I'd like to cover two topics today, both a bit more philosophical than technical. After a busy summer of sword pilgrimage, I'd like to discuss two things: the way the game is approached by different regions, and the way the game grows.
As a fighter who travels a considerable amount to fight, I love observing the flavors and subtleties that different regions bring to the game. Certain realms are heavy on certain weapon combinations, or wear a particular style of armor more often. They vary in their skill gaps, their number of vets, the way they hold their weapons, and what they call their shots. What intrigues me most about these variances is how and why these realms developed in their own unique manner. What were the contributing factors and how can this information be used to grow the game in a healthy manner?
I come from the birthplace of Dagorhir, the Aratari, a realm with fifty years of history. The area has lots of local practices, regular well-run events, yearly feasts and decent numbers. However the weight of experience and effects of time have resulted in a stagnation. For many of the more experienced fighters, warriors who've been coming out for twenty to thirty years, the schedule of battles and one day a week of practice have become mechanical habit. They still come out, and still love fighting, but the hunger is gone. Newer fighters who are indoctrinated into these established units and groups aren't instilled with the same drive to improve their skills. This isn't apparent from the inside, and I doubt newer fighters in this situation would understand....unless they traveled.
I developed a bit different from any of my area's contemporaries. My very first camp-out was the first Ides of March, hosted outside of Atlanta, Georgia by the High Spires realm. Thirteen long hours from my home realm, at a windy horse farm I fell head over heels in love with the game. At this event, I became acquainted with my future unit, the Senegal's Finest of Eryndor, and Albion, a realm from South Carolina. For most of these young fighters, their "careers" had started within the last three years and everything about Dagorhir was shiny and new. They sparred late into the evening, straining to learn new tricks and techniques, and spent their hours off the field discussing the merits of various approaches to the game. I saw the vast difference in the way newer realms looked at the game. I tasted the possibilities and potentials, and I became hungry as well.
For the last eight years, I've continued to try and travel as much as possible, often making three or more 10hr+ trips a year. This is both because the fighting addict in me craves opponents outside my home realm, and because I love the fresh atmosphere of newer areas of Dagorhir. In my travels I've learned that there are a number of things that contribute to the success or lack thereof of a Dagorhir group. The most important factor is leadership. Leadership comes in many forms, and multi-faceted leadership fosters growth both in the realm itself as well as the fighters who reside there. There's fighting leadership to inspire and teach the newer generations, administrative leadership to keep fighting regular and exciting, crafting leadership to show how better gear can be made, and spirit leadership to encourage continued character and style development. An imported, skilled veteran can potentially bring competent leadership and plenty of experience, assuming he/she's willing to put some work in.
I've found that the main cause in regional differences can be traced back to the way people view the game itself. Some groups want the game to be a hard-core reproduction of authentic medieval combat, some want to be orcs and to snarl and growl, and some approach it as a pure sport. There's no wrong way to view the game, but much of the political strife comes from people wanting the game to change to fit their vision better. I choose to view the game as something "new", drawing inspiration from history, fantasy and real weapon techniques, shaping a beautiful game with a bright future and unlimited martial potential. I come out to see the people I love, immerse myself in the culture, and swing foam til my body refuses to cooperate. I hope to see the game continue to grow, so inspire the fighters around you with clean fighting and open attitudes!
I'll return to some more technical aspects with my next article. Thanks for reading!
-The Golden Lion
Friday, August 22, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Does Size Matter?: An Analysis of Red Weapon Lengths
Amongst the litany of questions I receive on the subject of weapons, a very common one is: "What size red should I use?" The simple answer: Whatever the hell you want. You just have to learn how make it work for you.
I highly encourage everyone, and require my apprentices, to train and learn with a minimum length red weapon (48 inches total length). I personally prefer the use of a max length handle, which allows for wide stable defensive grips. Fighting min-red puts you at an inherent position of weakness, as your greatest advantage, range, is almost a non-factor. When swinging red, top hand and forward foot dictate maximum range. With stabs, range is dictated by bottom hand and same-side foot. Assuming your sword and board opponent has a 34" weapon that they've got in a low grip, you may only have inch or two of additional kill range, if any edge at all.
Thus, if you want to stay alive past the opening of a fight, min-red forces you to have sharp timing, immaculate range control and solid defensive structure. Making a mistake with a min-red often simply results in death. Being able to maintain the far edge of your maximum kill range for any period of time gives you safe kill potential, while reducing your enemy's. In my experience, almost every skill and every nuance of min-red translates almost directly into longer reds. If you can be truly deadly and feared in both 1v1 situations, skirmishes, and large-scale field engagements with only a 4ft stick, chances are that you'll be an absolute terror with anything longer.
