This will probably be one of the only semi-warm and fuzzy blogs I will ever write. Get used to it. As Squire Bo's knighting approaches, I thought it would be kind of fun to look back on how far they have come.

I first noticed Clan of the Hydra around Oktoberfest '04. They were a huge group ofpeople that popped out of nowhere, all dressed the same. They looked absolutely awesome, but man oh man they sucked! They were so terrible, one vet could probably demolish their entire unit.

Around Springwars of '05?, I somehow ended up in the middle of their camp. Given my normal evening event habits, I have no idea how I ended up in a camp of strangers, much less a camp late beyond sundown. There I was, surrounded by these -disturbingly- nice people. It was almost like I was swimming (or drowning) in enthusiasm and hospitality. What do they dose these people from Wisconsin with, Prozac?

Angmarth comes in, either completely drunk or on his way to being completely drunk. He's telling his old war stories, and everybody is actually having a good time. He starts talking about Tybalt, not realizing that Tybalt is sitting in the dark not far from him…. We are probably there for hours.

I have no idea how what happened next came to be. I'm standing. In pitch blackness. With an entire group of Hydra people lined up in front of me. We are using the brights from a truck as our lighting because it is so dark…and…I'm… giving fighting lessons? This strange group was so eager to learn that they were still on their feet in the dead of night just so they could learn how to swing a foam stick better. Not only that, they were still in disgustingly good spirits after getting tromped on for the entire event. What was wrong with these people? Have they no shame that two fighters could probably kill their entire realm?

Well, here we are now, a few years later. They built a damn tower. They have huge banners waving all around. They run their own mini-events. They co-hosted one of the national events. They still ooze niceness and enthusiasm. They've gotten even bigger. Oh yeah, and they fight pretty decently now too. They've got their own dedicated photographers, food, drink, and even their own munchkins. It was like an entire realm popped out in the middle of nowhere. Yes, that means the middle of Wisconsin.

I am not fond of the color green, but everywhere I go, there it is. Green, green, green. For the love of God- Bo, pick a different color for your knighting. I think pink would fit you rather well. Or Fuchsia. Perhaps some glitter? You still hit like a fairy, and you dance like one too Twinkle-Toes.

 

Clan of the Hydra is getting more annoying to kill by the event, but gosh it sure is nice to hide behind their wall of spears, archers, and fighters when I'm on their team. Sir Borric would likely dub you all "Pawns", but I'm much nicer than him, and I believe such sickeningly nice and enthusiastic people deserve a better name. I think "Eager Cannon Fodder" is more appropriate.

All in all, I suppose I can admit (grudgingly) that I'm happy Clan of the Hydra exists. As much as I love to deflate Bo, I think CoTH has come a long way, and it is through the combined efforts of the entire unit. With any luck, they will continue to grow and keep the same character they've always had. They are truly an exceptional group of people, and I'm happy to swing foam sticks with them.

 

I'm really tempted to mention a reference to cockroaches, but I think I'm already treading the "going to get ganked" line. Oh what the hell. Who am I kidding? I'm probably already so far past it anyways, it doesn't matter what else I say. Clan of the Hydra truly lives up to its name. You kill one Hydra, and two more Hydra's pop up! ^_~. I <3 you all the same though.

[...]

*This blog was not written as a basic "how-to" manual. It simply offers a few tips and tricks outside of the rules.*

Heralding (or Marshalling) is probably one of the more difficult aspects of this game. More than anything, experience is the best guide.  However, there are a few small tips and tricks that experiencedoes not teach if nobody points them out. 

One of the first things most heralds should know is that their eyes lie to them!  I've seen many shots that look like they hit, or look like they were flat.  I rely as much, if not more so, on my ears than my eyes.  As you gain experience, you will be able to distinguish a shot that sounds like it hit shield, garb, weapon, leather, chain, or flesh. Also, you will be able to get a general feel for whether a shot has hit with sufficient force by what and how much sound was given off relative to the distance you are at.  It is not a perfect science, but it does provide an extremely helpful guideline to determining what happened.  Personally, I am better able to recall how a sound sounded than how a shot looked.

Second, give some leeway to somebody who has been recently bashed and then hit.  When a fighter takes an excessive amount of stimulus from multiple locations, it is sometimes very difficult for them to determine whether they have been hit or not. On the other hand, be aware and watchful that a fighter being bashed is more likely not to feel an extra hit.

