I did Summer Sling 2026!

Hayley attended a 3-day stage combat workshop hosted by Neutral Chaos in Brooklyn.

This weekend, I revisited a handful of my past challenges and embarked on the three day stage combat workshop hosted by Neutral Chaos. I got my first two certifications in Rapier & Dagger and Broadsword with Neutral Chaos last  summer during their two week intensive program. Since then, I’ve fight directed a handful of Shakespeare shows, a new play, and also got a prescription for Concerta.

Building a knife fight. 📸 Theik Smith

One of my biggest challenges as a performer is my short term memory and retention. Much like my boys Naruto and Rock Lee, I’ve always been an effort-type learner, not a genius-type learner. This distinction means that I have to work really, really, really hard to set new information. I always felt like I was  falling behind my cohort. However, when I got diagnosed with ADHD, I realized how much my attention span had been blacking out my brain during critical moments, such as when a pointy slab of steel is being targeted right between my eyes.

I was nervous going into a workshop where I would be switching weapons every 90 minutes. Maybe it was too short a class for me to forge the new skills? Maybe I just wouldn’t learn anything because of my lacking retention?

Disarms with Escrima sticks. 📸  Theik Smith

I looked that fear straight in the eye and told it to bug off! (Also, I’m catching that I’m being really hard on myself here. When I did my SPT in 2025 in TWO WEAPONS, it was literally my first time doing ANY sword work in a professional workshop. Like, let’s chill out here).

I ended up having the most fantastic time! The skills that I had learned a year ago were forged deeply within my muscle memory. I felt like I was building upon my previous training.

I also started practicing somatic therapy in 2025 shortly after the first workshop.  I noticed how soft my body has become, and therefore, how much more it could respond in the moment. I felt my buttocks, my legs, my mouth, forehead and grip weren’t tensing anymore. And if they were, I became aware of it immediately and told myself to “let go”.

Group photo! 📸 Theik Smith

Bringing somatic therapy into my life has helped me grow tremendously fast in all areas of my life. As opposed to the old rock I was, I’ve become a squishy little absorbant gel. I didn’t realize how much it would help me in the room when I was learning four different weapon styles a day. I finally felt like I had control over my brain. I didn’t walk out of Summer Sling beating myself up and concluding I wasn’t cut out for this. I conquered it, and now I’m looking into more combat workshops!