Select Your Weapon:
In Dagorhir, as in anything else, there are different tools for different jobs, but just because a tool isn't ideal for the application, doesn't mean it's useless for it either. It might be ill-advised to cut a cooked steak at the table with a butcher's knife, but if you're a master with a butcher's knife, it'll probably be cut beautifully regardless. It is much of the same for Dagorhir. A short red sword is ideal for close and tight work, as well as a common dueling weapon. It requires greater patience in open field, but a short greatsword is highly effective in exploiting a line-gap. You shred through armor like paper, and the maneuverability of the smaller weapon means that you can swing more rapidly while defending any counterattack.
Moving up to the 5ft length of greatswords means you're playing with considerably more range. Every couple of inches you add alter what a weapons capabilities and limitations are. The mid-length style of greatsword has many more options offensively, but less overall defensive strength and a reduction in close-range capabilities. Stabbing becomes much more effective at this point, as you can safely single-handed stab most sword and board opponents from outside their maximum kill range. Wide sweeping chops can be thrown from just outside that range as well, giving a new dynamic to your purpose in line battles. You can either snipe if you're fast enough, or beat opponents straight up, utilizing the extra swing your weapon's range gives you.
At 6ft you're pretty solidly in the scope of field weapons. In my opinion, this is also the longest red weapon that can be effectively wielded in a 1v1 situation. When played by a smart, quick fighter to the weapon's maximum efficiency, it can be nearly impossible to beat as a SnB. During field engagements you've got a very large threat radius, and with range shifts in footwork, can kill enemies 4-5 slots down the line. If you've been spending 90% of your time training with a min-red, playing with the six foot and up range feels like having been touched by the hands of the gods. Very difficult size to manage in extreme close-quarters.
Glaives and their ilk above six are incredibly strong field tools, and though they can be effectively dueled with by a few top level fighters, they're far less than ideal for the purpose. However, in a line battle, they can dictate the pace of a fight with their massive threat range (second only to long spears) and intimidation factor, combined with the sheer knockback potential of a mass weapon. They have a long attack windup (minus stabs), are vulnerable between attacks. Plus, having a haft means your minimum kill range is quite far out. Haft can be useful to get certain grips, but creates dead space in your kill range.
Begin your path at the shortest weapons, as they are the most demanding, and most rewarding and slowly work your way up. Earn your power and control, train your hands and mind to strike true. It is at that point, that you can properly become a well-rounded red fighter.
-The Golden Lion
Select Your Weapon:
In Dagorhir, as in anything else, there are different tools for different jobs, but just because a tool isn't ideal for the application, doesn't mean it's useless for it either. It might be ill-advised to cut a cooked steak at the table with a butcher's knife, but if you're a master with a butcher's knife, it'll probably be cut beautifully regardless. It is much of the same for Dagorhir. A short red sword is ideal for close and tight work, as well as a common dueling weapon. It requires greater patience in open field, but a short greatsword is highly effective in exploiting a line-gap. You shred through armor like paper, and the maneuverability of the smaller weapon means that you can swing more rapidly while defending any counterattack.
Moving up to the 5ft length of greatswords means you're playing with considerably more range. Every couple of inches you add alter what a weapons capabilities and limitations are. The mid-length style of greatsword has many more options offensively, but less overall defensive strength and a reduction in close-range capabilities. Stabbing becomes much more effective at this point, as you can safely single-handed stab most sword and board opponents from outside their maximum kill range. Wide sweeping chops can be thrown from just outside that range as well, giving a new dynamic to your purpose in line battles. You can either snipe if you're fast enough, or beat opponents straight up, utilizing the extra swing your weapon's range gives you.
At 6ft you're pretty solidly in the scope of field weapons. In my opinion, this is also the longest red weapon that can be effectively wielded in a 1v1 situation. When played by a smart, quick fighter to the weapon's maximum efficiency, it can be nearly impossible to beat as a SnB. During field engagements you've got a very large threat radius, and with range shifts in footwork, can kill enemies 4-5 slots down the line. If you've been spending 90% of your time training with a min-red, playing with the six foot and up range feels like having been touched by the hands of the gods. Very difficult size to manage in extreme close-quarters.
Glaives and their ilk above six are incredibly strong field tools, and though they can be effectively dueled with by a few top level fighters, they're far less than ideal for the purpose. However, in a line battle, they can dictate the pace of a fight with their massive threat range (second only to long spears) and intimidation factor, combined with the sheer knockback potential of a mass weapon. They have a long attack windup (minus stabs), are vulnerable between attacks. Plus, having a haft means your minimum kill range is quite far out. Haft can be useful to get certain grips, but creates dead space in your kill range.
