Stagnation. It’s something we all suffer from in our lives, and Belegarth is no exception. The first few years in Belegarth are spent gathering new experiences, learning rules, playing with weapons, meeting fighters, and going to events. Everything is exciting and fresh. We still have high hopes for our own future in Belegarth: will we be a knight? A realm leader? Make the most amazing garb or kill the most people on the field? Will we invent a new weapon or technique that revolutionizes the game? Make a name for ourselves?
At that stage, teaching is easy and natural. There is so much to learn and no one is afraid to give you advice. In fact, advice comes from every corner: some good, some bad, some useful, some not. You learn who you respect and who you don’t. The list of flaws in your fighting or work grows shorter until you find your limit. That limit may be based on your body and mind, your time, or your lack of teachers, but we all hit it eventually. We plateau. While some of us struggle through on our own, others grow content with where they are and may shift to focus on the social aspects of Belegarth instead.
I’m not worried Belegrim becoming more social, but I am concerned that we are losing some potentially good fighters when they hit their first plateau and have nowhere to turn. We say that fighters should seek out the best at events, putting the burden of bravery and discomfort entirely on the learners' shoulders, but even that opportunity is only a few times a year at best. There are only two kinds of always-present advice out there if you don’t have the luxury of a good fighter who teaches well: lessons for beginners and lessons for the elite. The problem is most fighters don’t fall into these categories. They are mediocre and have been for years, sometimes by conscious choice but just as often not. Pride, experience, and fear of judgement have become an impediment to learning.
So short of doing what we already do or putting together some new instructional videos, how can we improve the average level of fighting?
I think a lot of it can be addressed by making the giving of advice to older fighters a more acceptable practice. Of course, ego is going to be an issue (most people don’t like unsolicited advice) but there are ways to make it more palatable. Run some special kinds of sparring at the beginning of practice that requires each pair to make an observation about their opponent before they move on. It acts as a normal warm up for those who don’t care to improve, and will make it okay for vets to give other vets feedback if they do. If you have the skill and charisma, you can also seek out those who have bad habits during a water break and ask them to spar. It’s a safe space where you can start by building a fighting-based friendship, then casually begin letting them know how their guard is off or you keep catching them on a bad cross.
The theme is to be proactive about teaching, not reactive. To build trust and respect, so there isn’t fear of judgement between the mediocre and elite. It should feel safe for a vet to say that they never understood how to throw wraps or don’t know how to make a blue sword, so they can learn instead of being forced to stay silent or face ridicule.
Anecdotally, even after over seven years in Belegarth and countless events where I’ve done service, I am embarrassed to say I never learned the finer details of weapons checking or foamsmithing. Everyone simply expects I know these things because I'm well-versed in the Book of War and have been around for many years, but as a non-com, no one ever explained to me exactly how to do it. I'm only now pursing learning those things because I need to know it to serve my new realm, when I should have felt comfortable asking a long time ago.
I firmly believe that we can keep the rough core of Belegarth intact, in fighting and our adherence to safety, while softening a few harsh edges that impede learning. It is not so we can let in the weak, but so we improve the quality of fighting for all of us. In my mind, Belegarth is not for everyone. That is what makes it so important to foster the few that have already made it in the door, whether they’ve never held a sword or own two dozen. If that means a little discomfort while we redefine how to mentor within our ranks, so be it.
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| Learning is fun! Photo © Ellie Apland. |
I’m not worried Belegrim becoming more social, but I am concerned that we are losing some potentially good fighters when they hit their first plateau and have nowhere to turn. We say that fighters should seek out the best at events, putting the burden of bravery and discomfort entirely on the learners' shoulders, but even that opportunity is only a few times a year at best. There are only two kinds of always-present advice out there if you don’t have the luxury of a good fighter who teaches well: lessons for beginners and lessons for the elite. The problem is most fighters don’t fall into these categories. They are mediocre and have been for years, sometimes by conscious choice but just as often not. Pride, experience, and fear of judgement have become an impediment to learning.
So short of doing what we already do or putting together some new instructional videos, how can we improve the average level of fighting?
I think a lot of it can be addressed by making the giving of advice to older fighters a more acceptable practice. Of course, ego is going to be an issue (most people don’t like unsolicited advice) but there are ways to make it more palatable. Run some special kinds of sparring at the beginning of practice that requires each pair to make an observation about their opponent before they move on. It acts as a normal warm up for those who don’t care to improve, and will make it okay for vets to give other vets feedback if they do. If you have the skill and charisma, you can also seek out those who have bad habits during a water break and ask them to spar. It’s a safe space where you can start by building a fighting-based friendship, then casually begin letting them know how their guard is off or you keep catching them on a bad cross.
The theme is to be proactive about teaching, not reactive. To build trust and respect, so there isn’t fear of judgement between the mediocre and elite. It should feel safe for a vet to say that they never understood how to throw wraps or don’t know how to make a blue sword, so they can learn instead of being forced to stay silent or face ridicule.
Anecdotally, even after over seven years in Belegarth and countless events where I’ve done service, I am embarrassed to say I never learned the finer details of weapons checking or foamsmithing. Everyone simply expects I know these things because I'm well-versed in the Book of War and have been around for many years, but as a non-com, no one ever explained to me exactly how to do it. I'm only now pursing learning those things because I need to know it to serve my new realm, when I should have felt comfortable asking a long time ago.
I firmly believe that we can keep the rough core of Belegarth intact, in fighting and our adherence to safety, while softening a few harsh edges that impede learning. It is not so we can let in the weak, but so we improve the quality of fighting for all of us. In my mind, Belegarth is not for everyone. That is what makes it so important to foster the few that have already made it in the door, whether they’ve never held a sword or own two dozen. If that means a little discomfort while we redefine how to mentor within our ranks, so be it.
A great lesson for new and old fighters.
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