Back to Basics Part 2 (Way, way, way back)

A couple of weeks ago I announced that I was going back to basics. At the time, I didn't realize how far back I needed to go! :-)

How I Began

My original thought was that I was in pretty good shape for a man of 60, but I needed to add body weight exercises to my cardio workout, and go back to working on basic SCA combat techniques to improve my foot work and shot mechanics. If only it was that easy!

As a start off point, I looked at some sites I'd visited before for some inspiration. This led to me re-visiting Following the Path of the Sword, the blog of Duke Cornelius von Becke, KSCA, OL, who lives in the Kingdom of Lochac.

The specific posting was Conditioning for Beginners, and appeared to be what I was looking for in a beginning body weight problem. 

• 20 Squats – make sure you are not leaning forward and the weight is on your heels.
• 10 push ups
• 20 walking lunges (that is 10 each leg)
• 10 dumbbell rows (use a big milk container as a weight) or 10 incline pull ups
• 20 second plank
• 30 star jumps

Into the Deep End

But could I leave well enough alone? Oh, no. Of course not! So I followed the link to the "related" article on Duke Cornelius' page to the Do You Even Lift? page, which linked to Primal Fitness and Nerd Fitness, and I had passed the point of no return. 

And so this week, I joined the Nerd Fitness Rebellion and set out on a new adventure which will, obviously complement and improve my adventure in following the path of chivalry. For one's prowess on the field of chivalric honor builds on one's fitness.

But was I through and finally Back to Basics? Well, apparently not, as I began to see while delving into the wealth of information on Nerd Fitness and discovered that even a complete warm up routine may be beyond me at my current fitness level (considering previously obtained injuries and just plain wear and tear of age).

And I Thought I Was In Good Shape???

I began this week working my way into Steve Kamb's Beginning Body Weight Circuit:

• 20 body weight squats
• 10 push ups
• 20 walking lunges
• 10 dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug)
• 15 second plank
• 30 Jumping Jacks

As an aside, let me confess that I have almost NEVER done squats per se, despite knowing their efficacy as an exercise. I simply never had anyone to teach me the correct way to do them and was afraid of hurting myself. I had toyed with Yoga Squats, but had difficulty doing them and didn't persevere. But I vowed this time would be different.

But immediately I found a problem. Steve warns that a proper warm up is vital and that, if time was limited, it was better to cut the work out short than the warm up. But what warm up?

I settled on an impromptu set of jumping jacks and running in place, but I wasn't satisfied. And here I was, an experienced exerciser and heavy weapons fighter and I didn't even know a good warm up routine?  Sheesh, can't an old guy catch a break?

Even Farther Back To Basics

So today I took some time after church to wander around the Nerd Fitness (and sign up for the free forums) and lo and behold Steve had posed a How to Warm Up Properly and Avoid Injury lesson. But, the warm up routine is more extensive than the Beginning Body Weight routine!

• 2-3 minutes of jump rope (who cares if you mess up, push yourself!)
  
• 50 jumping jacks (pull your shoulder blades back, extend arms and really focus on the movement)
• 20 body weight squats
• 5 lunges (each leg)
• 10 hip extensions
• 5 hip rotations each leg (like you’re stepping over a fence)
• 10 forward leg swings (each leg)
• 10 side leg swings (each leg)
• 10-20 push ups (scale based on your level of fitness)
• 10 spiderman steps (each leg)

And So It Goes

So, it looks like I have my work cut out for me! Today I will start working on introducing the warm up into my program and go on from there. The warm up may, in fact, replace the Beginning Body Weight program for now, with the addition of dips for my triceps.

The good news is that the Beginner Body Weight program does not seem to aggravate my shoulder pain and may even be helping it. I will take it easy and see what happens.

Until we meet again, keep training and keep fighting! 

Leif

Experiments in Leather

I decided to try and build some elbows from some of the leather scraps I picked up at Tandy a few months ago, using the plans from Duke Cariodoc's The Perfect Armor Improved. My results were less than spectacular, but it was a learning experience and the only failed experiment is one in which you did not learn something.

I began with the elbow patter HG Cariadoc published.

Simple, right?

Well, easier said than done.

