Improvement

[sunkissed]

I train with a group called Acadamia Della Spada in Seattle. I work with 14-16 century Italian Rapier.
We try to keep the history of fencing alive with our training (basically Western Europien traditions.
My trainers use the teachings of Vincentio Saviolo and George Silver in there treatises.
But there are several things you can fence with historically, Long sword, short sword, some sort of German sword also...I99 i believe.
Periodically we do demonstrations at some historical events.
I am learning the history of what i am learning and am loving it..
Any questions, feel free. its more of a hobby than it is a sport for us.

[OROD]

I see... so it's more like Historical Sword Combat than fencing, or at least that's what it sounds like to me.

.

[Inquartata]

My trainers use the teachings of Vincentio Saviolo and George Silver

Hark? Did you hear that? It's the sound of George Silver struggling furiously in his grave, at hearing his name thus joined with one of those hated Italians to whose teachings he was so violently opposed...

Truly, talk about your strange bedfellows!

[Captain Hook]

lol

zombie Silver's gonna get ya

[Rabid Monk]

I've heard of your group.
I was fairly impressed with what I've heard, but ntil now haven't heard from within their ranks.

And yes, us enginerds are a unique blend.

As for the improvement, everyone goes at their own pace, and if all the others have prior experience, then they will improve faster at first. The difference is that you have to build up a base ffrom scratch, and they have some sort of grounding they can build upon. Once you get the hang of the basics, though, there won't be as much of a difference.
Just give it time. I'm one of those people who gets worse before I improve. Mostly because I'm trying to think about what I'm doing a little more, and analyze it. It always takes a while for my brain to catch up to the new pace, but twhen it does it's worth the period of horror.

[sunkissed]

I am so sorry it took me so long to respond to all of you....
I have so many responses and all, as well as words of encouragement, even if you all are into the competition thingy....
I just could not keep up.
After reading all your posts i laughed, cryed at some of you and the knowledge hopefully you are gaining, and felt like i was still doing thr right thing.
It is hard also because i dont want to be percieved as the dumb girlfriend who comes along and does not care or know enough to learn anything.
As i do want to do this as a hobby with my boyfriend i am also doing this for myself as i want to gain a skill and have so much to learn about the history and it is so interesting....
Plus the group i am in are really trully good people even if we come from a little different walk in our life.
Again thanks, I picked up my leather boots, put the mask on and went back into my guard. and belive it or not, was told i was improving greatly.
Thanks, guys for the kick in the rear end. it benifited a lot

[Li'l Bebe]

About fencers being nerds....yea. we are.

However, I've met an incredibly wide variety of people because of my fencing. I remember once at nationals, I was chilling out with my team in the hotel, when someone remarked that if we weren't on a fencing team, we probably would have absolutely nothing to do with each other. So we did a little tally:

One jock, one football player, one skateboarder, two goth, two mathematicians, an artist, a hippie, and an actress.

And those were just the people in the room.