Friday night fighter practice notes

Izec Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:41 pm

Hey, everybody, I thought I would post up the notes I have for the Friday night fighter practice topics. Keep in mind these are mostly just notes to remind me of what to discuss, so a lot of it is devoid of information, but some do have the information contained in them.

Also, much of this information has been gathered from various sources. They posted it on the internet so I felt free to crib it in the interest of foam fighting education. As with all of the information I’ve provided thus far, take what works for you, and/or you want from it, and leave the rest. And remember, practice makes progress.

Izec Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:45 pm

The Box and Blocking

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The Box

if you move outside of your box:
- you lose power
- you lose defensive safety

when you throw outside of your box you need to return to your guard/box as quickly as possible:
- so that way you are protecting yourself against counter shots
- so that you will return to your base of power

- you can throw outside of you box in an extreme way, but reserve that to special moves (ex. spins) or if you are reasonably sure you will succeed (wraps)

example of the power of the box: if you are pulling something behind you with a rope you are going to keep your grip on the rope within your box

Keep your box with you. Your box needs to move with your torso.

- never feel obligated to attack
- never throw a shot "just because," you are wasting energy and giving away information to your opponents, as well as opening yourself up to counterattack
- baiting shots to your box is very effective because you can block within your box quickly and then counter with a kill shot

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Blocking:
- ideally blocks should create an advantage

- circular vs. linear
--use circular movement vs. a linear attack, and linear movement vs. a circular attack
---to stop circular shots it is best to intercept them perpendicular to their movement
---linear movements should be pushed through circular movement (direct linear stopping doesn't gain you anything)

- slipping is also useful, especially for shields and against weapons with greater range (slipping is angular interception for the purpose of "slipping" inside)

Izec Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:51 pm

Shots to Get Around Defenses

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Shots to get around defenses - These are the various basic types of shots that are used to go around or respond to an opponent's defense.

Note 1: These shots should be drilled repeatedly with a friend/pell/punching bag/etc. so that you develop the muscle memory to throw them automatically when you need them. One of the fundamental differences between you and those people better than you is that they have trained more than you have. So, if you want to improve as a fighter and close that skill gap then you are going to have to sweat. Practicing does wonders for increasing your shot speed and your accuracy. And don't forget to practice these shots with both hands. If you practice one shot 100 times with your good hand then throw that shot 200 times with your off hand. That will go a long way towards eliminating your off hand lack of coordination.

Note 2: Not all shots are created equal, but all of these shots do have a time and a place when they are to be used to get you that victory.

1. Outside wrap - start with palm up, ends with palm down.

2. Inside wrap/Crossing wrap - start with palm down, and end with palm up.

3. Sky Hook/Shoulder wrap shot - basically, a vertical wrap. The start position is with the palm to the inside, and ends with it outside. Used to get over a horizontal or angled block/defense. Can be used to go for the opposite shoulder in a cross style shot.

4. Hip Scoop/Underhook/Rising wrap - Palm begins on the outside, and ends up on the inside. Shot is used to go under a block/defense, typically to hit the underside of an arm or hip area.

**From observation, it seems that distance control is key with these wraps/hooks. The closer you get your pivot point to the opponent's block/defense, the more penetration the shot will get. If your pivot point is too shallow, and you won't get around the defense; too deep and you won't have power or you will overshoot the target area and miss completely.**

5. Slot shot - a simple, straight down movement. Gravity is your friend and helps the speed of the shot. Useful for getting in between the shield and sword if they don't have an A frame defense, or for getting around vertical blocks. Typically used at middle to long range and usually thrown to shoulder or chest area.

6. Hack/Chop shot - typically thrown directly after a block/parry when in close. The shot is designed for a speedy riposte followed by a fast return to guard. It should be a small movement that uses a lot of the elbow to generate power while the wrist remains mostly static.

7. Stab - Basic, direct stabbing is properly achieved by turning you wrist inward/moving your elbow out as you move closer. This eliminates the upward tip movement that leads to accidental face shots.

8. Drop tip stab. When your arm is close to full extension simply drop the tip and move the sword forward with your shoulder. Extension and shoulder pushing eliminates upward tip movement and accidental face shots. This stab typically requires a closer starting distance than the basic stab.

