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- What’s with the crazy rapier pose in Meyer?What’s with this crazy posture found in both Meyer’s manuscript and printed manual? Currently we think it’s a teaching exercise associated the the Oberstich (High Thrust) device (Meyer Forgeng 2.61r.1 Garber page 203). Here is the commentary from our Meyer Rapier Drill Book 1. Raising the foot prior to ...
- On revisiting plays and taking notesOne of the most fascinating and frustrating things about reading the manuals is when a play tells you how it is different from a previous play. I ran into that recently in dusack, where I misunderstood a couple of parry drills as counter-cuts. In isolation I maintain my interpretation makes ...
- A newly found broadsword manual and the Bushman method of fencingThere are very few fencing manuals that have a Canadian link. The first Canadian to write on the subject is probably Lt. William Pringle Green , who wrote an unpublished manuscript on naval swordsmanship and boarding maneuvers. Another is Clive Philipps Wooley, a figure of British Columbia’s history, who also ...
- RewritesAfter finishing the System Apocalpyse: Kismet trilogy yesterday, I immediately dove into my passion project: The Salish Rift series.Before I started on the SA books, I'd already finished the first draft of the intro book to the Salish Rift series, but something felt off about it. I sent it out ...
- Trends In Quality Of Competition In HEMAWhat are the overall pre and post Covid trends in terms of Quality of Competition at North American and European HEMA tournaments? The post Trends In Quality Of Competition In HEMA appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- On Rating HEMA TournamentsSo, how do you compare HEMA tournaments analytically? I’ve been thinking about this challenge for quite some time, and I think I have an answer. The post On Rating HEMA Tournaments appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Training with Mark Wildman and The Flowing Dutchman: Staff, Clubs, Axes and Fire.Remember that fun discount apocalypse we had way back in 2020? Kinda feels like forever ago now, doesn’t it? And while “fun” may not be the word many (or any) of us would use for that particular stretch of time, many of us found at least one or two new ...
- The King of Weapons – The Kung Fu SpearThe spear is the quintessential battlefield weapon, and one of the four primary weapons of Chinese martial arts, the others being the jian (straight sword), dao (broadsword or saber), and the staff. Each of these tools has a neat epithet, the dao being the “general of all weapons”, the staff ...
- The Clash of Steel: Back to Sparring After a Year Away.The year 2022 is one that will forever live in infamy in my brain. While certainly far from the worst year I ever experienced, it was definitely the year my body went into full rebellion and underwent a…massive systems failure, shall we say. Basically, a whole bunch of my ...
- Training Again...
- Diving Back into HEMA with the Knightly Pollaxe!I’ve been doing HEMA (historical European martial arts) since 2012, and for almost all that time I’ve been completely focused on the sword. Sure, I’ve branched out plenty; I may have started with the classics (German longsword and Bolognese sword & buckler), but I spent lots of time in dussack ...
- Let’s Talk About SpaceGreetings, I am going to apologise to all the astronomers and astrologers, that's not the sort of space that I am talking about. I am talking about the space in which a person fences with another. This can be the training area, or it can be a formalised arena such ...
- Weapon Specialization: A Help or A Hinderance?Does specializing in a weapon make you better at it? Or does diversification improve performance? Can you use data mining to justify buying even more swords? The post Weapon Specialization: A Help or A Hinderance? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- When to step during a cut? A lesson from Suiō-ryū.For the past couple of decades, I’ve been taught and teach that you should time your cuts so that your foot lands at the same time your sword hits the target. And I continue to think that this is a good way to instruct novice fencers. You don’t want to ...
- School of the Renaissance Soldier Day 2 Class NotesMorning Drill – Wrestling Wrestling game: One person with foot in “hole”, the other on one foot. First person loses if foot leaves hole, second person loses if other foot touches the ground. Wrestling game: Stand right feet touching on sides, right hand grasped. If either foot is lifted off ...
- School of the Renaissance Soldier Day 1 Class NotesEvent info: https://www.chicagoswordplayguild.com/csg-presents-school-of-the-renaissance-soldier-sept-14-17-2023 Morning Drill – Wrestling We focused on jumping, one of the primary exercises of a knight. It is really important to learn how to land softly. If you land on your heels, it hurts. Even on soft grass. The jumps are straight up, powering with the ankles, ...
- Internal vs External CuesWhat difference does it make how a coach tells someone to get their sword higher? Well, actually, quite a big one. The post Internal vs External Cues appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- My Strange, Years-Long Relationship with Taijiquan.Taijiquan (Tai Chi) is a martial art. For anyone not involved in the traditional martial arts community that isn’t a controversial statement, but to most people that might come as something of a surprise. It certainly was to me when I first started learning it, and I think it’s ...
- Back in the Dojo.I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that I’ve been recovering from meniscus repair surgery, part of an ongoing Injury Odyssey that I’ll go into further detail about another time. Because I’ve had to wait so long to heal, almost three months now, I’ve only been able to be a ...
- I Practice Too Many Martial Arts: The Method to My Madness.I have a fairly persistent relationship with overtraining. I’d like to lie to you here and say that it’s a new thing, a phase I’m passing through (or would be if I wasn’t currently recovering from meniscus surgery), something I didn’t do before and will get over soon…but I’m bad ...
- A Tour of the Forestiere Underground Gardens; Fun Times in Fresno.Gardens and green spaces have kinda become my jam as of late, as anyone who has seen my Instagram or this blog can attest to. I’ve often said that this has been a surprise to me because I was never interested in gardens or plants growing up, but I suppose ...
- Bonsai, Extreme Heat, Gardens and Tasty Treats: Fun Times in Fresno.Before we headed off into the mountains proper, my girlfriend and I spent two days in Fresno to enjoy a little of what the city had to offer. We’d heard about how lovely Woodward Park and the Shinzen Japanese Friendship Garden were, and a little Googling had helped us discover ...
- The First Day of a Little Road Trip.Back at the end of June I had to have knee surgery to repair my shredded meniscus, and since then I’ve been unable to work. Truth be told, that hasn’t bothered me much, at least when it comes to my primary job as a barista in a Starbucks kiosk. I ...
- Getting into BonsaiYou ever get into a hobby that you hadn’t expected to enjoy? Maybe you’ve never been into stamp collecting, sketching, or even hiking, and all of the sudden you find yourself spending big money on obscure collector’s items, buying fancy charcoal pencils or planning a big backpacking trip in the ...
- Falling in Love with BudōWhen I was a kid I wasn’t really into sports or any physical activities. Truth be told, I would happily stay inside all day with my books and video games if my parents would allow me, and the thought of sweating and doing any kind of hard work just sounded…icky ...
- Part 7: Implications of EA – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For CoachingIf you’re reading this you’ve either made it to the end of the article series on Ecological Approaches to Coaching, or you just skipped to the end because you wanted the TL;DR. Fortunately I think this article will be able to please both crowds. The post Part 7: Implications of ...
- Part 6: Control Laws – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For CoachingIn this article we will go a little more into depth of how feedback fits into the Perception-Action coupling. Because contrary to what you might have thought, you can control something without a mental model of what it will do. The post Part 6: Control Laws – Introduction To Ecological ...
- A Love of Birds: An Unexpected HobbyThe early days of the pandemic were strange, weren’t they? We all found ourselves inside for weeks on end, caught up on our Netflix backlogs, Zoom became our primary way of seeing our friends, and many of us picked up new hobbies. Some people started baking, some made soaps, some ...
- Part 5: Perception-Action Coupling – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For CoachingPerception-action coupling is how we make the connection between information available to us, and actual motor control. The post Part 5: Perception-Action Coupling – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For Coaching appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Lateral Progress: Finding Ways to GrowI’m a fairly goal-oriented guy. I spend anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a week training in a number of martial arts, doing different forms of strength training and even a couple of movement arts (Indian clubs, steel mace flow, occasional fire spinning), so at almost any time of day ...
- Part 4: Direct Perception – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For CoachingDirect Perception is the idea that we don’t actually create a mental model of the world, and the visual information we take in doesn’t need to be “decoded” at all. The post Part 4: Direct Perception – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For Coaching appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Part 3: Affordances – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For CoachingAn important part to understanding how to use Ecological Approaches is the concept of an “affordance”. This is the ability to act on/in the enviornment. The post Part 3: Affordances – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For Coaching appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Part 2: Motor Solutions – Introduction To Ecological Approaches For CoachingWe use our bodies every day, so it seems natural and unremarkable. In truth, even the smallest motions are way more complex than you ever appreciated. This is due to the compounding nature of degrees of freedom at every joint in the human body. The post Part 2: Motor Solutions ...
- Part 1: Ecological Psychology – Introduction to Ecological Approaches for CoachingIn Ecological Psychology the brain is not a computer, making a full model of the situation from inputs. There are instead ‘control laws’ which map inputs directly to outputs. The post Part 1: Ecological Psychology – Introduction to Ecological Approaches for Coaching appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Do Swords Make You Look Cool?We all dream of looking as cool as Aragorn, Xena, Cloud, or Guts when it comes to wielding swords, but does that dream become reality when outsiders look at the HEMAverse? The post Do Swords Make You Look Cool? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Block vs Random – When Improvement Isn’t Really ImprovementSurprisingly, doing the same activity repeatedly so you can focus on it is generally shown to be the worst way to learn it. The post Block vs Random – When Improvement Isn’t Really Improvement appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Of Things Long and Pointed…Greetings,I have not been writing here for a little while. I have been focusing on some larger projects which are found on my Patreon page. I will no doubt be back again at some point, both to promote projects found here and also to present some shorter ideas that I ...
- Schedekhauw (Scalp Cut) 1Meyer 2.55v.1
- Geo-Mapping US Top Fencers Over TimeI saw some graphics floating around Facebook a while ago showing the geographical location of top-rated HEMA fencers. These graphics, created by J.J. Conlon, showed [...] The post Geo-Mapping US Top Fencers Over Time appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Italian Longsword GuardsHello HEMA friends, Today I deliver you the first episode of my new Longsword Guards series, I hope you’ll fine it useful and entertaining. Cheers! Fede https://youtu.be/SQp-PjD9TzQ ...
- System Highlight: Zack Wylde (1711)A quick introduction of Zach Wylde’s The English Master of Defence from 1711. What is remarkable about this particular fencing master’s manual is his emphasis of being a well rounded fencer, wherein he covers smallsword, broadsword, quarter-staff, and wrestling. For this reason he has become a favourite text for Provost ...
- Do Fighters Game Rule Sets?Do competitors try to hand snipe their way to victory all the time? Or do they only do so when the rules don't favor deep targets? The post Do Fighters Game Rule Sets? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Recent Successful Prizes at StoccataWithin Stoccata the “Playing of the Prize” is how we perform a grading for our students. This concept goes right back to the medieval fencing guilds, and was also used as a money making venture by them. We have recently had several students from our Sydney School of Arms branch ...
- All about Thrusting (HEMA Longsword).Hello dear followers, It’s been a while since I wrote something on this blog, but today I decided to add a post, as it is an important part of my growth as a HEMA Instructor. I started working on this … Continue reading ...
- Practice TargetsGreetings,A short note about practice targets that I noticed...People's brains are obsessed with hitting the middle of a target, or target areas where delineated. Point a dot on a target and people will try and hit the dot.The target needs to be identified to serve a particular purpose, or sections ...
- Meyer Longsword Foundations: Pattern 1 [Script Draft]Meyer’s longsword manual is divided into an introduction, 12 chapters, and part 3. While it is important to read it in this order, for actual exercise it is more useful to start with chapter 10. This is where he starts to layout the basic skills that you’ll need to develop ...
- Response to Changes…Greetings,I have noticed a distinct drop in readership of my articles, and I seriously am thinking whether it is time whether I have said all that I need to say on this blog. This is not a decision that I take lightly considering how long I have been writing the ...
- Drop Testing For Evaluation Of Potential HEMA Protective MaterialDrop swords on gear and learn stuff. The post Drop Testing For Evaluation Of Potential HEMA Protective Material appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Adventures in the Constraints Led ApproachThe TL;DR version of this post is:Based on 2 terms (almost 20 weeks) of instruction, the Constraints Led Approach (CLA) is a better way to build skills that transfer to free fencing with pretty much no downsides. This afternoon, I decided to punch a simple question into ChatGPT and then ...
- Can I Hit That?Have you ever wondered what your chance was of winning an exchange against Sean Franklin? Look no further than "Can I Hit That?", a fun new tool for looking at your probability of winning exchanges against your HEMA friends! The post Can I Hit That? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- A Response to: “Can you wear medieval armour to a longsword tournament?”Greetings,The following article is a response to an article posted by Keith Farrell, Can you wear medieval armour to a longsword tournament? The reason being that I have found quite a few assumptions regarding the wearing of armour, and the SCA...I have previously written about the difference between armour and PPE. So, ...
