I had a great day Saturday. We got onto site around 9 AM and got into armor by 9:30. I did pickup fights until the first list started. I was able to start with Sir Bartlemey and fought everyone else I could. I'd fight one or two people and have to take a break.
Before the list started I was at the spot where my pulse was elevated but not racing, I was sweating but not too bad, my vision was clear. I was tired but felt I could do one or two more fights, so I did and took a little break. Ate a hand full of chili cheese corn chips and had more water. Then went back out for one or two more. And one or two more. By the time the list started I had drunk 2 or 3 bottles of water and was saturated enough that I was making trips to the men's room.
I did well enough to go five rounds in the Sword and Mistletoe tourney. Each round was best two out of three. I got a double kill in the first round and then won the next two. I fought Matthias in the second round and was able to kill him twice. I got Sir Thomas Alfred in the third round and he beat me twice putting me into the losers bracket. I was lucky enough to get a bye fight in the fourth round and got to fight HRH Wulfstan. He challenged me to give him my best fight and I tried. I got his leg once but he won both fights. I met Sir Caius in the fifth round and he beat me twice, putting me out.
His Majesty talked with me after the bye fight and said that I had made a good impression on him at Black Axe during the pickups and he wanted to push me to fight him hard today.
Did more pick up fights before the next tournament.
The Green Knight tournament was single fight per round and single elimination, head shots don't count. I drew Baron Gwyddion (who'd just been made a Bear before the list started) and decided to try fighting him left handed to see if it would give me an advantage. He noticed it and shifted his stance. It was odd not trying for head shots and I didn't land a blow on him. He took my leg and right arm, then hit me in the right arm again and the left side of my chest. I didn't think about it until after but I should have called the second arm shot as a death since it was already gone and I apologized to him afterwards.
There was to be a third tournament but it didn't happen due to the lateness of the second tourney ending. It fell back to pick up fights and I was back to one or two more. I was privileged to fight Sir Micheale who was fighting two stick and I did OK against him. I also worked with Duke Kenneth who gave me pointers on my stance and shield manipulation. I was able to land one planned shot, the shield fake right and quick wrap from behind the shield. I also fought Baroness Leyli left handed to get her opinion of how I was doing left handed. She said it was not bad but I was moving my body from behind the shield when I was throwing shots.
I remember pickup fights with Locko, Bragg, Edris, Eric Martell, and several others whose names I don't recall. I fought until Katriona made me stop as court was in 15 minutes. I dropped my helmet, half gauntlets, gorget and elbows at the car and sat court in my armor. I didn't have a chair so I leaned against the wall, squatted, sat on the floor, and then cycled back through. Grabbed a chair towards the end but it seems to have been good to change positions so nothing seized up.
I believe this was my best fighting day ever. I believe Sir Bart and I were the first fighters on the field and while I was not the last fighter on the field, I was in the last 1/2 dozen.
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