Now to help others' get their careers going....I wish everyone good luck. Let me know if I can be of assistance.
- Mood:
enthralled
I dream in technicolor. Wow! Was that tattoo amazing. The center background was a dark tower on a cliff edge that had red-fire vines draping down and a soft blue sky, kind of like that of a beach sunset. Foreground was a large bird in flight (head kind of swan like, tail of a pheonix) that was positioned from above my left breast extending down to my lower right rib. The colors were amazing.
P.S. I don't have any tattoos in real life and don't have any plans on getting any. I do admire them on others though.
- Mood:
contemplative
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
scythzero is unable to go to Ursulmas now. I have a 2 queen room at the Best Western for Saturday night but can't afford to go to Ursulmas alone. Anyone want to go with me? I'm good for going anytime Friday or Saturday morning.Call me at 503-407-7980 (verizon) if interested.
- Mood:
hopeful
I've got a long way to go to be able to do the century of shots regularly, but I was able to throw about 30 to 40 clean and concise shots before having to rest the arm. I changed up the combos so that I wasn't throwing the same pattern repetitively. The breathing was the biggest part; I didn't ever feel like I was losing air, which is a very good thing!!
So anyone want to recommend specific training routines I could do?
At last Monday's fighter practice, scythzero asked me to come by his house sometime to learn how to use a machete. My first reaction was to ask if this was for helping Hlutewige with her A&S butchery/cooking project. :-) He said no to the killing idea (teehee!); his plan was that he wanted me to learn how the blade of a real "sword" felt striking an object: the unwanted sumac trees in his backyard. This way I could practice holding and striking with the sword in the correct position. As I think I've mentioned before, I used to hold my sword in an awkward position (generally referred to as the "female hand" position) which really was a hindrance to me being able to throw a sufficient blow. I now grip the sword in more of a punching-fist , which gives me better positioning for driving my shots into my opponents.
This better hand position really came to be evident yesterday when I went over to Hlutewige and scythzero 's house to machete-down the stubborn sumac. I was able to drive the blade into the sumac trees much cleaner, with more force and less strain to my arm then my previously used hand position. When I tried a couple of swings using my old grip I flatted the blade more often than not.
Swinging a machete was a really, really good workout and mental exercise. It gave me the experience of gauging my shots for inflicting damage; I now have a better understanding of how hard I need to throw shots at my opponents. Gauging my shots was another area of "needs improvement" that I've had to deal with.
Today I am sore; I have some muscle ache-age through my back and shoulders. Not terrible, just a reminder that I chopped down trees with a machete yesterday. :-)
After I finished my machete workout, scythzero 's squire Thomas showed up to work on a new shield while scythzero and I worked on swords. I now have a remodeled sword with an Ataias thrusting tip! Can't wait to use it Monday!! I also have the beginnings of a new sword that will be sans thrusting tip. I've not had a sword that didn't have a tip before; it'll be an interesting change (once I get a hilt for it).
In the evening, Hlutewige made us a phenomenal supper of roast pork, potatoes and roasted vegies & apples. Vostroi & Elizabeth brought over a super delicious ham to share as well. Great food and great company made for an enjoyable end to an awesome day!
- Mood:
accomplished
My next set of fights were with Einnar. Over the weekend we talked about the mental game of fighting, using intimidation to control a fight, and not falling prey to intimidation. So Einnar tested me by doing several aggressive and intimidating moves at me, which, for the most part, I didn't back down to. It was a good practical lesson. Even though I knew that he wasn't going to cram his sword down my throat, it provided me a foundation positive experience to refer to mentally for future bouts and feelings of intimidation.