- On TeachingGreetings,I have discussed teaching from different perspectives, mostly the student-teacher relationship, and the differences between an instructor and a teacher, however it is a big step to go from student to teacher and there are many who stop at this precipice and look out and wonder if they have the ...
- Suiō-ryū Notes March 3Katana The second row of knuckles on the left (lower) hand must in alignment with the blade. The right (upper) hand rotates around the handle as necessary through the cut, turning the wrist outwards. In Tag, the arms must be high and back enough that you can look past them ...
- Most important trait in swordplay…Greetings,What is the most important trait in swordplay? Is it courage, honesty, skill, or sportsmanship? The latter of which comes in many different forms. Indeed, each of these attributes could be considered to come in different forms, and there are other attributes that could be named as vital to a ...
- What Is The Biggest NA HEMA Tournament Of 2022?Watch me explain why simple questions are never so simple. The post What Is The Biggest NA HEMA Tournament Of 2022? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Is Your School a Cult?Greetings, The following is a discussion of cults, as the title suggests, it is intended both to be useful as an identifying mechanism for highlighting elements, or even groups, where there are similarities to cults. There is also the intent to show that there are both positive and negative attributes ...
- WTF: Women’s Tournament ForecastingSean told me one day “I want a ‘Should you run a women's tournament?’ calculator.” Being the people pleaser I am, of course I’m going to try my hand at it. The post WTF: Women’s Tournament Forecasting appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- What does failure mean?Greetings, The following article is about failure, a subject that some would like to avoid completely and deny its existence. These people do not learn from their mistakes and failures, they truncate their learning. Failure is important, it is an important chance to learn from the incident rather than some place ...
- 5 Random Thoughts about HEMA 03/12/2022Hi Folks, The other provosts at Stoccata have been nagging me about producing content pretty much since I joined their ranks. I don’t think though that I’ll ever be much for producing videos. So, I’ve decided to start using the Stoccata Blog to make some content every now and again. ...
- What Is A Normal HEMA Rating?This is an article about populations and distributions, but to be honest you’re going to read to see if you’re above or below the average rating. The post What Is A Normal HEMA Rating? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Sharp vs Blunt Sword: The Effect on InterpretationGreetings,These days the two prime places we see sharp swords are as show pieces hanging on someone's wall either as an antique or as a fancy weapon, or during test-cutting. The sharp weapons are not typically used during drills and certainly not used during combats. There are safety reasons they ...
- For Authors: How did your characters learn to fight?Last post, we talked about how a fantasy-hero might go about learning to use a weapon. How long it took, and what level of competence they might have at that time, was the focus of that post. Today I'm going to talk about something different. Fantasy novels rely strongly on ...
- The “Female” Guard (Part 2)Greetings, Below is a discussion of what has been termed by students and myself as my "female" guard. This is a more in-depth discussion of the physiological basis of the guard, demonstrating the differences between males and females in the structure of their pelvises and how this affects their movement. Due ...
- Standards For HEMA Testing – Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Blade FlexA pretty thorough investigation into what is important when measuring blade flex, and what the best practice should be going forward. The post Standards For HEMA Testing – Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Blade Flex appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Capoferro: Retiring in QuartaAn often overlooked aspect of the first play (plate 7, paragraph 35) is the final passage, and in such a conclusion would retire into a low quarta Far too often people just end the play when the opponent is struck. And why not? It feels great to ...
- Turns Out Lichty Glosses Are Oddly Specific About EdgesYou won’t bat an eye when a source tells you to hit but doesn’t mention the specific edge. Turns out in RDL that’s less common than I thought. The post Turns Out Lichty Glosses Are Oddly Specific About Edges appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- The “Female” Guard (Part 1)Greetings,Below is a discussion of what has been termed by students and myself as my "female" guard. This is a more in-depth discussion of the physiological basis of the guard, demonstrating the differences between males and females in the structure of their pelvises and how this affects their movement. Due ...
- Roasting CoffeeA kilo of Brazilian Andre Lorenzon Pink Bourbon-Natural green beans showed up on my door this morning. This is my first step in overcoming a barrier to my writing that has been driving me nuts: Getting a decent cup of coffee without spending a premium.Having a nice solid income again, ...
- Bigger Tournaments Don’t Mean More Fights!People get excited about big tournaments and all the people they get to fight. But is that really true? The post Bigger Tournaments Don’t Mean More Fights! appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- AI and the WriterYou never stop being a hacker.I installed an AI on my laptop to play with. Generated the above image with it, using the default seeds. It's not great, but it's more than good enough. Sure as hell, better than anything I can produce using paint and canvas. And this is ...
- Process Four...
- Ebb and FlowLife goes in ups and downs. For me, this can happen quickly.Had a great day a few days ago. Sold my first short story since deciding (not entirely my choice) to exit the working world and go full time as a writer. Then took off for a full day of ...
- Process ThreeAs promised, I started to re-write the short based on the idea I had for starting it further along the story. Working title of this short, by the way, is "Preppers vs Commies" so I'm thinking a little tongue in cheek here. It amuses me, in any case.Okay, so I ...
- Process Two...
- di Grassi: Pick it Up and Use ItGreetings,In this month's post in which we look at a section in di Grassi's treatise in which he regards anything by which a person may offend and defend as a weapon. From this premise I will expand on this idea to examine some odd items which are often found laying ...
- Labour Day...
- Writing Launch MonthSo called, because I've decided September is my official start to writing professionally, after a month of prep.Spending this week in a week-long online writers "webinar" for scifi writers. It's a nice little perk that comes with getting a lifetime pro subscription to the AI editing software I use. I'm ...
- Good writing and bad writingI used to be a snob about my reading. Didn't feel like it, but now that I've got a bit more context, I can understand what was going on. It's been a lot to unpack. Oddly enough, my appreciation for all writing started with food.I love food. I'm a super-taster, ...
- Running back upTraffic to the old blog finally petered away to nothing, so I've archived the entire thing and am starting from scratch. At some point I'll re-compile the old blog as a book. But in the meantime?Hi. Welcome to BoxWrestleFence, home of David R Packer, author. That's me. Over the next ...
- Coming soonThis is David R Packer, Author, a brand new site by Dvid R Packer that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when new content is published! ...
- Combat Con 2022: Why Sample Size MattersCombat Con 2022 had a hot take on how to run a longsword tournament: eliminate self-selection of skill level and, instead, have people fight in preliminary pools to get placed into different tiers based on their performance. Let’s see if that worked out the way it was intended. The post ...
- Geometry Hacks – Shielhau and Quarte Are The Same ThingThere are a finite number of ways to move your body, and similar patterns will likely emerge when trying to solve similar problems. The post Geometry Hacks – Shielhau and Quarte Are The Same Thing appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Fencing for the BlindGreetings,Fencing for the blind? What is this crazy idea? It's not that crazy and it is a compulsory element in the rehabilitation program at the Carroll Centre for the Blind and has been since a little after World War II. What follows is not a detailed discussion of fencing for ...
- Vier Versetzen: How does the Zwerch Defeat Tag?There are two ways the Zwerch (Thwart cut) can defeat Tag (High guard). The difference is not so much in the action itself, but rather the timing and distance. When Given a Tempo There are several ways an opponent can give you a tempo, a time to act. These are ...
- What Part of the Sword to Cut WithIn Suiō-ryū class, we were told that the older styles would begin their cut at the Yokote, or transition from straight to curved part. As it slices, the point of contact will move towards the Kissaki or tip. Yokote Kissaki Source: Katana Parts and Components – Medieval Swords World The ...
- Footwork Starts with the ShouldersAs we have covered many times in the past, most steps should be made with the balls of the feet rather than the heel. The heel, if it touches the ground at all, should only do so lightly. Stepping in this fashion may feel awkward, especially in modern shoes. Though ...
- An Introduction to the Master StrikesMeisterhau – Master Strikes In the manuals, the Meisterhau or Master Strikes often have an air of mystery about them. For example, Mark well, the teaching verses present five secret cuts, which many swordmasters do not know to speak about. You will learn not to strike any other ...
- On TournamentsGreetings,The following is a discussion of tournament formats and their relation to the art that is being created. A person should ask themselves how the tournament format encourages or discourages behaviours in the combatants in the tournaments, and ask themselves whether or not the style of play encourages or discourages ...
- Is There Even A Statistical Difference Between KdF Guards?Everyone who fences has an understanding about how 'good' each guard is. Bucks now puts that to a quantitative test. The post Is There Even A Statistical Difference Between KdF Guards? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Vigny’s La Canne, boxing, and the OlympicsPierre Vigny became known through his involvement in Bartitsu, a short lived attempt at bringing together various martial arts in Edwardian London, and which gained later fame by being practiced by none other than Sherlock Holmes. Vigny’s art of La canne came to be through his time training as a ...
- The strange case of the “wooden sword conspirators”By Maxime Chouinard 1830s London was a dangerous place, full of ruffians, bludgers, street gangs and… apparently fencers! This article deals with a rather strange and comical event that took place in March of 1832 in London, when a group of men practicing broadsword fencing were arrested by the police. ...
- Pavlov’s FencersGreetings,Are you fencing for the points, or for the joy of swordsmanship? Is it more important that you struck your opponent, or how you struck your opponent? These are some important questions that we must ask ourselves as fencers, and as practitioners of swordplay.I would say that there are some ...
- Doing A Double-Take At Predicting DoublesIt didn’t work before, but I tried some new things to predict doubles. Could this be the success I have been looking for? The post Doing A Double-Take At Predicting Doubles appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Der Lanzierer in Johann Jacob von Wallhausens “Kriegskunst zu Pferd” (1616)von Jan SchäferAbstract:sein Pferd: groß, stark, wohl zur Hand, nicht scheuend, sicher auf Füße und Schenkel des Reiters abgerichtet (Wallhausen: S. 3, 5)sein Sattel: soll das Pferd nicht drücken oder anderweitig schädigen, dem Reiter einen festen Sitz geben, dass er den Stoß der Lanze aushalten kann; am rechten Steigbügel ein ...
- Dall’Agochie’s “Five Tempo to Strike” in VadiPhilippo Vadi’s (1482-7) is hardly the only fencing text produced in Italy. In his own words, he claims to have learnt from a wide variety of fencing masters from different places, so it is unsurprising that we can find links in his work to both the earlier Fiore de’i Liberi ...
- On the “Double-Hit”Greetings, The following subject is one that I have particular feelings about. Every time the question of tournaments and their rules comes up especially in HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) circles, the question about "doubles" or "double-hits" emerges. The following article will describe my feelings on the matter, and on the ...
- Double, Double Toil and Trouble with Predictive ModelingTime to take a stab at predicting doubles. How successful will this be? The post Double, Double Toil and Trouble with Predictive Modeling appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Special Edition: Of GorgetsGreetingsThe gorget is a piece of armour, rigid in construction which is worn about the neck. It is often taken for granted, often not thought about until either a person's doesn't fit properly, or that first time an opponent strikes it and the fencer realises it just might have saved ...
- The Story of Fencing from a ChairGreetings,Some of my readers know me in person, quite a few do not. This means that you do not know where my information comes from, whether or not I have done any experimentation or research, or if I actually hold any sort of even pseudo-qualifications to be telling you about ...
- The Truth of the Blood GrooveThought you had the whole scoop on the blood groove? You thought wrong! The post The Truth of the Blood Groove appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- A Gentle Introduction to Predictive Modeling: HEMA EditionPredictive modeling can be a very complex topic, but I’ll take it easy on you and give you some fun HEMA-related examples! The post A Gentle Introduction to Predictive Modeling: HEMA Edition appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Armour is HotGreetings,There is a certain amount of assumption that is made in regard to gear that is worn, especially when it is made of fabric that it will not affect a person particularly much; only rigid protective equipment, "real" armour is considered when the issue of heat and restriction is considered. ...
- Punches Hit Harder Than Cuts?A punch is more likely to knock your pell over than a sword strike? That sounds crazy, but it’s true. The post Punches Hit Harder Than Cuts? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Common senseStruggling, as usual. I have to continually remind myself that goals are a trap. To aim for something that is a success or measurable is to sabotage that thing.When I was younger, every time I got a new toy, I'd pull it apart to see how it worked. I'd un-assemble, ...
