[Northkeep] N.S.T.I.W.

[Ivo Blackhawk]

Hi everyone, For those of you who are interested, I had a REAL SCA meats the
real world moment today.

We were doing Batton training at work (I'm a Correctional Officer, for those
of you who didn't know that)and the Instructor was talking about side
strikes with the 36in battons. He was teaching a wide, sweeping strike that
hits under the arm or on the hips. We squared up against each other, him
with a pad to catch the shot and myself holding the batton on my shoulder
-much like a relaxed SCA turney stance. After a few 1/10th speed practice
shots I asked him if we were alowed to hit the other side of the rib cage
with the batton. He said that we were just working with primary hand shots,
we would work on left hand shots later. I corrected him and said, 'no, I
mean hitting with the right hand on the left side.'His responce was to frown
at me and say, ' you can't get enough power or accuracy swinging as an
inmate's left right side (my left) with your right hand. its just not
powerful enouigh shot.

I stopped and considered this for a second, making sure that we both
understood each other and that I wasn't over-explaining things (like I am
known to do). Then, after I realized that this was not the case I pressed
the issue.

"What do you mean, I can't get any power on the shot?"

"This show just dosn't work, it's too aquard." Then de demonstrated. He was
widing up over his left shoulder-across his front. The blow could be
powerful, but the way he was delivering it was indeed aquard. "and there is
no other way to deliver a shot."

"Guard yourself," I said, takling up a 'ready stance'. He reliuctantly
pulled up the striking pad and said "hurry up, we had a class to teach." He
obviously expected me to not be able to hit him.

With a snaping motion, I delivered a textbook side-hamer that put the
"rib-splitter" knob on the end of the batton into the pad so hard that it
stunned him though the safety device. with a shocked look, walked around
doing a little "happy dance" trying to get his breath back. He had a lot of
questions for me when we broke for lunch :)




Lord Ivo Blackhawk the happily employed.


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