SCA Kihon

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

Newcomer comes to fighter practice.
Wants to be a samurai.
No previous martial arts experience.

What do you teach him first?
Which weapons?
Which cuts?
Footwork?
Bodywork?

Why?

[Ryokai]

What do you teach him first?

I think the most important thing to teach him is that he cannot subscribe to a strict fighting style. He needs to learn to learn, as strange as it sounds. He must learn to communicate with those whom he chooses to fight with. He must learn to ask many questions, and listen when advice is being given. As a realtively new fighter myself I never turn down a piece of advice. The first lesson, as I see it, would have to be how to open your ears. He must then learn to take this information and try it, these new techniques may work the first time they are implemented, or they may take many weeks or months of refinement, but he must always remember to be in a constant state of change. Adaptability is liken to survivability, if he becomes too ridgid he will become stressed and eventually broken, but if he retains a supple nature he will be able to quickly adapt and learn from all that his opponenet has to offer him.

Which weapons?

Single sword, one handed, two handed, shield or not it makes no difference. He must learn edge controll, more importantly he must learn that the lifeless piece of rattan in his hand becomes an extention of his body and spirit when he engages his opponent. With a single sword this bond between body and weapon can be cultivated quickly. The principles of edge controll must also be cultivated and by viewing the weapon as an extention of one's body edge controll, power, speed and accuracy can all be cultivated and ingrained in one's combat arts. With a single sword all these elements are provided for, taking and squeezing many of the most fundamental elements of combat into one simple, yet beautifully complex, instrument of war.

Which cuts?

A basic 1-2-3 combination must be learned if one extpects to survive past the first figher practice. One must also learn at least one basic feint lest he tire himself throwing the same combination all night long. A wrap shot would not be a bad cut to learn, as well as a direct overhead strike but these things come with time and practice. I would argue that belly shots from either side, head shots from either side, up to down diagonal strikes to either shoulder as well as a basic thrust must all be learned before more complex exercises are instigated.

Footwork?

One must learn his natural stance and how to sit back with good ballance in this stance, as well as how to spring forward for a sudden strike. The key of all these three however is ballance, in order to attain proper footwork one must learn proper ballance, and in order to learn proper ballance one must learn proper footwork. Therefore if any of these two elements are to be realized the basic natural stance must be lerned, from the basic stance one must learn how to properly advance and strike or block, and conversely one must learn to retreat and strike or block without loosing the concept of proper footing. In my oppinion ballance is the key to any combat, the one who retains his center is bount to survive much longer that one who is perpetually off ballance.

Bodywork?

Bodywork, in order to pound out dents you will need a standard bumping hammer and a curved and shrinking dollie.... Oh wait, wrong subject.

Aaaany ways. Bodywork is closely tied with footwork, the key difference in body work is learning how to use one's hips to his advantage. Most, if not all strikes are generated from the hips and thus if proper bodywork is to be understood both footwork and hipwork must play in harmony. Teach him to use his hips and the pupil will soon grasp many other fundamental concepts tied to bodywork. Or as my knight, Sir Haroun, would say; You should have ducked/blocked that.

[Saionji Shonagon]

I have never taught martial arts, but I have taught horsemanship to rank beginners of all ages and aptitudes. You need to be able break things down and not overwhelm the student. It's fine to tell him stuff he can file for future reference, but whatever you decide to concentrate on, concentrate on one, maybe two things at a time, especially at the very beginning. Depending on your student's aptitude, you can throw another ball in the air or not.

Ryokai said:

A wrap shot would not be a bad cut to learn, as well as a direct overhead strike but these things come with time and practice.

You're going to laugh, but the wrap is the first shot I ever learned - by watching some poor guy who just wasn't getting the mechanics of it for half an hour as another fighter drilled him on it. I made the mistake of muttering "The COWS can program the VCR" to the person I was sitting next to. Next practice, the fighter who was teaching comes up to me with a sword, hilt first and says, "OK, wiseass, take the shot." When I realize he'd heard me and what he was demanding I do, I executed a textbook perfect wrap to the small of his back with no force whatsoever behind it. Nobody'd ever mentioned in my hearing that nifty trick of closing your fist at the last moment to generate force. ;->

She Who Does Not Fight But Can Appreciate the Nuances.

[Kinoshita Takemitsu]

I've never really instructed anyone in sword play before but i've taught several people martial arts. So, this is all coming from teaching unarmed fighting

The first thing i do is try to instill the two kinds of techniques you use when fighting.

1. techniques that open your opponent
2. techniques that finish your opponent

i try to get them thinking about those instead of offensive/ defensive techniques.

I stress evasion. a blow that never connects to anything takes twice as much force. I've been known to throw tennis balls at the people i'm teaching.

I try to get them to think before and after the fight but not during.

I stress minimalistic techniques. few movements less energy wasted.

I try to make them do everything and move. Move punch, block move, move reverse side kick, move block.

I try to get them not to telegraph their shots. i'll send them home to practice infront of a mirror.

I think i strayed way off topic

oh and i make sure i teach them something neat. like fake overhead side step and sway 1-2 head. or rolling your sword around anothers

[Kitadatedenka]

In Northshield, I'd teach sword and shield, because it's required. As for the rest, I'd use my standard curriculum, precisely because it's designed to allow for a minimun amount ot unlearning when the novice moves to a different style. It's all as basic as basic can get. Sometimes I catch hell because I'm not teaching all the fanciest new stuff, but that's not the point of what I do in that particular class. All I promise is that if you can execute the techniques, you'll authorize, and won't have too much trouble either moving to something else, or progressing in your technique. Anyway, there's been one Knight come out of that precise class, so it can't be all bad.