One of the things I've found it hard to do is alter the difficulty of a fencing lesson; in a very controlled lesson, with set cues, it's far simpler. Currently, I find it's easier to give an extremely concentrated lesson (with beginners, everything is structured around getting repetitions of the correct motor habit) or a lesson to a highly-skilled athlete, where I might have a limited range of responses, but movement is generally antagonistic.
Student: Starts preparation w/ absence of blade, fast step. Emphasis on hitting the first action (although if parried, they should counter-riposte)
Coach options:
- Counterattack. Student must finish.
- False counterattack, Parry-riposte. Student should hit open line (either by disengage, cutover or holding absence until parry has opened line)
- False counterattack, Counterattack. Student should finish.
- Searching parry. Student should compound the attack by making a feint into the open line, and then a second change of line.
Factors influencing the difficulty of the action:
- Action Timing: Actually attempt to steal tempo with the counterattack vs reacting to the incoming attack.
- Action Speed: Self-explanatory.
- Distance at which action is initiated: Executed immediately with a single retreat is easiest. Take multiple retreats to make it harder. Use check steps and change of tempo to make it more difficult.
- Noise: Multiple false counterattacks or false parries.
Things to work on:
- If altering difficulty via speed, it has to be modulated throughout the action; an explosive false counterattack followed by a slow parry is unrealistic.
- Don't facilitate the hit; even if the student gets the correct response they might not be accelerating to hit, so make a second parry.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Too Long Between Posts
Yes, it's been too long between posts. Here's what's happened since the end of Feb.
I moved in. Naturally, the apartment was ready the day after Kathryn left, which was unfortunate. Still, there wasn't much heavy-lifting to be done, so everything got moved between the shipping container and the apartment.
Loki moved in last Friday night. The clerk at Delta Cargo looked at his screen and said, "Woo. There's a pit bull on that flight. Hopefully he's not too aggressive." Naturally, the flight was delayed, and around midnight, a crew member brought in a terrified little pit bull puppy, who couldn't have clocked in at over 10 pounds. 5 minutes later, the same crew member came in lugging a 20lb carrier, heaved it down on the counter, and said, "That's the biggest goddamn cat I've ever seen!"
He spent the first two days hiding under the bed, coming out only for some food. But he seems to have gotten comfortable. He's quite a happy kitty now.
Work is exactly what I want; I'm being challenged intellectually and physically. I'm sure I'll have more to talk about in the future, but suffice it to say that nothing seems more fun than going to the office.
I moved in. Naturally, the apartment was ready the day after Kathryn left, which was unfortunate. Still, there wasn't much heavy-lifting to be done, so everything got moved between the shipping container and the apartment.
Loki moved in last Friday night. The clerk at Delta Cargo looked at his screen and said, "Woo. There's a pit bull on that flight. Hopefully he's not too aggressive." Naturally, the flight was delayed, and around midnight, a crew member brought in a terrified little pit bull puppy, who couldn't have clocked in at over 10 pounds. 5 minutes later, the same crew member came in lugging a 20lb carrier, heaved it down on the counter, and said, "That's the biggest goddamn cat I've ever seen!"
He spent the first two days hiding under the bed, coming out only for some food. But he seems to have gotten comfortable. He's quite a happy kitty now.
Work is exactly what I want; I'm being challenged intellectually and physically. I'm sure I'll have more to talk about in the future, but suffice it to say that nothing seems more fun than going to the office.
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