When it comes to conditioning our game birds to compete on the long knife, we are talking about preparing them to master a sport that values speed, power, gameness, and cutting precision. Some breeds of game birds have all these traits. However, we can train our game birds to be more agile, strong, and precise. A fight in the long knife, most of the time, does not last more than 8 or 9 minutes. But the way we train them will determine how prepared and strong they are both on the short route and in the fight until the last breath.
The Rotation Method we are discussing in this book, for example, is a proven and tested way to train our game birds no matter which weapon of choice is used. But, then, we can't always leave it that way. There is still much we can do to intervene in that matter, if we find ways to further improve what we have already considered as the best conditioning method.
If our game birds are already very good and come from a proven and tested bloodline, we can improve them even more with the proper training or conditioning. There are many conditioning methods that we can apply to our game birds and we can train them the way we want. But keep in mind that one of the most important parts of the conditioning of our game birds is the rest period. Our game birds need it so that they can reload, with more staying power, and with more energy to face the most difficult challenges that await them on the day of the fight.