Begin your path at the shortest weapons, as they are the most demanding, and most rewarding and slowly work your way up. Earn your power and control, train your hands and mind to strike true. It is at that point, that you can properly become a well-rounded red fighter.
-The Golden Lion
Sunday, August 3, 2014
The Anatomy of a Fight: A Timeline
Before I get into the nitty gritty, I'd like to touch on a point about first part of the article. It's a strange way to think about it, but different configurations of aspect strength levels create "builds". Some fighters excel at a few categories, or even just a single one. Different category combinations lend themselves to certain fighting styles, and create much of the wonderful variety that we enjoy. Utilizing your "build" or strengths to their fullest extent will help you unlock your potential by making you a more efficient fighter. A fighter whose top skill is foot speed, could better used as a quick flanker, where a fighter who excels at range and hand-eye speed might do well slaying on a line.
Now, on to the timeline.
Most fights can be broken down into four potential segments. When a fight plays out, until a complete cessation, the combat will adhere to one of these stages. The sole reason for breaking it down this way is to make training easier. Training the individual stages will better prepare you for unpredictable battlefield changes and being prepared means staying alive.
Engage: This is from the moment you make eye contact until the moment any kind of combat contact happens. Often superior engage technique can result in an instant kill, whereas sloppy engage technique can guarantee death.
Fight: What we spend most of our time practicing; any time you're standing within kill range swinging/stabbing objects at one another.
Lock: When one or both of the combatants is forced within their minimum striking range. Grappling is often initiated when combatants enter this zone. Use of sword-locks and leverage can yield both satisfying and successful results.
Disengage: One or both of the fighters has exited their maximum kill range. If the range differential is high, they will have to commit to either completely disengaging out of range or recommitting. Tactics like purposefully entering disengage phase and immediately re-engaging with a premeditated kill shot are hard to anticipate.
It is important to understand how these stages interact and intertwine. Conscious awareness of the transitions means that common mistakes, like drifting guard positions or lapses in attention, can be avoided. A complete fighter is a confident fighter.
-The Golden Lion
Now, on to the timeline.
Most fights can be broken down into four potential segments. When a fight plays out, until a complete cessation, the combat will adhere to one of these stages. The sole reason for breaking it down this way is to make training easier. Training the individual stages will better prepare you for unpredictable battlefield changes and being prepared means staying alive.
Engage: This is from the moment you make eye contact until the moment any kind of combat contact happens. Often superior engage technique can result in an instant kill, whereas sloppy engage technique can guarantee death.
Fight: What we spend most of our time practicing; any time you're standing within kill range swinging/stabbing objects at one another.
Lock: When one or both of the combatants is forced within their minimum striking range. Grappling is often initiated when combatants enter this zone. Use of sword-locks and leverage can yield both satisfying and successful results.
Disengage: One or both of the fighters has exited their maximum kill range. If the range differential is high, they will have to commit to either completely disengaging out of range or recommitting. Tactics like purposefully entering disengage phase and immediately re-engaging with a premeditated kill shot are hard to anticipate.
It is important to understand how these stages interact and intertwine. Conscious awareness of the transitions means that common mistakes, like drifting guard positions or lapses in attention, can be avoided. A complete fighter is a confident fighter.
-The Golden Lion
Thursday, July 31, 2014
The Anatomy of a Fight: An Appendix
Every fight consists of the same basic potential components. The factors that are available to exploit rarely change, but a fighter's understanding and skill level determine how well they can manipulate them. Today, I'll break down a combat engagement into both its component pieces, and in a future followup article, the timeline of a fight. These components range from beginner level ideas up to advanced concepts. The basic concepts are by far the most important, and the most advanced are useless without a certain level of basic competence. You're guaranteed to look like an idiot if you throw an elaborate fake just to whiff your shot completely. Solid basics strung together in creative ways trumps a single fancy gimmick move, and indicates a deeper understanding of the game. I've included very simple explanations for each, though an essay could be written about any of these.
Basic Aspects:
This is the framework upon which everything else is built, build it well.
Range: How close are you to your opponent? What is your kill range and how does it compare to theirs? If you lack range, expect to have to close. Playing in their kill range but not yours has a one sided result.
Openings: What potential shots do you see available to you right now? Have you seen this opponent do something so far where they've created an opening for you? Take advantage of it next time.
Hand-Eye Speed: Do you swing and react faster than your opponent? If so, maybe you should swing first and try to tag them before they're aware. If not, expect to have to have to beat them in timing.
Foot Speed: How quickly can you close distance and how agilely can you retreat? This is even more critical in field battles.
Footwork: How smoothly, subtly and efficiently can you move? How is your balance while attacking and while under duress? This is a very important category with a high impact at top level.