I cut two mirror images of the pattern from my leather (5-7 oz vegetable tanned bellies), which I had soaked in water before cutting.  Then I attempted to following HG Cariadoc's instructions. 

First hiccup -- someone lost the thermometer!  The process requires that you heat the water to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius).  So, I "eyeballed" it to see what I could do.  After all, our ancestors didn't have mercury thermometers in the 14th Century, right?

After heating the two pieces (separately) for what I thought was the right time at the right temperature, I took each piece out and tried sandwiching the piece in two bowls, each of which has a diameter of about 6.5 inches.  

As I had feared, the process left major folds and creases in the leather, which I attempted to smooth out with my fingers. 

The resulting pieces look like this:

 

The piece on the left shrank more than the piece on the right, and is thicker and harder. Both pieces are not in the optimum shape for an elbow cop because there was too much leather that needed to be removed or folded to create the right shape.  

So, what have I learned? 

1. Water temperature (and immersion time) is very important in getting a consistent product.

2. Modifications must be made to the pattern or process to obtain a "cop" shape for the elbows.

For the next step in the experiment, I am going to try softening the larger cop in water, then removing a gusset of material on the front and rear of the cop and riveting or  bolting it together.  Then I will try  re-hardening it in 180 degree water with a thermometer!  

Hopefully, this will give me the desired shape and size. If so, I am considering reinforcing the cop with plastic to add some extra protection, followed by adding a strap that will ride in the fold of my elbow, holding the cop on. I also intend to experiment with baking wet leather in the oven at 200 degrees and liberally basting the leather with hot rabbit glue or other organic glue to more accurately reproduce what is believed to be the period procedure (or at least, one of them) for creating cour boulli. (See excellent articles here, here and here).

My fantasy is that, once I have a good pattern and consistent procedure down, I can turn the cops out fairly easily and create new loaner/new fighter gear for our Barony. 

And remember, do as I say, not as I do -- "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!"  

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

I am striving as I write this account of my reentry into chivalric combat in the SCA to be as honest as possible about my progress.  And so I give you The Good, the Bad & the Ugly:

The Good:

I have had back-to-back great fighter practices; the first at Stargate practice on August 14, and the second at Gate's Edge practice last Sunday, August 21.

I had the opportunity to meet Duke Ulstead, Sir Alexis and Sir Ysfael at the Stargate practice, and Ulstead and Ysfael gave me practice [beat me like a rug].  Hopefully, I learned something.

Sir Godwin was also there with the Baronial loaner armor and he kindly allowed me to take [foisted it off on me] it home.  My assignment is to clean and repair what can be made useful and get rid of what is past its useful life. The upside is that I have something to fight in until I can finish my own stuff.

At the Gate's Edge Fighter Practice this last Sunday, I was able to spar with Ld. George de Breton (Sir Ulstead's squire), Squire Gregor Mac Beathain and Ld. Orin Ketilsson  (upcoming Stargate Knight's Marshal).  It was freaking hot, but I didn't pass out and hopefully some more learning will sink in.  (I'm old, but I'm trainable -- I hope).

The Bad:

I have a lot to re-learn and a lot to un-learn.  For one, I am no longer an average-to-above-average size fighter!  Losing 60 pounds has changed what I can (and hopefully could not) do on the field.

Then:

And now:

So, I have to (1) work on my footwork, (2) work on my hip snap (thinking Count Sir Simonn of Amber Isle) and (3) start thinking about fighter as a smaller than average fighter (see #2).  A lot to work on, but it should be fun.

The Ugly:


One of my faults is that I sometimes get impatient.  Not as bad as somebody at the King's Castle, but it happens.  It happened Sunday, in fact.

I went to Lowe's  and bought a half sheet of Birch plywood and some Titebond glue and came home and bent a shield blank.  I don' t have a press (yet) but I used the 30 gallon plastic barrel I got Saturday from a client and some racketing straps I had lying around the garage.  The result was not as good as I hoped (or as good as my last curved shield, back in the Dark Ages), but usable.

The first problem was that the Lowe's work who cut my half sheet in half apparently had the grain going the wrong direction.  The result was that the face cracked in two spots.  :-(

Second, because I was impatient and didn't wait until I had two barrels to use as forms, the lower (unsupported) part of the shield is shallower than the upper part.