I next fought with Ataias, which I'm really glad he's back to good health and able to come out and fight. At September Crown I asked him if he would allow me the honor of having him sponsor me in the squire tourney, for which he did. Later, after the Crown tourney, he and Hlutewige invited me to join in the household as his student, which I gladly and excitedly accepted. Even though I have been receiving some of the best teachings from all the local knights and long-standing fighters, it's good to have your own knight out there to learn from. The fights between Ataias and I were really good. As he said, he wasn't just giving me the fights but I was able to get in a few really good shots, and a couple of nice kills. He tagged me good a few times too; but unlike my experience last week, I didn't get frustrated or feel like I was fighting against somebody that I could never beat. He brought his fighting down to a manageable yet challenging level for me which made the practice a learning lesson. Today I am sore but feel good about the direction of my fighting progression. I'm also glad that I have Arnica gel at home to take care of the bruises.
Ataias has a clever plan to assist me with using correct hand positioning when throwing shots: I'm to go to his house and help chop down the sumac tree in his backyard by swinging a machete at it. This way I could get the feel of how a sword edge should be landing, since my swords are all round striking surfaces. Maybe we can plane down a new sword for me as well. I have the rattan to do it. Then Olin suggested that I could also come over to his house and mow his yard. hahaha! Funny man!
My last set of attempted bouts were with Olin. Since his arm was hurting, he did not bring a shield and was only fighting single stick. Olin's plan was for me to practice my aggressive attacks; however, my left knee was straining too much as I tried to keep up and chase down Olin so we didn't really get to work on this lesson. Also, at first I was hesitant about doing this because I had the mental image of attacking an unarmed child holding a lollipop. I know that is not what Olin is, but it was what popped into my mind. I'm still working out the kinks in my thought processes that it's okay to strike (with solid force) somebody in armor. Even against fully protected fighters last night I still pulled a few of my shots in fear of hurting my opponent. I don't want to break my toys; instead I'm giving up the win. I have to wrap my mind around the fact that it's okay to hit the person I'm playing with . I'm getting better, but it's still a mental exercise I have to work on.
I'm still having difficulties with establishing a regulated breathing pace. I'm getting winded faster than my muscles are giving out. I find that I take a breath in and hold it while throwing shots, then breath in and out when not actively engaged. Also my asthma is flaring up. Since I can't run anymore I have to find another cardio activity that helps to keep my lungs clear.
Einnar showed me a very good pell exercise to train the body to breath as I throw. At slow speed and using full body mechanic movements, throw shots at the pell, exhaling out with the throw and inhaling in with the recovery. I'm going to try and get my pell upstairs today so that I can have it available on my porch, instead of unavailable in my garage.
- Mood:
sore
Last nights practice was good...and not so good.
- First the good:
- For Christmas I got a Dynaflex ball for improving my grip and forearm strength. I've used it pretty much daily since getting it. Last night I noticed that my hands and forearms were not tiring out and I actually maintained a much softer grip on my sword overall. I was able to relax my hands better. Dynaflex ball good!
- My first couple of fights were with Bill, who's SCA name is escaping me right now. I think we are pretty evenly matched fighting skill-wise. I felt good fighting him; I wasn't overwhelmed and felt like I was holding my own very well. Cathal gave me some pointers on my stance: turn my feet a little more perpendicular to my opponent while having my upper body turned back to face my opponent. This position gives me greater shield use/protection for my open/left sword side. I liked using it last night. I know I've been told about this type of stance before (in another time/kingdom), but I didn't trust that it would work for me, thinking that I wouldn't be able to generate enough power to throw a recognize-able shot; but now that I'm using better body mechanics and moving my feet more, this guarded position was working as long as I kept a good body position (more on that in a bit). Bill and I talked about breathing techniques too, since it seems that we both tend to hold our breaths while fighting. I know how to breath when I'm doing a rhythmic cardio exercise, I just haven't figured out how to incorporate those exercises when doing bursts of energy & movements, such as with fighting. I think chewing gum last night while fighting did help though.
I decided that I'm going to break another bad habit, that of shying away from fighting people that intimidate me fighting-wise. So last night I asked Slade to fight, which is good but......
