Week 19 - Timing is Everything

Saturday
It had been book fair all week at school, and though carrying around boxes full of books is great for strength training, it also wears you out pretty quickly. Plus I think I lifted something funny and ended up with a sore back. When I got home, I collapsed on the couch for a quick nap before choir. The puppy was busy with a bone and the cats were fed, so I figured it was safe enough. The sun was streaming in through the window, the +2 cat of sleep was sitting on my chest, and I drifted off to dreamland.

I woke half an hour later to find myself surrounded. It looked like either a massacre or a ritual of some sort. Tonka had apparently wanted to play, and deposited all of his toys in a perfect semi-circle around the sofa. Floppy pigs, a headless skunk, sharks, half a rabbit, a duck with no squeakers left... It looked for all the world like an army of toys bowing at the feet of an angry (they're all stuffing-less, so look like they've been skinned) and vengeful goddess. Or like small sacrifices, one or the other. Either way, it was more than a bit creepifying, and did inspire me to get up and start practicing. Outside. Away from the fuzzy, eyeless hordes. Swinging the sword gave me back a modicum of control and banished the freakishness from thought. And as a side note, the smooth, repetitive motion of a bunch of krumphaus is great for stretching and soothing a achy back. The dog sat in the bushes and watched, a legless ex-stuffed badger hanging from his jaws.

* * * * *
Sunday

Over the rivers and through the woods,
to sword practice I go.
The truck knows the way
to get there Sundays.
Still an hour and a half to go... oh.
Ick.

So driving through the grey and sleet and snow is no fun, especially when you're stuck on back country roads with no passing zones and cars going a good ten miles an hour under the speed limit. Admittedly I usually go too fast, but still. I was looking forward to seeing what the emus at this one farm do in the snow, but I guess they were all hiding inside. I have this odd idea for a picture book involving jousting on emus... I think we need more picture books featuring sword play. Maybe a twist on some of those crazy illuminations from medieval manuscripts with the killer bunnies. Killer bunnies on emus! With swords! I may have to get on that.

Anyway, when I finally did get to practice, it stopped snowing, of course. We started off the day reviewing our zorn orts, and proved once again that I have the memory of a drunken goldfish. Actually, it wasn't quite that bad. We were using the nylons, which don't bind worth beans but at least they don't hurt too much when you accidentally clock someone either (sorry about that!) We were supposed to be making sure that all of our cuts ended in some kind of ward. Defense first! I can't seem to remember that, but I'll get there. Honestly, I know exactly why I can't seem to do it- because I'm so focused on getting the strike right that I stop in surprise when it lands and forget to do anything else. Or the instruction will be 'do x' and so I perform x and quit, while the intention was apparently to keep going. I'll figure it out eventually. 

Zwerch! Actually, we did double zwerchaus today, which are all kinds of fun. Defending against them though, that was all about timing. Throughout practice, we were supposed to be focusing on timing and staying in tempo while countering for everything. With the zwerches, it was especially important since we had to slip a counter zwerch under the incoming one. We practiced more with the duplieren, mutieren, and durchwechselns too, all trying to pick up on the sense of tempo. I'm thinking maybe if I practice with music it might help- the footwork too. That triangle step ought to go well with a waltz, don't you think? Both have the same  rhythm at least. Might not be a good idea though... watch me show up at Longpoint this summer and be "Blue Danube-ing" under my breath during my matches.

We also learned schielhaus, and how they are ALL about timing. I kind of like those too, winding up to strike with the short edge on the underside, ending in some kind of ochsish ward and hopefully not getting stabbed in the meantime. I got stabbed more often than not, usually running myself up on the sword while trying them, but still... I can tell when I'm supposed to go- just after the opponent's break, and I can pick out that point mentally while it's happening, but telegraphing that thought to my sword seems to take longer than it should, so I keep getting there late.

We did more cutting practice too. I've been working on my zwerches at home... some day I'm going to be able to cut with one. I can at least get the sword wind to sound fairly consistently now, but I think I need to move where I'm standing if I'm going to be able to cut anything. From the sound, I'm hitting maximum velocity long before I get to the target- a good foot and a half early. I'm sure that involves more footwork to practice, so I'm totally looking forward to that. Hardly. I still need to make those bubble wrap shoes so I can hear it when I step correctly. Or maybe I need to practice in tap shoes! The little clicks of the heels would let me know when I did it right... and as an added bonus, the sound would drive the Professor and everyone else nuts. Hmm....