| Improving your boffing skills is sometimes easier | | | | warriors and still be left at the end. It didn't hurt |
| than you think! There is the old adage of practice, | | | | that she had perfected this move and was able |
| practice, and more practice. But one week I | | | | to "duck walk" as easily as breathing. |
| learned more than I thought I ever would, | | | | I noticed the safety factor that I hadn't realized |
| standing outside of the boffer circle. It was an | | | | was so important as when I saw someone's two |
| experience that I did not expect and will not soon | | | | year old wander on to the battlefield and some |
| forget. Due to an injury (which had nothing to do | | | | one yelled "Hold". The reaction time and the rapid |
| with boffing) I was unable to participate in the | | | | response was impressive as the noise was |
| battle, but had committed to bringing weapons. So | | | | deafening before we noticed the small one, but |
| I thought I would just go and watch. And it was | | | | with that one word (and I still can't figure out how |
| interesting what you can see without a boffer in | | | | anyone heard it) all battle ceased, and the small |
| your hand. | | | | one was escorted off the battlefield with a |
| You saw people who consistently fought as a | | | | promise that his time would yet come. |
| team. And no, they weren't a couple as you | | | | I saw the defeated faces of people leaving the |
| would expect. Rather they were a pair that just | | | | battlefield with their weapon laying across their |
| seemed to continually gravitate to the same area | | | | head to signify they were "dead" for the |
| for some reason. And even though it was cut | | | | moment, heading to the corner to count |
| throat (every one for themselves) they ended up | | | | themselves back to life with a grin and a plan to |
| back to back, fighting off the rest of the group | | | | live longer the next time. |
| on a regular basis. | | | | It was time well spent for the newbie who was |
| I saw strategies I never noticed before coming | | | | thrilled to be picking up tips for these foam |
| through again and again. I watched people pull their | | | | weapons called boffers from the more |
| punches for people smaller than themselves and I | | | | experienced and then be able to use them on the |
| also saw people who preyed on peoples | | | | same person who explained it to them. |
| weakness and inexperience to make themselves | | | | I could hear the grunts and groans of warriors, |
| big and powerful in their own minds. | | | | that let you know they took a hit and I could also |
| I caught sight of one tall man who was making an | | | | hear the victorious whooping of someone going |
| effort not to deliver head shots, try again and | | | | for a kill. |
| again to lower his arms to battle as most peoples | | | | I noticed how there were young and old, tall and |
| head were straight out from his arm and he felt | | | | short, some with money to spend on foam |
| most comfortable extending his arm to his full | | | | weapons and people who came with no weapons |
| reach with his sword so as to avoid taking shots. | | | | and had to borrow a soft sword to get into the |
| I expect him to continue to keep practicing as I | | | | battle, go out onto a battlefield as an equal and |
| have received some of those (fatal for the one | | | | sometimes win, sometimes lose, but stay until |
| who delivers the head shot) shots and think he | | | | they were forced to go home. |
| will not be so upset if he is not losing his own | | | | I saw where the person who was supposed to |
| head so much. | | | | be a leader, react cowardly and run more often |
| I noticed a women who fought while crouched | | | | than fight and never admit when he did take a hit. |
| with her buckler shield, sword and her strategy of | | | | I will make sure next time we battle that he |
| making herself small and therefore much harder | | | | knows he has taken a hit. |
| to hit. She would take on the biggest of the | | | | |