9. J Stab/Hook stab/Pronated stab - The palm is down and your elbow is pre-bent as you begin the final movement and stays bent as you stab. Useful for getting around vertical/steep angled blocks or shield edges.

10. Supernated stab - basically a dark side/under crossing stab. Palm starts down and your hand crosses to the other side of your body, ending with the palm up

11. Over stab - hand is at head level or goes high over your head, the elbow is bent, and shot typically moves in an arc with the palm facing the outside at some angle. The shot usually aims for the target's opposite side shoulder/chest pocket.

Izec Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:57 pm

1 vs. Many

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1 vs. 2+ (or Many)

First, a note: Much of this information has been gathered from various sources. They posted it on the internet so I felt free to crib it in the interest of foam fighting education. I admit that I’m not very good at fighting as the 1 versus the 2+, but gathering wisdom from those better than me and presenting it to you seemed like it would be a good way to go with this. As with all of the information I’ve provided thus far, take what works for you, and/or you want from it, and leave the rest. And remember, practice makes progress.

If you are the 1 (the defender):

To boil it down to fortune cookie wisdom on how to win if you are in this position then there are two basic ways to do this:

1) Be fantastically better than everyone you’re fighting or
2) Be very mobile (Footwork, footwork, footwork)

It so happens that 2 is much easier to accomplish while you work on 1.

Beyond that, it goes deeper: Do not fight 1 vs. 2+, instead control the fight so that you are fighting 1vs1, then 1vs1, then 1vs1, etc. How do you do this?

- Keep moving. Again, footwork is vital (literally).

- Line them up like dominoes. It is easier to fight people in a line (1vs1) than fighting a crowd. Take advantage of one fighter's aggressive instincts and get them/allow them to attack hard while they leave behind their friends.

- Take a leg and keep moving. (one tactic: fake a kill shot and then take the leg instead) Be mindful of not legging your opponents close enough that they can end up fighting together. An extension of that is to be mindful of legging all of the aggressive fighters and leaving the less aggressive ones mobile. What can happen is that the timid fighters can clump up with the legged fighters and then you’re back to fighting 2+.

- A more defensive option is to keep moving and work them in hopes of tiring them out. Wait for the guy who gets sloppy and falls behind and attack his now alone buddy. Or wait for the guy who gets tired of waiting and gets over aggressive; single him out and take him out.

- A more aggressive option is to orbit close to the weakest fighter. Taking him out first allows you to concentrate on the bigger threat(s).

- Do not step into the range of two or more enemies. Control your distance.

- When you see your moment then take a shot and get out. At most, only allow yourself to throw one feint and then one shot. After that, keep moving. Don't stand and fight.

- Learn to spin. Defensive spin shots are nifty for 1vsMany situations. Spins are risky gimmicks that work best on lower skilled opponents. The higher the skill level of your opponent the less likely your spin will work and you might be better served using a more conventional attack that doesn't leave you as open.

- If you are being flanked with too many opponents to pick off then use your field presence and counter move in an attempt to get them to push into each other. Chaos is your friend. One of the very few actual advantages that the single defender has is that coordination between many people is difficult. Get them to bump into each other so that you can buy some time to pick off one guy.

- Use your terrain. Be aware of difficult and impassable terrain and use them to their best effect. Difficult terrain can slow your opponents down and impassable terrain makes them adjust their path of travel. Use these to take advantage at key moments by lining them up or breaking them up. Keep in mind that difficult terrain isn’t just sand, slippery gravel, mud, etc., but can include dead players, live players, equipment, etc. Use it.

- Again, KEEP MOVING. FOOTWORK IS KEY.

If you are the 2+:

The boiled down fortune cookie wisdom is thus:

1) Work together and
2) Don’t be a hero (you can be a hero, but that typically means that you aren’t a team player, and that’s fine if that is your goal, but other players may prefer working together to triumph as a team)

The deeper level: Do not fight 1vs1, 1vs1, 1vs1, etc. Instead use teamwork to attack simultaneously (1vs2+). How do you do this?

- Communication is a very good thing. It doesn't necessarily have to be verbal communication.

