Newest Video: "Soft Play"

Training Updates Feb-Mar

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable):
Week 9
Present:  Jonathan Alford, Morgan McGlone
Absent: Stan Masinter, Tom Mungall (My dad tore his rotator cuff and is dropping out of the group unfortunately. He's in his late 50s and the sword action just messed his arm all up.)

Week 10
Present: Jonathan Alford
Absent: Morgan McGlone, Stan Masinter

Description of training: 
Week 9
We worked on getting Morgan caught up on the lessons since his attendance has been so shoddy.  After we got him to lesson 5 we went to loose play and got progressively more aggressive as the competitiveness in us took over.  There is some video, but I've yet to have a chance to cut it down.  Morgan trained for some time in Tae Kwon Do and is having some style adjustments to make.  Both Jonathan and Morgan are particularly weak against cuts to the wrist and so I plan to work half-circle guards a lot.

Week 10
Jonathan and I worked the lessons very little and took a leisurely set of soft bouts.  We worked a few problem areas also.  We worked quite a bit on half-circle guards after last practice's wrist cutting fest.  We also practiced a little on what to do when you lock up with another fencer.  We were wondering what is and is not legal in a bout.  Jonathan's inclination is to throw punches, kicks, or knees.  Whereas, I try to cut early, but will resort to wrestling if my sword is held.  I know this is not strictly regimental style, but what are your suggestions?
I will try to post video soon.
Comments from our Mentor:
Comment by CS Thompson
What is legal in a bout is whatever is agreed upon by the fencers. Review Broadsword 101 and study the concepts of Enclose and Command and Contact, Control, Kill. Then work with these for a bit: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05H8b-L5H0s
BTW, the receipt and the change are still forthcoming, my daughter has been very sick this week so I haven't had a chance to run errands.

Lessons 4 & 5

Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable):
Present:  Stan Masinter, Jonathan Alford, Tom Mungall
Absent:  Morgan McGlone

Description of training:   Lessons 4 (and a little of 5).  The video only shows Jonathan and I working on 5 but everyone did it, I just made a mistake and didn't record it.  I've edited a lot from the videos, but even as it is, it's kinda long at 10 minutes.  But I figure the most you can see of our training the better.  I've worked with Jonathan on his back foot.  He still slips into his habit of straightening it, but he tries to correct himself without too much prompting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6QldwO5weY

Also, fully understanding that we haven't completed the ten lessons yet, Jonathan and I tried some loose play to work on our reactions to strikes, lunges, etc.  I note that we need to make sure we fully shift instead of half-heartedly step back a little. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2pPwcwIS3w

Comments from our mentor:
CS Thompson on February 24, 2011 at 8:33am
It's like looking back in time to when I was first teaching, figuring it out as I went along. :)

Nice work. Your performance of the lessons seems completely correct- You can move on to lesson 6. But all your students have things to work on to one degree or another. Just be aware that if you postpone correcting an error and it becomes a bad habit, it will take far more work to fix it at that stage.

There's no rule that say you have to postpone sparring till you finish the ten lessons. The video looks really good, although Jonathan does need to use the footwork more consistently. Please do as much of this as possible, and when you feel ready, move on to using the full range of footwork rather than just shifting and lunging.

Meeting 7--Angelo's Lessons 1, 2, & 3

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable):
Present:  Stan Masinter, Jonathan Alford, Tom Mungall
Absent:  Morgan McGlone (necessary engagement)

Description of training:   Focus again on Angelo's Lessons 1, 2, & 3.  I took a different tact this week and tried having everybody focused on one part at a time, going through lessons 1, 2, 3 all as the defender/protagonist and once that was down, then moved to the antagonist's part.  I had intended to go into lessons 4 and 5 but was making real progress with 1, 2, 3 so I decided not to push it.  I also took more video this time.  I cut quite a bit out, especially parts where there are obvious errors... although I did leave some in so that you can get a better feel for how we're practicing.  Everyone enjoyed class quite thoroughly.  I've made it a point to remind everyone to practice at home.  I've also taken to bringing the laptop so we can watch your videos from the gym.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RX5HKINIwQ

Comments from our Mentor--Chris Thompson:
 It's great to see such an active club, and you are obviously comfortable in your role as the study group leader. I noticed, though, that there are some mistakes you are personally not making but which some of the others are making. It takes ten times as many repetitions to correct a bad habit as it does to instill a good habit, so if you see students making mistakes and don't correct them immediately, it will end up being a lot more work in the long run. The main points to work on are: 1-the rear foot must be at a 90 degree angle and it must stay flat on the floor at all times- several of the students are letting this foot point forward or lift up. 2- the actions need to be coordinated in time. For instance, if you shift and parry, the shift must be simulataneous with the parry. Frequently I am seeing students parry and then shift a moment later. So, try to get these points fixed right away before they become bad habits. And keep up the good work!