Shot/Block Selection: How wide of a shot and block selection does each fighter have? How comfortable is each fighter with both their most frequently used and less frequently used options?
Intermediate Aspects:
I would describe these as effective and thorough utilization of the basics.
Fakes: A fake is any kind of motion or telegraph intended to mislead your opponent. These come in a wide variety, from eye and body fakes, to stutter steps and sword misdirection. Very useful in conjunction with other abilities.
Basic Aspects:
This is the framework upon which everything else is built, build it well.
Range: How close are you to your opponent? What is your kill range and how does it compare to theirs? If you lack range, expect to have to close. Playing in their kill range but not yours has a one sided result.
Openings: What potential shots do you see available to you right now? Have you seen this opponent do something so far where they've created an opening for you? Take advantage of it next time.
Hand-Eye Speed: Do you swing and react faster than your opponent? If so, maybe you should swing first and try to tag them before they're aware. If not, expect to have to have to beat them in timing.
Foot Speed: How quickly can you close distance and how agilely can you retreat? This is even more critical in field battles.
Footwork: How smoothly, subtly and efficiently can you move? How is your balance while attacking and while under duress? This is a very important category with a high impact at top level.
Shot/Block Selection: How wide of a shot and block selection does each fighter have? How comfortable is each fighter with both their most frequently used and less frequently used options?
Intermediate Aspects:
I would describe these as effective and thorough utilization of the basics.
Fakes: A fake is any kind of motion or telegraph intended to mislead your opponent. These come in a wide variety, from eye and body fakes, to stutter steps and sword misdirection. Very useful in conjunction with other abilities.
Timing: While timing itself is a very basic part of fighting, being able to control timing is much less simple. Understanding both your potential timing and your opponents is critical for progression. On a more advanced note being able to change ones timing mid-combat and playing the time between beats allow a ton of counter-play.
Angles: Once a fighter has accumulated a adequate shot selection, it becomes important to learn to use them to their fullest degree. Skilled manipulation of angles allows that from any given position your potential opportunities multiply, as well as your understanding of when you're being threatened.
Combinations/Block-strike: This ties in with shot selection as well. Can you string a series of attacks together? All quality fighters learn to do that while also expecting potential returns.
Denying: Whether by stuffing a shot with a shield, stepping into a spear shot, or removing a potential shot, being able to deny your enemy opportunities strengthens your position.
Physicality: Using your strength to do things like push a fighter over, lock up the enemy's weapon with your own, or shield-edging creates advantages and openings.
Advanced Aspects:
These are the mental disciplines that go beyond the actual use of weaponry. Some of these come only with experience.
Threat levels: Being able to quickly and accurately determine which targets are most dangerous based on the available information. As you grow as a fighter, it becomes easier to interpret this information effectively.
Fighter Knowledge: Simply put, if you understand what a fighter might do ahead of time, you're immediately at an advantage. This might be either through personal experience or a second hand account, but it's a subtle and important thing to note.
Prediction: Can you accurately determine what the fighter before you will do next? Can you think a step ahead and use his actions against him? In combination with skilled denying, prediction is a powerful tool. Equally useful on the battlefield exploiting timing weaknesses.
Angles: Once a fighter has accumulated a adequate shot selection, it becomes important to learn to use them to their fullest degree. Skilled manipulation of angles allows that from any given position your potential opportunities multiply, as well as your understanding of when you're being threatened.
Combinations/Block-strike: This ties in with shot selection as well. Can you string a series of attacks together? All quality fighters learn to do that while also expecting potential returns.
Denying: Whether by stuffing a shot with a shield, stepping into a spear shot, or removing a potential shot, being able to deny your enemy opportunities strengthens your position.
Physicality: Using your strength to do things like push a fighter over, lock up the enemy's weapon with your own, or shield-edging creates advantages and openings.
Advanced Aspects:
These are the mental disciplines that go beyond the actual use of weaponry. Some of these come only with experience.
Threat levels: Being able to quickly and accurately determine which targets are most dangerous based on the available information. As you grow as a fighter, it becomes easier to interpret this information effectively.
Fighter Knowledge: Simply put, if you understand what a fighter might do ahead of time, you're immediately at an advantage. This might be either through personal experience or a second hand account, but it's a subtle and important thing to note.
Prediction: Can you accurately determine what the fighter before you will do next? Can you think a step ahead and use his actions against him? In combination with skilled denying, prediction is a powerful tool. Equally useful on the battlefield exploiting timing weaknesses.
Baiting: Through use of misdirection and the previous category, prediction, one can trick an opponent into attacking a false opening, thus creating your own opportunity.
Dynamic Movement: If your basic footwork and foot-speed are good, using them in innovative aggressive manners can overwhelm an opponent who's not prepared. It's like hitting the Nitrous at a critical time.
