Basic Techniques

## Intro

This document is mostly directed towards grunts attempting to make footman! Know that these techniques will help you beat your generic grunt. But when you make Footman you will have to take a more complex approach to implementing these techniques.

## Hold Your Weapon Properly

This means that you need to have your thumb gripping on the handle in some way. If you don’t do this, you’re willingly (for some reason) forfeiting better speed, better power, and much better control.

  It may feel awkward at first… but it’s a habit you need to develop ASAP if you want to make your way up the combat ranks!

It is important to note that there are a multitude of proper grips for different styles of bladework. they all have one universal trait though: they use the thumb to stabilize the weapon. Most grips use the ring and pinky finger to firmly grip the handle.

Here is an example gallery of some common proprer grips

#### Gallery

Use of index finger allows better mid-swing directional changesThumb on the side helps with wrap shots and combosUsing the index and thumb to pinch allows quick control and adaptation
For a more advanced breakdown of grip properties, please consult the Fighting Grip guide.

For two handed fighting, it is also a good practice to not cross your arms as you swing and/or block.

## Swing with purpose!

Often fighters will swing their weapon with no thought to how threatening it will be. You need to make sure your attack will have the ability to kill. This means making angled and wrapping attacks designed to bypass your opponent’s natural defenses. Utilizing better footwork can give you a deeper angle and often secure a kill.

(forgive the crude paint drawings, it’s just an illustration of the basic concept!)

## Get a Proper Mindset!

You need to formulate a plan of attack. You cannot hope to just swing randomly and expect it to always work out in your favor. If you’re not constantly thinking about how your opponent will react to your next move: you’re really missing a crucial step in advanced fighting! Sometimes this is called 'controlling the fight'.

This can also apply to anxiety in fighting. Everyone has testing anxiety in some form. The most common mindset I’ve seen actually succeeds in a test is the one that states: “Win or lose, I’ll just do what I can!”

Everyone who cries “It’s unfair!” Doesn’t pass! And it’s not just a freak coincidence.

## Stand Outside of Your Opponent’s Effective Range

If you think your opponent won’t have to move forward to attack you, there’s a good chance that you’re standing too close! If you stand outside of their effective range they have to naturally put in more effort to reach you!

Most good fighters will close the gap by simply stepping forward. When they do this, you need to step back a step. What you’re effectively doing is making them commit from an unfavorable position, thus giving you a better opportunity to punish their poor technique with a well-placed counter-attack.

## Focus on Footwork

Many weapon styles have been described by the Verdish Elite as 20% blade work, 80% footwork. This ties into everything, from fighting at max range, making threatening attacks, controlling the fight, to keeping yourself alive.

Most fighting is done in the melee so positioning dictates if a weapon can deliver a killing blow or not. A couple of easy guidelines to keep in mind are as followed:

* Don't cross your legs when moving. A good fighter will take notice and rush you as you cross your feet, effectively making you trip!
* Keep your knees bent and ready to move. Fights can be decided in under a second so you need to be ready!
* If you feel exposed, step back. Staying alive is more important than showing your opponent how good your reactions ***might*** be.
* When you move backwards, do not move in a straight line! Always attempt to move in curves. This makes it harder for your opponent to rush you down.

## Understand Weapon Advantages

*(Small tip, they don’t mean this weapon 100% beats this one!)*

I hear this constantly, “It’s not faaaaair! He’s got **THAT** WEAPON!”

Yes, yes he does have that weapon! When you complain like this, it just tells me one thing: You have no idea how to use your favorite equipment! If you like a medium shield, you have to know how to beat heavy shields and reds. It’s that simple!

You don’t get to boast the title of Footman and not know how to overcome unfavorable situations. Only Pawns, Grunts, and terrible Footmen see a weapon style and go “it’s unfair! There’s no way I can win!”

Where testing is concerned you may be at a slight disadvantage but you will never be impossibly outmatched.  Check below for more information on this.

#### What does Weapon Advantage mean?

Weapon advantage, as stated before, is not a formula for victory/defeat. It simply means in a standard duel, one fighter will have to modify his/her technique more than the other. There are varying degrees of weapon advantages. Most are just minor nuisances while others can truly be game breaking!

Here is the general consensus among high level fighter’s concerning the prevalence of generic weapon standards:

*(We are however aware that certain techniques violate/shift this standard)*

(When utilizing this chart: the weapon you are using is in the left column, the weapon your opponent is using is in the top column. [Compare left to top, not top to left])

When utilizing this chart: the weapon you are using is in the left column, the weapon your opponent is using is in the top column.

1. **Great Advantages/Disadvantages (Purple/Gray)**
	1. These fights would largely be considered unfair in random testing. We never throw these fights together unless a test is specifically asking for it.
2. **Advantages/Disadvantages (Green/Red)**
	1. These fights are unbalanced enough where the weapons in play DO ACTUALLY put one fighter in a noticeable and real advantage/disadvantage.
3. **Slight Advantages/Disadvantages (Blue/Orange)**
	1. These fights are very close to balanced but will require one fighter to adapt their style to counter the opponent’s. If a fighter does not know how to do this, the weapons will seem to have a stronger advantage/disadvantage than they actually do. This level of imbalance is the most common and should be considered **NORMAL** fighting.
4. **No Advantage (Yellow)**
	1. Weapons really do not offer any distinct advantages at competent fighting levels.

## When outnumbered in a 2v1 fight: Do not fight in the **Death Triangle**!

The Death Triangle may be best explained through a picture:

What you need to try to do is circle around your opponents and only engage when one of the two fighters cannot attack you immediately. But remember not to stop when you make your attack (too often people stand in the same spot once they start fighting). If you stand still, naturally, the other fighter is going to get himself/herself into range and attack you.

Footwork is **INCREDIBLY** important for fighting greater numbers. If you’re not moving constantly, there’s a good chance that you’re going to lose the fight.

## What should I be doing to improve?

This section will be very direct and harsh. Know that it isn’t an attack on you or an overinflated ego trying to cast a shadow of superiority.  If some of this truly applies to you, it’s a big reason why you will struggle to make rank!

### Understand that you have many faults and shortcomings

This is a hard barrier for a lot of people. Nobody wants to admit it, but if you can’t accept you have many faults: there’s never going to be any hope for you to improve! Fighters like myself, the Knights, and the Vanguards are always focusing on our faults and where we struggle. Only when we accept our inadequacies can we work to improve them!

If you can’t do this, your ego will keep you exactly where you are until you just start **cheating** to accommodate its control over you.

### Get together during the week and fight!

The best fighters in this chapter have one thing in common: They all got together outside of standard practices and fought with their friends. Choosing not to give yourself this incredible advantage is basically self-sabotage in the rank race.

When people are resting at practice, get together and duel. Push yourself to increase your strength, stamina, and ability to overcome weapons you struggle with.

### Finally understand that you don’t deserve the next rank.

You don’t deserve anything in Antioch! You earn it and you claim it with your ability! Stop crying and stop tarnishing the name of a Verditian with your insecurities. Great Verditians are forged from extensive training and motivation. It’s unfair to those who put in the grind before you to have to share that name with someone so weak.

When you fail it’s because you didn’t train hard enough, you didn’t think it through well enough, and that you simply need more work! Sometimes this takes years, sometimes it takes months.

If you can look back and truly say “I trained as much as I could, I sought out every opportunity to improve, and I did everything the Command Staff recommended I do!” Then keep at it, you’ll be one of the best fighters in Antioch history someday!

**Best of luck with your next test! -Derath**