So, in the wide world of sword fighting, there are many modes of training.
Now, I don't me get me wrong here: some schools are lazy and some schools train hard - But that's not at all what we are chatting about today
What I mean is that there are different modes of training to bring out different skills and actions from our students.
These two modes of training fall into two primary branches. Development and Simulation. (Now I want to point out that I get these classifications from Mike VanBeek, my Self defense coach. While not a fencer, the guy is right as rain and credit goes where it is due.)
Any way, Simulation includes things like Sparring, Semi-competitive drills like Set-plays (step-sparring) and other resisted or competitive drills. These drills give us a taste of what we are training to defeat, and help us work on our will, and temper our skills in the fire of resistance.
Developmental drills are things like Flow drills, Kata (for lack of a better word) and other consensual drills that work of skill or attribute development in a non competitive environment, so that a student can work on mechanics and or isolate issues so that one can take not of each rep and sharpen the knife, so to speak.
You need both to develop a complete martial artist. It is important to note here that the two drills types are related, and can flow into one another. The intensity levels can vary wildly as well.Simulation can be dialed down, and development can reach levels that feel as though they are Fight Simulations.
Today I will talk a little bit about developmental drills.
Developing movement, comfort, and confidence are a vital part to building true skill. These types of drills break down the elements of any given technical set, and let people isolate the components. Students new and old can benefit from this, ans we use this to hone our understanding of the underlying principles that let these actions work for us in the fight. Rushing into simulation too soon (or not soon enough, though that's for a later chat) can lead to ingraining of bad habits and weak mechanics. Weak mechanics, as one man said, means that while you may get good fast, but you will never be great.
I am not willing to accept such a limit.
On to our example.
In our school, we teach 2 primary types a throw to novice and intermediate students. A rear leg type take down, and what we call a collar throw, or Ballestrata in Italian. we use a number of tools to teach this.
This video will go over a few days worth of classroom footage, all focusing on developing a students ability to use these throws in sparring and possibly self defense.
This development will go through a few phases.
1. Looking at a little bit of context on what leads to wrestling-distance in a "fight".
2. Getting comfortable in that close range.
3. Learning the mechanics of the throws in question,
4. Learning to find the moment when these throws can be applied.
This 4th phase will have the added benefit of also quietly slipping the basics on countering these throws into the students brains. I Like this "back road" approach, as lessons that people reach on their own often stick with the students and help keep them thinking about the fight on their own. a student with questions is better than a student who follows dogma.
So, In the video, I take the students from the basics of unarmed range closure, add throws, and along the way work to improve their movement skills and comfort and manipulating others, as well as being manhandled.
The Next Phase for this would be simulation, which we will cover in the next blog.
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