I also read these threads. I just don't tend to comment very often. Like Jenry, though, I certainly appreciate the feedback.
I wanted to comment that putting together more extended exchanges would probably come together more for us if we had better defesive skills in longsword. Personally it's one of my least favorite weapons, but it is the one that most folks like to work with, so it's the one we spar with the most. That being said, my "seeing" the defenses I have available is rather limited at this point. Maybe if he put up the clips of me figthing against longsword with just a sdesword you'd see what I mean. I can get those defenses going quite well with a single-handed weapon, but a two-handed one still throws me off a bit. Something that just takes time and practice really. (And probably more commitment than I have really put into the weapon, to be perfectly honest..)
Not to mention you can only string together a series of blows if you don't hit or get hit withn the first strike or two anyway. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />
As for linear movement. Yeah, some of that is certainly there. In a way I probably deserve a tad mroe blame for it thatn Jeanry, though. Longsword is a "tighter" feeling weapon to me and somehow the limitations of tw-handed guards tends to keep me thinking a bit more linear than I probably need to be. I tend to be a bit less so with single-handed weapons, but honestly I think that most fighting I ever see is, in effect, linear. Being aware of angles and how they can be used is certainly very important, IMHO, but the shortest distance to your opponent is always a straight line. So in some ways linearity of a bout is defined by where a strike is thrown, I think. Although looking as ome of these clips, despite my tripping, I did notice that moving on a void from an attack that I was certain Chris was throwing (that he never did and I simply overreacted to) that I did move offline on that one, at least. Definitely something I'll have to keep in mind more when talking to the guys about what we are doing, though, so such reminders certainly help!
Thanks for all the feedback!
Lenny
P.S. Lance, we end up talking about Hong Kong every now and then anyway simply because such awesome martial arts flicks get made there! Not to mention those great Airsoft stores (somethiong of another guilty little pleasure of mine.) I definitely want to check out those paddeds you are making so expect to hear from me in the near future about ordering a couple.
