Interesting day

Did a private lesson with Devon at Acadamie Duello on side sword and shield...my shield work is improving, but needs to improve more.  There is a real difference between  using a sidesword and shield, and doing daga espada in FMA.  Everything is bigger, especially the strokes, momentum is not reversed, but is ridden on, recircled, and whipped out again. A two pound sword coming at your head is a very different beast from a stick, and most be dealt with firmly, and with perfect form, or it will smack you.  A shield, ill used, is a hinderance only to you not to your opponent.  If you think it protects everything, then in all likelihood, it is protecting nothing.   That being said, some things are similar.... the shield is used to check, like a daga, or an alive hand, stepping to angles...trying to get to someone`s back.  I think in the long run, the sword and shield work will vastly improve my stick and knife work, but right now, I am enjoying the differences, and the delight of so much new material, and new precision.  And that was also the case with my kettlebell class later at Code 5. I am concentrating more on GS style, and less on hard style. And while the newness, in both cases,  is frustrating, it is also liberating, more opportunity to learn, less expectation of knowing. Life is good, and it is good to stay open to new things.