- Watch each other and adjust your distances. All of you should try to stay equidistant with your single defender so one of you doesn’t get pulled off and killed. Ideally, you should all enter threat range simultaneously and attack simultaneously. (note: threat range isn’t the same as your physical body range, it is dependent on your weapon)

- Keep track of your teammates. Don’t forget about your friends who aren’t in your direct view. The tables can turn quickly and be mindful that your legged buddy back there could help you out in case you lose your immediate numerical advantage.

- Watch out for the “Sweep the leg, Johnny/Leg Them and Leave Them” tactic that a defender might use to limit your mobility.

- If you are aggressed by the single defender then one option is to just defend and allow your teammates to catch up to help you.

- One option is to use the T Defense. You and your teammate form the top of the T while your opponent is the bottom. Keep pace and work with your teammate to control the angles so that the defender has to enter both of your threat ranges and fight both of you at once.

- Another option is the use the Triangle Attack. You and your teammate create an equilateral triangle with your opponent as the other point. Use your peripheral vision to match speed and attack distance with your teammate and reduce the size of the triangle so that you both can attack simultaneously. Be mindful that the defender will be trying to “break” your triangle and line you up or separate you enough to take out one of you while being outside of the other’s range.

- Be patient and work together. Don’t allow the defender to control the fight.

- Use your terrain. Be aware of passable and impassable terrain and use them to their best effect. Use difficult or impassable terrain to herd your defender into a situation that favors your numbers.

- Coordinate your attacks. One of you should attack safely to control the defender’s angle and/or equipment so that you can open the defender up for your buddy’s attack.

- Oh, and don’t forget to PLAY BETTA!

Izec Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:00 pm

Basics for Control of the Fight

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Basics for Control of the Fight

Four basic facets of fighting that you need to control in order to win:

Control Distance
Control Angles
Control Equipment
Control Morale

The more of these facets you control the higher your chances of winning.

Control Distance:
- footwork is vital to controlling distance
- in theory you can keep yourself completely safe if you keep total control of distance (if your range is longer than opponents then they can never get close enough to kill you - an "ultimate" defense) but...
- longer range control can be lost to fast and/or skilled opponents
- just because you have longer range doesn't necessarily mean you have control, especially if your footwork sucks
- often a mutual striking range is reached, which is good because that encourages your opponent to attack and opens up more options for you
- if you don't know what an opponent is doing then take a step to get out of range and reestablish range when they return to something more familiar

Control Angles:
- explain centerline (yours and opponent's)
- negate stabs and certain shots by stepping off opponent's centerline
- step off opponent's centerline to create open shots for you
- moving off of opponent's horizontal center is important, too (explain drop junk stab and drop body feint)

Control Equipment:
- refers to control of weapons, shields, and armor
- typically this is the first facet a beginner learns to control when they learn how to move their own weapons/shields
- controlling an opponents equipment is crucial if you aren't controlling the distance or the angles
- controls for equipment include feints, baits, blocks, and slips

Control Morale:
- aggression is a powerful tool
- if you aggress then aggress completely, don't lose the initiative that you have gained. often an opponent will make a mistake under pressure that you can capitalize on
- if you can be so aggressive that you dominate an opponent's will you have a very high percentage of winning when fighting that opponent in the future
- keep in mind that anger isn't the same as aggression. If you become angry or frustrated then take a break. You can't learn or compete effectively in a poor mental state.
- controlling your own morale is just as important as controlling your opponent's. If you don't believe you can win then you have already set yourself up not to win. Maintain a winning visualization in your mind or your chances of success suffer greatly.

Izec Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:42 pm

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Florentine

Note about term: common usage now makes it a real term

Note about these notes: most of these notes were copied from Brennon's course notes for his Advanced Florentine class at SKBC. He deserves the credit for putting all of this together.