Intimidation: Intimidation is not simply looking scary, it's about how to generate fear and how to use that fear effectively. On a battlefield it can be used to stop-gap sections of line fighting, keeping fighters unwilling to risk the style of death you're offering. In tournaments, killing intent can freeze weaker fighters, and cause even skilled fighters pause. In a related vein, there's my favorite aspect...
Swagger: Have you ever noticed how highly skilled fighters tend to carry themselves, both on and off the field? These warriors know what they sacrificed for their skills (See my article on Fighter Quality), and it shows in their attitude. They may be helpful and kind, but when it's game time they're all skill and style. Intimidation and Swagger tend to directly correlate for very good reasons.
Hopefully my breakdown will help you pinpoint what your strengths and weaknesses are, and how to improve yourself. Hunt well.
-The Golden Lion
Dynamic Movement: If your basic footwork and foot-speed are good, using them in innovative aggressive manners can overwhelm an opponent who's not prepared. It's like hitting the Nitrous at a critical time.
Intimidation: Intimidation is not simply looking scary, it's about how to generate fear and how to use that fear effectively. On a battlefield it can be used to stop-gap sections of line fighting, keeping fighters unwilling to risk the style of death you're offering. In tournaments, killing intent can freeze weaker fighters, and cause even skilled fighters pause. In a related vein, there's my favorite aspect...
Swagger: Have you ever noticed how highly skilled fighters tend to carry themselves, both on and off the field? These warriors know what they sacrificed for their skills (See my article on Fighter Quality), and it shows in their attitude. They may be helpful and kind, but when it's game time they're all skill and style. Intimidation and Swagger tend to directly correlate for very good reasons.
Hopefully my breakdown will help you pinpoint what your strengths and weaknesses are, and how to improve yourself. Hunt well.
-The Golden Lion
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Red Sword 101: An Introduction
I'd like to talk a little bit about something that I'm well known to be a specialist of sorts with: great-swords. I've spent the lion's share of my last seven years training, sparring, slaying and dying with a stick longer than four feet in my hands. I love my great weapons, the elegance in a perfectly timed block and counter-strike combination, the brutality of a precise shoulder slot-shot so forceful that it blasts through a shield man's guard and the satisfaction of planting a stab so smooth your opponent never saw it coming. In this piece, I'd like to explore the reasons for learning this particular style, it's strengths and weaknesses, the varieties of execution, the mindsets required behind effective red work and some common mistakes and misconceptions.
To Red or not to Red:
I am not a red weapon evangelical. My goal is not to propagate the weapon set, I'd merely like to provide resources for those who've decided to take the path I did, and want to better themselves. The red sword is certainly a double edged blade. It provides additional range (with the exception of a min-red), armor bypass, shield-breaking and a certain psychological impact. In return you're perpetually at a defensive disadvantage, limited to a single plane of defense, which must be kept far more active than a shield to be effective. This same defensive tool is also your only offensive tool, meaning that at any given point in time, you can only utilize it for one or the other. This means that effective red use requires smooth, conscious or muscle memory trained transitions between the two modes. Great weapons can be paired with a buckler or a backshield to allow more defensive options, though I strongly believe them to be best used as an anti-missile option, not something to be relied on in most situations.
There's no "right" way to do red weapon. When I decided to commit to it as a style, the only fighters really going hard with it were the Dark Angels. Being friends with Xiao and Tiji, Rugged Lands bad-asses, and having watched Sir Soth crush his way through the War God tournament one year, I imagined the potential and knew that I'd found my calling. My personal style is a primarily defense oriented mindset and I've practiced blade and hand blocking almost constantly. I like to use my body language, stances, and defensive solidity to force fighter options into predictable patterns/locations, solidly meet that shot with a block and counter-strike accurately to a weak location. I prefer shoulder slot shots, extreme close-work, and stab with a very high success rate.
Other fighters use vastly different styles, take Evias for example. We both came up using the exact same kit , min-red and small backshield, and spent long, long hours sparring each other, but developed into vastly different fighters. He has stronger footwork than I do, and uses it incredibly effectively in combination with his shield-evading outside work. His angles are very hard to gauge, and his speed hard to counter. Malkin, of No Quarter! has been fighting a local game Darkon for almost twenty years. He is a much larger fighter than we are, and his kit consists of a 5-6foot single-edged greatsword and a buckler. He is a distance striker, with very powerful, consistent down-chops and sweeps. He doesn't spin and moves in a relatively linear fashion. But his power at range is over-whelming and stepping close to him results in getting shoved over by a huge, powerful frame. There's no wrong way to do it, you just have to find out how to make your style work.
