Having been away for a long period of time (juggling a post graduate degree, life and a blog is a difficult task under the best of circumstances) and it being a new year and a new decade I thought I'd dedicate this post to my stage combat resolutions... in no particular order:
1. Creatively continue combat training - Being in a postgraduate program that's light on the stage combat training opportunities (we get a week of basic rapier and dagger) I need to determine how I can continue to maintain my stage combat skills while over here. This is the major resolution as all stage combat resolutions should be directed at continuing to develop in this craft.
2. Go to more stage combat workshops - When you don't have a steady opportunity to train stage combat workshops provide an excellent source to keep up on your combat skills. Being over here in England and Europe I have access to a whole range of stage combat workshops that I have hitherto been unable to attend. I have found several that I would love to be able to attend - The BASSC's National Workshop in August, Stage Combat Deutschland's Easter Workshop, RC Annie's Exeter Intensive, The Nordic Stage Combat's National Workshop to name a few. Not only do these workshops create new connections in the stage combat world they provide new views on stage combat. Learning from a variety of teachers and masters, I have come to understand, is the best way to grow.
3. Work on training alone - Within the past year or so I've become more and more interested in how stage combatants can continue to grow when you don't have a teacher or a fellow combatant to work with. While I do have potential fight partners here in Exeter the idea of developing techniques and exercises for an individual to workout has intrigued me for some time now. Over this next year I hope to develop a series of exercises that allow me to workout alone to continue to grow as a combatant. I encourage others to share any techniques that they might use themselves.
4. Work more - In order to grow you much work. To realize this resolution I need to manifest opportunities for myself. Since I cannot officially work as an independent artist over here while on my Student Visa I must find ways to fight, choreograph and stage fights so that I don't regress in those skills either. Idea 1 - ShakesFights. Being a part of a Shakespeare postgraduate degree, I have an excellent resource for fights. Capitalizing on this it'd be fun to work on a fight a month from the numerous fights he has in his plays.
5. Keep up the Blog - Posting on this blog allows me to share some of my combat thoughts with you all. In this next year I hope to maintain some consistency of posting. I also am going to try to grow the community and readership of this blogs by getting your opinion on the subjects I write about. Commentary is always fun and if you ever have a thought about the subject I am choosing to write on, I encourage you to share it. Lord knows I am no master of this field, just strongly opinionated. If you ever disagree or agree with what I'm saying, let me know. The best way to grow as a combatant is to learn from your peers. I hope to be able to learn from you all over this next year.
That's all for now, I'm sure I'm forgetting some good ones. But building on my last resolution, what are you Stage Combat Resolutions for 2011? Going to more workshops? Buying that Rogue Steel blade you've always wanted? Getting Recommended in all 8 SAFD recognized weapons? Share your thoughts, we in the Fight Jam Community would love to hear them.
Ta from the Motherland!
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