 

Third, understand that heralding is difficult, especially for newer people.  It is difficult for new heralds to call veterans dead. It is also difficult to call your own friends or unit members dead.  As your heraldic presence on the field becomes more familiar to fighters, it becomes easier to call things.  When you are a new herald, I recommend giving the benefit of the doubt to veteran fighters, and focusing more on your friends and unit members, who will hopefully understand that you are just learning. As a side effect, you also avoid accusations of being biased since you are calling more of your friends dead than their enemies.  Once you are comfortable with the field, and the field is comfortable with you, you can move on to calling what you want to call.   

Finally, and perhaps most importantly (to me), be polite if possible.  Nobody likes a shot being called on them. In the heat of the moment, aggressive heralds and flustered fighters have lead to many angry outbursts.  Fighters already have their adrenaline up from fighting, but it is much more difficult for fighters to be angry at a herald who seems calm and impartial.  Call it like you see it, but try and call it in as nice of a fashion as you are able.  Of course, being polite is not always possible, but it is an ideal that should be aspired to.

Best of luck!

-Kenneth

[...]

Many fighters fight like they are standing on a straight line with their opponent. They only move forwards and backwards, and never side to side.  They ignore one of the most important elements of fighting--Angles.

**(Assuming everybody is right handed)**

Here is a little experiment. Grab your swordand a buddy with a shield. Stand straight in front of him. Have him hold up his shield so that it barely covers his shoulder.  Hold out your sword so that the tip of your sword rests on the shoulder that his shield is covering.  You should not be able to hit his shoulder. 

Now, take a tiny step (about three inches) forwards and to the right.  You should be able to see more of his shoulder.  Return to your starting position, and then take a full step in the same direction. What you are seeing right now is the offensive power of angles.  A slight shift to the right (or left) opens up a rather large target area on the side you shift towards.  Try reversing the step and stepping forwards and to the left and see what opens up. 

Return to your starting position.  This time, have him take a step forward and to his left.  His shield side should be more difficult to hit.  This demonstrates the defensive power of angles.  By shifting to the left, your left side becomes more protected.  By shifting to the right, your right side becomes more protected.

Be aware that the direction you shift in may open up a better target zone for your opponent.  If you go to your right and he goes to his right, your left shoulder is going to be awfully exposed.  As an extra warning, be aware that stepping closer tends to make your shoulders more vulnerable to certain types of shots. 

By playing around with angles, you can enhance the protection of certain locations, and gain enlarged opportunities to strike your opponent.  For example, if you take a step forwards and to the right while swinging at your opponent's leg, your opponent has a more difficult time hitting your own right shoulder compared to if you had just stood still and swung. 

 Many fighters step to their right to take a leg or shoulder shot. They step to their left to take the high crossover shot at their opponent's sword arm.

 Basic footwork opens up an entire realm of offensive and defensive opportunities.

 

Best of luck!

 

-Kenneth

 

 

 

[...]

Common Mistakes of New Fighters:

 

I have noticed that many new fighters tend to make the same mistakes repeatedly.  Worse yet, they practice these mistakes in the hope that practice makes perfect.  Practice does not make perfect, it just makes permanent.  Thatmeans many people are training themselves in a fundamentally unsound manner, not realizing it, and training themselves in mistakes that they will have to unlearn before they are to progress in skill. 

 

In order to correct that, I am writing a fighter blog on common mistakes I've seen new people make.  It is not designed to be an all encompassing list, nor is it designed to be a completely inflexible system of rules that never changes. It is designed to be a set of helpful guidelines and a few main reasons for why each guideline exists.

 

Since the majority of fighters use a sword and a shield, I have divided the mistakes into three broad categories: Footwork, Shield technique, and Sword technique.  For the purposes of shield technique, it is assumed that the fighter is using a standard Edhellen round shield because many other shields compensate for the lack of footwork, and the purpose of this blog is to improve basic fighter technique, not to have equipment compensate for poor training.

 

******Footwork******

Crossing your legs while stepping:

Many fighters cross their legs in some fashion when they are stepping from side to side.  At some point during their step, their legs become locked into a position that is extremely difficult to dodge leg shots from because both legs are tied up, and are essentially in the same location.  You can't hop off either leg in order to dodge if you're caught in the legs crossed position.  More advanced fighters will circle to either side, and wait for their opponent to cross their legs, then throw in a leg shot that can't be dodged, and can only be blocked.  Instead of crossing your legs when you walk, try shuffling your feet.  If you want to move to the right, move your right foot to the right, then move your left foot near to your right foot, but not further to the right.  If you want to move to the left, move your left foot to the left, and then move your right foot to the left, but no further than your left foot.  This way, you still retain a decent amount of mobility no matter which direction you decide to move in.

