I'm All Alone!

[Nathan Dexter]

Hello, I have been practicing swordsmanship for about a year now, but I have a small problem: I rarely have anyone to practice with! If anyone has any suggestions, (also tips for solo practicing) I would greatly appreciate them! <img src="/forum/images/icons/confused.gif" alt="" />
Thanks!

[Brian Hunt]

umm where at in the USA are you? There may be someone near you that you don't know about yet.

Brian Hunt
GFS

[Erich Wagner]

Take a look at http://thearma.org/Practice/partners.htm and see if anyone is close.

[Mark Driggs]

You also may consider joining at least one of two groups here: http://www.frappr.com/arma or http://www.frappr.com/wma. Those "friend maps" are a pretty good indication of the nearest devoted potential sparring partners.

[Nathan Dexter]

Thanks,
but the closest people to me are two and a half hours away, so, I could use some suggestions for practicing on my own.

[Nathan Dexter]

I should also note that sometimes my brother is able to spar, but that is not all that often, so I'm not compleatly helpless.

[Brian Hunt]

Hi Nathan,

I practice alot on my own. I start by warming up with footwork, then I will go through the 8 basic cuts, the master cuts, and then start practicing various combinations and flourishs. I spend time working on various attacks and couters in a shadow boxing type way, and I like to do pell work. In order to keep from getting in a rut I make sure that I vary my speeds, put in hesitations and watch my timing. This helps keep my skills sharp for when I get to travel to Provo (about 1 and a half hours one direction) and work out with the group up there. Honestly, nothing is better for your skills than a practice partner. If you can make the travel once and while to meet with others it will do you a world of good, even if it is only once a month. The other thing I do is study, study, study the various manuals and try to implement what I learn from my studies.

hope this helps.

Brian Hunt
GFS

[Patrick Hardin]

Hello, Nathan.

I am actually in exactly the same boat as you right now, brother and all. I used to have regular training partners, but they've gone their own ways. Don't worry, you're not completely helpless. If you've got a waster, go through guard transitions and cutting exercises, and spend some time learning to improvise with flouryshes. Make yourself some kind of pell and practice strikes, cutting to the four openings, and learn to improvise there as well. There really is no substitute for training with another person, but these things will at least keep you in practice until you can train with another person. I think it would certainly be worthwhile to take an occasional road trip to train with whoever is closest to you, if you can find the time. The more contact you have with other students of the sword (pun intended), the better. But what I have suggested is how I train right now, while I'm between training partners. Hope that helps a bit.

Patrick Hardin

[Nathan Dexter]

Thanks,
I'm in the process of making a waster, and your tips should really help.
Once again, Thanks.