January, 29, 2016

I have been extremely busy the past two weeks. Between arranging to have last Saturday off for the seminar and all that we have to do at work.  Store resets are a pain in the you know what for us.  We have to re-site the aisles.  On top of that there are a lot of sale changes at the end of the month.

So I arranged to take Saturday, January 23, 2016 off for the "Fundamentals of Armizare" seminar at the Northwest Fencing Academy.  I had a great time.  I met and made new friends in the HEMA community.  I learned some new techniques and worked on adjusting and correcting things I already know.  My practice paid off and despite being a newbie I kept up and did well.  I also met another lovely Esphinges member (international women's HEMA group) who gave me my club badge.  I have never had a club badge before so I fount that rather exciting and cool too.

The first two hours were stretching followed by reviewing and practicing footwork.  My stance will need continued improvement as my feet want to line up when they shouldn't.  (Really worn out shoes are part of my problem.)  Then we went onto some body mechanics.  Practicing proper form for sword strikes.  Then it was lunch time.  After lunch we picked up steel training swords and practiced different guards and strikes.  We stuck to largo plays.  Then we donned masks and gorgets and practiced these moves against partners.  It was a lot of fun.  I didn't get as much out out of the very end as I was getting tired-mentally and physically.  They finished with some sparring where I and the other newbs sat out and watched those more experienced have at it.  Afterwards we went out as a group and had dinner and socialized before we had to split up and head home in our separate directions.

This weekend I stepped out of my comfort zone and did several new things.  I used a steel sword for training.  The biggest was the class itself.  I have never participated in a martial arts class before or done anything like this before.  I have done some swimming exercise classes at the local pool and worked out at Curves.  The whole seminar was an exciting, new experience and I was nervous at first.

I have reached a stage where I gone beyond the "I want to learn" to I am learning and I am doing.  I notice as I practice now there is a feeling of I am a swordswoman instead of a wannabe now.  I am know I still have a lot to learn, practice and experience.  And even years down the road there is always room for improvement and learning.