Avast behind!

Wow. Best fencing workshop EVAR!

We started with some new warm ups and stretches which ranged from the innocuous to the why-have-all-the-muscles-in-my-left-hand-stopped-working – in fact, we almost needed a break after the warm up. The first half of the workshop was mainly concerned with the technical minutae of lunges – compression and standard – and of ways of gaining measure just through improving technique. It’s always useful to go right back to basics and put techniques in the context of subsequent experience.

After lunch things got a little more … interesting. A twenty foot lunge known as the jeté or evil giraffe, 180 degree reverses (very useful for fighting in alleyways and on board ships), techniques for fighting multiple opponents and finally one of the Prof’s trademark secret moves – the ‘botte secrète’ that he likes to reserve for classes where some of the members haven’t turned up … :-) Some more drills, including the incredibly tiring but enjoyable 4 vs 2 match up replicating a boarding action on a ship with attacks coming from either side and some freeplay to finish up with, and boy was I a sweaty bunny at the end of it.

Next month we have an eight hour workshop, including an introduction to sabre – yay! Bring it on!