Stances:

Square stance vs. Leading stance

Square stance:
advantages:
-balanced offense and defense
-gives no indication of hand preference

disadvantages:
-susceptible to stabs
-presents largest possible target area

Leading stance:
advantages:
-presents smaller target area
-limits opponent's options

disadvantages:
-limits your options
-relegates one hand primarily to defense and the other primarily to offense
-predictable

leading stance notes:
-parallel foot leading stance with opponent sets up leading hand J stabs
-switching quickly to a non-parallel leading stance against a fighter who is already set up can confuse them and give you a temporary advantage

Defense:
Sword guard - keep it generally low
-don't goal post
-do not cross without good reason

- stay just at the edge of your opponents range

Block The Stab:
-blocking stabs - not trying to stop the shot, just catch the momentum and redirect. Stopping puts you both into a more locked stalemate position, which is bad. Ideally try to catch it halfway.
-two types of blocks for stabs - pushing and swirling
- same side (righty vs. lefty) - twist at knees, push the sword out of position (push). Swirl defense works well, too.
- opposite side (righty vs. righty) - use swirl defense, do not push. If you are trying to aggress then swirl downward ; you can get inside. If you are trying to escape swirl upward to help reset range.

Twist At The Knees:
- recovers faster
- puts you less out of position
- typically very strong block

Offense:
Florentine Is Fought With Your Feet –
-more than any style except Single Sword, Florentine lives and dies by your footwork
- use footwork to: move in and out of range, outmaneuver your opponents
- close aggressively if you do close
- lazy guards are useful
- If you are not aggressive then defend at maximum range and snipe ((DEMO MOVE** - leg shot then fade away))

You Have Two Weapons –
- use them both
- do not cross without good reason
- left hand attacks left side of your opponent
- right hand attacks right side of your opponent
- cross blocking is acceptable

Stab Stab Stab
-J-Stab same side- works well on shieldmen - opener/feint for position if needed ((**DEMO MOVE** - shield side opener, then fake to inside lowered lefty J-Stab))
-same-side shoulder stab on shield men - tends to work on those who don't use A frame defense ((MOVE 1 Variation - DEMO))
-either hand drop stab

Wraps
-same side shoulder ((DEMO MOVE 2** - opener to shoulder wrap - throw left side opener while closing, step, and then wrap the shoulder))
-same side back/ass ((DEMO MOVE 3** - aggression escape wrap - step/move into shield and away from sword and then wrap to the back/ass, you can check with shoulder preemptively to keep from getting checked))

Build An Attack Sequence –
-create two standard attack sequences you use as openers
-should be high safety initial shots, even if low percentage
-subsequent shots should seek to exploit over correction and confusion from previous shots
-sequence should be asymmetric

Riposte!
-all blocks should open up an opportunity to attack or to buy enough time for a reset
-hold the block for wraps as you close
-always minimal riposte for speed and protection

Feints

Feinting With Openings
-bait for the stab and then aggressive
-bait for the cross ((DEMO MOVE** - bait the high cross - works well on shieldmen, keep low guard on one side exposing the shoulder to bait the high cross, when the bait is bought then bring up defense and break wrist to deliver chop))

Feinting With Weapons
-high-low

Florentine vs. various styles

Flo vs Flo - very ugly and confusing
- play with range because flo fighters tend to aggress
-give them a bait to aggress on and throw a solid block then riposte (bait for high cross works for Flo, too)
-baits work better than feints - get them to swing where you want and block elsewhere that way you've got accountability for both of their weapons
-same side arm snipes
-hip scoop to the off hand side

(DEMO MOVE** - forcing outside wraps - start outside range, bring swords in close together to deny the stab and force your opponent to go to the outside, as you step in move your guards to the outside to catch wraps, step into the first outside wrap thrown, block, and break at the wrist to chop the arm/shoulder while maintaining the other block against the wrap)

S&B responses to Flo-
((DEMO MOVE** - Lefty wrap bait - good florentiners rely on the lefty wrap, bait the lefty wrap by closing and bringing you sword side block in, when it is bought block back out (control the inside) while blocking with the shield, then kill))

((DEMO MOVE** - hesitation stab - throw a stab fake, let them buy the fake, block other sword with shield, and then deliver the stab))

Flo vs. 2 Hand Sword – use ranging and bait a swing (shallow in), get out of range, let the swing go by, get inside range, block their weapon, hold block while closing and kill

Flo vs. Polearm – Aggress and charge like a mother effer, hope you don’t get tagged, and kill them

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