fighting 101

[Sir Berrok]

i just was wanting to make a thread that was about fighting
i thought that it would be a good thing for everyone to post some of their tips to fighting so some of the younger guys might become better quicker and will not have to go and spend many years tring to find out what we have.
This can be any thing from shots to throw, when to throw them, and how to throw a them.

dont make a habbit of jumping when attacking. it can be good some times i think i have thrown one jumping wrap shot in the last hafe a year. I found out early that by jumping a fighter makes them selfs more vulerable then keeping their feet on the groung.

work on counter shots something i see vets like Oron do is vary rarely throw the first shot. they sit and wait for u to throw to cause a opening then they attack it. I have been fighting for 4 years and still have not grasp this concept that is why i am only a ok fighter and not a good one.

[Rook]

Don't be proud. Be open minded and learn from everyone. Ask for help.

Find moves that you like that work well for you and adopt them for yourself.

If you can get Rook to stop fighting for 2 minutes, get him to start preaching about fighting techniques. Make sure you have some way to shut him up afterwards...

I.E. Seek out good fighters and fight them.

If you are fighting a novice, handicap yourself. Fight them off handed or with an unfamiliar weapon so that you can better yourself.

Fight loose, don't tense up so that you can outlast your enemy.

Breath = more endurance.

Most important things(to me anyway): Speed(of hand and mind) endurance, and skill.


Use the terrain (but try not to hurt people doing it I.E. trees, benches etc)

Attack the person, not the weapon.

Watch your enemy's navel/center of gravity not their eyes or weapon.

Timing is key, if you can read/predict your opponents moves or he yours = fight is soon over. So practice visualizing the battle if you can or look for repetitions that you can capitalize on.

If you find your opponent has you timed: try to fight off rhythem or in an unfamiliar way to throw him off.

Or, to prevent being timed: switch your technique or weapon often or switch suddenly as soon as you have suckered them into a predictable rhythem. Then kill them.


Thats all that I can think of in five minutes on no sleep...


cheers.


Rook

Some more stuff: Don't stand still, always keep moving(think boxing)

Practice your footwork(Fencing is good for this even though you can't stab mostly in Dag dang it!)

Know your reach and the reach of your enemy. (You can practice this by hanging a tenis ball on a string in your garage and practice your lunges and other attacks on it.)

When fighting multiple targets if they aren't movie Ninja'ing you then pick one and attack(I like to fake first and then attack) but don't let them attack you first.

Also try to manuver them close together so that they can be hit by each others shots or limit their movements.

Don't be affraid to turn tail and run like the wind. Running can be very affective partcularly if you are better conditioned.

I.E. old fighting technique: run five miles every day. If someone trys to pick a fight with you, run away. Run for five miles. Stop and turn around. If your enemy is still there, beat them up

[gavin]

learn single blue first, it teaches you the footwork you need to be good at any style.

Thats all i got.

[Kazzell KumoKi]

i liked spending one practice trying each style, that is for one day i'd use only red or only dagger etc.
It gave me a great idea how i have to act with each weapon and set me on my path to learn them all starting with the one that came best to me, which oddly enough was florin tine mace.


but always listen and always learn, everyone has a hint to share and they are all worth trying and taking in.

Find the person on the field whose style you like and try it, but not every style is for everyone so you might end up just doping your own thing.

[Zaron]

Learn to read your opponents, their strengths, their weaknesses, and they're style.

Make your opponent fight your fight, don't fight theirs.

[Haldour]

One of the things I get the most comments/compliments about in my fighting style is my emotionless face/eye contact.

Don't let your opponent know what you are going to do before you do it. Many fighters tend to lead with their eyes before they act. My method of not doing so, is eye contact and lack of emotion. Apparently, it intimidates people too. *shrug*

[Kazzell KumoKi]

Oron sings when he's in the zone, it's very unnerving.
Effective

[Sir Semi]

Oron not only sings, he hums children's songs at you.

Gavin you forgot 2 things you once told me...

Head up and back straight

[Alric, son of Harland]

When fighting just one opponent, I like to put my eyes at his belly button at leave them there. When fighting multiple opponents, I scan, but look primarily between them. I've worked hard to improve my peripheral vision.

