Combat: Galatian Football Terminology

[MorGrendel]

Combat: Galatian Football Terminology

Galatians have a propensity to use sports terms from football, lacrosse, and boxing. Many of us have played lacrosse for years and we are all avid football and boxing fans, and so these terms, particularly those that relate to movement and role, allow for ease of translation. We use these terms when teaching in the hope to draw an understanding by making corollaries with something we already understand. We are not limited to these sports either; often times before you can teach someone you first need to ascertain what they already know build corollaries from there. In the past allusions to how to hammer a nail, how racecars draft, and even how to focusing ones chi has been made.

So I was asked to explain the sport corollaries in more detail, which will be more difficult then I initially thought. (I’m choking on jargon here)

Yardage – We don’t call it that, but the concept is the battlefield is about controlling more of the field than your opponent. Some times we gobble up land quickly with a “Go” plan and sometimes we have to eek out inches “in the trenches.”

Wide receiver - Some times we “sprint out” or “go (deep)” to get as “deep” into the enemy as possible. We like to be in their “backfield”, as it makes the enemy have to decide which direction in which to fight us. Some times we may also “curl” which is to say we curl back before contact is made. The latter concept may be used to explain a feigned charge as one does not want to move straight up and then straight back, but rather to curl slightly to draw more of the enemy’s eyes. As a role we may describe a wide receiver as a floater that hangs out unsupported on the far edges of the line, or a warrior we don’t expect to rally back up with this battle. You may also think of this role as a decoy, or a fire-and-forget weapon.

Linebacker and Guards – Despite what you might think, the Galatian offense is grounded in a solid defense. It is malleable, depending on whom we have brought to the field. The concept is that someone must protect the holes in the line and repel the enemy with a counter charge. We liken this role a linebacker who shoots through both his line and the opponents and then collides with a particular target. In football terms, the Linebacker stops the “full back” which keeps the “ball carrier” pinned in his own line. In combat terms, you are waylaying a charge by stopping the lead charger. A guard is similar in that they protect the line, but there job is to bend without breaking, give ground if you must, but draw the enemy away from our “backfield.” Guards are usually in a compromising position having to fight 2 on 1s. I prefer to use shield men as guards, though, in a pinch, a pole man can cap a line/cut off an opponent’s lateral movement just as well.

Shift, Slants, and Crosses – These all relate to movement. A shift appears straight, but contact is made up to 3 bodies away. A slant is a little more obvious, and allows you to strike up to 7 bodies away. Slants may redirect as targets of opportunity arise. A cross is a fully-committed misdirection. Crosses require you to pass in front of your own troops, forcing you into harm’s way before the main body of the army. They can strike anywhere given the amount of space you are given to maneuver. All of these movements can be done in serial (a line), in parallel (multiple lines moving the same way), or mirror (multiple lines moving the opposite way). They can also be combined, as one can start by slanting one way and then change by shifting back a different direction. However, keep it simple. If it takes more than 4 words to explain the movement, then it is too complicated. If you have to explain it, its too complicated.

Finally, we like to “spy” which is when we see something, yell it out. Our plan is less important than reacting according to the enemy’s plan. If you practice spotting an enemies plan before it hatches you can often break them up, and leave them planless and open to being exploited.

I hope this helps.