My name is Colin G and I'm a file-oholic.

I just can't help myself. When I'm facing an opponent at practice or watching them at a tourney, I have to analyze their fight. I NEED to analyze their fight. I'm looking for strengths, weakness, tendencies, and tells. Some are easy and don't require much time or effort. Others can be like working a Gordian Knot. Regardless, each fight gets filed away into the old filing cabinet to be thumbed through before the next bought. But here is the trick, you can't let everyone know ALL of your cards. Otherwise they'll know what it is you want them to do and how you'll react. That is why when I go to "practice" I usually treat it as practice. You pull out the old secret shot(TM) that used to work against them and try it once...maybe twice (to make sure it wasn't a fluke) to make sure it is still there than you work on those things you are not so good against/with.

I'll share a couple I have/had on those who read this stuff just because I haven't tested them in a while and in some cases everyone already knows. (disclaimer: some or most of these are lefty and Sword/Shield specific).

Andrew: moves left and right out of range but still approaches straight, opens with a leg wrap more times than not, throws very few flat snaps preferring thumb leads to the onside from A, great body defense...have to go for the leg, step on his toe and push his shield. ;-)

Balynar: is much faster than you think, can onnly seem to hit him with a scorpion when he "turtles", KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT LEFTIES...WELL, fights with his sword arm down but forward such that you can get it now and again, hits like a ton of bricks.

Bryce: throws his version of the pendulum very well but often tables his shield on the windup, doesn't throw flats to the head often enough, has great range with his dropping offside but finishes it with his sword foot forward making him prime for a good body wrap.

Christian: switching from right to left didn't slow him much, needs to find his flat snap again, VERY long reach with controlled footwork but backs up with effort, the B/C line is his friend...the A/B is yours.

Colin: gets by on "tricks," sticks his arm out too much, can't handle people who live in A range, performs strafing runs, has a sneaky offside that does most of his work, watch out for the raising body wrap coming from under his shield.

Kevin: don't accept a charge for him, doesn't adjust his stance well to lefties, hits a ton, wraps are too big so the arm is often there, uses his height to good advantage though, likes flat snaps, doesn't chase you in single combat.

Liam: been too long, tends to run straight in swinging a flurry of blows with his mace until one of you dies, if you manage to get a shot off in the storm before he kills you a wrap to the body will usually do it, he WILL chase you.

Rags: has 2 very dangerous shots...the rest will just kill you, if you can get him backing up on the third step his shield drops 4 inches, doesn't throw flats...often, is faster with a longer reach than you might think.

Roland: fights with car antenna too much ;-), it has also been too long but last thing I remember is to just get him and keep him on his heals using Liam's above method, I'd like to fight him again cause my records are far too old.

Correct me if you will or beat me up to prove me wrong, either way I'd love to hear your opinion on me. You'll note that I'm not judging who'd win or even recommending tactics. These are just observations. If I have tactics, you don't really think I'd tell you? ;-)

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