h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Another three week absence (holiday, holiday, post-holiday laziness).

Started with basic footwork exercises... and boy did it show that I hadn't been to a class in three weeks. We followed that with footwork-while-holding-a-sword (something we've done remarkably little of), and then did some solo cutting.

The class proper started with dagger... well I say 'started', we actually did dagger until about 9:30. We re-aquainted ourselves with the first five Masters of Dagger and then worked on variations of each as the system is not even remotely set in stone and each move is potentially a transistion to many others, only really limited by your own position and that of your opponent.

Then it was back to the good ole longsword... except with a wee bit more freedom than normal. Alan showed us how to break a thrust (parry, then drive the attacker's blade to the floor) and then said 'go play' (well, he actually said 'have a stab at it'... a pun he never seems to get bored of). Basically what Alan wanted us to do was break the thrust and then experiment with what you can do afterwards. I found closing in, grabbing the opponent's hands and then pommelling him on the chin to be quite a good technique, though the favourite remains standing on the opponent's blade and chopping at their head.

And so ended another class. Grr.

It all sounds terribly energetic.

What are the chances of seeing you as an extra in the next big Swashbuckler?
That would be

Hmmm... hadn't thought of that, I'll keep an eye out for any Medieval-set filums near us and ask if they want another swordsman.