Today we’re going to learn a lot of things, but first and foremost; we must learn to fall.
Joseph Loder [ paraphrased]
One may get worried if the first thing in a class about defense is to fall, but not our crew. Joe explained that to do some of the later offensive techniques, we must first learn how to fall safely so that we could exchange offensive tactics without worry of hurting our “opponents”. From this first lesson, and throughout the class, Joe emphasized safety and control on both sides of the training.
Along with teaching us how to fall, we spent the morning learning to stretch properly, how to move people, and how to not let people move us. Once we had the basics down, Joe re-iterated the potential hazards of throwing people before showing us how to properly throw someone. Once we had learned how, we broke into pairs and took turns throwing each other on the mats the the guild provided.
In no time at all, it was time for lunch. The Guild provided a Jimmy Johns sandwiches, and some of the guild members baked some cookies. We spent lunch learning more about each other and what our favorite part was so far.
After lunch, We started with Joe reiterating the importance of safety, and how a little to much becomes even easier the longer “lever” we had. Once Joe had finished he started showing us how to handle daggers and swords. A lot of the techniques we learned in the morning crossed over to daggers/swords, which made learning easier.
Overall, The class was a success. We’re thankful for all the people that came, both the guild members, and the non-guild members, with special thanks to Omaha KDF, OMACA, and other groups for being a part of this wonderful class. We hope to see you again soon, whether it be in the intro course, in the guild class, or at the state games, may our paths cross in the best of ways.