The summer edition of the "Swordmaster" finally got posted. There is an article in there about motor learning. The article concludes with the importance of kinesthetic versus spatial skill. So here're the questions of this thread:
What drills do you recommend, do you go through, subject your students to to teach "feel?" How do you present these drills? What toys and gadjets to you use? What feedback and milestones do you look for?
I do footwork for one quarter of strip with the eyes closed. Few advances and few retreats a lounge with recovery forward or backwards, but I make sure nobody is around me. I can not do more because I am too imprecise and do not cover my eyes, because I might need to open them. I try to concentrate on my leg motions, and play JEDI tricks!
First fencer invites (coach or leader); second fencer (student)extend-lunge.
First fencer invites; second fencer extends with advance-lunge.
First fencer extends with advance-lunge; second fencer parry 4 riposte.
Second fencer extend-lunge; first fencer parry riposte to 4; second fencer parry 4 counter-riposte.
etc.
-For each of the above:
The second fencer does the first 10 rep. slow and perfect;
then, the second fencer does the next 10 rep. fast and perfect;
then, the second fencer does the last 5 to 10 as perfect as possible with EYES CLOSED, usually medium speed.
Adaptable to alot of different blade work drills that use a retreat with parry and an attack limited to advance, lunge, or adv-lunge.
I use a set of those toddler ring toys and place them on the end of the weapon start with the top one and work your way down. get them to spin on the foible. it teaches students to use their fingers rather than arm for blade control. the smaller rings are easier to do than the big ones. and this drill is easy to watch and fix any problems you see.
play JEDI tricks!
Linear Mode
