Anything and Everything

[Vandey]

Alright here is the deal my group has alot of diffrent weapons i wanna know what tips you guys have for fighting against the following.

sword and board, Spear, Glaive, Archery, ball and wall, bat and board and red weapons. We have sheilds of all sizes so if you have tips for diffrent sheild types thoese will also be good but mostly we use round sheilds. alright thank you very much =)

[Beck]

-foot work
-not blocking with your shield, on the sword side
-basic shots, get them down.
that is what I've observed and been taught. Basics man, Basics.
Most of that will win you fights if you're good at it. There will be people on here telling you the tricks they use to get past reds and spears and everything else but I think you would be better off watching the tutorials on here and talking to your local vets. I'm not saying that the consistent posters on here wouldn't hand me my * on a silver platter while reading a book though.

[Vandey]

Thanks becket but i knew that.. these tips arnt really for me but for the kid im teaching. i wanna teach him alot of diffrent ways to fight diffrent people so he can be better

[Big King Jimmy]

You want us to give you all of fighting on a web board. You want to know everything about fighting every weapon style.

We can't do this. Some things have to be shown, not told.

[Beck]

The best way to teach him then (I'm guessing you're not a vet, that's cool neither am I) would to spar with him, use different techniques and styles and just practice. Really though, learn basics of S&B teach that before you go into doing all sorts of weird **** that will keep you alive in the rare circumstances but get you killed in the more common ones.

[Slagar]

Start by sparring single blue, for hours and hours and hours. Then, when you've gotten the hang of that, mid-length blue and strap round shield. For hours. Then, go to events, and learn from the people who can kill you. Repeat that last until nobody can kill you.

Really, improvement in this game is about two things. Number one: time spent fighting. Number two: the caliber of fighters you learn from. Maximize both, and you get really good. Nothing more complicated than that. I spend a minimum of ten hours a week fighting, usually closer to fifteen when school lets me. I fight the best fighters I can find, as often as I can.

If you want an answer with lots of details, refer to Jimmy's post above. Sorry if this isn't what you were looking for, but this is what'll help you in the long run.

[Osric/Mageta]

Start by sparring single blue, for hours and hours and hours.

Can't stress that one enough. It'll build accuracy and good weapon blocking which is essential to any style. You ask for a lot of info. My advice: read the posts in this forum. You could also Youtube some of the SKBC videos for your buddy.

[Hash]

although reading can only take one so far, I found sir kenneth's thread to be particularly helpful on sword n board tactics

[Big King Jimmy]

Is the dude you're talking about training the lefty kid at practice today?

[Glendor]

No that is me, but was there anything you think i need to work on specifically?

[Big King Jimmy]

No, I was just gonna say that a pretty new righty trying to train a pretty newb lefty is a grand example of the blind leading the blind. You've got lots you could work on, I'd start with a strong sword block, but a righty can only help you so much.

[Chicken]

Vandey, this is the thread you're looking for. You're not going to find a better source in our sport for "anything and everything".

[Glendor]

Ya I know what you mean thanks. By the end of the practice I was starting to sword block Peter the quicks wraps with my sword. But no he doesn't teach me I teach Vandey mostly but I teach him while he fights lefties. But we learn the most at Murdocks practices.

[bo1]

jesus jumping holy crap. looks like i wasted 5 years trying to learn a bunch of things when all i had to do was read the internet. i feel so foolish.

that was a joke, but not meant to be mean. just pooking fun at the idea of learning to fight form the internet.

learn basics, stance, footwork, shots, grip, distance, feints, stabs, jukes with 3 weapon styles . When you get going on this and you hit small pitfalls/plateus/whathaveyou, then take time and post the problems you are haivng and it helps a bunch to have video.

Up until this year i was only really a Sword and board fighter, occasional florentine. In the last year i have seriously worked on Glaive and archery. so to think a rank newby can realistically learn all this in a short time is relly unrealistic.

I have incouragement for you though, you can start with learnign the basics correctly and that will help you more that you can immagine. i spent 2 years learning all the wrong stuff, stuff that really doesnt hold up to top teir fighters.

[Michael]

I give you the same advice I give everyone. Practice practice and more practice. One of my friends asked me this weekend if I was challenging him to fight three days a week or four days a week. My response was "Do you want to be a Warlord?". Obisously reading forums, watching videos and taking coaching from talented fighters is good for you but there is no real substitute for practice, and lots of it.

[Glendor]

I know what you guys mean but I was fighting him at the HD practice and was wondering if there was anything he noticed that I was doing really wrong. But ya I agree with the practice.

[No'Vak]

I know what you guys mean but I was fighting him at the HD practice and was wondering if there was anything he noticed that I was doing really wrong. But ya I agree with the practice.

