Headology (Psychology for Heavy Combat in the SCA)

by Master Gwynfor Lwyd, OP

Most texts on SCA combat deal with the mechanics and techniques of fighting. Despite this, nearly any good fighter will tell you that a lot of what makes the difference in fighting is mental, or psychological. In this series of short articles, I will attempt to put down in words a system of making oneself a more complete fighter by looking at techniques for improving one's mental approach to the arts of combat (especially tourney combat, where the ability to maintain psychological ascendency is more important).

Unlike technique and mechanics, it is harder to place the various facets of the psychological game into distinct categories. They are all very much inter-related, but put together they comprise a powerful tool-kit of tools to assist you in becoming a more complete fighter. Much like a screwdriver can be used to score a line in wood, lever open a paint tin, punch a hole in material or even tighten a screw, lateral thinking is both a tool in and of itself, and also underpins the whole kit.

What I write here is based on my own experiences as a coach, coached and fighter extending back over 30 years. This body of work is my opinion. It is not the only opinion. It may not be right. It may not be right for you. It may be the most erudite thing you've ever read (in which case, may I humbly suggest you read more! lol). I've found that these are the things that have worked for me, and others have found that they work for them too. Give it a go. The worst that can happen is that it doesn't find a fit with your style and approach. Even if it doesn't work for you, it may spark your thinking of things that do, in which case I account my poor effort a success anyway.

Tool #1 - Your opponent

SCA fighting, at its basic level, is extraordinarily simple. All that is required to win is to hit the other fighter with sufficient force in a "killing" zone before he does it to you. The other fighter is not your opponent. To my way of thinking the only opponent that matters is yourself. I don't mind being beaten, but I abhor losing. By this I mean that being defeated by an opponent who was patently better than you were on the day is no dishonor at all. Some of my best fights have ended up with my helm ringing. Losing implies that you did, or didn't do something, that led to your being defeated.

SCA combat is a curious mix of sport, romanticised formal combat, martial art and theatre. Being judged as it is on an honour system of the person being hit judging whether or not a given blow was good, balanced by the concept of proving one's prowess, in front of an audience that is measuring not only how puissant you are, but also how noble, honorable and chivalric you are presents a real razor's edge to walk at times. If you achieve victory at the cost of not accepting blows, or bending conventions of combat, I maintain that you have in fact lost.

When I started fighting I was clearly the worst fighter in my area (if not the whole Crown Principality!). It took me 18 months of regular training and tourneys before I won my first bout (not a tourney, just one single bout). However, in that time I was actually getting better the whole time. Every time I went out on to the training filed, or stepped on to the list field, I was determined to beat my previous best effort. That might have meant lasting out the first flurry of blows against a top fighter, or at least legging my opponent before I was defeated. Sometimes it meant I had to throw at least four blows before I was killed. Getting better as a fighter did not necessarily mean winning the bout, either. it could mean doing the salutes better, dying in a more entertaining manner, or thanking my opponent for the good fight.

In terms of performance psychology, beating your opponent (yourself) could be a matter of focussing despite distractions (bad week at work, domestic disharmony, injury, tiredness or whatever). It could be a matter of wresting back control of a bout by sheer force of will. If you judge the value of your performance solely on results you are bound to set yourself up for disappoint more often than not.

As you walk off the field after each bout do a quick assesment of how you did. Did you do as well as you thought you could (remember, win or lose)? If you didn't don't focus on the nature of your failure. Instead focus on how you will do better next bout (even if the next bout is in the pick-ups amongst the eliminated from the tourney).

At every training, try to set yourself some sort of goal, or an area of your fighting you want to improve on. Always remember, training is where you have licence to make mistakes! Getting into armor and having a bash with your mates may be fun, but it isn't training. If you want to beat your opponent (yourself), you owe it to yourself to take risks and try out different things at training. Oft times you will find that you are bettering yourself, even though you're fighting is going backwards, especially if you're integrating new techniques or strategies, trying new weapon styles or learning new skills.

