Best. Exercise. EVER.

[dalesys]

...run around shouting, "I AM XENA HEAR ME ROAR!!"

Video mashup to Marilyn Rucker's If I Could Be Like Xena.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

... y'know what's even geekier than German swordfighting?
owning a book on it. I don't remember what it's called, it's currently buried by stuff right now... but it's a medieval combat book, on German fencing. One of the demonstrators in it is a chick, even!
I'm glad this makes you so happy, and feel so cool Joi~!

[JoitheArtist]

Oof. Been practicing every night with a dowel rod wrapped in duct tape at the "hilt." Far from ideal, but it's all I can do right now. Been getting in 30-40 minutes of practice a night, hope it's enough! I figure I'll work up to more, but I don't want to sprain or pull anything early on. I think I'm getting better at the whole "move the sword before the body" thing, and figuring out how and when to twist the blade to achieve the right cut. I only learned 3 moves on Monday (one of which was simply the basic overhand stroke) and I *think* I'm getting better at them. Won't know for sure til class!

My nightly routine is awesome: I put on comfy clothes, load my iPod up with my meditation/yoga mix, go out into the backyard, and practice the moves really slowly under the stars. SO AWESOME.

Of course, the endorphin high that results from 40 minutes of sword practice makes me want to run around shouting, "I AM XENA HEAR ME ROAR!!"

[Elspeth]

I might just have to get back into SCA and get into the fighting again. I did it a couple of times and loved it.

Thank you for reminding me about SCA. Now if I could just make heads or tails of the sca site and the kingdom's site.

[jedimaster91]

Is that what it's called? Woo! *wanders off to Google*

[RecoveringKinkoid]

"Gypsy" style is where you have a length of rope and bind each combatant's off-hand wrist to each end of it. Gaining control of the slack in the rope means you can jerk your opponent into your blade, throw him off balance, and bind his hands as you attack him by suddenly letting the rope go slack and whipping it over his weapon hand. All while he's trying to do the same thing to you. Nasty.

Jedimaster, I can probably find an SCA group in your area, if you want.

[jedimaster91]

I would so take a class like that if one was offered in my area. Any chance you can hook a Kentucky gal up? Pretty pretty please? *puppyface*

[ApolloSZ]

Hey now y'all. We don't 'cheat'. We just like to get back to our beer as quickly as possible. XD If this involves... questionable practices... well our opponents won't be complaining now will they

RK - We are practicing some German knife fighting aswell - "Gypsy" style sounds like it'd be a fast jabbing style?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That's why I like knife fighting, which we've done on occasion at practice (and rarely, in special tourneys and whatnot). Nothing poncy about knife fighting, especially "gypsy" style. It's fast, brutal, and nasty.

I fence, but I'd rather fight with nothing more than a knife and some adrenaline.

[JoitheArtist]

Yeah, sword fighting is an awesome workout. SCA?

Just make sure you spar with your off hand as well. Guys that have been doing sword for years have had their muscles develop asymmetricly like fiddler crabs.

Not SCA: they take things waaaaay too seriously for my taste. but thanks for the tip about switching hands, that's good to know!

Amusingly, German fencing schools, in general, joked that their books on various styles were basically 'how to cheat in a fight, and win' manuals. Even showed how to wrestle someone to the ground and be in a position to stab and get up without assistance

Which is why I wanted to learn this style, not some poncy fencing crap. You win battles by "cheating."

Woo another German long-sworder!!!! (Heavy or Rapier? - Two handed? MOAR information )

Heavy, two-handed! I'll send you a PM with a link to the class website since that will probably have more specific info than I do at this point!

[ApolloSZ]

Woo another German long-sworder!!!! (Heavy or Rapier? - Two handed? MOAR information )

For an even better work out, get some gauntlets. Doubles as weights, and hand protection (depending on the guard of the sword you are using - mine has simple straight quillions.)

In my case they improved my fighting too, as I became "A tad more aggressive" as one fellow fighter put it.

RK - I won't have to worry about the Fiddlercrab dangers lol. I start two handed, and can monkey grip it one handed when I loose an arm - The thing that annoys others is I'm ambidextrous in Fencing.

[draggar]

Are you in my area? PLEASE say yes!!

[Crossbow]

Yeah, sword fighting is an awesome workout. SCA?

Just make sure you spar with your off hand as well. Guys that have been doing sword for years have had their muscles develop asymmetricly like fiddler crabs.

You got it. Although I haven't donned armor in almost 20 years.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Ahh hell, let's go nuts. Swords for 48,000.

[Salted Grump]

Amusingly, German fencing schools, in general, joked that their books on various styles were basically 'how to cheat in a fight, and win' manuals. Even showed how to wrestle someone to the ground and be in a position to stab and get up without assistance.