- The bad:
- I don't usually like to fight Slade because it seems he hits me harder than most (IMO), and he always finds the areas of my body that are less armored. I decided to buck-up and fight him anyways (I was going to ask Einnar, another fight-intimidator for me, but he was busy). I found myself getting frustrated while fighting Slade. I'd start off okay, but he kept finding my legs open. BOTH my legs are peppered with bruises today! The more he hit me in the legs, the more frustrated I got for opening them and with him for hitting me so damn hard. I was not enjoying fighting with him at all. I even gacked my knee (again) while trying to step out of one of his shots to that leg. I think what I need to do is talk with him about my concerns and ask him if he could ease up a bit until I progress some more. Otherwise, I don't think I want to fight him for awhile. I don't want to have that kind of resentment hanging around my training.
Another area of work: turning my sword palm down just a little to protect my hand when in an overhead close guard position. Bill popped me there about 4 times while trying to go for a snap to head. The good thing is I was using that little movement for blocking, now I just need to use the basket on my sword versus the fleshy part of my thumb to catch the block. That would be a very good thing indeed!
I've decided that Sir Octamasades is Spiderman. That or else he's using ESP on his opponents to tell them which shot to throw next so he'll already be blocking it before they even throw it. Man! He is a freak of nature. And fun to watch. :-)
- Mood: contemplative
Each donation is either entered by a Knight or sponsored by a Knight. I am being sponsored by Baron Sir Ataias. The piece I am donating is a handwove haversack lined with a linen cloth. The yarns used for weaving are acrylic purple, blue and white yarns (yarns my mom gave to me). The pattern for the body of the haversack is from the Handweaver's Pattern Directory, Point Threading Over 10; 2/2 Twill (Dixon, 2007, pgs 80-81). The strap is inkle woven in the same yarns. The dark-blue linen lining is attached to the weave with a blanket stitch of DMC floss, 2 ply, in a contrasting purple. I am thinking of adding a bottle sleeve to the inside (to keep bottles from clanking together, as was suggested by Sir Olin).
- Mood: accomplished
- Round one: as soon as the lay-on was called, I charged Rod and was laughing out loud at myself, because honestly, I wasn't taking it seriously (defensive mechanism: if I'm laughing then everything is alright). Olin even called me on it. My fighting-style sucked too. I was over-reaching and not breathing. Rod of course won.
- Round two: started the fight winded and even more out of whack mentally. I was throwing shots using only arm and not very well organized. I was holding my breath a lot. I'm not even sure what I was thinking anymore, but I do know that I was starting to understand that this wasn't a joke, that these guys were really working with me & not trying to make me look bad on purpose. In other words, I was starting to trust them. I've been on my own so long (including SCA fighting-wise) that I tend to not trust those around me 100% for fear of being let down and disappointed again. The past's ugly head comes rearing again. Sigh. At least I am recognizing that issue and am facing it. I am now surrounded by genuine people that really do want to teach me. I've known it for awhile, it's just accepting that fact is not my norm. Another defensive mechanism. Gee, I got's lots of 'em. Rod won, again.
- Round three: was so tired and winded that I wasn't even thinking anymore. When the lay-on was called, it seemed that Rod and I faced each other without engaging for what seemed like an eternity. My mind was completely blank. I don't even recall who started the first engagement but I fought much better. I was centered, I only threw shots that I truly intended and with much better body mechanics (instead of wildly throwing & hoping something would land). I almost got Rod twice: once with an offside body slot and a flat snap to the head. He did take the win for all three bouts, but in each one I progressed in some sense. Some of the progression is coming now as I right this down.
Next was Slade. I was getting cold and felt pretty spent. I really did not have much left in me and don't remember much about the fights I had with him. Finally, matched up against Olin. He is rather intimidating to stand across from. And even though I was cold, tired and at the end of my game I still fought. We worked on me stepping and shielding towards his armpit to deliver the wrap. He said I gave him a bruise. That made me smile. I even asked for one more last fight out of him before I completely collapsed from exhaustion. All in all I was in armor for 70-80 minutes, of which I spent fighting all but maybe 10 minutes. My muscles today are sore and do have a couple of bruised spots to rub arnica into. There's no other practices this week until next Monday. So if you are reading this and will be in the Portland area next Monday, come on out and take a whack at me. I can always use a good whacking!