Imho this is something best asked right after you fight him.

You don't expect him to remember every fight he's ever killed someone in, do you?

[Big King Jimmy]

Actually, really funny, he was the only lefty at the practice, and we met each other and so on. I hate fighting lefties, they usually have my number. But I was smoking him. Now I know, he's new, but so what? Lefty's use their stupid uber cheating lefty black magic. I do remember every fight. EVERY fight.

[No'Vak]

* lefties with their brain wired all wrong and ****.

[Slagar]

Stupid righties, with their guard too high and the wrong foot forward and dropping their shield like it's my birthday every time I fake. What do you expect.


And Jimmy, I know for a fact you've figured lefties out at least a little. The one time we fought at Mayhem you stood behind a pretty decent defense and then dropped a solid cross shot. So shut it, cheater.

[No'Vak]

Stupid righties, with their guard too high and the wrong foot forward and dropping their shield like it's my birthday every time I fake. What do you expect.


And Jimmy, I know for a fact you've figured lefties out at least a little. The one time we fought at Mayhem you stood behind a pretty decent defense and then dropped a solid cross shot. So shut it, cheater.

That hurt haha.

[Big King Jimmy]

You gonna be at practice this Saturday?

[Glendor]

I might be I am not sure though.

[Big King Jimmy]

That was totally supposed to be a PM....

[shamus o toole]

being a non-noob but still a pretty terrible fighter, i gotta say the advice about hitting vets as often as possible is the single most solid and guiding nugget of wisdom offered on any page here. i only get to rock with people who are really heavy when we do events, and we only ever make it out to western wars (chaos this year, though, and we just came from the Oregon opener) and every time i leave with another puzzle piece. advice hasn't really gotten me anywhere, because anybody who is any good at the game (which you all lose, btw) has their own unique **** to talk about. what does work is focusing on a couple of good habits and killing bad ones. we had b'dar come to a nomad practice just to teach and the **** that really (in the end) is important for a 'younger' player to focus on is a short list

1) be aggressive, you die because you stop three feet away from the guy and play shield tickle for a solid hour (i am so constantly doing this)

2) pay some attention when you do rush, swinging around with the sword hand and hugging that new edhellen punch to your body is a sure way to crack a vet in the head while he wraps you, but looking for that open cross or leg hit is a good way to hit-and-run your way through a squad

3) keep those **** vets out of your head. same with armored folk, archers, glaive users (who are more often than not not that experienced) and anyone who breaks off completely alone to try to distract your group. if you are actually afraid of anyone on the field then of course they will use you to clean up all the goose **** on it, swiffer style. vets only have one real edge and that's that they will do the **** that you have to think about without thinking about it, and all that other mojo comes from you drifting away from them every team game and freaking out and flailing once they come at you.

4) if ANYONE has any beef or * tude with you in the game or at an event, just let that **** GO. some folk want to win bad enough to cheat and some folk won't hang out with your spazzy, curly-haired * because you just aren't part of that gang. if you're gonna get all butthurt about it, you'll have no fun and then there isn't any point in putting on fancy pants and fighting.

5) buy/build an ultra-light, because as great as edhellen is, mass is for red swords and speed is for blue, otherwise you have a real gimp from the start- no weapon can make you better, but you'll like the bare minimum weight requirement more than the sword you have.


anything else you need to know (how to throw each shot, where to go in a team game, etc etc) is only gonna come when you watch the way someone kicks your * enough that you begin to understand how/why, me and my family have been rocking (read; sucking) this game for the better part of a decade and i'm JUST NOW picking up the basics because of how little time i spend with people who know their ****.

[Slagar]

5) buy/build an ultra-light, because as great as edhellen is, mass is for red swords and speed is for blue, otherwise you have a real gimp from the start- no weapon can make you better, but you'll like the bare minimum weight requirement more than the sword you have.

You fail. Do not pass go, do not accrue any skill. The rest of your post was decent advice, for the most part. This **** is dead wrong.

Pick up an 18-20oz. 26-32" flat-blade sword, and learn your **** properly. This includes proper body mechanics, proper edge control, and how to conserve your momentum when necessary.

[shamus o toole]

well, yeah, i guess the ultra-light thing could really just be me- but using one (still not OWNING one just yet) felt like it made such a difference for me that i thought i'd bring it up.

[Slagar]

Meh. They have their uses. If you start by using one, it cripples you later on. You never learn a lot of the basics (like body mechanics) that you're supposed to have, because you don't need them to swing around that pixie stick. Once you've been fighting for a few years, and know your ****, then it may be a different story.

[shamus o toole]

makes sense. OH. and don't run around like it's a japanimation, either, that's one i forgot- those guys we see at practices who stand like [anime character], swing like [anime character] and don't realize that they aren't [anime character] are usually just grass under lawnmowers. if you're imitating someone, imitate the guy who just stomped you.