- SwordSTEM: Failure to Find a RelationshipSometimes even I fall into the trap of the Positive Publication Bias. This is a step towards fixing that. The post SwordSTEM: Failure to Find a Relationship appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- A Fencer’s ResponsibilityGreetings,There is lots of discussion about individuals' rights and what a person is or is not allowed to do, say, wear, or practice. People forget that along with rights come responsibilities. Responsibilities begin with the simple responsibilities we have to our fellow human beings which allow the rights to exist ...
- Ideal worldsSometimes the best part of a book is getting lost in the world. The story propels you through the setting, but the world of the story lingers in you long after. It can be what keeps the story and the imagination going long after the book has ended.There were a ...
- Dark morningsSome days just start off crappy, no matter what.And having a whole work day ahead doesn't help matters at all. Had a terrible day yesterday, so left work early. Got some extra writing done, which was nice.Overall, it's a reminder that the hard part of life is trying to find ...
- Habits to ProcessI have to remind myself, every once in a while, that my daily writing goal is not to make another novel happen, but to write 600 words a day. A novel is a goal and has an end. It has a quality of being good or bad that can be ...
- Marey Sabre uncovered : Marey-Monge’s forgotten yet influential sword designsA few months ago, a discussion on Marey-Monge’s Memoir on swords got me into researching the man and his realizations a bit more actively. If the name Marey-Monge doe snot ring a bell, you are not alone. The man is a fairly obscure figure in French history, perhaps better known ...
- Struggling to put it all togetherOCD sucks. I mean, it's nice to add another layer of understanding into the mental mix, and have some clarity about what drives me underneath it all. It's a source of stress, though. Identifying a source can help show you how to deal with it, but it's not a solution ...
- Character GrowthJust past the mid-point of the first Salish Rift novel, and I've noticed that some of the secondary characters are developing a bit of accent. I'm liking it. They speak the same language as the main character, but do come from a markedly different social class, so it makes sense. ...
- A Little Bit of MagicHit 50k words in the novel last night, and just begun introducing the magic system for the series. Jaela, the main character, comes from a culture that is anti-magic, and is travelling to a city that is full of mages.I've been kicking the system around in my head for decades. ...
- HEY! Where the HEMA Women At?: A Graphical Analysis of Women’s Tournaments and ParticipationEver wonder about the prevalence of women competitors and tournaments tailored for them at events? Well, we’re going to take a little dive into the fHEMAle world now. The post HEY! Where the HEMA Women At?: A Graphical Analysis of Women’s Tournaments and Participation appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- DensityGot little writing done last night, or the night before. Just a ton of things on my mind, and no ability to claim my liminal space. Last night was more things to occupy my mind.Still cracking away, plans still coming, but not quite hitting my goals. I think it works ...
- AlignmentSpending a lot of time rethinking my approach to teaching, and how it conflicts with people's expectations of teaching.Bit of a constant, really. Ever since I started teaching martial arts, the expectation of a student coming in is that you will fulfill their expectations. For martial arts, this means that ...
- End of monthOne more day and officially move from the "brainstorm" phase of working on the sequel to Anubis War, and into the research phase. Which is going to mean reading a few more books on social structure and physics, mostly. Work on the first book in the Salish Rift series continues ...
- Back to the still pointStudents sparring, back in the old daysWhen I was working security, I had a nightly one kilometer patrol I would do every forty-five to sixty minutes. The site was eighteen acres, and the one kilometer route was roughly the perimeter. The front third of the site was mostly a vast ...
- HabitsOnly managed about 80 words last night, but for a reason.Ran out of my diabetes meds yesterday. I knew it was coming. I have a Dr's appointment this morning to renew my prescription. It was the earliest one I could get, but it meant that I was going to have ...
- Revisiting the “Arming” Doublet
- Good Morning.900+ words written last night. And back to work today. Which makes this my first test of whether I can use my morning time to get a blog post done or not. To recap, my morning routine is to get up two hours before work. The first hour is drinking ...
- Evolutions of CultureOne question driving deep into my mind is what is lost when we are forcibly imprinted into a dominant culture? Growing up a queer, neurodivergent kid, I was constantly being pressured to be something other than I was. I fought against that pretty hard, often physically, and I still carry ...
- Strong StartsHere we go again. The "Formal" BoxWrestleFence blog ended a few years ago. As I posted at the start of it, no blog lasts forever, and my writing on martial arts more than served its purpose in getting solid conversations started about things that I thought were important in martial ...
- HEMAball: Value Above Sparring?Not all coaching is equal, it must be compared against alternatives. The post HEMAball: Value Above Sparring? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Nietzsche and the Art of FenceGreetings,There is much discussion about the philosophical approach to fencing, mostly from the perspective of how a person should train and approach their "game". Questions are asked about whether fencing is a series of touches against an opponent or a series of questions and answers between two fencers having a ...
- WTF Does “Presence In The Bind” Even MeanEver wonder what goes into the HEMA community's favorite term to describe their favorite sword? The post WTF Does “Presence In The Bind” Even Mean appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Of Guard and WardGreetings,The following came out of a discussion with one of my students, Adam Kaye, who has made a translation of Lovino's treatise into English, by the way. The discussion concerns the differences and similarities between guards and wards. The discussion will examine the concept of the ward and the concept of the guard, ...
- An Even Better Mail CollarI made a second, improved mail collar, using a lot of the knowledge I gained from my previous mail collar, which I described here. The main goal of this project was to recreate the aesthetic and protective qualities of historical mail collars, as best as possible using ...
- All a Matter of AttitudeGreetings,The following discussion is about attitude, about the philosophical approach you take to your fencing. Now, I will admit that in my early years that I was a "tourney-bunny" which meant that all that was important to me was the next tournament, defeating my next opponent, securing my next position ...
- HEMA Myth: Double Outs Increase the Rate of DoublesIt’s been brought to my attention that multiple people are claiming that having double-out rules in tournaments makes people double hit more often. That would be an interesting story if true. The post HEMA Myth: Double Outs Increase the Rate of Doubles appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Meyer’s First Dussack DrillStarting Posture: Stier (Steer) For all of these drills, the starting posture is Stier (Steer). At first glance, this looks like a one-handed Ochs (Ox) with the off-hand gently resting near the blade. But look closely at the hand. See how it is really pushed through the hilt so that ...
- Is A Sword With A Set Safer?Ok, that is a loaded headline that is going to get some attention. But before we start, what is a “set” in relation to swords? [...] The post Is A Sword With A Set Safer? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Fencing is Choices and ConsequencesGreetings,The title of this article makes it look like it's about social choices we make in our fencing career. I have spoken about this long and in-depth previously; this time it isn't. Those choices will determine the length and depth of your fencing career, often will result in what sort ...
- Esfinges 30 Days of Hema: Day 1 of VadiI’ve decided to participate in Esfinges’ 30 Days of HEMA Study event. The basic challenge is simple: starting April 1st, every day for 30 days, I must read and study a historical, European fencing treatise for 15-30 minutes. There are some additional steps: Day 1 – declare what treatise and/or section you are going to ...
- Special Fencing Fest Edition: Walking Sticks and Their UseGreetings,The following is an additional article primarily for those who attended Fencing Fest XVIII this year. It serves as a follow-up and some documentation for some of the things that were discussed during one of my lessons. For all my other good readers, it's an extra article for the month, ...
- Art or Science: Dualism and Symbolism in VadiOne of the hardest things about working with historical texts is the large cultural gap between a modern reader and the work’s intended audience, and Vadi’s work is no exception. His text is littered with classical references that Vadi could reasonably expect his readers to instantly understand, and yet which ...
- Will It Zwerch? Landmarking in Video AnalysisLots of people look at fencing. Lots of people watch videos. What are you actually “looking” at when breaking down someone’s motion? The post Will It Zwerch? Landmarking in Video Analysis appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Things You Can Do To Improve Your FencingGreetings,I usually don't do the "list of things you can do to improve your fencing" thing, because I think that it is rather simplistic. I think that my time is better spent focusing on particular elements and focusing on these elements to a greater degree. However, there are some things ...
- Combat Con 2021 – The Nerd ReviewCombat Con 2021 just wrapped up recently*, the first large-scale North American event to start back up since the Covid shutdowns. It is also a [...] The post Combat Con 2021 – The Nerd Review appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Comment on English Knife Fighting – The Alehouse Dagger by Love Poems to Welsh Bucklers, with Paul Wagner[…] Alehouse Dagger article: https://stoccata.org/2017/05/14/english-knife-fighting-the-alehouse-dagger/ […] LikeLike ...
- Etiquette for Facing A Seated OpponentGreetings,A long while ago I wrote an article entitled No Footwork Fencing Or Fencing From a Chair, intended to teach people some of the ideas that I had gained from my practice of fencing from a chair. This is no gimmick, no trick. This a legitimate way for those who ...
- Let’s be Honest About HEMA… A Response to ShadiversityThis blog post is a response to Shad (of Shadiversity youtube channel fame), and is recent videos about “gatekeeping” in HEMA – it is a collection of thoughts, some of which ended as comments on his youtube video. I agree!Let’s be Honest About HEMA, Let’s especially be ...
- Practice Notes for July 18, 2021Meyer Longsword We learned some new terms today. The first is the Zornhuaw (Wrath Cut). Meyer describes is as… The Wrath Cut is a diagonal cut from your right shoulder at your opponent’s left ear or through his face and chest, diagonally through as shown by the two crossed ...
- Myth of Speed Part. 2Greetings,I wrote a previous article on the Myth of Speed in which I indicated that speed had little to do with the muscles of the fencer, and more to do with the efficiency of the fencer performing the actions. This comes from practising these actions so that they become smooth ...
- Gripping the SwordGreetings,For starters, don't grip the sword hold the sword. The subject of how to hold a sword is a subject that I am back at AGAIN. It would seem that most people when they approach the subject, give little consideration to its importance, and then wonder why they are having ...
- Of (School/Guild) RanksGreetings,Some schools have a formal ranking structure, some don't. All schools have ranking structures whether they realise it or not. This post talks about both formal ranking structures and also less formal ranking structures which result from the relationships that inevitably occur. It compares and contrasts these relationships and demonstrates ...
- Tools of the Trade: German Rugger“Tools of the Trade” is an ongoing series highlighting antique weapons/equipment pertaining to Western swordsmanship. It will feature hi-res photography and statistics, but also will address the tools from a martial artist’s point of view. Click on each image for the full resolution.
- Show me some nice swords: How to talk to a German sword cutler in the 17th centuryI recently posted a translation of this text from Daniel Martin’s Acheminement de la langue allemande, published in 1635, on my Facebook page which gathered a lot of interest, and so I thought I would republish it here along with some more details on the fourbisseur, schwertfeger or sword cutler ...
- Living off the sword under Napoleon : A history of the fencing masters of the Grand ArmyBy Maxime Chouinard Note: This article was first published in the Fondation Napoleon’s newsletter of March 2021. Several people asked me for a translation, and since this blog is aimed at a different crowd, I chose to expand a little bit on some of the points I am exploring. I ...
- In Response to Criticisms of “Just Another Fencer”Greetings,I don't usually release a second article before the next month but the previous article Just Another Fencer seems to have caused some contention, at least among some circles. To wit, and in answer to those particular contentions, I present the following:There is no editor who goes through and reads ...
- Just Another FencerGreetings,With the title of "just another fencer," it could be thought that I would be speaking about a person being left behind or forgotten. This is not the purpose of this article, but it is one of recognition. If you feel that you are "just another fencer" this is something ...
- Killer Whales Can Beat Sharks In A SwordfightYou see the title. The post Killer Whales Can Beat Sharks In A Swordfight appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- An Alternative Method for MoI DeterminationI’ve harped about Moment of Inertia in multiple articles. Now I try a new experimental method for figuring it out. The post An Alternative Method for MoI Determination appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- How do I train to be more explosive?I will try to address the basics of this and some of the most common misconceptions. If your goal is to be faster and more explosive then this is not something you can train in isolation. Like many movements or areas of fitness people want a single solution when there ...
- Meyer’s Longsword: A Grip Reversal from WechselMeyer is well known for the variety of techniques he uses, however some of those techniques are a little unorthodox and often dismissed. In this video we’ll look at a play from Wechsel (Change) which uses slashing from the right side, attacks with the flat, AND a reversal of hand ...
- 4 Rules to the Meyer SquareI don’t like remembering arbitrary sequences. And on the surface the 16-cut pattern that forms the Meyer’s Square is the exact type of arbitrary sequence that I hate. But is it really? The post 4 Rules to the Meyer Square appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Learn Your Lessons WellGreetings,The idea for this post was sparked by a student of mine, Helen Gilbert. I am writing the post, but the idea and the foundation is all hers. It is something that we should all consider, especially in approaching those parts of lessons, and techniques which we may not enjoy ...
