Day 1: Went according to plan, except for not making the Scholar’s Live class.

Day 2: Had to take it easy today because of some low back pain. Contingency B used!

Week 3: 5 day training schedule, the same as Week 2’s plan (post mid-week modifications) and my contingency plans are always the same.

Basics

5 Minutes Flow Drill

5x 12 Poste Progression

5x 5 Thrusts form

5x 5 Measures form

5x Foundational Cuts

5x Gioco Stretto

Feature

Foundational Cuts form 3x for each correction

10x Vadi’s Assault

10x Morozzo’s 2nd…

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Days 2-5 were accomplished mostly in whole. Spent a lot more time that expected on the Assaults from the Scholar’s Live classes than I expected, not because it was difficult, but because I was enjoying it so much.

Day 1 is in the bag. Scratching Foundational Cuts at 5 speeds for the week. I need to have my corrections more “in the body” before I kick that one up in terms of speed. This feels like a lot, at the end of the day it feels like it might have been too much – but there’s 2 new things in here that probably account for more mental fatigue than…

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Week 2: 5 day training week, each day following the same format below.

Basics

5 Minutes Flow Drill

5x 12 Poste Progression

5x 5 Thrusts form

5x 5 Measures form

5x Foundational Cuts

5x Gioco Largo

5x Gioco Stretto

Feature

Foundational Cuts form 3x for each correction

Foundational Cuts form at every speed

10x Vadi’s Assault

10x Morozzo’s 2nd Assault

Review…

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You can’t get it more exactly unless you’re me! Great job interpreting what I wrote. Played them side by side and even the pace is the same as when I did it.

Ah! Yes, I see. Gotcha. Thanks very much!

I thought I would kick out a re-formulated training routine (on paper) Monday morning. But it turns out, it’s taking me a little longer to figure out the next iteration of a training plan for me to implement. I’m still doing core forms daily, but this first week is going to be a bit unstructured… plus all the Duello classes I normally attend. 🙂

@thomas.belloma I was given your playbuild to perform. Hopefully, I do it some justice. With respect, my submission is here done two times in series for a good look. I look forward to seeing your evaluation of my effort.

I have this sense of satisfaction from gaining a full “to do” list of things to work on with my forms. The effort that has gone into this MasterClass has been a real benefit to my martial arts practice and I’m better for having gone through it. Thanks very much to the instructors and to my fellow participants.

Ah! Excellent. Thanks. I honestly thought we weren’t supposed to pause at poste di Donna lo soprano. Glad to have that pointed out, in particular. All excellent feedback I am happy to work on. Thanks very much!

Thanks for the corrections @devonboorman I’ve re-shot this one tonight and I see what you’re saying. I spent some quality time with this form today and some of these errors have become habits. I recognize them, and hopefully I’ll get these changes “into my body” post haste.

I didn’t see a way to re-submit via the course page, so hopefully posting here and tagging you will work? @devonboorman I’m actually glad to re-post this as I shot that video months ago and yeah, it’s not a great demonstration of my work on that form.

Excellent questions that made me think about my reconstruction critically. In retrospect, this probably isn’t a perfect interpretation.

The offline pass as I was performing it, when I was first reconstructing this, took me too far out of measure, so I shortened the angle of the “offline” part of the offline pass so much that it end ups…

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How does one get started on the last assignment the partner swap solo playbuild? I’ve submitted mine and hope to get one to reproduce, but the start challenge button on the assignment’s page didn’t do anything when I…

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Longsword Quickstart Flow:

Two criticisms: 1. Edge alignment going from Bicornu to Coda Longa Sinestra 2. Heels down, toes out! (IYKYK) 3. Don’t let the steering hand drift

Two compliments: 1. Good flow 2. Didn’t fall off the horse! 3. Didn’t cut through the horse’s neck ever!

Mounted Poste Progression:

Two criticisms: 1. Watch that you’re not deflecting/striking more than what is necessary (created vulnerability during Finestra) 2. Edge alignment may have been off during double cut.

Two compliments: 1. Good flow through the play 2. Good posture.

Two Criticisms: 1. Play seems awkward at the cavatione/parry break 2. Deeper stances needed, power generation will be increased with deeper stances and better hip engagement

Two Compliments: 1. Decently crisp movements 2. Good extension through movements

Gioco Stretto Playbuild

Starting in Porto Di Ferro, I provoke the opponent by changing to Donna Sinestra while doing a triangle/changing step.

Opponent thrusts to centerline

I use a Roverso Fendente to the centerline as a parry and follow-on with a thrust in Breve

Opponent parries and pivots to my right and responds with a thrust to the face

I…

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Gioco Largo Playbuild

Starting in Poste di Donna

Opponent attacks with Mandritto Squalembratto

I retreat step with Mandritoo Fendente to parry and follow-on the defense with a Mandritto Squalembratto to the hand with a passing step, ending in Boar’s Tooth.

