Great Plains Fechtschule

Basic Class

Been a while since I posted, but class hasbeen going all along.  New students have joined, so we have returned tothe basics.  Students have been introduced to the Art's theory of Vor,Nach and Indez, using the opponnent's direction and energy to yourfavor, and the principal's of strength vs. weakness.

Techniquesexplored so far include the primary and seconday guards, absetzen inthe context of guard transition, and introduction to the master strikesof Zwerchau and Zornhau.  In all classes, students have also beenintroduced to the rondel dagger and some techniques.  Of course alllessons incorporate the importance of posture and foorwork.

Location:  TBC Gym

Attending:  Aron and David

Mid-summer class, just two of us.  We worked on counters during class.  First counters to Zwerchau and winding, and then counters to the counters.

Counters to Zwerchau included slices to the hands and Zwerchau under theirs.  Winding counters included winding over their wind, and halfsword grab technique.  Counters to counters typically involved "stuffing" the attack point and moving in to wrestling distance.  Several different techniques of wrestling were reviewed.

After the paired drills, all of the techniques were broken down into into solo drill menuvers that can be performed throughout the week as homework.

Instructing:  Jessica F.

Attending:  Aron M., David S.

Class opened with a bouting session.  All three of us were able to get quite a bit of time in on the floor.  We  left it as open bouting and just saw what problems arrived.

The problems that we experienced weren't particularly surprising as they are common.  In our post-bouting analysis (and water guzzling session), we discussed problems with:  Distance (where is Zufechten if he doesn't step in?), Zwerchhau completion (engaging the hips to throw the Zwerch past the head), and running out of gas.

We then spent the rest of the class drilling Zufechten in a variety of ways to make it more evident where Zufechten actually is (which is about 6" closer than we want it to be).  We also discussed the important mechanics of throwing a Zwerchhau and how to engage your core to throw the strike rather than relying upon your shoulders.

Finally, Aron assigned homework to the class.

Here is the progression...

Simple Zwerchau from the right(Remember, engage those hips).  X 10

High Zwerchau from the rightwith a follow on zucken Zwerchau from the left.  X 10

Low Zwerchau  from theright with a follow on high zucken Zwerchau.  X10

Low Zwerchau  from theright with a follow on half-sword zucken and thrust.  X 10

High Zwerchau from the rightwith a follow on zucken Zwerchau from the left, but instead of completingthe left side Zwerch, act as if the opponent is going for a schnitt witha Zwerch of their own, dip the sword to block that and duplieren.  X10

Instrucing:

Jessica F.

Attending

Aron M., John P., Dustin

Class opened with Aron and Jessica reviewing some basic Messer techniques from Paulus Kal.

John and Dustin arrived a bit late due to work, and after their arrival we began opening Yoga and stretches.

Next we reviewed the guards for John and gave Dustin a quick introduction to them.  We then performed solo drills of many guard changes.  We then practiced solo drills of Oberhau and a few other basic strikes.

We then partnered up and worked on more introductory lessons.  We practiced Zornahu, Zwerchhau, Scheitelhau and Krumphau against basic attacks. 

Class was over much too quickly!

Instructing:  Jessica

Attending: Aron, David, Casey, John

Class was held at Washburn Park.

Aron led warmup by putting us through some slow resistance drills using our wasters as light weights.  This was a nice "change of pace" for a warmup.  It was 90 degrees outside, so our warmup was not extensive.

We split the class into two groups for the opening of class, and David and Aron were given a few drills to work through.  First, they were instructed to explore how to react to a "passive" opponent, and an "aggressive" opponent.  If the opponent were passive, they were told to seize the Vor and attack.  If they were against an aggressive opponent, they were told to regain Vor through proper technique and exploitation of positioning.  Next, they were instructed to spend time drilling how to "read" an unfamiliar opponent using a variety of techniques for bringing them out.

Jessica took Casey and John to the side and as this was their first class with the Fechtschule, discussed some basic information required to understand instruction in the Art, and then they were led through the Guards and Footwork. 

For the last section of class we brought the groups together and worked on basic responses to an attack to the body and and attack to the head.

Finally, we brought out daggers for a fun cool-down exercise, exploring the responses to an attack to the body and head, but with dagger.

This was a very enjoyable class, and we hope to see Casey and John again soon.

Instructing: Jessica

Attending:  Aron, David

It was a holiday weekend; attendence was low.  Attendees participated in contact drills covering ansetzen (planting) where there was a designated attacker and defender.  The attacker's job was to begin the encounter in one of the hangings, and staying in contact with the opponent's blade, attempt a good "plant" of the point.  The defender gave varying levels of resistance for the attacker to respond to. 

After drills, David was given a Novice exam for the longsword, and one for the dagger.  He passed, and now holds the rank of Novice for those two items within the Selohaar School.  Congrats David!

Instructing:  Aron, Jessica

Attending:  David, Luke, Lynn

Jessica began class with an overview of the four basic guards Ochs, Vom Tag, Pflug, and Alber.  We then drilled how a guard transition from Vom Tag to either Ochs or Pflug defends and sets up a follow on attack, adhearing to the German Longsword principal of defending with attacks.  After this point, Aron led class.

From observations stemming from the earlier drills, class then focused on how to strike.  We explored the body mechanics of striking hauen, both ober and unter.  One point of focus was the lever action of pulling the sword's hilt with the left hand to initiate motion.  We then discussed and drilled using the natural turn of the body and hips to generate and concentrate power in the stroke while taking a sloping pass step.

For the next portion of class we practiced Zuchen responses out of Zornhau.  Zornhau Ort, Zuchen Proper, Zuchen Abnehmen, and Schnappen were first individually drilled, and later mixed bases on the level of commitment the oponnent presented. 

Class ended with a drill that demonstrated landing a Zorn Ort thrust is not simple.  Trying to get the single motion and hitting the target takes practice.

Instructing:  Jessica F and Aron M.

Attending:  Matt G. and Luke D.

We opened class with some Yoga warmups and footwork drills, taking extra time to note the upper body posture (like Kal) and the set of the shoulders as well as practicing the "dead lead leg" work. 

Next, we built on that and added longsword to see how keeping the shoulderblades pulled together and down the back helps the strike in both power generation and in control.  Finally we worked on the guard drill and striking powerful oberhaus.

The next section of class Aron taught the Talhoffer material that we'd refined in Advanced Class.  Some was review of dagger material that Matt and Luke had seen before, but there was alot of new material as well. Aron provided nice handouts of the material to all attendees so that we can remember what we learned in class today.

Finally, Jessica reviewed the core of Ott's wrestling at the arms material.  This seems to be finally pulling together for the students in a cohesive way.

Instructing:  Jessica F.

Attending:  Aron M.

After a brief warmup, Aron presented Talhoffer material that he'd been working in interpreting to me for refinement.  We worked through a number of dagger materials, and some new and fun stuff (the twofold guard).  So evil!  It was a very nice class in that we interpreted for our hour.  Interpretation is great advanced class work that is often neglected.

Things have been crazy at the GPF lately, so I apologize about the lack of regular updates.  The combination of Easter, bad weather, and illness has conspired to make the past few practices be cancelled or much shortened.

Most recently, on April 18, 2009, Matt, Aron and Jessica got together at Jessica's house to discuss the future of GPF.  Amongst other things, practice location, personal martial arts goals, and uniforms were discussed. 

We are currently working hard to procure a regular indoor practice location that has enough room for all of our weapons to be worked.  This website will be updated as soon as that location is procured.  For now, things are looking really good that this will happen within the next few weeks.

In the meantime, please bear with us as we work to make Great Plains Fechtschule bigger and better!

-Jessica