[No'Vak]

5) buy/build an ultra-light, because as great as edhellen is, mass is for red swords and speed is for blue, otherwise you have a real gimp from the start- no weapon can make you better, but you'll like the bare minimum weight requirement more than the sword you have.

You fail. Do not pass go, do not accrue any skill. The rest of your post was decent advice, for the most part. This **** is dead wrong.

Pick up an 18-20oz. 26-32" flat-blade sword, and learn your **** properly. This includes proper body mechanics, proper edge control, and how to conserve your momentum when necessary.

I love this response.

....imitate the guy who just stomped you.

But not this one.

[shamus o toole]

yeah, that's kind of how **** goes when i open my mouth. you'd be surprised how often the field samurai comes up though, and someone did really title the thread 'anything and everything', so... you know... funky fresh.

[Titan G]

i suggest drilling. go look at what some of the amtguard guys do. i plateua'd last year right before event season, just seemed like i couldn't do anything with my weapons that i hadn't done before. me and vokor and slaug started working the amtguard foot work and shot drills and my fighting ramped up signifigantly. and when these guys talk body mechanics nothing teachs mechanics like doing something til the thought of it makes you want to vomit hate and then doing it again. i even cleared out the storage room at my school and moved alot of **** into my office so that when students are on breaks or im on planning period i can quick flash and in a hurry finish my work and then go and drill in the storage room after doing an ab workout.

[Michael]

On the subject of light vs heavy, I fall definitely on the side of light. I agree that heavy weapons help with body mechanics but IMHO you should get your mechanics right first with something very heavy to idenify mechanics then with drills to correct errors. For regular use get a light sword (I like 12.5 oz but you might want to hit 13 or 13.5 to make sure you pass checks depending on scale calibration). Use that **** like crazy. Even though Bel allows me to hit harder and enjoy a more rough and tumble style than my Amtgard roots, the basic fact still remains: speed kills!

[Titan G]

i always go with the philosophy of practice heavy event light, but even so michael when you get into the upper eschelon of belegarth with the likes of winfang, galin, peter, elwrath and others they tend to actually have MUCH heavier weapons for the purpose of blocking and hit strength. speed does kill it's just you should be in the practice of having the 20 oz sword and being as fast as the guy swinging the 12 oz sword.

[Forkbeard]

I agree with the smart people.
Heavier swords work better. My sword throws ultra lites out of it's way.
It's ~30 oz and 36"long, with a stab tip.
You want to be a better fighter, get a stab tip.
I'll admit right here, when I KNOW you have a hollow core, I purposly swing my sword to break yours. Not becasue I think people shouldn't ever use them, simply becasue I can. I think it's **** hi-larious to see a sword flop over sideways after I lay a sucka down.
It's also hilarious when people who are used to 12 oz weapons have to use a tank some kid made because I just broke thier toy.
Have fun, use solid fiberglass
FB

[bo1]

fork you are a mean kid. lol


i like to practice heavy and event light, it gives me a speed boost at events and gets me into shape and using proper mechanics better. but everyone has their own ways, use what works for you.

block strike is meant to be with light weapons to ID and swing faster. it is a brain trainer not a arm trainer.

[p_quick]

as long as you are using proper body mechanics you can event with whatever weapons you want. heavy or light. if you are blocking and swinging correctly you shouldn't be breaking any cores. i've broken one 505 core in the last 6 months. that's pretty good. all weapons break, when i used to swing for the fences with improper body mechanics id regularly break half inch fiberglass. its all a measure in how you swing.

but i train light to work on shot ID and pattern development. and then use 12.5-15 ounce swords for events. and non sparing sessions.

But i'm a big believer in having two nights a week to spar with regular partners. one night use 4-6 ounce swords and the next use standard bel legal weapons. Anyone that has trained with me or gone to SKBC can vouch for the strengths of training lite. The faster you can process info and make conscious decisions with that info the better off you are going to be as a fighter.

[Arrakis]

Do you find that the difference in balance point between your light sticks and your real sticks has any effect?

[p_quick]

not if you get the balance the same, and have proper body mechanics throu and throu.

[Arrakis]

Huh. Where do you like your balance?

[p_quick]

i usually keep the balance 4 to 6 inches above the pommel of my sword. but the trick is putting the counter weight in your hand rather then in your pommel.

[bo1]

pommel? i think you mean blade or cross gaurd.

[Arrakis]

i usually keep the balance 4 to 6 inches above the pommel of my sword. but the trick is putting the counter weight in your hand rather then in your pommel.

*unalloyed confusion*

[p_quick]

i ment above the handle sorry

[Arrakis]

Got ya.