New fighters will "sell" their shots with their eyes, and you can predict what they'll do. But good fighters will "sell" a different shot than they're about to throw, and you'll end up dead. So I keep my eyes pointed at center mass, eyes focused on nothing in particular, and watch for clues.

Alric

[tulio]

One problem with newer fighters give better looking and more experienced fighters god like status. They enter the fight thinking they will die real quick, and that causes them to cower and over cautious.

[Sir Storm Brightblade]

bullseye tulio. thats exactly what used to happen to me when i would go against someone like Z, nichtmar, or rook. but what a fighter needs to ie no one is un-killable. dont be scared of ur opponent and u have a better chance of winning. sure not on the spot you'll win, it took me a long time to even be a decent fighter when fighting Z or anyone else.

[tulio]

Summed it up there, you pretty much gotta say hey, i can take this guy.

[Kazzell KumoKi]

I go in thinking i can take everyone...if they do what i plan.
If i dont beat them I fight them again and again and again till i know what we are both doing.
Some people like Oron I still cant beat BUT i know what he is doing and i learned a TON just from getting beat.
Zaron always says "everyones beatable." and i totaly agree, but in all honesty some people you cant beat face to face...but u dont always have to. I flank cause i know with my speed and light step i have the upperhand.

It's soo sweet to run behind 7guys with towers and leg everyone of em before they turn around, then they turn and my team can take the kills on those waining backs.(i think i can say that...waining like the moon phase?)

[Frost]

Tell your opponent you're gonna laugh when you plant this next shot right on their shoulder.

Then hit them in the leg. =]

[Alric, son of Harland]

Dagger fighting has taught me more about close combat than anything else will. You learn to control your weapon, control their weapon, begin and escape from grappling, and land a killing blow without much room to maneuver.

"A good fighter lives through being surrounded. A great fighter never gets surrounded in the first place."

Alric

[B-Shizzle]

fight everyone you can, you can always learn something

beginner
whenever i start training new people i tell two things. dont swing your sword necessarily but throw a shot with more of a punching motion for quickness, less time opened up, and less of a tell before a shot, oron taught me that. i also teach them to think of the body having four corners and attacking those with combos of high low, low high and such like that.


beginning to moderate technique
when fighting a shieldman, i see two options. Hitting him around his shield (wrap shot) or hitting him where his shield isnt. im not that great at wrap shots so to me there are several types of 'where the shield isnt' shots.
a. quick strikes to exposed shoulders or legs
b. quick counterstrikes to exposed arms while they are striking
c. fakes...like nfl pass rushers where its like a 3 hour game with bone and muscle, dagorhir you can set your opponent up with specific fakes and timing to lull them into thinking one thing then doing another. also the simple high faking low and vice versa is still effective

i also tell people to try new styles cuz you never know what you will like or excel at and it also gives you insight into what that style uses or thinks against certain opponents. so by using a glaive against a shieldman, you know what you are looking for and afraid of. so later when the roles are reversed you know what to do

[greybeardabbot]

I'm all about defense.
The German rules...
Rule 1. FIRST STRIKE... "Kill your opponent before your opponent kills you." Weird, but the first rule of defense, is to strike first, strike fast, without warning or mercy. This is called defense since your goal is "not to have an enemy in your face" (Removing the threat)
Rule 2. RUN AWAY... "Don't be where your opponents weapon is." This is the first rule of French defense, "Advance to the rear!" or retreat. (Better to fight and run away and live to fight another day.) BUT... retreat can be as simple as taking ONE STEP backwards, OR to the side... simply staying outside the reach of OR staying clear of your opponents weapon. Running away doesn't have to mean leaving the battlefield, it also means "Don't be where your opponents weapon is." The best second use is to stay as close as you can while dodging.
Rule 3. The block attack. BEAT IT! This is when your attacking thrust or swing is also in the way of your opponent’s weapon. The simple way to understand this is that your opponents weapon will only contact the lower third of your blade, while the upper two thirds of your blade menaces your opponent. Your goal is to knock or push his weapon out or your way as you attack.
Rule 4. CONTROL. This is when you use the upper half of your blade to control your opponent’s weapons; to direct their weapon away from you and give your weapon control of the engagement.
Rule 5. THE DEAD BLOCK. This is what MOST people think of when they think of defense. Look and see where it is on the list. DEAD LAST! This block is use when all you intent to do is to STOP your opponents weapon with your weapon, edge to edge. Since the engagement ends without advantage, the combatants must "reset" giving the command of the engagement over to whichever person can recover faster.