Response from James:
Thanks Chris!  Yes, I try to correct bad habits when I see them, but thanks for pointing these out for me.  Part of my trouble is that I don't know all of the things to correct.  I'm a literacy teacher at a rough school, so trying to get grown, self-motivated men to work sword drills is a pleasure.
I'm seeing a lot of things on the video that I don't always see at the time.  I learn a lot about my own movements that I don't notice too.  I've noticed that my knee hurt the next morning, and I'm wondering after watching the videos if I'm over-lunging.  I notice that my foot is not at a ninety degree angle like you suggested--nor is it remaining flat.  I don't know how familiar you are with Scottish dancing, but we start with our feet in a "first position" which is our natural turn out.  Other than that foot remaining flat, it should be a case of reproducing this and shifting the body a little.  (Tom, Morgan, and I are all Scottish Country dancers, so I'm going to try and highlight any connections I can make).
I've heard of some references connecting sword play and dancing--other than just the sword dance.  I'd be interested to research this more if you could direct me to any sources you know of off hand.  (Just if you have spare time and come across something.  I know you haven't the time to search through things like that for me.)

Lesson Plan for 2/1/11

Tuesday (2/1/11) we will be reviewing Henry Angelo's Lessons 1-3, striving to polish what we know.  We will move from there to learning Angelo's Lessons 4 and 5.  Review those lessons from the Cateran Society video below:




Agenda:
Warm-up:  Fluidity drill--This drill consists of nothing more than two combatants striking at the head and parrying with a St. George guard with lunging and shifting.  We will do this at rhythm and with increasing speeds to improve the fluidity of our swings and reaction time.

Quick Review:  Guards Exercise, Cuts Exercise, Manual Exercise

Detailed Review:  Angelo's Lessons 1-3  (We will be correcting our blade positions, fixing a rhythm, looking into the purposes or "secrets" of the lessons in realistic time and movement  Check the video at the bottom to view the "Secrets of Highland Broadsword").

New Material:  Angelo's Lessons 4-5  (We will be attempting to memorize the lessons so that we can work at home independently for fluidity, etc.) 

Caledonian Claymore Club Training Log (Meetings 1-6)

The Caledonian Claymore Club is an active group in the Baton Rouge area that is dedicated to the study and practice of Scottish martial arts, particularly the Basket hilt broadsword, historically known as the Claymore (or "great sword").

Our intent is to be a source of recreation, education, and fellowship. An official section of the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge, we have recently been accepted into the Cateran Society (based in Portland, ME) as a study group--where our active members are considered apprentices, and are led by a study group leader who is also an apprentice. Our mentor is Chris Thompson of the Cateran Society who will manage our study and training via distance learning.

Week 1  (Format is the submission form for the Cateran Society)

Name: James Mungall (Study Group Leader)
Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable): Tom Mungall, Stan Masinter, Jonathan Alford.

Description of training: We went over the very basics, since we have not all met at once. This was also Stan's first meeting. We addressed footwork first, then the Guards Exercise, the Cuts Exercise, and the Manual Exercise. We took some video of the manual exercise, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMoYldHf380 ; (this video is unlisted so the link must be used). It's rough and definitely needs considerable work. We also passed around different metal swords to get a feel for the weight. In the video I'm using my dad's (Tom) backsword which was far heavier than I'm used to. We are looking to get a few more members (I know of at least one for sure who will be joining us). We had a really great time and I will try to get more videos at the next practice. (Our practices are going to be held every two weeks--it is expected that individuals will work on their own in the interim.) 

Comment from our mentor, Chris Thompson:

Welcome back! this was mostly correct (I'm only correcting yours, so you can correct the others) but there are a few important points to fix. 1- front foot should point forward, knee and toes must align or you risk injury. 2- in the inside half hanger there should be a straight line from shoulder to elbow and a straight line from elbow to wrist. 3- the half-circle guard protects the wrist, so test it and make sure the angle really covers your wrist against a cut from below on your inside. 4- finish on slope swords. Good work! 

Week 2

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable): Jonathan Alford

Description of training: Guards Exercise, Cuts, Manual Exercise, started on Lesson 1 as well. We treated ourselves to a little play bouting since it was just us and we wanted the exercise. Here I am doing the manual exercise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVomLnlazbA

I'm having trouble keeping that lead foot straight. I'm also trying to do the exercise more quickly and with actual force behind the cuts. I'm also not sure I'm getting the inside half-hanger quite right. The half-circle guard does protect my wrist from a cut, but I think I'm doing it a little bit differently than in the previous video.