- Comment on The Highland Cotun by mvaThis is so interesting, is amazing! I’m gonna try to make one. Thank you for your step-by-step instruction! M LikeLike ...
- Read the Whole ThingGreetings,I posted a document in October of last year, which I had been working on for a couple of months. It was a recreation of an Elizabethan political pamphlet, which I spoke about on my blog about Elizabethan English you can find that post here. Now, I did this because ...
- Swords in Space: The First (?) FrontierThere have been a number of very good physics descriptions of sword motion. However they neglect the most important part: a sword isn’t free floating in space! The post Swords in Space: The First (?) Frontier appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Understanding I.33 #1: A Teacher and His StudentsThe probably oldest book on martial arts known to us, it is exclusively about fencing with small shields and sword. The book, which is dated by scientists to the first half of the 14th century, was created in a workshop of at least three scribes and five illustrators. The story ...
- The Crossguard #7: Japanese SwordsThis is the seventh post on my article series on the development of hand protection in sword fights. The articles so far: Design of the Crossguard and the Christian faithHand protection for fighters through the (to me) known part of history. The development of handguards and armour for arm and ...
- “Safe Sword” is made up wordsWe frequently talk about how to make swords “safe”. Unfortunately unless you can come up with a definition which satisfies a few specific criteria, the word “safe” doesn’t have a lot of meaning. The post “Safe Sword” is made up words appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- The Crossguard #6: Chinese SwordsThis is the fifth post on my article series on the development of hand protection in sword fights. The articles so far: Design of the Crossguard and the Christian faithHand protection for fighters through the (to me) known part of history. The development of handguards and armour for arm and ...
- The Crossguard #5: Roman SwordsThis is the fifth post on my article series on the development of hand protection in sword fights. The articles so far: Design of the Crossguard and the Christian faithHand protection for fighters through the (to me) known part of history. The development of handguards and armour for arm and ...
- War… What is it Good For?Some time ago one of our club members posted a Youtube link taken in our regular weekly classes; it takes a deep-dive into the Krieg, dismantling it a piece at a time and teasing out some of the issues we need to consider when devising our training, and implementing it ...
- Rotella: Considerations of Form and SizeGreetings, Considerations of the form and size of our companion items tends to be relegated to secondary discussions. In this discussion there will be a short investigation of the rotella, with these considerations in mind, it will be one of my more formal posts.Cheers,Henry.Abstract A fencer needs to consider the ...
- Sidesword: Sequence of 3 Thrustsn this video we look at section 2.96v.1 from Meyer’s 1570 text, which discusses the use of a sequence of three thrusts, one after another. This is an interesting sequence which teaches some great lessons in winding and hanging, as well having elements which are really effective for day-to-day fencing. ...
- The Crossguard #4: A Question of ResourcesThis is the fourth post on my article series on the development of hand protection in sword fights. The articles so far: Design of the Crossguard and the Christian faithHand protection for fighters through the (to me) known part of history. The development of handguards and armour for arm and ...
- The Crossguard #3: The Development Of Handprotection?This is the third post on my article series on the development of hand protection in sword fights. The first one was some myth-busting, explaining, why the Crossguard was no design of the Christian faith. The second post was looking at the meaning of hand protection for fighters through the ...
- The Crossguard #2: Who needs to Protect the Hand in a Sword Fight?This is the second post on my article series on the development of hand protection in sword fights. The first one was some myth-busting, explaining, why the Crossguard was no design of the Christian faith. There are some more myths to bust. Let us start with the two most common ...
- The Crossguard #1: Not A Christian SymbolThere are many questions and myths to sword. This is the first article in a series of posts on the development of hand protection in regard of sword fighting. It is a nice tradition to start article series like this with some myth busting. So allow me to hold up ...
- Two Phases Of a Cut – Surface vs Steady StateFrom a blade resistance point of view, cutting actually has two distinct phases: the internal and external. The post Two Phases Of a Cut – Surface vs Steady State appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- A 31+ Layer Jack
- 1712 A London Bear Garden FightThe following text is a 1:1 copy of the article posted in the 21th July 1712 issue of THE SPECTATOR , a London newspaper magazine of the 18th century. It is interesting in comparison to my other blog post: 1711 A bloody London Bear Garden fight. In the newspapers of the ...
- Difficulties with SCA Flex Test and Buckling Test for Measuring Blade StiffnessTwo of the most popular ways to quantify blade stiffness are the SCA Flex Test and the Buckling Test. Unfortunately they both have issues, but we’re suffering for lack of better solutions. The post Difficulties with SCA Flex Test and Buckling Test for Measuring Blade Stiffness appeared first on Sword ...
- On Man-Eaters and their Famous ShieldLittle is known about a shield that appeared in the 11th century and disappeared in the 14th century. The shield was called “talevaces” (English), “taneva s, talevart, tolfaces” (French), or “talebart” (Spanish). There are very few sources mentioning the shield but they are geographically largely distributed for such a an ...
- Against StrengthGreetings,In a person's fencing career, they will always come up against an opponent who will want to use strength as their primary method to force their way through an engagement. Over the past months I have been dealing with this problem with some of my students, thus how to deal ...
- Finding the World’s Highest Level HEMA“In your opinion, which country has the highest level of practitioners?” Let’s see if I can answer this in the most unhelpful way possible. The post Finding the World’s Highest Level HEMA appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Was Vadi governor of Reggio?“Who was Philippo Vadi?” is a surprisingly difficult question to answer for a number of reasons. Evidence is scant, disconnected and largely not available without physical access to a wide range of libraries and archives dotted around Northern Italy. Even if you find a plausible library or resource, odds are ...
- Vector Transformations and the “Wedge”Vectors are used to describe just about everything in life. And all it takes to win a sword fight is to transform all your opponent’s vectors into ones that can’t hurt you. Piece of cake! The post Vector Transformations and the “Wedge” appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Fence Like Wile E. CoyoteGreetings, The most important thing that a fencer can do is fill themselves with fortitude and strength, because the path that they have chosen is not going to be easy. From this perspective there are lessons that can be learned from the character of Wile E. Coyote and his struggle ...
- Analysis of the Liechtenauer PoemThe analysis of the Liechtenauer fencing poem was the first step to create a critical edition based on content and linguistic aspects. The preconditions that lead to this method of analysis had been discussed in the article entitled: The Path to the Origininal Poem of Master Liechtenauer. For the analysis ...
- The path to the original poem of Master LiechtenauerIf we compare the versions of the Zedel by Master Liechtenauer to each other, and to the poem originated by Magister Beringer we will recognize at first sight the different number of verses. Same happens in comparison of the Nürnberg Hausbuch with most of the other variants of Liechtenauer Zedel. ...
- Mail Collar from Nuremberg, 15th centuryThis is a quick write-up of how I made a mail collar patterned after one found in Veste Coburg, documented by Isak Krogh. The goal was to make a collar that could replicate the “high and tight” look of 15th century collars, where the mail rides up the neck, very ...
- On “Stupid” QuestionsGreetings,"Carl Sagan, in his work The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark said: "There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question"." (Wikipedia (2020) ...
- My best actionsA selection of the actions I landed during the last tournament in Cargmangola. ...
- HEMA Tournament in CarmagnolaHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you this video which shows the adventures of me and my students Iacopo and Mattia (aka Boris) during the Torneo Medievale del Conte held by the Sala d’arme Il Carmagnola. I take the … Continue reading → ...
- Practice Notes for Sept 21-27L’Ange Rapier Beginner Review the basic footwork, alone and while in guard. Introduction to the guards. Images of the Guards Salute (summarized) Intermediate Review the basic footwork, alone and while in guard. Practiced lunges, focusing on off-line steps and putting the off-hand in the correct location. Meyer Longsword ...
- Why n00bs Fling the Sword: A Multi-Part Analysis of Rapier Thrusting Mechanics (Part 2)In Part1 we discussed what flinging is, why n00bs fling, and why flinging is a poor tactic. But how can we not fling? Before we can start, we need to understand motor redundancy. The post Why n00bs Fling the Sword: A Multi-Part Analysis of Rapier Thrusting Mechanics (Part 2) appeared ...
- Why n00bs Fling the Sword: A Multi-Part Analysis of Rapier Thrusting Mechanics (Part 1)In Salvator Fabris’ 1606 treatise on rapier, he dedicates an entire chapter on the subject of flinging the sword and in-depth discussion of why this is bad. But what is flinging? And why is it poor form? The post Why n00bs Fling the Sword: A Multi-Part Analysis of Rapier Thrusting Mechanics (Part 1) appeared ...
- “There can be only one.” Monolithic training environments and the fallacy of competenceGreetings,Before I start with the discussion of this article I would like thank Nic Harrison for his assistance with ideas and direction in this article. His ideas and formulations have been most useful in describing this subject more fully and also directing the discussion in the direction that it needed ...
- My Coat of ArmsSchwarz, zwei goldene ausgerottet Linden (Black, two golden linden trees eradicated) I decided to make a coat of arms. I hope to participate in harnischfechten tournaments, and it’s encouraged in some events to have one. ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide #15 – Defending from a Combination of AttacksHello HEMA friends!the new episode of the Longsword Beginners Guide, episode 15th, is now online! This time I explain how to deal with a combination of attacks.Check it out! ...
- Spadone SparringHello HEMA friends!So finally I had time to edit and upload the Spadone sparring that I had with Niccolò Menozzi some weeks ago.I hope you will enjoy it! ...
- Blade StressesWe are used to thinking about the forces that swords apply on their targets, but we don’t spend as much time thinking about the forces that the targets apply to the swords. Between axial, shear, bending, and torsion there is a lot more going on than you might have thought! ...
- The Spadone (Montante)Hello HEMA friends! If you are a BIG CHOPPA-LIKE-THINGS lover, you may end up liking this Spadone video which I made in collaboration with my friend Niccolò Menozzi from The Spadone Project. Enjoy! ...
- Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle Applied to FencingGreetings,Some first things that need to be established. I am not a physicist, I have not studied physics save for a little dabbling in Aristotelian Physics to greater understand Renaissance thought. So with this in mind my approach to using Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is going to be a little "popularist" ...
- Sword Cross SectionsIn my previous article, “Do Fullers Make Feders Take a Set?”, I promised you that I would take some data on production swords and back up the theory with data. I still haven’t done it, but I do have some measurements of the sharps around my apartment. The post Sword ...
- Vadi’s Mezo-TempoIntroduction Vadi is both the first written source we have that uses the common Italian word “tempo” in the way that has become ubiquitous in modern (HEMA and Olympic) fencing, and also the first source to mention the related (far less common) phrase mezzo tempo (half tempo). However, he does ...
- Vadi’s Mezzo TempoThe concept of tempo (time in Italian) is a common concept used across many fencing systems throughout history. Philippo Vadi’s De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi (published around 1485) is the oldest surviving written source we have that uses this ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide 14th EpisodeHello HEMA friends! After several months of stop, here we are with the 14th episode of my “longsword Beginners Guide” which features the very first example of action “on tempo” of the series. I hope you will enjoy! ...
- Daggers in Men’s Smiles: Tournament Starting Positions versus OutcomesDagger tournaments can receive an unfair reputation as stab-happy fights, with competitors disregarding defense for a ‘first-strike at all costs’ mentality. This paper will determine what proportion of exchanges in a recent dagger and ringen HEMA tournament ended with clean, contained hits and how many ended in doubles or hits ...
- Vadi’s Mezo-TempoThis post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading. ...
- On Respect for the PointGreetings,The following article discusses the respect given to the weapon which is being used in a martial context, something which seems to be being lost in some HEMA (Historical European Martial Art) situations. The original weapons, and the idea of the original weapons, is being lost the result is this ...
- Scary ThingsWay before Valkyrie, I had the idea to start teaching people how to teach martial arts. Back in the Scatha Combat Guild days, we put a ton of work into creating a program and booklet to do just ...
- Scary ThingsWay before Valkyrie, I had the idea to start teaching people how to teach martial arts. Back in the Scatha Combat Guild days, we put a ton of work into creating a program and booklet to do just that thing. It had a lot of value, and had ...
- Corona Feder ReviewHello HEMA friends! I’m extremely happy to share with you this review, simply because it’s extremely satisying to review a product which is just GOOD in in any sense.The Corona Feder has become my favorite training sword in 3 days … Continue reading → ...
- Closed Loop (Part 2) – Loops, Vision, and Sword ControlWe have many ways and senses to process information with. How do we put them all together to control our actions? The post Closed Loop (Part 2) – Loops, Vision, and Sword Control appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Longsword: Meyer’s “Circle”A brief video describing the Zirckel (Circle) – an important technique in Joachim Meyer’s longsword system. The Circle ...
