Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A to Z: Conversation and Chest Protection. and IWSG

The A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behavior.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. This awesome challenge is hosted by founder Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Tina Downey at Life is Good, DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0, Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie, Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse, Matthew MacNish at The QQQE, Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small, Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs, Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia, L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick, and Nicole at The Madlab Post

My A to Z theme is fencing and swordplay, focusing mainly on fencing terminology, but with a few favorite movie fencing moments thrown into the mix too. Why: I love fencing and swordplay!
Warning: Today's post is a little long, especially in the extra word section. Just skip it if you need to run!!

Conversation: the back-and-forth play of the blades in a fencing match, composed of phrases (phrases d'armes) punctuated by gaps of no blade action. (I love this definition of a conversation)

Chest Protection: gear required for women fencers. The only reason I included this one is that I often get the "you used to fence, but isn't that uncomfortable for women?" with a pointed look at my chest. Excuse me? Women aren't stupid. There are different types of chest protection, but I prefer the full chest protection like this:
Plastic Chest Plate Protector

BTW: Guys are required to wear the usual protection for contact sport. (And I don't look pointedly when I tell guys that)

More fun C Fencing terms:
  • Change of Engagement: engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line.
  • Commanding the blade: grabbing the opponent's blade with the off-hand, illegal in sport fencing.
  • Compound: also composed; an action executed in two or more movements; an attack or riposte incorporating one or more feints.
  • Counter-attack: an offensive action made against the right-of-way, or in response to the opponent's attack.
  • Counter-disengage: a disengage in the opposite direction, to deceive the counter-parry.
  • Counter-parry: a parry made in the opposite line to the attack; ie. the defender first comes around to the opposite side of the opponent's blade.
  • Counter-riposte: an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's riposte.
  • Counter-time: an attack that responds to the opponent's counter-attack, typically a riposte following the parry of the counter-attack.
  • Corps-a-corps: lit. "body-to-body"; physical contact between the two fencers during a bout, illegal in foil and sabre.
  • Coule': also graze, glise', or glissade; an attack or feint that slides along the opponent's blade.
  • Coup lance': a launched hit; an attack that starts before a stop in play but lands after. Valid for normal halts, but not valid at end of time.
  • Coupe': also cut-over; an attack or deception that passes around the opponent's tip.
  • Croise: also semi-bind; an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the high or low line on the same side.
  • Cross: an advance or retreat by crossing one leg over the other; also passe' avant (forward cross), passe' arriere (backwards cross).
  • Cut: an attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, normally landing with the edge

  •  Insecure Writer's Support Group was started by the amazing Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh to give each of us time to share our insecurities, or our way of dealing with those insecurities, or some positive inspiration with each other. It's a safe group, a loving group of bloggers who support one another through the trials and the triumphs of the writing life.

    IWSG - I almost forgot, oops.
    Despite many reminders, I almost forgot to write my IWSG for the month, and . . .that's the point. Life has been Crazy, blessedly busy, and I'm had to re-learn how to be Creative about Carving out time for writing and blogging. I say re-learn because finding time is a struggle I've faced before this, and I know I can Conquer it.

    How do you Creatively Carve out time to write in your day and Conquer the evil twin challenges of distraction and "busy-ness"?

     

    21 comments:

    Al Diaz said...

    HAHAHAHA. You gave me my first laughter of the day! Looking pointedly is not polite.
    So in a fencing world, when wife tells hubby "Let's have a conversation over this problem" means they both draw out their swords. :D That's too cool!

    Tyrean Martinson said...

    Al - Glad you enjoyed that! Yes, looking pointedly is not polite, and although my hubster and I don't usually draw our swords for a "conversation" - it could happen. :)

    Annalisa Crawford said...

    That's a lot of C terms - are there enough for the rest of the alphabet? :-)

    I've spent a lot of time reading blogs and not writing recently. But every time I sit down at the computer the big folder of first draft is beside me. One day it'll just hit me over the head so I notice it again!

    Jeremy [Retro] said...

    i...

    Unknown said...

    Wow! Lots of letters for C- very impressive!

    old follower

    my blog: morgankatz505.blogspot.com

    Tyrean Martinson said...

    Annalisa - yes, there are, but I'm sorry if I've swamped everyone with a long post. I know how it is to set down with that first draft looming and asking to be revised . . . sometimes I even open the folder. :)

    Jeremy - what's up?

    Tyrean Martinson said...

    Morgan - yes, there were . . .hopefully not too many.

    Julie Flanders said...

    I love this definition for conversation! Never knew that, how fun. Also got a laugh about the protection LOL.

    I think carving out time is a common problem for many of us lately, it's great to be busy but it sure can be hard to balance sometimes.

    Mark Means said...

    I am seriously loving these fencing terms! It almost wants me to have one of my characters take it up just so I can use a phrase such as 'commanding the blade'!

    Great stuff and looking forward to more :)

    Samantha May said...

    I assumed there had to be some sort of chest protection. It would be silly if there was none :P

    I just take every opportunity I get. Like now, I'm between classes!

    Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

    Hey, protect all of those parts!
    Writing is on hold right now for me, but I still need to practice my guitar. I just block out an hour or so and do it no matter what.

    Natalie Aguirre said...

    Never knew conversation could mean that.

    And yeah, I struggle with the finding time thing too.

    Michelle said...

    There is NEVER enough time in a day to do everything. But imagine what we would do to ourselves if we had more time...?

    L. Diane Wolfe said...

    I never knew there were so many fencing and fighting terms.

    Right now I'm not writing, but when the A to Z ends, watch out!

    Unknown said...

    Way to work that letter C. Again, fun learning all the fencing lingo. And some days I don't work it all in. Take right now for example. I have more blogs I want to read, writing that's not getting done and a back deck and hot sun that are calling my name and a floor that needs swept. I think I know what will win. I love the sun!

    Nick Wilford said...

    I got a bit mixed up with all those counters and parries. Never knew there was so much involved!

    I haven't got any writing done during the three days of the Challenge so far but then again it is also the school holidays.

    Maurice Mitchell said...

    I'm embarrassed to say I wondered the same thing Tyrean. LOL

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    Unknown said...

    Hi Tyrean - seems we only meet up during A-Z! How right you are about sport protection. We don't look at the groins of cricketers when we talk about their protection, do we? Or maybe we do...
    I forgot about IWSG this month :-(
    Thanks for the fencing terms. I know who to come to when one of my characters is a fencer.

    jaybird said...

    Loved this. Fencing is fascinating. I can see where it would draw you in, for sure.

    PS: Do those chest plates get fitted to you like a bra? No doubt I would have to order the x-tra large version of that thing. LOL

    Trisha said...

    I never got far enough with fencing to need one of those chest protector thingies. :)