Training Routines

I

iWolfe

Newbie
Hey all, I was musing about the game a bit, and I hit on something that I thought might be worthwhile. Assuming that the average player goes to four events a year, and that they spend one day prepping for each game, that's a total of 16 out of 365 days a year spent not LARPing. Which means that any skill gathered in those 16 days has plenty of time to deteriorate before the next event.

How do the players combat these overwhelming odds?

Target practice with bean bags? A pell out back? Roomies playing boffer tag with you? Belegarth? Inquiring minds wish to know!
 
To be honest, four events a year is far from average. Game days help, and sparring with friends. Although, to be honest, I find that I tend to improve in plateaus, which means that I'll hit some point, and then nothing will happen for a long while. So I'll take a break, sometimes for up to a year, come back, and something new will have just "clicked" in my head.
 
I spar with my son, 12. Teach him some fencing tricks, pick some up myself.

I have to practice staff fighting though. I am real rusty at it.
 
I play at two chapters regularly. This year I believe I PCed 5 games (weekend events), with another 5 weekend NPC events, plus 1 day event and 1 module day. We also have fight practices on occasion, to keep from getting rusty. That means I play at least once a month formally. Going with your calculation of an event as 3 days, plus one day of prep for any game... 44 days fighting a year, or just slightly over 1/8th of my year.

In terms of keeping on the ball for game, we've got one of those hanging three-tiered baskets that you get for kid's toys in my apartment. This is used for target practice. Fight practice (official or otherwise) also help.
 
for anyone who only plays 4 events a year... consider joinging your chapters staff... or donate your time making weapons, packets, studying to become a rules marshal... you will then find you have alot less time on your hands and your days and nights will be filled with larpy goodness.
 
I never train physically, I just devote 1 hour a day to practicing thinking like Jesse H. It's upped my game in several areas; fighting, casting, inappropriate humor...
 
My character is something of a pack rat. Carrying a backpack full of rope, a napkin, food, and various typically useful odds n' ends wherever she goes. It gets hard to run with so sometimes I practice at it. We have a treadmill, though so I don't have to go outside and look like a doofus. :thumbsup:
 
Sparring is my main rust shaker. I also stretch and do weapon katas a few times a week.

Many of the Seattle Legion of the Sun folk hang out OOG. Weather permitting we often spar and do packet drills when we are bored or have had a few beers... or both. Just make sure you switch up sparring partners to get a feel for different styles. Thats why I am so good at fighting Andy. :funny:

Get random friend in on the fun for random sparring. Getting your non-LARPer friends to hit you with padded sticks is a lot easier than getting them out to an event. Give friends boffers and spar with the n00bs. If anything it is funny and a bit unpredictable.

If you are ever up our way we will do a spar and BBQ day (weather permitting).
 
Dan Nickname Beshers said:
I never train physically, I just devote 1 hour a day to practicing thinking like Jesse H. It's upped my game in several areas; fighting, casting, inappropriate humor...
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Its like I'm kicking my own ***.
 
The idea of spending time thinking like your character greatly appeals to me...currently, I do nothing to train.

My intention is to participate in a Belegarth group that meets regularly in my area. Also, I have a friend who is an extremely skilled swordsman and who I petition regularly to set aside time to spar with me and teach me. Unfortunately, he's very busy and doesn't have much time for sparring outside of LARP weekends.

I am also working out fleshing out my character history more in order to give myself deeper insight into the motivations and stories behind what drives him. The more I know about him OOG, the easier it will be IG to participate in inter-character RP.
 
Warlok said:
The idea of spending time thinking like your character greatly appeals to me...currently, I do nothing to train.

My intention is to participate in a Belegarth group that meets regularly in my area. Also, I have a friend who is an extremely skilled swordsman and who I petition regularly to set aside time to spar with me and teach me. Unfortunately, he's very busy and doesn't have much time for sparring outside of LARP weekends.
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Just be aware, Belegarth fights quite a bit differently than we do. You may end up with the same sort of issues I get from my old SCA experience, where I find myself pulling what would be an SCA-legal helmet-ringing wrap shot just before it hits. :grrr:
 
Wraith said:
Just be aware, Belegarth fights quite a bit differently than we do. You may end up with the same sort of issues I get from my old SCA experience, where I find myself pulling what would be an SCA-legal helmet-ringing wrap shot just before it hits. :grrr:
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Yep, there are quite a few differences, especially the location-based damage, rather than points-based damage. Oh, and armor only stops one extra hit per location, no matter how heavy it is :(

I'm going to use the Bel practice to work on my technique, mostly. The heavier weapons and limited shots you can take work on the muscles necessary to make those snaking, sneaky shots inside the enemy's guard.

Also, if anyone wants to come over to Dublin, CA during the week and spar with me, I'm all for it! :yes:
 
I'd take you up on that, but Iowa's a bit of a trip. ;) Most of us Iowa folks (all 3 or 4 of us these days) have fought each other so many times that it doesn't really teach anything new anymore!
 
It's always been one of those things I've wondered about- where I LARP, normally events are held year-round.

Heck, there's games just east of HQ (Sparta, NJ to be precise) that run that way. So getting rusty hasn't ever been an issue for me. Can't play in one system to stay in practice? Go play in another.
 
Talen said:
It's always been one of those things I've wondered about- where I LARP, normally events are held year-round.

Heck, there's games just east of HQ (Sparta, NJ to be precise) that run that way. So getting rusty hasn't ever been an issue for me. Can't play in one system to stay in practice? Go play in another.
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I wish that was more of an option here, but central Iowa is pretty dead for stick games. The only other LARP going in town these days is Camarilla World of Darkness, and that doesn't get anywhere near being satisfying after a few years of Alliance.
 
I tend to fight my kids 3-4 times a week. It helps sharpen my skills a lot, especially evading those low attacks. (my daughter is only 4) My wife and I also have friends over pretty regularly and those party sessions can sometimes erupt into all out battles.

I'm sure our downstairs neighbors are sick of it.
 
Actually, the more I think on it, the more I realize that being -better- at combat would solve a lot of the speed-of-play issues we see from time to time. When a player knows how to land a good blow, and how to block and parry appropriately, there's a lot less temptation to wail away at top force until someone runs out of body. :thumbsup:
 
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