- Bicorno – Feint and ThrustHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you the feint and Bicorno thrust technique used by Enrico Campobello (Instructor of Sala d’Arme – Il Carmagnola) in his last sparring with me. As many of you were interested, we decided to … Continue reading → ...
- Closed Loop (Part 1) – Control Makes Fencing Good and Cars CozyClosed feedback loops are a fundamental part of engineering control theory. They should also be a fundamental part of your fencing. The post Closed Loop (Part 1) – Control Makes Fencing Good and Cars Cozy appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- British sabreurs through French eyesYesterday was the 205th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. I thought it would then be interesting to translate a few sword fighting anecdotes from French soldier memoirs facing British ones. It is very rare to find mentions of fights with British swordsmen in French sources, which is not that ...
- Arming Sword Basics 3 – Paired DrillsHello HEMA friends! I’m happy to share with you the Third episode of my Arming Sword – Basics series.A special thank you to my Patron Simone Normani for helping me in the shooting process. ...
- Old Learning for Old TreatisesGreetings,The following article examines the question of what background reading the fencer should do to put themselves in the mind-set of the individual who wrote the Medieval or Renaissance treatise. It will also discuss how it is important that this older mind-set be applied when reading these texts rather than ...
- How Many Senses Do You Have?Quick, name five senses. Equilibrioception, Thermoception, Proprioception, Nociception, and Chronoception probably jump out at the top of the list, right? Or maybe not. I’m not [...] The post How Many Senses Do You Have? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Analysis of the Vibrational Characteristics of a Training LongswordLongswords are often treated as having static vibrational nodes, with implications for sparring. A combination of mathematical analysis, SolidWorks modeling, and practical experiments were used to analyze the motion of a longsword under realistic end conditions. It was determined that not only are the nodes not static with respect to ...
- Poste di Spada -> How toHello HEMA friends! In this new video I share my way of organizing (and creating) my actions using the Poste System of Fiore dei Liberi.This is also, in my understanding, the way in which the poste system was meant to … Continue reading → ...
- Justicehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lonpicman / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)Justice means Equality. Stoicism is on a bit of trend these days. It’s mostly just dropped in as a word though, a vague catch-all for mindfulness, stripped of all of it’s meat. People love ...
- Justicehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Lonpicman / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)Justice means Equality. Stoicism is on a bit of trend these days. It’s mostly just dropped in as a word though, a vague catch-all for mindfulness, stripped of all of it’s meat. People love to quote Aurelius, and talk about accepting bad things that ...
- Longsword Fencing: Four common Beginners ErrorsHave you already watched my new video? This time I help people fixing some flaws in the form of their actions to improve their form is sparring. ...
- Now Available: SwordSTEM PolosDue to popular* demand, SwordSTEM Polos are finally here!Enjoy a nice performance polo and support SwordSTEM at the same time. https://southcoastswords.com/products/sword-stem-sport-polo *as popular as anything [...] The post Now Available: SwordSTEM Polos appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Gravitas and the RainbowMoving my regular Thursday night sparring class online represented some challenges for me. My preferred style of coaching is not to present a formal lesson plan for students to receive, but rather to look and analyze my students ...
- Power Through The Body, Or How I Learned To Do A Leaping CutYou can cut without proper grounding, or across your body. But it does have consequences. The post Power Through The Body, Or How I Learned To Do A Leaping Cut appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Gravitas and the RainbowMoving my regular Thursday night sparring class online represented some challenges for me. My preferred style of coaching is not to present a formal lesson plan for students to receive, but rather to look and analyze my students to see how they are progressing towards the ideals of ...
- Triangular Shield – Cutting DrillHello HEMA friends! Today, I share with you the second Heater Shield Tutorial. This time I talk about cuts and I build up a cutting drill to better train your cuts! Enjoy! ...
- The Deep Groove and ChangeMy handwriting used to suck. It still does. When I was approaching fifty, I had a new job that I really enjoyed. The company was relatively young and absolutely going places, and my boss was a real ...
- The Deep Groove and ChangeMy handwriting used to suck. It still does. When I was approaching fifty, I had a new job that I really enjoyed. The company was relatively young and absolutely going places, and my boss was a real visionary. I’d built up some pretty good work habits over ...
- Dual Wielding SwordsHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you somethind different (and fun)! Dual Wielding Swords basics! ...
- How Does Meyer *Illustrate* a LongswordDoes Meyer depict cutting with the hand on the pommel? Come and learn. (Or don’t read and post a response anyways.) The post How Does Meyer *Illustrate* a Longsword appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Naval Swords: A Curatorial DiscussionGreetings,The following is a rather long article on naval weapons from a curatorial point of view. It has references included so that the reader can follow up any information that they might find useful. The article in its entirety is available from me in pdf form at request via e-mail. ...
- EcosystemsMy neighbour hates my front yard. He’s got the standard yard. Neatly trimmed grass, the requisite boxed hedges, the feature plant by the front window. As you can see above, my front yard hasn’t been mown in ...
- EcosystemsMy neighbour hates my front yard. He’s got the standard yard. Neatly trimmed grass, the requisite boxed hedges, the feature plant by the front window. As you can see above, my front yard hasn’t been mown in about two years. There is mess of plants about. Our ...
- Stranded Reading, or How I Got Through This BeforeI was stuck at home like this once before. In the late spring of 2006 I was unemployed and suffering from the double-whammy of having just left my first museum job after almost ten years and finishing grad school. Suddenly I had a lot of time at home. Which, I ...
- Hobbit DayI’ve made some changes to my process lately, and it’s been measurably successful for me. Three weeks ago I was in a rough place, with the quarantine and work. It’s nice to be meaningfully employed right now, but ...
- Hobbit DayI’ve made some changes to my process lately, and it’s been measurably successful for me. Three weeks ago I was in a rough place, with the quarantine and work. It’s nice to be meaningfully employed right now, but I can’t deny there was some envy building when I ...
- A late 16th century hat.Late 16th century hat, in the style of those seen in the Meyer rapier section, for Adam Franti. The fabric is a super chonky 24 oz. 100% wool broadcloth, all hand-sewn. The pleats and the thick fabric ...
- Breakdown: Thrust and Point ControlA breakdown of video footage of Robert Childs delivering his trademark start-from-low thrust. The post Breakdown: Thrust and Point Control appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Expectations and CategorizationsIf I had to chose one thing I really love about martial arts, it’s that I get to punish people for thinking that they know me. The human brain arose from a some relatively simple biochemical processes, some ...
- Expectations and CategorizationsIf I had to chose one thing I really love about martial arts, it’s that I get to punish people for thinking that they know me. The human brain arose from a some relatively simple biochemical processes, some basic rules that come from the physics of our universe. ...
- Training load-out reviewHello HEMA friends! So, many people asked me to shoot this video. It’s basically a review of my Training/Sparring Kit plus my Three main swords. I hope you will find it interesting too. Cheers! ...
- Starting From Scratch. Again.Proper pushup form. Advanced students may try the clapping version.Hi folks! Been a few years. Let’s get started again. About two years ago I started to have some health issues, and went to see a doctor. ...
- Starting From Scratch. Again.Proper pushup form. Advanced students may try the clapping version.Hi folks! Been a few years. Let’s get started again. About two years ago I started to have some health issues, and went to see a doctor. Which led to be treated by a cardiologist, and some more fun. ...
- The Dangers HEMA is facing right now.Hello HEMA friends. So guys, that’s a weird video compared to my usual ones. I decided to talk about a “problem” which, as an HEMA instructor, I feel arising as the days passes. This is far more complex than the … Continue reading → ...
- Discord ChannelHello HEMA friends! Since the next week I will open a Discord Channel, which will be open from the brand new “Soldier” Tier (10$ per month) above. Everyone who gets access to my Discord channel will also receive regular updates … Continue reading → ...
- Because there’s nowhere else to put this.We're quarantined, there's shit to do. I think I've found a great, cheap way to make a modular pell and so I go down a HEMA rabbit hole seeing if anyone has my idea and has put in the research. (Kee Klamps and car tyres- there's a good chance it ...
- How to wield your SwordHello HEMA friends. I share with you the second “How to wield your sword” video in which I talk about one handed swords (well, mainly arming swords). The first one was about Longswords and you may find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDZowPW9hjE ...
- HEMA Tournament Double Hit FrequencyThe YouTube channel Turul HEMA recently posed a video attempting to derive the average number of double hits seen in HEMA longsword tournaments. (HEMA Longsword [...] The post HEMA Tournament Double Hit Frequency appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Historically-Based Weapon DimensionsGreetings,Toward the end of this post you will find a statistical comparison between some modern and some museum rapiers to see if the weapons which are being constructed and used stand up comparatively to those which were actually used during the period. This involved a bit of research, a bit ...
- Three Martial Arts BooksHere we are guys. Three Eastern Martial Arts books absolutely worth reading. Enjoy. ...
- The Heater ShieldHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you a video which focuses over a new topic. The Triangular shield, or Heater shield. I hope you will enjoy. ...
- Very Perilous: A sword wounds compendium by the surgeon RavatonBy Maxime Chouinard In the few years I spent as a medical museum curator, I was brought to read and examine many different period sources on the subject of health care. One of those is Hugues Ravaton’s Chirurgie d’armée, a seminal work in the history of European surgery and ...
- Longsword Handling – How to wield your sword.A really simple video in which I talk about the main different ways of gripping the longsword. ...
- A Win is a Win: How Weighted Point Values Don’t Affect Match OutcomesGood fighters find a way to get it done. It looks like hitting them more than they hit you is more important than what the point values of the targets are. The post A Win is a Win: How Weighted Point Values Don’t Affect Match Outcomes appeared first on Sword ...
- “Strong as an ox and quick as a cat”: Nina Lemon sword fights with a burglarI recently found this article that I had stored away on my computer a few years ago and rediscovered the remarkable account of a young California woman fighting off a wannabe burglar in her home with a sabre in hand. The woman, Nina Lemon, was apparently trained in fencing, and ...
- Corona – Solo drills #2Hello HEMA friends! Today I share with you the second Solo Drills special-video to better deal with our quarantine. This time I focus on footwork stuff. I hope you will enjoy! ...
- “Six Inches of Steel”: Bowie Knife Instruction by Louis Juan OhnimusAs the Bartitsu.org website seems to be currently down, I have decided to republish here this article I had found in 2013 and which was posted up on the Bartitsu website by Tony Wolf with additional research on the author. I believe this is a precious source for anyone looking ...
- I.33 – A “training” ManualHello HEMA friends! this is a quite complex and long video, so I hope you will find the courage to go through 22 minutes of my english. In this video I explain the foundations behind my new way of reading … Continue reading → ...
- Dynamic vs Static: A Generic ‘+Balance’ Stat Doesn’t ExistBalance is generally regarded as a very important part of any martial art. And for good reason. If you don’t have your balance stabilized you [...] The post Dynamic vs Static: A Generic ‘+Balance’ Stat Doesn’t Exist appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- My Top-5 favorite Medieval Fighting ManualsHello HEMA friends! In this new video I talk about my 5 favorite medieval fighting manuals. Enjoy. ...
- Of the Use of the FoilGreetings,The foil is a much misunderstood weapon. From the point of view of many historical fencers it is much maligned, and even from modern fencers it is misunderstood due to the rules which are associated with it. The following discussion attempts to shed some light on the use of the ...
- HalfswordingHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you three simple solo drills to improve your transition from the standard grip to the half-swording grip. Enjoy. ...
- Do Fullers Make Feders Take a Set?In a completely non-intuitive trick of physics, adding a fuller to a feder actually makes the sword more likely to take a permanent set. Let’s have a look! The post Do Fullers Make Feders Take a Set? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Sleeveless Jack, late 15th c.I constructed a sleeveless jack to be worn as a standalone textile armor. It consists of many layers of linen, fustian, hemp, and silk, loosely quilted together. It does not match any specific source, but is somewhere in between several text descriptions and a survival of fabric defenses ...
- Struggles with SynthesisMost assume that growth, either physical or intellectual, happens on a graceful curve. As both a martial arts instructor and a professional educator let me simply say:HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!Whew! Glad I got that out of my system. Actual growth happens in a repeated pattern of massive growth and seemingly never-ending plateaus. You have ...
- Medieval shoes vs Modern one.Hello HEMA friends! Today I share with you this new video, in which I decided to compare modern to historical shoes in most of the movements we end up doing during our sparring matches or tournaments. Some people already pointed … Continue reading → ...