 

Too much weight on the front foot:

Fighters often put an extreme amount of weight on their front foot without realizing it.  This makes it very difficult to dodge backwards or to the side, because all of your weight needs to be shifted before your front foot can move.  Instead, keep your feet evenly balanced, or more weight on your back leg.  This way, if a leg shot comes in, you can sweep your front foot backwards quickly, and without overbalancing.

 

Dancing in and out of range without a purpose:

Many fighters get too close to their opponent without realizing it. Worse yet, they attempt to leg their opponent without realizing that the swing entails serious risk. Here is why-- Take a sword and hold it at an angle, as if you were swinging at somebody's leg.  Look at how far your reach is.  Now, staying in the same position, go down on a knee, and look at how far your reach is again.  The reach should be considerably longer. This is because your first swing is the hypotenuse of a triangle, and your second swing is the leg of the triangle.  In other words, if you can leg your opponent, assuming you have equal arm length and sword lengths, he can almost always leg you right back when he goes down on his knee.  If you have shorter arms and a shorter sword, do not try to play the range game and dance in and out of somebody's range.  Advance, and stay close. The range game only works if you have the longer arms, longer sword, or have considerably better footwork.    

 

*****Shield technique*****

 

Using your shield too much to guard your legs:

If you are using a round shield, look at how far you have to dip your shield to guard your legs.  When you dip your shield down that far, your entire body, shield arm, and sword arm are exposed, which is going to get you killed far faster than if you get legged. Unless you are certain a shot is going to come for your leg AND you need to block it with your shield, use your footwork to dodge leg shots, and your shield to guard your upper body. 

 

Overreacting with their shield:

If your shield has to move at all, it only has to move a few inches to block any top shot, either by rolling your shoulder/waist, moving a few inches up or to the side, or moving a few inches forward to cut the other fighter's swinging angle off.  Anything more than that, and you're just overreacting and opening yourself up. Try to avoid making large motions in any direction with your shield unless you understand why you're doing it.      

 

Hunching too far forwards:

This is partially a matter of footwork, partially a matter of where you put your shield.  The more you hunch forwards, the easier it is to hit you in the shoulder because your shoulder is closer to your opponent. Your shoulder is also lower to your opponent, which gives them a better angle to hit your shoulder. Try to avoid hunching over, because you're opening up your upper body, AND putting too much weight on your front leg (See the same mistake in footwork…)

 

Dropping your shield while falling:

Hold your shield up. Now go down on a knee. Most people **in combat** drop their shield as they go down, or at least, keep it steady.  This is dangerous because as you are going down on a knee, your opponent gets "taller" relative to you. That means his shoulder shots are going to be more dangerous.  Instead, keep your shield level, or best yet, raise your shield slightly as you are falling in order to compensate for becoming "shorter".

 

*****Sword technique*****

 

Sword too far back:

Many people start with their swords way behind their head.  This presents several problems.  The first problem is that your sword is ineffective as a blocking weapon if it is behind your body. The second problem is that the sheer distance your sword has to cover is considerably greater. That means your swing is slower, relatively speaking, compared to any other person's swing. It is also "telegraphed" to your opponent, giving him more time to block, dodge, or counter your swing.  Keeping your sword closer to your opponent provides a huge increase in speed compared to trying to become physically faster. It also provides sword-side blocking as a bonus. Don't give these advantages up for no reason.  

 

Not pulling sword back after you swing:

Many people take one (or two or three…) swings…and then just leave their arm hanging out there.  They are so not used to being blocked, or late swings, that they assume their arm is invulnerable. Mistake.  If you are not making an extra swing, your sword and arm should snap back into some form of guard position. Even if you think you've killed the guy, snap your sword back into a guard position.  This prevents you from being killed by the last few swings, or swings from another opponent.

Swinging from too far away:

I've seen a lot of fighters swing from distances when they have no chance of hitting their opponent, even if their opponent doesn't move. 

 

-Let's start with shots aimed at above the waist.  Your sword should at the very least, be able to REACH your opponent.  Better yet, your sword should be able to reach your opponent without you twisting your entire body to try and get closer.  Memorize that distance, because that is basically the maximum distance away you should ever be swinging at somebody unless you have a specific other reason for doing so. Maximum distance means exactly that. *Maximum* distance. Most shots from maximum distance will not land because your opponent will move backwards, which means most of your shots have to be from closer than maximum distance.

