics" if you are interested.

Here are some good drills to do on the pell for speed:

Stand in front of your pell with sword in hand and try to mimmic the stance and guard you actually use fighting as perfectly as possible. Imagine an opponent in front of you and settle into your stance as if you were fighting him. Relax as much as possible without dropping your sword. Assure that your shoulders are not hunched up. Your feet should be relaxed so that as much of them as possible is pressing on the ground. Take a few deep breaths. Decide on a blow to throw and inhale, then slowly exhale completely as you do the technique slowly and precisely. Look for wobbles or wind-up. There should be as little movement as possible to get your blade from start to impact. Repeat this a few times and concentrate on relaxation and fluidity. Now, inhale again and do the shot as fast as you possibly can while exhaling forcably. You can grunt or kiai if that helps. Return to guard, relax, repeat. Your abdominal muscles should be very tight once the strike begins, and relaxed at other times. Don't rush it. Give yourself time to collect and contemplate between techniques. You should be like a sprinter exploding off the bocks. When wobble develop in your technique, do a few more slow reps and then go back to full speed. Try to make each shot quicker than the one before. Mind your stance. If you find yourself having difficulty throwing your shots fast from your fighting stance, think about altering your fighitng stance.

For the next drill you need a partner. Stand as before and relax and breath as before. Do a few slow techniques. When you are ready, tell your partner. He will loudly and suddenly say "Go!" and you will strike as fast as possible, like the starting pistol just went off for your imaginary sprinter. Return and wait. Your partner should say "Go!" repeatedly but not get into a predictable rhythm. Sometimes he will wait 1 second, sometimes 4 or 5 and often in between. Try to hit the pell before he finishes the word "Go!"
Once you have some practice with this, the next level is to have your partner stand on the opposite side of the pell with a stick. He then holds the stick at arm's length and taps the pell quickly moving his stick out of the way. Hit the pell exactly where he tapped as quickly as possible and then return. Next, he can give you combos by tapping several times in the same or different places. Don't wait for him to finish tapping. You should start hitting as soon as he taps the first time while still watching for extra taps. This and others will be in the updated manual and there is an even more advanced version...

Gaston

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Non Onme Quod Licet Honestum Est

Alexander · Post by **Alexander** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 7:45 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Giles of Redheugh:
Anyone have drills on building speed in single sword fighting?

Giles<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Umm, show up to fighter practice?

Sorry Giles, I had to say it!

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Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow'

Herr Alexander

Stacy Elliott · Post by **Stacy Elliott** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 7:56 am

Herr Alexander,

I would show up if there was anyone challenging there to practice with.

:-)

Sorry, but I just had to.

G