- First Blood, First Win? How Important Is the First ExchangeHow important is the first exchange? Turns out, it tells you quite a bit. The post First Blood, First Win? How Important Is the First Exchange appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide #13 – First combination of cutsHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you the new episode of the “Longsword Beginners Guide”. This time, I explain how to train the first combination of cuts. Enjoy. ...
- Define: Martial ArtGreetings,The definition of what a martial art is has been debated somewhat and I have made mention of the concept in previous articles in this blog. The following article is designed to examine this concept a little more closely using a definition taken from one source and then examining various ...
- Bicorno in sparring?Hello HEMA friends! Today I share with you this beautiful sparring match between me and my friends David and Enrico. If you want to see the infamous BICORNO applied in sparring, this is a good occasion too If you want … Continue reading → ...
- What is a “system?”You sometimes hear about "Meyers System" or "Foire's System." But what does that mean, what is a system?A system is a series of general principles, rules or a framework that acts as instructions for an optimal way of fighting.An exceptional HEMA sourcebook will layout this system reasonably clearly and explicitly. This is ...
- Describing MotionsIn the year 2000 Antoinette Gentile published a framework of understanding and classifying motions based on four controlling dimensions. This framework, which has come to be called the Gentile Taxonomy, can help to classify different actions and identify the prime challenges in accomplishing them. The post Describing Motions appeared first ...
- Interview with Arto FamaHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you an interview that I had with Arto Fama. Sadly, the audio quality was not good as expected because of the river (which weirdly enough, was almost 2km away) but I hope you … Continue reading → ...
- Conditioning: A brief overviewI notice in January there are often a lot of questions in the HEMA Strong group on cardio / conditioning in, the best practices and how to train it so below I am going to outline some best practices to help. A quick bit on me I spend a good ...
- Ressurection: Movement Patterns in Martial ArtsIntro:Holy crap. It had been so long since I'd updated here that I was certain I'd deleted this blog. Turns out I hadn't so...yay? I'm going to try to be uploading more stuff here (until/unless I find a better platform). I make no promises about frequency though. Most of this ...
- Degrees of FreedomA degree of freedom is the number of directions in which something is free to move. You may be thinking of the three directions, but in this case you would be thinking wrong. The maximum number of degrees of freedom of a rigid body is six. The post Degrees of ...
- The Longsword Beginners Guide #12 – Simple Attack TrainingHello HEMA friends! Here I share with you the new episode of “The Longsword Beginners Guide”, this time I’m featuring a simple yet extremely hard topic, the simple attack (thrust or cut) and how to train it properly. Enjoy. ...
- Historic Knightly Physical TrainingWhy Historical Training Matters When I first started HEMA Strong, one of my dream ideas/projects was to run a seminar or event based on historical training methods because about once a month someone in the group (link) asks: “How do we set up our physical training like that of a ...
- Those Who Can’t, Teach?Greetings,There is this idea going around that if a person is an instructor or trainer or master of a particular school then they should also be some sort of high-level competitor, able to dish out the hard stuff to others in competitions. On the other hand there is this idea ...
- Sparring with Arto FamaHello HEMA friends! Today I share with you the sparring with Arto Fama that I had one month ago, here, in Valsesia. Having the chance to Spar with Arto was great, interesting and really useful to improve my fencing. You … Continue reading → ...
- Brittle vs Ductile and Swords in FreezersThings get more brittle when they get cold. But why? The post Brittle vs Ductile and Swords in Freezers appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Changing Interpretations: The Zornhau VersetzenIt is often said that “the only constant is change,” and the study of historical martial arts does nothing to deny that aphorism. I recently had someone complain that a picture in my book, The Knightly Art of the Longsword (Lulu.com, 2009), shows me doing a displacement differently from how ...
- ProGauntlet: The Wait Is Over Their first pair shipped and…ProGauntlet: The Wait Is Over Their first pair shipped and delivered today 🙂 ...
- 2019 – Year In ReviewAnd so we come to the end of year number two for Sword STEM. The post 2019 – Year In Review appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- French cutlass regulations – The work of Bouët-WillaumezBy Maxime Chouinard Although the art of fencing was quite developed in France, the military did not establish any unified method for soldiers or sailors until the mid 19th century. Until then, fencing instruction continued as it had for centuries: regiments and ships could have several fencing masters and ...
- Historical European Martial ArtsHistorical European Martial Arts ...
- Arming Sword – Step 2Hello HEMA friends! Today I share with you my second “Arming Sword” video. In this video I share some informations about the history of this kind of swords and I add some new drills to our practice repertoire. First … Continue reading → ...
- Practice Notes for Sunday, Dec 15, 2019We covered a lot of material in Sunday’s rapier class. For your benefit, I’ve taken the time to writing up some notes and posting them in our new website. https://hemadrillbook.azurewebsites.net/b/L’Ange/p/Main/t/commentary The new sections are: Chapter 4: How You Shall Recognize the Near and Wide MeasureChapter 5: About the Movement ...
- Keith Farrell’s ConferenceHello HEMA friends! In this new video I’m sharing with you part of the conference which was held in Varallo during the second edition of the Borgosesia Historical Fencing Meeting. In this first part, Keith Farrell talks about his experiences … Continue reading → ...
- To the “Sword Widows”Greetings,We often do not thank our significant others (wives/girlfriends/husbands/boyfriends/insert appropriate title) enough for allowing us to pursue something which gives us so much joy. There is a time factor which needs to be taken into account. It is not just the weekends away at events every now and then, it ...
- Totally Scientific Reasons You Need a New SwordWhen I published "Do Swords Really Wear Out?" I was accused of robbing people of the ability to justify sword purchases. Fear not, I am here for the community. Just in time for Christmas, here are five totally valid scientific reasons you can use to justify the new sword purchase. ...
- Spear Techniques – Back in Armis 2019Hello HEMA friends! Today I share with you part of the Spear seminar I held in Firenze at the BACK IN ARMIS 2019 event, two weeks ago. Enjoy. ...
- I’m fighting in Armor!Hello HEMA friends! After a week full of work and interesting events I want to share with you my latest video AND some words about the Back In Armis event, which has been held in Firenze the past week, organized … Continue reading → ...
- Full Afterblow Smackdown: 1&2 vs 2&3The most common point allocations for Full Afterblow tournaments are 1&2 and 2&3 points. Thanks to HEMA CM we can observe what difference that makes. The post Full Afterblow Smackdown: 1&2 vs 2&3 appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Dente de Zenghiaro!Hello HEMA friends, here we are with the eleventh episode of the Longsword Beginners Guide. Yes, this little baby is slowly growing toward its final objective of Forty “lessons”. This time I show the Dente de Zenghiaro guard and two … Continue reading → ...
- A HEMA JourneymanWhat does it mean to travel? I just finished what I’ve come to realize is my “journeyman year” in HEMA. Let me explain. About two years ago, I thought that I would someday do an old-school “wanderjahr” of medieval journeymen, where I’d visit and train with different HEMA schools ...
- Myth of Knees Over ToesA common piece of advice you may have heard is to never let your knee move forward beyond the front of your foot. This is well-meaning, but not actually true. The post Myth of Knees Over Toes appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Accuracy is the Best WeaponGreetings,The following discussion is about accuracy and the assertion that "accuracy is the best weapon". This will be discussed from three different points of view, all of which are relevant to those with an interest in swordplay. Accuracy is an element of which its importance cannot be denied, but for ...
- Keith Farrell Strikes Back…Hello HEMA friends, Today I share with you this beautiful sparring video between Keith Farrell and Mauro Carapacchi which happened this summer here in my Valley. Lots of beautiful exchanges and precise thrusts. Enjoy. ...
- The sabre lesson of Messieurs Billès and WachterThis guide is part of Louis Rupert Wachter’s book Aperçus équestres au point de vue de la méthode Baucher, published in 1862. It was written by Wachter but following the lesson plan of Pierre Billès (named, for some reason, “Billesse” in the book). So this is not only a catalogue ...
- Do Swords Really Wear Out?Does HEMA gear really wear out? You may be surprised to hear the answer isn’t necessarily yes... The post Do Swords Really Wear Out? appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- The Arming SwordHello HEMA friends! During the years I’ve found more and more people interested in the use of the single Arming Sword. I’ve always found this weapon fascinating too and I’ve used it for many, many years. But I always used … Continue reading → ...
- My HEMA Journey so farHello HEMA friends! I decided to put together this video because people seems to really enjoy watching my fencing evolve through my sparring videos. So I’ve searched for as much sparring video as I could find and I’ve been able … Continue reading → ...
- Slow is slow and fast is fast. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwiseThe quote “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast” is a good reminder to prioritize learning speed through coordination, but it is seriously misleading if you think that it means you can get away with training slowly all the time. The post Slow is slow and fast is fast. And ...
- Sparring with Keith FarrellHello HEMA friends. Here is the annual sparring between me Keith Farrell. Keith is an Extremely Proficient Instructor and a clean and efficient Fencer. Since three year we shoot the sparring that we end up having while we catch up … Continue reading → ...
- Check Your HeightGreetings,Much has been said in various manuals and treatises about the combat of the short fencer against the tall fencer and also vice versa. These are considerations of note and need to be taken into account. What does not seem to appear all that often are considerations of teaching a ...
- Keeping Watch as a LanceThis post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading. ...
- PrincipiumThis post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading. ...
- I.33 – The Mutatio GladiiHello HEMA friends! Today I’m here with a new video, which shows the sequence of mutatio gladii which starts from the folio 3v and ends in the 4r of our beloved “Walpurgis Manual”. So, for this video you will need … Continue reading → ...
- Historical Injury vs Modern Tournament TargetingComparing the archaeological injury patterns from Matzke’s 2011 “Armed and Educated” to statistics from modern HEMA tournaments. The post Historical Injury vs Modern Tournament Targeting appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- HEMA Longsword SparringHello HEMA friends! Today we give a look to the sparring I had with one of my Patrons, Simone Normani, almost two months ago. Enjoy! Advertisements ...
- Thoughts on Squires, Knights, and Harness, Part IIn this article, I’ll talk about the role of a squire, my experiences squiring for Jake Norwood at the Deed of Arms at WMAW, and my thoughts on its meaning for the use of harness.
- Longsword Beginners Guide #9 – Beat and ThrustHello HEMA friends! Finally the longsword beginners guide is back. This time we learn how to counter an extended position (Longa/Langort) using a beat and attack action. Enjoy! Advertisements ...
- HEMA Tournament – Sword and BucklerHello HEMA friends! I’ve just uploaded the fights (not everyone, two are missing, sadly I had not enough charge on the camera) of the small tournament (Around 20 participants) that my friends of Scherma Storica Firenze ASD organized in July during the … Continue reading → ...
- Studying the SourcesGreetings,The following article is the result of a discussion that I had with Lois Spangler about studying the sources. There are various questions that we all have to ask ourselves when we are studying the sources so that we can understand what we are actually doing. Many of them are ...
- It’s Not “All in the Hips”A colloquialism associated with generating power is “it’s all in the hips”, but this is a little bit misleading, as the hips themselves aren’t really the source of the power. The post It’s Not “All in the Hips” appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Why Diversity and Inclusion are Important for Good HEMA.I just got back from Swordsquatch 2019. I arrived with almost no gear, with the goals of teaching my class, taking classes, and meeting West Coast HEMA people. “Observer mode,” if you will. I advise people to try attending events with these goals some time, it is really a great ...
- Don’t Give Points When People Withdraw From Matches!In some tournament formats a competitor will be given a win and the maximum match points if their opponent doesn’t fight. This is a terrible idea and unfair to all the other competitors. The post Don’t Give Points When People Withdraw From Matches! appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Some HEMA Longsword sparring…Hello HEMA friends! In this video I spar with my friend and fellow swordsman Nicola Curini, which came here in Valsesia the past month to help me shoot some I.33 related videos. Enjoy! Advertisements ...
- Project Smart SwordFinal Design Project of recording sword impacts for an ECE 4710 university course in the Spring 2015 term. The post Project Smart Sword appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Parsing FightcampMy girlfriend is disabled, She has also been sexually assaulted ("touched up") by my esteemed and honourable embezzler of funds when he was a teacher. If he wasn't a massive cunt, she would have a skill and experience at least equal to mine.She was SG-3, she chose Middleton to be ...
- New Gorget DoneIt only took me a decade to get off my ass and finish strapping this, but we’ve got one more gorget for the loaner kit. ...
- Video links broken, but being fixed…Both my Rapier Workbook series and my Fiore Translation Project series depend on a system called PrettyLinks, where links in the text of the books direct through this website, and are redirected to the target video (or anywhere else). This means that I can update the video, and redirect the ...