Third, there were some voids in the glue on the edges because I did not have any C clamps to press them together (as in days of yore).  However, I applied glue to those spots and used wood screws to draw the layers together, so that should not be a major issue.

Also, I used wood screws and glue to mend the cracked spots the best I could.

 But what the heck, I was impatient!

My next try should be much better as I will either (1) wait until I get clamps and another 30 gallon barrel; or (2) wait until my oldest son's girlfriend's dad can help me build a proper shield press.

Did I mention that I sometimes get impatient???

Old Tired Squire's Thrift Store Armor Project, Part the First

I quickly found out at fighter practice (see previous post) that I REALLY need armor.  The loaner stuff was good (no real injuries) but I still picked up a multicolor bruise on my shoulder (which used to be covered in a thick gambeson and spaulders.  But my cash is low (I'm broke, but I'm not poor) and I want to do it myself.

Back in The Day, one could make carpet armor pretty cheaply and it was protective.  Hot, itchy and tacky, but protective and cheap.  :-)  What can I do today, that is as cheap and protective as carpet armor (and less unsightly).

And so begins the Old Tired Squire Thrift Store Armor Project.

My first prototype will be a poor squire's arming jack.  (I hope)

Supplies?

1 tee shirt from Goodwill thrift store......$1.99
1 men's belt from Goodwill................... $2.99
1 pair sweat pants from Goodwill           $3.99  (not period but cheap)

[After Sunday fighter practice]

Leather or shock cord lacing
Grommets from Tandy

[added 08/13/2011]

2 Leather bellies (seconds) from Tandy Leather Factory -- $20.00

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So that's my material list.  From that I hope to get at least some useful armor.  Or, at the very least, experience in what does NOT work.  :-)

Leif

Spring Conditioning in Summer

I started conditioning for Legacy of the Lions tonight. Instead of coming home, putting my bike in the garage, and sitting down with a cold beer (St. Arnold's Summer Pils), I changed clothes and went walking with my old "Heavy Hands" weights. Then when I got home from walking I showered and had that Summer Pils. 

Okay, maybe not a radical change, but exercise is exercise!  :-)

Tomorrow, I'll add distance and keep upping the burn (so to speak).  Although in this part of the Ansteorran summer, it is more like upping the sweat. 

I'm really more interested in cardio, right now.  And the hand weights do help tone the upper body.  My biggest fear is that I'll get in armor, get all adrenalized, and push too hard, straining a tendon or something.  I didn't realise when I was a young-buck-sword-jock that it would be the joints that suffered the most as I got older.

Of course, I'm carrying about 60 pounds less fat around than I was "back in the day." 

This is me today: 

 

Me back then -- circa 1985 (on theleft in the herald's tabard):

Yeah, that guy:

Okay, back down, Harrison; it was joke!  Dont' sic your copyright lawyer goons on me!

Me today:  

My professional self.  Or this:


Me at our (former) office:

Or this, the motorcyclist me:

 Or my favorit, the Scout Leader of three sons me:

Old Tired Squire Returns!

THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STAR SHIP ENTERPRISE...

(Cut!!  Wrong promo!!!  From the top!)

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These are the annals of Lord Leif Wadason, Old Tired Squire of Sir Karl der Gaenger of Ansteorra.  Follow Leif as he attempts to rejoin the fighters of the Ansteorran heavy list and regain the fighting prowess of his youth.  (Or something like that).

Can he do it?  Can the wisdom of age overcome the frailties of the body and the inevitable toll of time? Follow, and find out!

Leif


DISCLAIMER:


This blog may contain humor, attempted humor, poorly attempted humor, sarcasm, irony and other things difficult for the weak of mind or stomach.  It also contains ME!  Be forewarned.


This blog will NOT contain modern politics, current events, or anything regarding Casey Anthony, Barack Obama, Justin Beiber, Lady GaGa or any other modern annoyances.  "If that's what you're looking for, they've got what you're looking for" here -- www.Twitter.com

Also, this is not my legal blog because Leif is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice!  Lee, however, is licensed as an attorney in the mundane State of Texas and can be found here:  @bizlawyertexas