  

-What about shots below the waist?  Well, hold your sword out…now angle it down as if you were swinging for their leg. Your sword should be further away. This happens for roughly the same reason I described earlier...holding your sword straight out is the "leg" of a triangle, and holding your sword down and at an angle is the "hypotenuse". Hence, your sword has more distance to cover. Therefore, you actually have to be closer to your opponent to swing at their leg than if you wanted to swing at their body. Most fighters don't realize this.  Now you do.

 

*****

Once again, this is not designed to be an all-inclusive or rigid set of rules for fighting. Instead, it is designed as a set of mistakes newer fighters make.  Actually, I'm a little uncertain if new people will understand what I have written, but I think veterans will understand, and hopefully they will be willing to teach new people in person. 

 

Best of luck!

 

-Kenneth

[...]

So yeah Week three. This has been one hell of a week. I got sick, and then got better. Went back to biking more. I'm not afraid of the bowl anymore and tried to practice airing out. I get a good 5 or 6 feet now if i really power through it. (CRAZYNESS I TELLS YOU)

 I learned 180's sorta I swear rideing backwards on a bike is just hella unnatural. I don't think i will everget used to something like that. But at the same token I was stoked at my progress.

 My bunnyhop is getting better but isn't nearly as consistant as I want it to be. I need to learn to whip my back end more when I hop so I can turn easyer and even tually air back into the bowl. Should be cool.

 Still no pics  I keep forgeting my camera. Maybe Tomarrow.

[...]

wow what a night. i talkeed to 150 people aboput belegarth. The student org fair is the event for the university to promote its club sports.. I think this is the biggest thing fo rour realm ever.

I want to thank judekei for getting it together. Chase for going to the meeting, Mick for helping, Magpie for helping at the booth. Kayle and scrapper for doign everything they can to help to.

Days like this remind me of why i pour my energy into this sport. cause it rocks when you get it right. 3 more years of this and we should be as big as any realm out there.

it was a 2 years struggle with the UW to get into the fair, they always thought we would start a ruckus. Crazy isn't it. I encourage every realm leader to get intouch with local schools and get on the campus for a fair. hand out business cards and fliers.  Get people to hold a sword and they are hooked

[...]

I've never been much of a consistent writer. Far from it, I write sporadicly and in random bursts. I think for now I'll stick to a novice's thoughts on this wonderful new sport.

 I won't lie- I was never the most atheletic kid in school. I was slow, I'm fat, and I use my intelligence more than any brawn I might posess. As such, in today's society, that doesn't nescesarily attract the hordes of friends as fast as being the atheletic guy that everyone loves. I know that I sound cliqueish, but bear with me. 

My friends were (and still) are more like a tight knit group. We're in each other's lives, but not in any sort of creepy way. We hang together, laugh together, and even in some cases date within the group.

 I'm finding, through word of mouth mostly (from the most venerable veterans of Wolfpack of the High Plains) about different aspects of the sport- from the culture, to the mundane details, to combat rules, and even the split from Dagorhir that occured in the distant past.  While I profess absolutely no expertise or any sort of educated opinion other than a few editorials online and web boards- I find it all highly interesting none the less. Hearing the tales of yore appeals to the Platonic "political animal" within me, and the historian that occupies so much of my mind. Say what you will- the split illustrates something profound (and no, I'm not going to go into a massive spiel about it- from what I find, it ruffles feathers among other things)

 Authors come up with thier own worlds- from Tolkein to any other author you can imagine. The difference is that  unlike authors who use the written word to convey that world- Belegarth uses foam weapons to litteraly beat back the heavy curtains of reality and throw Belegarth into the real world to kick ass and take names. The sport, in whatever form in whatever organization could very well have remained in peoples backyards with weapons that would make a weapons checker faint. But it evolved and grew into something. It survived and not only survived, but thrived. It's interesting how Tolkein, or even JK Rowling attracts so much readership/followership and yet- they're nothing but worlds within pages (until recently with the movies and the theme parks and so on). But either way you slice it, can you really throw yourself into the struggle of Helms Deep? In your head, yes. But most people I know don't really kill themselves in thier daydreams. 

I keep finding out more little intricate parts to Belegarth and the sport in general. From different realms, to the politics of the organizations (the officers, the different views of the sport, anything) to the fact that folks beating the snot out of people on the Quad on Sunday's and Tuesday's even have thier own gypsy caravan, a somewhat different organization entirely in some respects, to an extension of those on the field in others- the Kumpaniana Del Rov (I apolgize for any spelling erorrs).  