- The cost of one memberWe had a bit of a crisis of conscious recently. The club has worked hard to distance itself from old associations. We didn't tell about the new group who we saw as papercut toxic. The kinds who use gay or girl as insults. The people that define microagressions.We're now big ...
- On Holding the SwordGreetings,The action of holding the sword is one of the most fundamental of fencing, and yet it is one which seems to be passed over in preference for other subjects such as how the rest of the body should be placed. It would seem that holding the sword, or the ...
- Striking with Spears?I have long been troubled by the unarmored spear plays in Talhoffer's Königsegg Codex, as in the picture here, et. seq.:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Ms.XIX.17-3_45r.pngThe problem with these plays (and there are only a very few—ff. 45r- 49r in MS XIX.17-3—is that there are a few which show the spears being used to strike ...
- I.33 Durchtreten: A wide Concept!Hello HEMA friends! In this video I explain my point of view about the I.33 “Durchtreten” or “Durchtrit” which I see as a wide concept instead of a single, defined technique. I also show how to execute the Durchtreten of … Continue reading → ...
- Geometry of a Flat HitYou can tell when a sword lands flat. With MATH! The post Geometry of a Flat Hit appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- MORDHAU (The Game)Hello HEMA friends! Mordhau is a Multiplayer medieval slaher. I wanted to test it to build up my opinion about its fighting system and here is my review, enjoy. Advertisements ...
- 4 down, 56 to go.It's the Fightcamp planning spree and inbetween comittee and club stuff, constantly more complicated life stuff and so on... It has always been hard keeping the blog- But nkw harder than ever because things I want to rant about is too sensitive, so it passes without comment until it is ...
- Tournament Season? Tournament Countries? Where and when does HEMA happenEven though we have tournaments all year I kind of felt like we had a tournament season. I was wrong... The post Tournament Season? Tournament Countries? Where and when does HEMA happen appeared first on Sword STEM. ...
- Is the edge or back of a blade stronger?Well of course it depends on the blade. But if we’re talking about Japanese swords, we have an excellent source with both historic and scientific information. Just to make things interesting, let me translate an account by another Japanese swordsman. This passage appears in a book by ISHIGAKI Yasuzô, ...
- Review: Sigi Forge FederSigi Forge is a relative newcomer to the HEMA scene, but with the backing of high profile fencers like Martin Fabian, I was unsurprisingly excited when mine arrived several weeks ago. Does this sword offer something new to the fencing community? Read on and see. At a Glance The continuing ...
- Italian Longsword SparringSome Longsword Sparring with my student Fabrizio Oioli Advertisements ...
- Three things I had to shareI don’t normally use my blog to spread other people’s work or ideas; that’s not what it’s for. But every now and then I come across some things that are too cool, interesting, or important, to keep to myself. Treatises available free online:
- Drills are Not CombatGreetings,Have you ever been in a class performing a drill and a person states that they could counter the action that you are doing with another? How about, that the drill that they are doing is artificial and does not relate to combat? What has happened here is that the ...
- The DeKoven Concord version 2.0Advertisements ...
- American AdventuresI have just returned from a trip to the USA, centred around Lord Baltimore’s Challenge, a rapier-themed event held in, you guessed it, Baltimore, and organised by David Biggs. Because of the vagaries of international air travel, I flew to New York on Wednesday 3rd, and took the train down ...
- Longsword Beginners GuideThe Longsword Beginners Guide (AKA How to Longsword) keeps going on, if you haven’t watched it yet here’s the first episode. Every episode have the link of the next one attached at the very end of the video! Advertisements ...
- There is no horizontal zwerchau cutting plane!That’s right, you heard me. Geometry forbids keeping your edge in line while the tip is below the hands. ...
- Siege Rations from Christine de Pizan’s The Book of Deeds of Arms and of ChivalryIn Christine de Pizan’s The Book of Deeds of Arms and of Chivalry, Pizan offers a suggestion for the supplies needed to defend a castle. She lists the necessary supplies for 200 men-at-arms, with 400 servants to hold out for six months. We can use this list of supplies ...
- The LBG #8 – How to use LongaThe 8th video of my Longsword Beginners Guide is now online, this time I show a simple and usefull way to use Longa (langort) which will give us access to a huge number of action in the future episodes. Enjoy. … Continue reading → ...
- On Form and SparringHello HEMA friends, In this new video I give some advices on how to keep a good form in sparring. Enjoy! Advertisements ...
- On Tournaments and other topics. Ask the Sword Guy episode 14This is the last episode for a while- I’m off to the states on Wednesday, and will be way too busy going round the Met and teaching at Lord Baltimore’s Challenge to be fiddling about with video cameras. The next episode should be out in a couple of weeks though, ...
- It makes no sense to promote someone to a high rank if they cannot fight wellIt is often pointed out that a purple belt knows almost as many moves as a black belt – he simply does not perform them as well, or combine them aswell, or at the correct time. Also, some fighters do very well with a small collection of moves that they ...
- What to do with a Million Dollars, training for Freeplay, et al. Ask the Sword Guy episode 13Today’s video is a smorgasbord of topics, ranging from what’s next for Audatia, to bridging the gap between basic set drills and freeplay. As well as what to do with a million dollars, and how I’d introduce students to the Bolognese. Here’s the video! Shownotes: DISCOUNT ENDING VERY SOON: ...
- Knights, katanas (again!), HMB, and a pattern welded longsword. Ask the Sword Guy episode 12Hi today’s questions are: Joe Propati’s series of questions continue…. Since Knights trained their whole life to become masters of the sword, were there any individuals who stood out as the Grand masters of the sword above everyone else in the world and who were they? Did Squires and Knights ...
- Move Slow, Learn Fast: Another Look – Part IIIGreetings,The following is the third and final part of this subject. I will apologise to my dear reader as this and is preceding parts are quite long. This was the only way for the appropriate information to be included in the document as a whole, and to not drag it ...
- Rapier dimensions, asymmetric musculature, preparing students for freeplay. Ask the Sword Guy Episode 11Today’s video is a mixed bag of topics, answering the following questions: How thick were rapier blades? How wide were rapier blades? How thick were dagger blades? How wide were dagger blades? Thank you, Brijn, in Colorado And: Dear Dr Guy Windsor I’m sending you pictures of a miniature Spanish sword ...
- Batting a cut out of the way – a.k.a. “How You Cut Your Hand Open”I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have come across someone who thought they could bat a cut out of the way by hitting the backside of the blade with their hand ...
- German v Italian medieval swordsmanship. Ask the Sword Guy episode 10Which do you prefer- sausage or spaghetti? Mercedes or Ferrari? Today’s questions were: This is Matthew in Michigan and I’m curious about the why one might choose to study longsword from the German tradition over the Italian tradition, and vice/versa? Thank you for undertaking this venture and for your ongoing ...
- On Solo Training, and training with disabilities. Ask the Sword Guy episode 9Today’s AMA topic are solo training, and training with disabilities. Raymond, in Montana, sent in this question: “I really enjoy your video trainings and teaching. I purchased the combo package (complete long sword, complete medieval dagger, and footwork) and a few freebies for my 50th birthday. I watched (and practiced) ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide #7 – Mezzani CutsHello HEMA friends! Here we are with my seventh episode of the Longsword Beginners Guide, this time I show some exercise to train the mezzani cuts. Enjoy! Advertisements ...
- Review: Kvetun “Matt Easton” Sabre PrototypeAbout 6 weeks ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on the “Matt Easton” prototype sabre. How did it fare compared to their standard sabre offering? Read on and find out. At a Glance Most sabreurs will agree that the ideal sabre is a mythical and elusive beast. ...
- Mismatched weapons: Ask the Sword Guy episode 8In today’s video I discuss the problem of mismatched weapons. Swords versus spears, rapiers versus halberds, and so on. The questions were: Thanks for taking questions. I’ve been reading your books for a long time and have more than a few but I’ll stick with two recent ones. 1) I’ve ...
- On training children. Ask the Sword Guy, episode 7I have had a few questions regarding training children coming in, such as this one: Here’s a question- there are a lot of potentially unscrupulous martial arts clubs out there who’ll give a 5-year-old a black belt if their parents cough up enough cash, but most historical fencing clubs I’ve ...
- Execute your devices with heed"You must be well instructed in the four openings, if you wish to fight at all surely. For whatever cuts and devices you may execute, however good they may be, if you do not know how to break off in each quarter, and to transmute the intended devices, transforming them ...
- Move Slow, Learn Fast: Another Look – Part IIGreetings,The following is the second of three parts of this subject. I will apologise to my dear reader as these are quite long. This was the only way for the appropriate information to be included in the document as a whole, and to not drag it out into more parts. ...
- Ask the Sword Guy 6: on tournament safety, concussion, long-term brain traumaToday’s episode has just one question: What is your opinion on the force levels in HEMA. Especially in regards to the research into the cumulative effects of repeated sub-concussive hits to the head. It seems there are no end of people reporting broken swords or bashed in helmets and I ...
- Ask the Sword Guy 5: left handers, and one-handed thrustsToday’s episode has me talking about left-handers, and the one-handed long thrust with a longsword. Enjoy! Shownotes: Fiore Facsimile (the closest you can get to owning the manuscript): https://amzn.to/2MOowWH The Flower of Battle (Leoni translation) http://www.freelanceacademypress.com/flowersofbattlethecompletemartialworksoffioredeiliberi.aspx The Rapier, part Four: Sword and Dagger and Sword and Cape Workbook: ...
- Ask the Sword Guy AMA part 4: training motivation, and knights with katanasThe shownotes for this episode: Fighting Depression Personal Update: Mental Health Learning Rapier: your free workbook video The Unconquered Knight: A Chronicle of the Deeds of Don Pero Niño, Count of Buelna Alan Williams, The Knight and the Blast Furnace Fiore Facsimile (the closest you can get to owning the ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide #6 – Upward CutsHello HEMA friends! The sixth video of my Longsword Beginners Guide is now free-to-watch on my YouTube channel. This time, I talk about the true edge and the false edge and I teach how to use this two edges with … Continue reading → ...
- Ask the Sword Guy AMA part 3: weird weapons and ducks the size of horses.Here we go again! ...
- Ask the Sword Guy: AMA part 2Here you go! Some rambling on training with sharps, and the ethics of martial arts… Links from this episode: Bullshit post Training with Sharp Swords: article on the CFAA blog My book Swordfighting for Writers, Game Designers, and Martial Artists My book the Theory and Practice of Historical Martial ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide #5Hello HEMA friends! In this fifth episode of the Longsword Beginners Guide we will discover together a simple parry and riposte against a thrust. Enjoy. Advertisements ...
- Move Slow, Learn Fast: Another Look – Part IGreetings,The following is the first of three parts of this subject. I will apologise to my dear reader as these are quite long. This was the only way for the appropriate information to be included in the document as a whole, and to not drag it out into more parts. ...
- Ask the Sword Guy: AMA part 1Hi yesterday I sent an AMA email out to my mailing list, and got inundated with questions. The first two are answered in this video. I hope you like the intro-outro music. If you want to put questions to me, then join the list and drop me a line! ...
- Force, Deceleration, and how to stab through a tank.It was the first two words that got you hooked, right? ...
- A stitch in time, or twelve years late!I’ve had my woodworking bench for twelve years now. It’s been a good workhorse, small enough to fit into my bijou little workshop spaces but big enough to be useful. It first lived in a corner in the old salle, then the tatami shed in the ‘new’ salle: ...
- Pedro del MonteSome exchanges that I had with Pedro Velasco Arévalo during HEMAics Dolomiti (Feltre). We fought two beautiful sparring matches which I greatly enjoyed. Check Pedro’s HEMA club here: https://www.facebook.com/saladearmaspedrodelmonte/ Advertisements ...
- On drawing the sword! (Fiore Translation Project #21)
- What German Weapons are most common?I was cleaning up my computer and I found yet more data that I had tabulated for my own interest. And then I remembered that time I threw some random data I found into an article and it became one of my most viewed posts. ...
- Longsword Beginners Guide #4 – Parry and RiposteHello HEMA friends! The 4th episode of my Longsword Beginners guide is now available on my YouTube channel. This time we will build up our first parry and riposte action, from the very beginning. Enjoy. Advertisements ...
- Fiore dei Liberi Dagger – By Mauro CarapacchiHello HEMA friends! My friend and Fellow Instructor Mauro Carapacchi keeps going with his Fiore Dagger series of video. He is analyzing Fiore’s dagger in a really deep way, explaining theory and showing exercises. So if you, like me, are … Continue reading → ...
- A Song of Cuts and Thrusts!Hello HEMA friends! I’ve uploaded all the fights which I had during the “HEMAics Dolomiti” Tournament, held during the past weekend in Feltre. I’m quite happy of the Results, i’m happy to show the style which I love and practice (Fiore) … Continue reading → ...
