Dreaming Realistically

It's critical, when setting goals, to be a realistic dreamer. Set your goals higher than you can reach, but not higher than you can jump. In business terms, they're called "stretch goals". But it doesn't do you any good to set a goal that is doomed to failure. Or, more succinctly, you ain't gonna be the guy pictured to the left.

That guy is King Siegfried of Northshield. More properly, he's Siegfried II, since he was also the First King when Northshield went up in status from Principality. The photo is from his first reign, in fact, at Fighter School XV, where he taught a class on two-sword fighting, a style in which he is properly recognized as a master.

He's in his late 30's now, but he's been fighting in the SCA since his teens. In addition, he's an accomplished no-holds-barred fighter. He is in superb physical condition, possesses a natural feline-like grace and sense of balance, and has reflexes like a striking snake. His ability to deliver a face-thrust... accurately, while dodging sideways on one foot... is well-known.

See why I say "you ain't gonna be him"? If you try to use Siegfried as a yardstick to measure your own performance, you can forget ever having a sense of accomplishment in this sport. He's just too naturally-gifted to use as a role model, particularly if you're like me: short, built like a Boston terrier (wide chest, short legs), and out of shape, overweight, and with limited time to spend.

There are such role models as you can use, however. You just have to be a little discriminating. Do not let the presence of a gold hat or a white belt cause you to be blinded to the very real weaknesses that anyone will have as a model for your goals. I wrote about THL Roisin in an earlier blog; she's an excellent choice. So is her knight, Sir Kaydian Bladebreaker.

Sir Kaydian is a Midrealm knight who moved to the Barony of Jararvellir before the beginning of the Kingdom. He is not the fastest knight we have, nor is he the most physically able. He has some trouble with his knees, his eyesight is such that he has to wear glasses in his helm. Yet, he's still a knight, he's still a dangerous fighter, and he got that way by using the same tools available to us all: perseverance, practice, and a willingness to learn. In exchange for using those three tools, he's developed shot power that is derived not through the strength of his arm, but from his understanding of the dynamics of throwing a blow. It has yielded skull-crushing power. I've witnessed Sir Kaydian putting then-Viscount Siegfried flat on his butt with one shot to helmet. In short, Sir Kaydian as a role model for someone getting back into fighting is a good one.

After you get good enough again, you can aim for King Siegfried.