At the end of the day the only thing that matters is that you fought honorably, and to the best of your ability on the day. If you do any less than this you have lost, no matter what the results on the piece of paper in front of the List keeper say.

Confidence

It is well nigh impossible to perform at or near your best unless you have confidence. Unfortunately, just telling someone to be confident often seems to work. The way to gain confidence takes work. Firstly, you need to train well and regularly, so that you can be pretty sure that you can operate on instinct on muscle memory for much of the time, and that those instincts and muscle memories (formally termed engrammatic learning) are working for you. Again, you have to be frank with yourself with regard to your training. Having a fun bash with friends is not training. Your training should be focussed and directed. It's not only the weekly traiing in armor against opponents, but also the mental training you can do practically 24/7, and the fitness/strength/flexibility work you might also be doing.

Are you giving yourself the best opportunity to be confident? I have seen many fighters' confidence wilt when they discover that they have to fight a round robin, best of three tourney, because they know that they haven't done the aerobic/endurance training to hold it together through that many bouts. The most bouts I have fought in a tourney was 53, in 90 minutes. At training I can fight more than 100 bouts in 2-3 hours. Most tournies, even round robins, will rarely see you fighting more than 24 or so bouts, and the norm is usually less than ten. If you make sure you do at least 30 bouts each time you get into armor at training you should be pretty sure you can go the distance.

Mentally, you have to put aside any doubts you have. If you feel tired, are run down or have simply had a bad day that has to all be left behind you as soon as you get to the tourney site (if not earlier). Start thinking about your fighting in a positive way, using positive, active visualisation (I'll explain that later), relaxation or keying up techniques (whatever suits you best) and avoid dwelling on any negatives.

Don't defeat yourself before you walk on to the field. I would hate to count the number of times I have seen a fighter hear who they have drawn in the next round and remark to someone that they will lose is appalling. If you draw a top fighter, concentrate on how you are going to beat them.

"White belt" fever is endemic. You're fighting an opponent, not a knight. Knights got where they are by making a whole heap of mistakes, and learning from them. They are still capable of making an error in a combat, and if you're confident and decisive, you vastly increase the chances of forcing an error on their part. The same goes for any opponent.

If you feel you have a weakness against a certain weapon style (great sword, two sword, mace and shield or whatever) seek out people who use those forms at training (if no-one does, try to convince someone to take it up!). Take up the weapon form yourself at training to better enable you to learn its strengths and weaknesses.

If after all your efforts you are still not confident, fake it! Walk out there like you've got this one in the bag, be decisive in what you do in the fight. You will be surprised at how often you can fool yourself into being confident! If you act confident and decisive, and lose, it's probably what everyone expected any way, but you will nonetheless probably have done better than you would have expected, and you may well surprise yourself.

 

 

About the author:
Master Gwynfor Lwyd lives in the Shire of Krae Glas, in the Kingdom of Lochac. I first authorised as a heavy combatant in SCA combat in 1985. I am a senior marshal, and hold the Lochac Kingdom level fighting award (Order of the Hasta Belli), and the teaching and encouragement of fighting form a large part of the body of work that resulted in my being awarded the Order of the Western Lilies (West Kingdom teaching award) and the Order of the Promethean Flame, of which I am the Principal of the order (Kingdom of Lochac teaching award).
In terms of my fighting, I am by no means naturally gifted. I'm small (5'9", 145lbs), lacked in natural aptitude, and have scoliosis (curvature of the spine in 3 places). I have semi-finalled in a Coronet Tourney, and three Crown tournies. I've won at least 20 tournies in my time fighting. I've fought and trained in the West, An Tir, Caid, Meridies, Atlantia, East, Aethelmarc, Middle, Calontir and the Outlands, as well as all over Lochac.
I've been on the receiving end of elite level coaching as a swimmer in the 70s and early 80s. I've been on the giving end of coaching in sports rock climbing and SCA combat. I have also competed at National level in Sports Rock Climbing.