Thoughts On a Quote

"believe, behave, become" -- Sir Octamasades

The concept per se is simple but the implications are far more important. 

Believe: Hold in your heart the desire to become a knight 

Behave: Actions and perceptions, strive to uphold the behaviors of knights on and off the field.

Become: When belief and behavior become a passion that is no longer a secondary nature.

 

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Finding the Right Fit

Training as a fighter takes time and consistency.  Fixing the small things, like the angle of your hand or elbow placement, can determine the success of your blows.  I've been frustrated by the lack of power in some of my blows recently until my knight and I discovered that my sword was the wrong length.  There is always the expectation to adapt to whatever weapon you are currently wielding, but honestly it's more important to find out what works best for you first.  There is a height/weight ratio for sword length where the balance of the sword is optimal for the style of fighting.  In my case, being in the lightweight column with low upper body strength, using a short sword is great for moving in and out of range but can be difficult to provide powerful blows constantly.  I recently switched to a sword that is 3 inches longer with a bit more heft, and haven't looked back yet.

Something to be said about swords in my Kingdom, they are hefty.  In fact we often fondly call one of our local knight's swords, "boat oar".  It was, in fact, planed down from a 3 1/2 inch piece of rattan and has continued to inspire quick foot work......Anyway, considering the overall weight, sword balance becomes more important to help prevent shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries.  Failing to use good body mechanics during a fight, especially with an improperly fitted sword, will cause a lot of wear and tear on the body. So make sure you find something that works for you!  


Quick Notes:  Keep elbow tucked in, follow the momentum of the sword.

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