Comment from our mentor, Chris Thompson:  Very good. There are a few things to work on, but this is really close. Your inside half hanger should be a straight line from shoulder to elbow and then a straight line from shoulder to wrist, so it's all right angles. Your inside and outside guards should be a bit higher when used as parries- make sure the (imaginary) incoming cut would be stopped on the fort. And when you cut, make sure the hand and blade precede the foot so you don't run onto the other guy's point. Other than that, this looks excellent. 

 

 Week 3

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable): Jonathan Alford

Description of training: Guards Exercise, Cuts Exercise, Manual Exercise, and Lesson One. We've been having group-wide work related issues keeping folks busy (and from home practice). We took video of Lesson One only. We want some critique on it--we know there is plenty wrong. I've got some habits that I'm trying to break, like the foot pointed straight forward thing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwx23YaJZlY

We also had a curiosity about why in the lessons the "defender" is the swordsman that attacks first and the "antagonist" defends or parries first.

Comment from our mentor, Chris Thompson: 

Maybe because the defender's role was the student and the antagonist's role was taken by the instructor, but really there's no good answer for that! :)

Your video is actually mostly correct. However, Jonathan needs to rest the sword against his shoulder in slope swords. When Jonathan is the antagonist and you cut at his leg, he withdraws his sword as he shifts (one unit of time) and then he lunges and cuts the head (a second unit of time). This is incorrect. The way you do the same lesson is correct- you shift and cut simultaneously, in only one unit of time. Then you lunge only to catch up with your retreating opponent. So you should show him how to do it like you are doing it.

Finally, the lesson should end by returning to a hanging guard and then going to slope swords. You should never just lower your weapons and finish casually.

Week 4

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable): Jonathan Alford

Description of training:  Lesson One and Lesson Two--working on forms and reaction and trying to correct bad habits and noted errors.  We have no video this week, we were working in a field and didn't bring the camera.

 

Week 5

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable): Jonathan Alford, Stan Masinter

Description of training:  Lessons one, two, and three.  Working on basic techniques with Stan trying to catch him up.  I forgot the camera so no video again... sorry about that.  I got purple heart armoury's single stick (rattan) with the leather basket hilt.  So we used those for the first time.  I also finally got a fencing mask as well, and we closed with a survival drill.  (I like to try and close with something to let loose a little).

 

 Week 6

Organization: Caledonian Claymore Club (Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge)

Contact info: jeb_mungall@yahoo.com

Mentor: Chris Thompson

Level of program you are studying: Level I Regimental

Training partners (if applicable): Morgan McGlone, Stan Masinter,  (Absent were: Jonathan Alford--sick, Tom Mungall--work related)

Description of training:  Reviewing cuts and guards for Morgan and Stan.  Lessons one, two, and three--I have video at home and will post it as soon as I can get them uploaded--but the camera is off and doesn't really show both people.  I also apparently didn't get video of my performing the "defender's" part.  I'm trying to get us to be more confident and fluid in our swinging.  Are there any methods you suggest?  I'm wondering if trying to get a rhythm going with music would be a decent idea. 

We got some new equipment, two-rattan basket hilted swords from Purple Heart Armoury and I bought a fencing mask and got a couple on loan from a friend who fences.  I've found the bladework to be a bit faster than I expected.  In a light spar with Morgan, I found I couldn't block nearly as much as I used to.  Also, we were interested in having some sort of padding for the body--what do you recommend?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33m1DzjPk8

Comment from our mentor, Chris Thompson:  To build confidence and an easy swing, stand in the hanging guard, and then just exchange head cuts and parries (with lunges and shifts) as rapidly as you can. Do this every time you train and your confidence will improve greatly. Singlesticks are fast- but if you shift you should have time to parry. They sting and leave welts, but I don't use much padding with them- just a gambeson or a heavy jacket. If you want padding, try a sports shop, they'll have stuff of various types there. Most singlestick players use more padding than I do, so it's not easy to give recommendations. 
Good speed, power and energy. But don't think of these as movements to be memorized- try to make sure you understand the tactical purpose of what you're doing in any given moment. For instance, when you shift you must go back far enough to protect yourself if your parry fails, which means the right foot must come back at least as far as the left foot. The final cut in this lesson is to the right flank, not the legs, so make sure it's high enough and the edge is aligned. Overall, though, these look good.