In The Mind's Eye:
Most fighters who decide to learn red sword have already learned another style to some extent. This is due to most experienced fighters encouraging newer fighters to sword and board, pole-arm or occasionally florentine. I don't disagree with this practice, as red weapons are inherently more dangerous than other styles. You are simply swinging more mass around, creating a higher chance of injury at higher force. This is not to say that red weapons cannot be wielded safely, it just requires a higher degree of emphasis on control during the learning process. The most skilled red fighters are not those who can swing hard enough to hurt, but those fighters who can turn a blast into a tap when they see a situation go awry. Control is power with red swords.
Every weapon combination is accompanied by a required mindset. This isn't to say that there isn't more than one way to approach that mindset, but the general idea is based off inherent advantages and disadvantages. Reds are incredibly powerful field tools, in conjunction with a skilled SnB or two, a red battery can be nearly unstoppable. In 1v1 situations, we're generally at a distinct disadvantage. SnB fighters have a large passive blocking surface that can be actively used to cut angles or stuff shots and florentine fighters have two planes whose individual offensive and defensive options can be used independently. In exchange we gain range advantage, leverage and power.
In Dagorhir, power is generated through efficient body mechanics not musculature. Sure being ripped doesn't hurt, but it doesn't really help either. Proper, smooth transfer of kinetic force from the origin (shoulders/core) to the hands is crucial. Range is probably the most important advantage. Given equivalent speed, you gain a potential extra swing with every 8 inches of blade length you add. However the more range you add, the longer your recovery time, regardless of weapon weight. If you want to force improvement, put yourself at a disadvantage even further. To challenge myself, I like to play up top with SnB fighters, rather than resorting to lower quadrant swings. This isn't to say you shouldn't chop legs in field fights, but you get out of training what you put into it. Happy redding campers!
-The Golden Lion
To Red or not to Red:
I am not a red weapon evangelical. My goal is not to propagate the weapon set, I'd merely like to provide resources for those who've decided to take the path I did, and want to better themselves. The red sword is certainly a double edged blade. It provides additional range (with the exception of a min-red), armor bypass, shield-breaking and a certain psychological impact. In return you're perpetually at a defensive disadvantage, limited to a single plane of defense, which must be kept far more active than a shield to be effective. This same defensive tool is also your only offensive tool, meaning that at any given point in time, you can only utilize it for one or the other. This means that effective red use requires smooth, conscious or muscle memory trained transitions between the two modes. Great weapons can be paired with a buckler or a backshield to allow more defensive options, though I strongly believe them to be best used as an anti-missile option, not something to be relied on in most situations.
There's no "right" way to do red weapon. When I decided to commit to it as a style, the only fighters really going hard with it were the Dark Angels. Being friends with Xiao and Tiji, Rugged Lands bad-asses, and having watched Sir Soth crush his way through the War God tournament one year, I imagined the potential and knew that I'd found my calling. My personal style is a primarily defense oriented mindset and I've practiced blade and hand blocking almost constantly. I like to use my body language, stances, and defensive solidity to force fighter options into predictable patterns/locations, solidly meet that shot with a block and counter-strike accurately to a weak location. I prefer shoulder slot shots, extreme close-work, and stab with a very high success rate.
Other fighters use vastly different styles, take Evias for example. We both came up using the exact same kit , min-red and small backshield, and spent long, long hours sparring each other, but developed into vastly different fighters. He has stronger footwork than I do, and uses it incredibly effectively in combination with his shield-evading outside work. His angles are very hard to gauge, and his speed hard to counter. Malkin, of No Quarter! has been fighting a local game Darkon for almost twenty years. He is a much larger fighter than we are, and his kit consists of a 5-6foot single-edged greatsword and a buckler. He is a distance striker, with very powerful, consistent down-chops and sweeps. He doesn't spin and moves in a relatively linear fashion. But his power at range is over-whelming and stepping close to him results in getting shoved over by a huge, powerful frame. There's no wrong way to do it, you just have to find out how to make your style work.
In The Mind's Eye:
Most fighters who decide to learn red sword have already learned another style to some extent. This is due to most experienced fighters encouraging newer fighters to sword and board, pole-arm or occasionally florentine. I don't disagree with this practice, as red weapons are inherently more dangerous than other styles. You are simply swinging more mass around, creating a higher chance of injury at higher force. This is not to say that red weapons cannot be wielded safely, it just requires a higher degree of emphasis on control during the learning process. The most skilled red fighters are not those who can swing hard enough to hurt, but those fighters who can turn a blast into a tap when they see a situation go awry. Control is power with red swords.