Keeping these rules in mind as you fight will help you to progress. While you might not initially be able to execute them as quickly as you would like, you will begin to understand HOW YOU GOT BEAT. Which is helpful. Learning to recognize what you are doing right and wrong in a battle is a huge help in earning skill and confidence. Eventually, you begin to see patterns, in both yourself and your opponents.

[Spork]

I'm not that good, but I'll still give out what I know.

• Try not to find a stance that you move into when someone engages. Your body will get used to this and people who are faster, can kill you when you try to reset to your original stance. It's best to keep movement when standing, protecting vital places that a lot of people swing for.
  
• Know your enemy. A lot of people have a set of shots they commonly throw out, before engaging with something else. Know these and you can basically block those first couple of shots and possibly find an opening.
  
• Battlefield awareness. Knowing where your allies are and where the enemy is. This is a very good thing to have so you don't always get hit in the back.
  
• Fight people better than you. Everyone says this, well, because its true. If you want to excel as a fighter and get better, this is one of the best ways. If someone on the field completely destroys you, come up to him after and say "Wow, that was really cool, you mind teaching me?" Many fighters are willing to help.
  
• Keep your head or lose it.
  
• Avoid peoples strong points and try to attack their weak points.
  
• Know the terrain you are fighting on. Injuries can occur if you don't pay any attention.
  
• Don't give up, keep the heart! It's just a game!
  
• Know what you do good and keep it. Not saying quit florentine because you die more often. But, find moves that work commonly on a lot of people and keep those. Lose the moves that aren't doing very much.
  
• Last but not least, ask people what you did wrong. If you know what your mistakes were, you can correct them.
  

You just have to remember: Have fun, don't let other peoples bad actions spoil your fun. It's just a game.

[Rook]

/bump.

I noticed we have a lot of new people lately.


New people: read this please.


Computer genius people: sticky this to the top please.


Thanks,

Rook

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar's Single Blue Defense

I

keep my sword hand and arm loose until impact

Keep it a little out from your body, parallel & centered with your torso

defending an attack to your torso: Less movement is the best, pretty much push out left or right depending on where the attack is coming from, keep your arm loose and kinda bobbing or some sort of movement, so when you do shoot for a shot it's not so obvious coming from a still position. Right before impact i sort of snap my wrist and grip the sword more firmly.

OH YEAH, ALWAY ALWAYS bring your sword back after a block, centered with your torso

Attack to your legs: I suggest keeping quick feet and making them miss, giving you opportunity to attack


umm k that's what i got for now

[felix]

Hi all,

I know you don't know me, so consider your source before putting stock in this...

Paradoxes of Defense wherein is proved the True Grounds of Fight to be in the short ancient weapons...

By George Silver gentleman
Printed for Edward Blount
(1599)

If nothing else, it's just cool...

www.pbm.com/~lindahl/paradoxes.html

[wolfblade]

remember all my pol-arm brethren when someone is down dont forget to call "churn the butter" as you violate them with the stabby goodness!

[dauz]

Lots of good things, and im sure I'll come back to add more tips and ideas here and there.

But a huge help in my fighting has been spending time immitating another persons form/style, placement of sword, grip ect... Then figure out what is most difficult to gaurd from said positions, and what are the most effective striking patterns and angles

Also i would add that with shields, specificly smaller shields instead of keeping your arm perallel with the ground use a 45 degree angle, you can almost rest your shield arm on your chest, and if lets say on impact the shield tips and deflects it is more likley to deflect out and away as opposed to up and down which would bounce i hit into your face or lower on your body (depending on the type of shield).

[Sir Berrok]

after making you super weapon make a blue. You will learn more from a blue.

[Firoth]

Berrok, novice threadomancer..... o.O

I don't even think most of these people go to practice anymore....

~Frothy