- Mood: contemplative
- Mood:
pissed off
drgntrainer and I decided to start our 12th night garb several weeks ago. I'm still not done (hemming, sleeves and tweaking) but it is at least past the point of failure. If you're curious see here: www.flickr.com/photos/35548659@N02/41658
www.flickr.com/photos/35548659@N02/41658
It's been a lot of work, but I'm pretty happy with the results. My sewing skills have improved vastly, thanks to the pointers by all my friends! Thanks!
I've also got a couple of other projects to work on in the next few weeks: a pewter casting project, and hopefully a weaving project for the 12th Knight Auction. My plan is to weave the material to make a haversack. Actually, I started that weaving project today. It's purple and blue warp with a white weft. I'm liking it so far. See here:
So I'm wondering where everyone is staying. I've got 2 different options right now and I'd like to choose the option that best facilitates, um, the parties and social aspect. Right now I could either be staying at the main hotel or at the Holiday Inn Express.
What say you?
- Mood: optimistic
drgntrainer 's house for the Thanksgiving festivities. This year they fixed a ham instead of a turkey as the protein dish for the celebratory meal. So I made cheese podadoes (cheese mashed potatoes from my youth) as a side dish and a pumpkin pie for dessert. We also had steamed asparagus, acorn squash, olives and crescent rolls. Yum to the deliciousness of all the food! Since I was not able to go to my mom's for the holiday (she lives in NC), I moved into
drgntrainer 's house for the weekend. Brought with me my 12th Night garb sewing project to work on. It's a 16th century French gown. I've used a golden velvet, a green/gold brocade and an eggshell satin (all materials that have been in my stash for quite sometime). It's coming along pretty well; damn it is heavy! :-) I've completed a lot of the work on it but there is still so much to do still (mostly hand work). Thankfully we decided to start these dresses weeks ago. I've not attempted an outfit of this caliber before, so I'm learning so many things and am gaining a lot of confidence in my ability to sew (which I have felt has never been my strong suit). Hopefully the finished product will be pretty and not fall apart! :-)My dog Homer got
drgntrainer 's family a free Christmas tree yesterday! The local radio station 105.1 hosted their annual Tree-Pee event at Sleigh Bells of Sherwood tree farm. The event goes like this: the first 105 families/dogs get a chance to pee on or near a set of trees; if they pee within 105 seconds, the family gets a free tree! When it was our turn, Homer went to the first tree and watered it within seconds, winning us a free tree! My other dog, Tyge, succumbed to peer pressure and was a little overwhelmed to perform. That was okay; we only needed one tree because I don't have room for a live tree. The tree that was selected (not one of the pee'd on trees of course!) is a 7 foot Douglas fir. It's very pretty and for some reason drgntrainer 's cats love it! All in all it was a very good weekend. But it hasn't ended yet: I'm going over to
khalja 's house today for some weaving time! Yay!!- Mood: chipper
Because I know there are others out there that need a silly smile too! (gakked from tudorlady ; Thank you!)
- Mood: chipper
- Music:nfl today
I'm using a golden colored heavy-velvet and a green & golden brocade. The eggshell satin sleeves will be made from material that my mom used to make a Christmas formal 40-50 some-odd years ago. I haven't decided yet on headdress; I want to get the dress done first (including new corset, farthingale, shift and bum-roll). I will be using the Simplicity pattern #3782 as a base to start with, but will be making changes/additions as I see fit. Once I get some basics sewn together I'll start posting pictures.
I haven't done late-period clothing in a long time; I again realize why I both love and hate late-period.
The reasons why I love it:
- It fits so nice (since it is made to fit my body)
- The overall affect is beautiful
- I get to employ a lot of my creative juices
- Yay, I'll be warm at at winter event!
- So much tedious work
- a lot of material
- Damn, I'll be hot at an indoor winter event!