 The point I'm trying to make is that despite any problems in the past, any mysteries shrouded in mist, any political issues, any conflicts not involving foam, all add to the fact that we- all fighters alike- have created something that is very real. I know that those in Wolfpack consider the Pack to be a second family (or, I'd daresay a first family). I know that I probably wouldn't have made as many friends in as little time as I have if I didn't happen to be walking past the stand on Quad Day.

Please- feel free to post comments on anything you wish. I know that I am a novice (read: noob) and thus am probably writing without the full story with every detailed nuance, but I offer my opinions either way in a decent fashion. I only ask that you do the same. Hey, the only way anyone is going to know anything is if somebody relates it to them. We don't learn by osmosis (but if you do- please get into contact with me!)

 Porthos of the Wolfpack

  

[...]

 Our second session took place last Sunday with 14 participants. They had decided to start it about 45 minutes before practice to make sure it didn't get in the way of regular practice. I wasn't there so I'm relaying this information.

Topics covered:

Power generation. Discussed and drilled on the different ways of generating power starting from thebasic wrist snap, to arm, upper body, hips, and finally up to full body.

How to use the power--fast but light shots as a set up or for probing for vulnerabilities.  Medium shots having the balance between speed and power. Slow but powerful shots for powering through blocks.

Shield work. Discussed and drilled on the different methods of shield work from the elbow pivot to the punch, the arm pump, and the hip twist.

Blocking using a sword-using the bottom third of the sword closest to your hand

How to defend against a flail-drilled on extension and intercepting the flail head

How to defend against the lower leg shot-drilled on the slide or lift.

 

I should have more detail in the next entry about Session III.

[...]

  Wolfpack is booming right now.  We have had to alter plans due to supplies issues for our weapons building sessions but our noobs don't seem to mind one bit.  Our practices are averaging about 35-40 fighters every Tuesday and Sunday.   Last weekend we got some of them even in garb I believe thanks to Faline.  This saturday and for the following 3 weeks our residentgypsy caravan, Kampina Del a Ruv, along with Faline and anyone with a sewing machine are making garb for our enourmous influx of new people.  We are busy hashing out runs to the fabric store, getting an idea of what our want to wear and whether or not it is possible, and getting prepared for Octoberfest.  This year is going to be great.

   Opener this year is already underway.  I have appointed Rhys, our student advisor, with the task of speaking with ISU administration so we can get the Horton Field House again this year.  As soon as we have a date, I will be posting up the details so people have time to get off from work and prepare for the best single day winter event in Belegarth.  As a side note, I am also trying to see if ISU would be willing to let us use that site as a practice area for winter fighting.  With fingers crossed and a hefty donation to ISU athletics, I think we can grease the wheels on this.  I have big dreams for Wolfpack both at ISU and within Belegarth.  Getting there is going to be the fun part. 

  I usually thank a ton of people for things going on in the realm but individually I can't do that.  I have to thank the Wolfpack Knights, Squires, Vets and Noobs all together because honestly were it not for our dedication to one another, we wouldn't be where we are now.  This has been a group effort and I am so proud.  Thank you Wolfpack for being my friends, family and working to expand our realm and our sport. 

[...]

Khador is a Belegarth realm my friends and I started back in the Spring of 2005.  Most of them stopped Belegarthing since then. A select few and I didn't.  This summer, I started a Khador practice in Rockford.  And that is the greatest Belegarth related decision I've ever made.  The Freeport practices usually got around 2-5 per practice.  Rockford has been gettingno fewer then 15 per practice for the past four weeks.  Thanks to the Khador mini coming up next Sunday, many noobies at Rockford are going to spend this week getting their garb and weapons together.  Almost all of these noobies are open minded, willing to listen, do not have an attitude, and do not rhino hide.  They are ecstatic and excited about this sport. Basically, they have what it takes to make it.  They are willing to work for Belegarth makes me very proud of them.


Also, I would like to thank a few people whom has been helping us.
I have been getting a lot of support from Bo and Kayle from the Rhun. Stroggy, and Roanoa Kiran from Dunharrow have also stopped by before. As did Remus. (I don't think he's part of Dunharrow?)
And I would also like to thank Lady Renell for yelling FIGHTERS TO THE FIELD at people, because it's apparent I'm not loud enough.
You have no idea how much I appreciate you all and your support.


I am quite optimistic towards the Khador realm.
With that being said, Belegarth, you have a new and growing realm on your hands.
It's name is Khador.
And soon enough at a event, we are going to show up in force; and pwn many bitches..... beetoch!

[...]