Every weapon combination is accompanied by a required mindset. This isn't to say that there isn't more than one way to approach that mindset, but the general idea is based off inherent advantages and disadvantages. Reds are incredibly powerful field tools, in conjunction with a skilled SnB or two, a red battery can be nearly unstoppable. In 1v1 situations, we're generally at a distinct disadvantage. SnB fighters have a large passive blocking surface that can be actively used to cut angles or stuff shots and florentine fighters have two planes whose individual offensive and defensive options can be used independently. In exchange we gain range advantage, leverage and power.
In Dagorhir, power is generated through efficient body mechanics not musculature. Sure being ripped doesn't hurt, but it doesn't really help either. Proper, smooth transfer of kinetic force from the origin (shoulders/core) to the hands is crucial. Range is probably the most important advantage. Given equivalent speed, you gain a potential extra swing with every 8 inches of blade length you add. However the more range you add, the longer your recovery time, regardless of weapon weight. If you want to force improvement, put yourself at a disadvantage even further. To challenge myself, I like to play up top with SnB fighters, rather than resorting to lower quadrant swings. This isn't to say you shouldn't chop legs in field fights, but you get out of training what you put into it. Happy redding campers!
-The Golden Lion
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
So you wanna be the very best? (What makes a fighter great?)
Dagorhir, for all it's multifaceted fun, is primarily a fighting game. Everyone wants to be good at it, but what separates the merely good from the great? What sets those fighters who serve as inspirations, aside from the pack?
These are the reasons the cream rises to the top. No particular category outweighs any of the others, and the degrees factor in quite a bit. A fighter who lacks in one category can make up for it in another. Most top tier fighters are some combination of these attributes, but there is a vast range of "stat" variances.
Skill:
Skill encompasses most of the things that can be learned within the game: ability with weapons, knowledge of situational shot selection of both you and your opponent, knowledge of other fighters, field awareness, decision making and correct judgement of threat levels. Fighters who fight regularly and mindfully tend to advance in this category as they gain age and experience, while they may experience a decline in the next category....
Physical Talent:
This category encompasses many individual traits that can contribute to ability, but in simplest terms being a more capable human being makes you a more dangerous fighter. Speed allows more tactical options, both in foot-speed and hand-speed. Strength allows a fighter to break through guards, wield larger weapons more ably and muscle openings in defenses. Balance allows recovery from aggression and more attack options. Size creates angle openings and contributes to intimidation in field encounters.
This category can be improved to some extent. A weaker fighter can work out, and through his training may improve his combat abilities. But this category also imposes a ceiling, a fighter who is extraordinarily low in natural talent may find difficulty improving consistently in other categories. In the same regards anyone of even low middling natural talent can become a respected fighter by concentrating heavily on....
Learning Ability:
Possibly a better way to describe this would be learning willingness. To gain skill, a fighter must both fight consistently and mindfully. This doesn't mean swinging a sword in a field with your buddies. It means thinking about what you're doing every time you do it and why you made those decisions. Then whether or not you fail miserably, you think about why the result that came about did and how you could do it differently. Better. Watching video of your own fighting is a strong accelerator to the process, as it allows you to do your self-analyzing after the fact with a calm mindset. Also helpful is finding a good mentor in the style you want to learn, a good sign of...
Dedication or as I like to put it The HUNGER:
This is the most important factor in who makes it to the top. How badly do you want to be the best? Will you be the last fighter on the field sparring after the day's fighting? Will you drive to events twelve hours away to fight a brace of badass Numenorean knights? Will you travel to the deep south to tangle with the RVNS and test yourself against the skilled Sons of Tara? Go to the Aratari and match yourself against the cogs of No Quarter!? There's a ton of very skilled fighters spread across this nation, every region's got their local badass. The more you seek out to fight, learn and spar from, the better you get. Simple as that. You've gotta want it really bad. The Hunger is what drives fighters. Feed your Hunger.
-The Golden Lion
These are the reasons the cream rises to the top. No particular category outweighs any of the others, and the degrees factor in quite a bit. A fighter who lacks in one category can make up for it in another. Most top tier fighters are some combination of these attributes, but there is a vast range of "stat" variances.
Skill:
Skill encompasses most of the things that can be learned within the game: ability with weapons, knowledge of situational shot selection of both you and your opponent, knowledge of other fighters, field awareness, decision making and correct judgement of threat levels. Fighters who fight regularly and mindfully tend to advance in this category as they gain age and experience, while they may experience a decline in the next category....
Physical Talent:
This category encompasses many individual traits that can contribute to ability, but in simplest terms being a more capable human being makes you a more dangerous fighter. Speed allows more tactical options, both in foot-speed and hand-speed. Strength allows a fighter to break through guards, wield larger weapons more ably and muscle openings in defenses. Balance allows recovery from aggression and more attack options. Size creates angle openings and contributes to intimidation in field encounters.