- Mood:
creative
After arriving late and throwing on my armor quick, I had some really good bouts with Joseph (a new-ish fighter), Duke Davin and Sir Olin. I did a warm-up session with Joseph which was really good for both of us, I think. I used to shy away from fighting newer fighters for many reasons, but the 2 main ones were: 1. I didn't want to "influence" their fighting negatively (see, I had a problem with having confidence about my ability to fight one-on-one well); and 2. I didn't want to get beat by a newer fighter than me. I know, it's all about my confidence level. I feel much better now, especially because I'm getting direct training and guidance from some of the best fighters, and that training is STICKING. If a newer fighter beats me, then good on them; just means that they got some shots in and I have more stuff to work on for me. NO Big Deal anymore.
My next 2 sessions were with Duke Davin, followed by Sir Olin. Both were awesome teachers. I feel good about my overall performances and both gave me some really good comments to think about and try to incorporate in my training/fighting. However, one of the areas I'm still having a big issue with is shot commitment. I'm not following through with the shot before resetting. For the most part I'm throwing some clean shots that if I had just completed would have been either killing or maiming blows. I'm short-changing myself and I haven't figured out why yet. I don't know if it is a mental thing or if it is all mechanics. I think its a bit of both. Part of me thinks its because I don't want to hit somebody too hard, and that if I commit too much I won't be able to return to a defensive position fast enough. I don't really know how to "fix" the mental problems; I think the best way (right now, at least) is to practice the physical mechanics of following through with my shots and try not to think about the mental aspect. My ideology is that if I can just physically do it, my mind will wrap itself around the idea of committing to shots is good thing.
Another area I need to work on is "whiffing" my shots into a second shot. Sir Olin was giving me guidance on that last night but the way I was doing it strained my shoulder. I need to figure out what is the best way to swing my sword over my head without injuring my shoulder. I think it may be to not bring my hand all the way over my head but rotate the balance point of the sword just in front of my forehead. I can lead better with my elbow that way. My arm is pretty sore and tired today; I think I will give the left arm rest today and reattempt the whiffing exercises tomorrow.
I really need to get my pell built. I've got the stem already, I just need to get the carpet from
drgntrainer and start taping away! I'm going to need some help getting it from my garage to my second story apartment balcony, too. A 5 gallon bucket of cement is heavy! :-) - Mood: contemplative
Mary Pickford
If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.- Mood: contemplative
the Courage to change the things that we can,
and the Wisdom to Know the difference.
There are times in my life when this prayer is so poignant, and I think now it is applicable to a kingdom suffering turmoil.
I am saddened by all the recent events plaguing the West kingdom, the kingdom of my SCA birth per se; from the banishment (IMO unjust) of a person whom I respect and care for deeply, the savage and hurtful rumor spreading, all the way to the apparent loss of respect for the monarchy, two people that I've known for years and have called "friend". Even though as an outsider it seems that their decision-making is playing a significant role for many of the problems, I don't believe that they alone are the only guilty parties to all the wrong-doings taking place. Wrongful counsel can lead to wrongful decision making. Rumor spreading is due to a lack of respect of self and of others. How can you respect yourself if you don't respect others?
I am also gladdened to see that there are people of the West who have the Wisdom to want to see change and have the Courage to make a difference. I was impressed by the caring words (on LJ posts) of both Her Royal Highness Kara and Her Excellency, Mistress Etaine. There are many others who have shared the same sentiments as these women, but their words stand out to me because I think they closely express what I've been thinking for days. It IS time for forgiveness and improved communication; but above all, it is time for respect.
Of all the people that have been writing sentiments about these recent nasty doings, the person that stands out the most of all is the banished beauty herself, Her Excellency Ysabella. Her LJ posts are filled with hope, strength, love, humor and encouragement. To me Viscountess Ysabella is graceful. Viscountess Ysabella is poised. Viscountess Ysabella is an inspiration and I hope that if someday I find myself facing a similar turmoil that I would be able to comport myself in the same demeanor that I am observing in her. Thank you, Ysabella, for being more than just my friend, thank you for providing me an awesome, valuable life lesson.
- Mood: contemplative
Profile
- dafne_fraser
- dafne_fraser
Syndicate
