Armored Combat

How's that for getting a jump on things?

Really, the packing is because of the complicated relationship between Roland & Theo's trailer, its storage on our back 4 acres, our truck's small engine and Thjora's desire to attend Tuesday practice in NoVA tomorrow. I'll leave it at that.

What it means though, is that tonight I must decide which parts of my armor I can pack into the trailer, not to be seen again until setting up camp at the War. So I've got to decide what repairs and refurbishments absolutely require my shop and which can wait for the Sunday after land grab. Also, a few thing really really ought to go up even if they require my shop, so, for example, along with packing it I have to polish my helm tonight.

Tonight also qualifies as the first "free" night I've had since Sunday the 8th, making the past week the busiest SCA week I've had, and the most fighting I've done since last Pennsic. Thjora and I are both tired, but it was a fun week and a great weekend at Novice Tourney. Watch this site for some video of a few fights from the Unbelted Semis and Finals.

Since at least some of my gear won't be home after tomorrow, I won't be fighting at the UVa practice this week. Next week every sane person will be busy packing for the war, so no practice then anyway.
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Technorati Tags: armor, Pennsic, SCA

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Friday night Robear and Alicia and Jonathan stayed over so we could get an early start in the morning.

Jonathan and I polished helms after I cooked dinner.
In the morning, we all had a plush drive in Robear's monster van to the site. I got a nap on the way.

The day was hot, but tolerable. About 50 armored combatants came out.

Things seemed to really take a long time to get started, and it really looked like the marshals needed to get moving faster once the authorizing fighters assembled. I put a bit of push onto that, but not as much as I should.

Jonathan authorized! He also fought all day long, almost. His loaned warshield broke just before the last portal battle, and he was done from the heat. We now have two fully authorized SCA fighters who are UVa students. That's almost a record. Considering the number of "nearly ready" fighters who will be back on campus in a month, I imagine by mid-fall, we'll be at 5! Picture by Skorri.

Yes, he's wearing my "Mod 2" aketon, which was new in 1994, when Thorbrandr was prince. And that's Colin's old helm.

For the first time in quite a while, I felt like I had a good day on the melee field with pole and spear. I found myself in the right place to do some real work in each of the three field battles, which I fought with polearm. In each of those, I tagged several people, usually at least one of the opposing knights. One count said a chest shot "was pretty hard."

Later, with spear in the bridge battles, I found myself hitting challenging shots onto the charging opponents, often from "over the top" of our defenders. Those are the kind of shots I don't usually get because in that press I'm constantly getting bumped, having someone step in front of me, or some other interference. In all the bridges, I think I only died to Kymber's bolts.

There was lots of discussion about how I had suddenly found the fountain of youth--in other words, that Jonathan looks like me, twenty years ago. Colin says one of us needs to shave our beards. It will only get worse when I get a haircut this week! But it did generate a potential SCA name for Jonathan--someone else thought up "Aloisius" and I added "Cortez" for the fountain of youth. Somehow, I don't think he'll go for it.

Northerners should feel ashamed of their limited attendance. Compare the DC area 3 hour drive to one fine fellow who made the trip from Border Vale Keep, a 7+ hour drive. My applause to those (ten?) northerner armored combatants who made it, but where the the other 30 of you?

Today I'm not too tired or too sore. I guess the Wii is helping my conditioning!

Tomorrow is a big regional practice in Caer Mear, with people from Tir-y-don, Isenfir and Black Diamond all converging on the regular Tuesday Caer Mear practice. Come on out!
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Technorati Tags: Armor & Weapons, Heavy Fighting, SCA, UVa

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We're definitely grilling on Wednesday, with Aedan and Ella, Philip and Sam coming over.

The more the merrier. Weather should be nice, maybe a fight practice is in the offing and some sewing or armor work. Or just beer drinking on the patio.

You can check out our beginning progress on the renovation!

The Dunning-Kruger effect is the phenomenon whereby people who have little knowledge systematically think that they know more than others who have much more knowledge.

1. incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill,
2. incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others,
3. incompetent individuals fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy,
4. if they can be trained to substantially improve their own skill level, these individuals can recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill.

From Wikipedia.

This morning, I'm editing and uploading a bunch of movies of yesterday's practice.

• Corby & Philip, 132 MB. Music by They Might be Giants! You're probably better off downloading the file than watching it in the browser.

I've purposely made these large files because higher quality video makes it easier to see what's going on. But if these are choking your computer, let me know and I'll provide other sizes. Requires Quicktime, you PC punks. Check back throughout the day, there will be more.
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Must get him to fix this.

And speaking of white Irish legs!

Thanks to Ursus for the pics.
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Technorati Tags: Armor & Weapons, Heavy Fighting, SCA, Squires

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Sapphire was lovely, but a little odd. Being there without Thjora was strange and the physical layout of the event meant that I didn't hang out with the regular crew. Which was nice, in a way, as I often miss time spent with the Smiths and the Ruttles.

Did anyone else come home with flea bites? Maybe it was just me, over in my corner of the field, or from wading through the tall grass to get to an electrical outlet for my aerobed.  Or maybe fleas are attracted to pale white Irish legs in shorts.

Thanks to Bob and Bonnie and HRM Valharic, I got a nice place to camp in Royal and even got in on the royal meal plan.

I'm very curious how hot it got on Saturday, because it didn't feel all that hot, but it sure tired lots of people out.  In the first pool of the tourney I went undefeated, even nearly single-shotting Sir Brian who is usually a tough fight for me. While I only threw two blows, I think I took about 30 tiny steps, a fact I must remember for future fights.

Second pool didn't go as well, with me going 4-3, losing to Felix, Rousel and Kael. Glad I'm starting to work out! Gotta keep those young whippersnappers off my lawn down!

The round-robin style fighting gave me enough time in armor to show that I need to adjust the cuff on my new vambrace, because it chafes my wrist raw in one spot.  Sunday was cooler and I felt fine, but after an aggressive start against Kael in my first fight I lost some steam. I ended up losing to him and then lost my arm to Philip in the second round. While going out in two would usually upset me, I found myself strangely ambivalent about it, and I don't think it was just because my real record for the weekend was 12-5.

I headed out well before all the fun was over on Sunday, getting home around 4:30. That was probably good because I think if I had waited much longer, I would have ended up falling asleep while driving.  Now Thjora's back (yay!) and prep for University begins in earnest. My class is more or less full, and Richard and I are discussing how to present it. The limit of 10 is for armored combatants--if others want to watch, they're welcome.

Here's a simple pleasure I'm enjoying quite a bit: When the Marshal's Digest comes in, if there's nothing on the subject lines except combat archery stuff, I'm deleting the whole thing unread.

It makes me feel so free!

Atlantian Combat :: View topic - Annual Atlantian Duke Paul Training 17- 21 May 07: 

Barring terrible weather, Philip and I plan to attend this coming Sunday's Pimmit Park fight practice in Falls Church. We'll drive up that morning. Click here for directions. 

I'm coming to this one because one of the most recognized teachers of armored combat in the known world will be there--Duke Paul of Bellatrix, the man who essentially invented "open" style shield work.  I hope you can make it out! 

Charlottesville local folks who want to make the trip--we may have room in the car. Get in touch.  Maybe we can grab some food after.
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Corby and Thjora 1989,
originally uploaded by an iconoclast.

Photo by "Mandin" (Robert Reed) taken in AS 24 at Novice Tourney in Storvik. This would have been my third Novice Tourney. It was very very hot.