This category can be improved to some extent. A weaker fighter can work out, and through his training may improve his combat abilities. But this category also imposes a ceiling, a fighter who is extraordinarily low in natural talent may find difficulty improving consistently in other categories. In the same regards anyone of even low middling natural talent can become a respected fighter by concentrating heavily on....
Learning Ability:
Possibly a better way to describe this would be learning willingness. To gain skill, a fighter must both fight consistently and mindfully. This doesn't mean swinging a sword in a field with your buddies. It means thinking about what you're doing every time you do it and why you made those decisions. Then whether or not you fail miserably, you think about why the result that came about did and how you could do it differently. Better. Watching video of your own fighting is a strong accelerator to the process, as it allows you to do your self-analyzing after the fact with a calm mindset. Also helpful is finding a good mentor in the style you want to learn, a good sign of...
Dedication or as I like to put it The HUNGER:
This is the most important factor in who makes it to the top. How badly do you want to be the best? Will you be the last fighter on the field sparring after the day's fighting? Will you drive to events twelve hours away to fight a brace of badass Numenorean knights? Will you travel to the deep south to tangle with the RVNS and test yourself against the skilled Sons of Tara? Go to the Aratari and match yourself against the cogs of No Quarter!? There's a ton of very skilled fighters spread across this nation, every region's got their local badass. The more you seek out to fight, learn and spar from, the better you get. Simple as that. You've gotta want it really bad. The Hunger is what drives fighters. Feed your Hunger.
-The Golden Lion
So, just who the fuck are you? (An Introduction)
So. Who the fuck am I? And why the hell should you want to read anything I have to say?
Well, frankly, you probably shouldn't. People call me the Liar King for fucks sake! Who would listen to the poisoned words of such a renowned scoundrel? Haha, too many damn people is who. How do you think I became king? :D
In this wonderful, silly-serious world of ours I'm known as Exo. And I fucking love sword fighting. So. Damn. Much.
I've been fighting for some time. Not as long as some, but probably more than most. For me, the act and art of sword fighting are pure joy. I can still remember the feelings and emotions of particular days 11 years ago, the sunlight and the smell of the air, the tension and the excitement. The energy that accompanies feeling comfortable and at home with the world.
I started a stick jock, and I still am to some extent. I take my fighting pretty seriously, but not quite like most other serious fighters do. I fight not to win, but as an art, a form of expression and self-improvement. I swing sticks because through that act, more than any other, I can feel eternity. It's the reason I've been fighting greatsword near exclusively for the last 7 years. For me, my style and fighting the way I want is as important as improvement itself, and this has dictated my skill progression over the years.
I'll cover skill plateaus and other meta fighting concepts in a future post, but I definitely feel like the next plateau I approach will be crested not through practice, but by deepening my understanding of the underlying most basic concepts of fighting. To that extent, I'm going to be writing much of it out, as both teaching and writing seem to help me organize my thoughts.
In this blog I will try to cover a wide range of topics, such as: great-weapon from basics to advanced, line-fighting tactics and mindset, common mistakes and misunderstandings with fighting, how to improve actively and the occasional rant. I hope you'll enjoy reading this!
-The Golden Lion
Well, frankly, you probably shouldn't. People call me the Liar King for fucks sake! Who would listen to the poisoned words of such a renowned scoundrel? Haha, too many damn people is who. How do you think I became king? :D
In this wonderful, silly-serious world of ours I'm known as Exo. And I fucking love sword fighting. So. Damn. Much.
I've been fighting for some time. Not as long as some, but probably more than most. For me, the act and art of sword fighting are pure joy. I can still remember the feelings and emotions of particular days 11 years ago, the sunlight and the smell of the air, the tension and the excitement. The energy that accompanies feeling comfortable and at home with the world.
I started a stick jock, and I still am to some extent. I take my fighting pretty seriously, but not quite like most other serious fighters do. I fight not to win, but as an art, a form of expression and self-improvement. I swing sticks because through that act, more than any other, I can feel eternity. It's the reason I've been fighting greatsword near exclusively for the last 7 years. For me, my style and fighting the way I want is as important as improvement itself, and this has dictated my skill progression over the years.
I'll cover skill plateaus and other meta fighting concepts in a future post, but I definitely feel like the next plateau I approach will be crested not through practice, but by deepening my understanding of the underlying most basic concepts of fighting. To that extent, I'm going to be writing much of it out, as both teaching and writing seem to help me organize my thoughts.
In this blog I will try to cover a wide range of topics, such as: great-weapon from basics to advanced, line-fighting tactics and mindset, common mistakes and misunderstandings with fighting, how to improve actively and the occasional rant. I hope you'll enjoy reading this!
-The Golden Lion
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