Opponent does a Mezzo Volta of the hand and thrusts to the centerline

I respond with a…

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Two Criticisms: 1. Make sure your parries are on the centerline (in a couple places the pommel indicates I’m not exactly on the centerline) 2. Check the order and range of motion with the follow-on thrusts – some look as though not fully extended.

Two Compliments: 1. Good transitions between the mirror images on the techniques 2. Better than…

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Gioco Stretto Defense Form:

Two Criticisms: 1. Watch altitude – evident rising up during form as I settle down at the completion of the form. 2. More focus needed on making sure the defensive techniques are in place to do their job

Two Compliments: 1. Order seems good 2. Flow and scale of movement look decent

Gioco Largo Defense Form:

Two Improvements Needed: 1. Correct the weighting on the back weighted Finestra 1. Don’t sacrifice crisp movements for the sake of fluidity.

Two Good: Comfort level indicated by the (overmuch) fluid movement is good, confidence is needed to execute the moves and focus on the transitions is good.

12 Poste Progression:

Two Improvements Needed: 1. Make sure my assessment of measure is accurate – missing in some instances. 2. More fluid movement needed, seems choppy like I’m second guessing every next cut.

Two Goods: Strikes look like they’re in good order and postures look decent.

5 Measures Form

Two good things: Order seems good and martiality feels on point.

Two things to improve: Posture looks a bit to be leaning forward and need to make sure knees aren’t collapsing on reverse weighted stances.

Fiore Interpretation – First Armored Scholar Half-Swording Thrust

I’m doing that one today.

The biggest “aha moment” I had this week is that, while a have a small but distinguished library of works on medieval martial arts, I haven’t ready many in such a way that I can quote any of them or credit them with any particular wisdom. I need to change that.

Going to go with a classic, Musashi’s Book of Five rings. Whether you apply the knowledge literally or metaphorically, this (along with Sun Tzu’s Art of War) became a trend in the 80s for strategically applying martial principles to other aspects of one’s life. It was one of the first martial arts philosophy books I read, as there were…

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Felt a bit of the “in over my head” sensation as I was experiencing some back and forearm pain when week 5 rolled through. I finally resolved to give myself a break and let things go for a week or two – only doing minimal training in core forms to make sure I don’t lose any of the physical learning I’ve accomplished to date.

What stood out to you?

Some fighters move in such a way that blur the lines of the taxonomies we evaluate with. There were cases where I could see someone evaluated as either hard or soft, attacker or defender. Determining a “primary” characterization is tricky.

What was most challenging?

Keeping up with the pace of the course – it is not…

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White Boots: Hard Approacher Attacker – Black boots: Hard Receiver Defender

There were several bouts between various players in this video – I’m only referring to the bouts in the first minute of the video.

I call that a Primo tempo.

My tempo identification video:

Earl, the dummy, is issuing a mandritto at me….

Stuck to my schedule this week. No deviations, but not as much “adding new data” as I have in previous weeks. Not a bad thing, but my favorite training week is when I stick to my plan, but add more knowledge and understanding of the art. Highlight was getting a chuckle out of Devon for my medieval weapon themed birthday party hat that I…

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1. Short and long-term training goals:
In the short term, I want to create regular, engaging workouts that will increase my stamina in a sustainable way while gaining understanding of longsword use.
In the long term, I want to achieve mastery over the longsword and be recognized as viable source of swordplay mastery for this weapon<div>

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Week 4

Topic: Scholar’s Assault

Schedule: 5 Day Training week

MTRFSat

Plan:

M: Duello Sidesword Fundamentals + Gioco Stretto + Scholar’s Assault
T: Duello Rapier Fundamentals + Gioco Stretto + Scholar’s Assault
R: Duello Longsword + Gioco Stretto + Scholar’s Assault
F: Duello Sidesword + Gioco Stretto + Scholar’s Assault
Sat: Scholar’s…

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Days 4 & 5 were completed with contentment. Nothing thrilling transpired and no real “aha” moments but solid training nonetheless.

Day 3 completed as planned.

Hiya folks! I’m Steve and I’ve been involved in various martial arts communities since 1991. For the entirety of that time I’ve practiced Asian martial arts including Tae Kwon Do, Southern Praying Mantis Kunfu and Yangjia Taijiquan. Along that journey, I’ve also dabbled in every one of the SCA’s (Society for Creative Anachronism) interpretation…

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Day 2: Rapier Fundamentals with Greg; still low energy but I stuck with it. More guided repetitions (with the video) on Gioco Stretto.

Day 1: Mission accomplished. Unusually tired and sore, but determined to stick with the regimen if nothing more than to increase my stamina.