- Zornhau Ort vs. Zornort: Get Them Straight!--> --> --> I want to talk about tournaments for a bit. Specifically, tournaments and segregation. The ideal of any martial art is that skill will win out over natural advantage. At the hobbyist level of martial arts competition this ideal is reflected in open tournaments, where everyone fights everyone. As ...
- The Meaning of TalentDo you like autobiographical ramblings? I don't. Some of you might . Who am I to judge? But this is my bloody blog, which means that kind of thing comes wrapped in half-educated philosophical musings, tidbits of scientific facts and analyses of personal experiences way too many at this age. ...
- How’d I get hit?"Every wrestling must consist of three things. The first one is skill, the second one is speed, and the third one is the proper application of strength. Keep in mind that the best of them is speed as it prevents your opponent from countering you. It is also important to ...
- Let the sparks fly: How was the briquet used?The briquet is an iconic blade of revolutionary France. Developed in 1767 to replace the longer épée du soldat it was changed again in 1801 under Napoleon and spread to many other armies around the globe. The diminutive saber earned the name of briquet apparently as a mockery of its ...
- Balancing Reality and Fantasy in Martial Arts PracticeThe UFC is the ultimate test of the value of any unarmed martial art. If your art doesn’t stand up in full-contact Mixed Martial Arts practice, it’s of no value. If you train with weapons, then your art and training better stand up to full-contact tournaments, or it’s useless. Or ...
- Balancing Reality and Fantasy in Martial Arts PracticeThe UFC is the ultimate test of the value of any unarmed martial art. If your art doesn’t stand up in full-contact Mixed Martial Arts practice, it’s of no value. If you train with weapons, then your art and training better stand up to full-contact tournaments, or it’s useless. Or ...
- Balancing Reality and Fantasy in Martial Arts PracticeThe UFC is the ultimate test of the value of any unarmed martial art. If your art doesn’t stand up in full-contact Mixed Martial Arts practice, it’s of no value. If you train with weapons, then your art and training better stand up to full-contact tournaments, or it’s ...
- Book Review: Scottish Broadsword and British SinglestickGreetings,Time for another book review...Farrell, Keith (2014) Scottish Broadsword and British Singlestick, Fallen Rook Publishing, GlasgowFirst thing that you will notice is that it is by Keith Farrell, an author whom I have reviewed before. Yes. What does this mean? It means that the style of writing is easy to ...
- Tugend- und lasterhafte Studenten (1764)von Jan SchäferDer „Tugend= und lasterhafte Studente poetisch und moralisch entworfen. Das Studentenleben in 30 Kupfern vorgestellet.“ (von Adam Wolfgang Winterschmidt, Frankfurt und Leipzig, 1764) [Digitalisat] präsentiert die verschiedenen Studentencharaktere einer Universität in 30 Kupferstichen und Gedichten. Dabei wird zuerst für jeden der 30 Charaktere die negative Charaktereigenschaft kritisiert und ...
- How to care for your sword like a Victorian trooperYesterday, I explored a few French sources telling us how to clean and care for swords. Now let’s look at the other side of the Channel. Steel: Unslaked lime is a capital thing to clean steel articles with. To clean swords, &c., rub them with powdered brick-dust and oil, rub ...
- How to care for your sword like a Napoleonic soldierToday, when cleaning up our swords we can enjoy a variety of products from sandpaper to gentle polishing pastes. But how were soldiers taking care of their swords before the advent of Metal glo, mineral oil or Nevr-dull? I found this interesting excerpt in a French officer memorandum from 1813 ...
- Bringing Encased in Steel to its ConclusionWe opened Encased in Steel on the 17th of February 2011, meaning that the blog has been running and posting on a weekly basis for slightly more than six years. However, we are now going to draw the blog to its conclusion, and will no longer be posting on a regular ...
- On DrillsI worked up a new pollaxe drill yesterday, and it got me to thinking about what, exactly, a drill should be. Judging by what I see on YouTube, most schools think a drill is either a solo exercise like a karate kata, or else a sort of repetitive exercise where ...
- Men in white: The history of the fencing uniformBlack has become the default color for HEMA practitioners, sometimes drawing the ire of Olympic fencers who see this color as the exclusivity of their masters and coaches. This debate in itself raises some interesting questions about fencing culture and feelings of ownership and appropriation in martial arts… questions that ...
- Musing on “doing HEMA”A question that came to my mind recently, after watching a fairly cringeworthy piece on historical fencing by the BBC, was this: is it better to do HEMA badly, or not to do it at all? Phrased differently: is it better just not to do HEMA if you cannot do ...
- An excellent Master"An excellent Master is esteemed by his knowledge and by his character. He possesses his art in all its extent and the order in which he has put his ideas and his principles is so natural that he is always ready to give the reason for it and to speak ...
- A stable and strong foundation"First of all you want a stable and strong foundation. That means your body. If you’re not physically able to train HEMA, you won’t get much out of training HEMA. You’re better off using your limited free hours to get strength, mobility, and endurance up to scratch. Then they stop ...
- Relax and FenceGreetings,We all know that muscles need oxygen, so we need to breathe when we are exercising, so this would be the reason why some time ago I wrote a post about the necessity of standing up straight in the on guard position (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/stand-up-straight-and-relax.html). What you will notice about this post ...
- Use of Vadi’s Posta di DonnaOne of the confusing features of Vadi for anyone who has studied Fiore is that many of the guards share names between the two authors. However, in most cases, the similarity of name does not usually come with a similarity of guard and style. Vadi’s Posta di Donna is a good ...
- Running long classesIn my last post, I talked about Running Short Classes. I talked about the challenges that can be involved in running a short class, and I gave advice on how to run a short class. Potentially equally challenging can be running a long class. As mentioned briefly in my last ...
- HEMA Ratings Beta Releasedby Meg Floyd Petter Brodin and Markus Koivisto have finally released a much-anticipated beta of their HEMA Rankings system, which ranks fighters globally according to the submitted statistics of several events, dating all the way back to Swordfish 2011. Fighters … Continue reading → ...
- Guards! Guards! Notes on the Many Postures of MeyerAn observation often made of late period German fencing (such as that described in the work of Mair or Meyer) it that it uses a surprisingly large number of guard positions. In fact some criticism can be made that there are in fact too many postures, depending on the fencing ...
- Five reasons to study JudoThis guest article has been provided by Tea Kew, of the Cambridge HEMA club. It’s very common for historical fencers to cross-train in other martial arts. Sport fencing and various other forms of swordsmanship are perhaps the most common, because of their obvious application for the use of swords. The ...
- Masiello’s sword exercise and the medical professionIn 1895, the British army released a new sword exercise for the use of its officers, which had been in development since 1893. The system was created by the famous Italian fencing master Ferdinando Masiello, and was put forward along with a new type of blade (1892), and later a new type ...
- Training videos: the club in action!It’s been all too long since I posted anything and I thought I would post some training videos that Ive put elsewhere on social medai. Of course, we’ve been very busy with research and events. De Heredia is now translated and with the editors for publication and I’m working through ...
- Manuel Cid – Distinto mestre de armas e jogador de pauManuel Cid – Distinto mestre de armas e jogador de pau. Falecido em Lisboa a 16 de junho de 1902Manuel Cid, além do seu conhecido trabalho como mestre de armas, ensinava também a esgrima de pau, chegando a realizar assaltos de pau em conjunto com os das outras armas da esgrima ...
- The Failure of Test Cutting: Or, the Bad Form Caused by Butchering TatamiI have been roundly criticized by sword taggers and tatami butcherers for pointing out that both activities ruin one’s form and technique and violate the principles taught explicitly by the Masters. I frequently post pictures and/or videos of both activities on the die Schlachtschule FaceBook page to show people how ...
- Counting on the stupidity of your attacker"This technique assumes the attacker has a “dead” arm and is unable to move it. What’s more, he’s dumb enough to both leave his knife way out there and forget all about using his other arm, footwork or evasion to handle that kick. Counting on the stupidity of your attacker ...
- Living off the EdgeLife happens, and for this reason we’ve suspended activity at the Edge of the World. My fascination for all things related to HEMA/WMA has not ceased, but until this club resumes, I feel uncomfortable posting additional articles here. Instead, my plan is to post articles on fencing among the many ...
- Living off the EdgeLife happens, and for this reason we’ve suspended activity at the Edge of the World. My fascination for all things related to HEMA/WMA has not ceased, but until this club resumes, I feel uncomfortable posting additional articles here. Instead, my plan is to post articles on fencing among the many ...
- Running short classesAs an instructor, being versatile is key, and one way to develop and improve versatility is to teach classes of different lengths. It is not much use only being able to teach classes of one specific length, but this is a problem I see very often. If you give a ...
- Simple question, complex answer,.It's lovely when a simple question fires up the brain and starts making all sorts of connections. This was something that appeared in the charming Mr Kovalic's Twitter. It will be unsurprising that my path to HEMA included gaming and wondering about the realities behind the story.The question that intrigued ...
- A good TV show on HEMA? Sure, here it isI am going to warn you – I’ll brag here. And this is just because I very rarely have that option in regards to my country. The HEMA community has been baffled and angry for the last couple of days and the BBC is at fault. In short, they made ...
- Sword fighting isn’t about knowing it’s about doing.One thing that has become abundantly clear to me after studying historical European martial arts for the last ten plus years is that raw knowledge in of itself is not very impressive. As we get more and more published source material of ever better quality translation this is a trend ...
- Making Mutieren work in sparringThe “Mutieren” technique, shown in the Goliath manuscript: MS Germ.Quart.2020, folio 17v. Following on from my article about how to make techniques work in sparring, I would like to present a case study from my own recent training. Over the last two or three months, I have begun to have ...
- The Broadsword: A Curatorial DiscussionGreetings,So again, this is one of my more formal discussions on a subject. This means that it is long-ish. The subject of the broadsword is one which has been of interest to me for a while now, and was prodded along more recently by studying the smallsword, and also the ...
- Learning to apply a difficult technique in sparringThe “Mutieren” technique, shown in the Goliath manuscript: MS Germ.Quart.2020, folio 17v. One of the common problems faced by many practitioners of historical fencing is that while we know and have learned many cool techniques from our source materials, we may not be able to apply these techniques in the ...
- Leon Paul Titan Pro Jacket: Becoming a Tankby Peter Smallridge Review Methodology I was given this jacket in exchange for writing a series of HEMA-related articles for Leon Paul. The Titan Pro is their latest HEMA jacket. It’s 800N tested, and it looks like the mutant lovechild of … Continue reading → ...
- Engaging a classOne of the skills that is very important to an instructor is engaging a class. It won’t matter how well structured a class is, how much research went into it, or how technically correct the material is if the students are not kept engaged with the class in some way. ...
- Fashion throughout history: wearing clothes “incorrectly”“Handmade White Chaperon” image from an article by Vicky Binns on the Modern Medievalist blog: http://modernmedievalist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/profile-in-excellence-vicky-binns.html It can be all too easy to look at people who wear their clothes incorrectly, to make a disapproving face, and say something like: “kids these days… Back in my day, we wore our ...
- Belfast Bladeworks 2016 ReviewMe fencing against Andrzej Rozycki. Photo copyright of Michael Barbour/2nd Shooter, 2016. On the 3rd and 4th of December, I participated in Belfast Bladeworks 2016, which was, as the locals would have said, good craic. Belfast Bladeworks was an open longsword tournament, and was the fourth tournament of the ...
- Good, Bad, and a Little of BothSaturday Valkyrie had to deal with an assault in the neighbourhood. We intervened quickly, and as a team. It was an unpleasant interruption to the afternoon’s teaching, but these sort of things happen in life. I’ll probably write more about the incident in a later post, but for now I ...
- Good, Bad, and a Little of BothSaturday Valkyrie had to deal with an assault in the neighbourhood. We intervened quickly, and as a team. It was an unpleasant interruption to the afternoon’s teaching, but these sort of things happen in life. I’ll probably write more about the incident in a later post, but for now I ...
- Solo Training: For the Solo PractitionerGreetings,This was going to be a post about finding a local group and what consists of a good group with local contacts in my local area, but I changed my mind. I figured that there is a lot of information out there about how to find a local group for ...
- Good, Bad, and a Little of BothSaturday Valkyrie had to deal with an assault in the neighbourhood. We intervened quickly, and as a team. It was an unpleasant interruption to the afternoon’s teaching, but these sort of things happen in life. I’ll probably write more about the incident in a later post, but for ...
- Inflamed with authority: The knife fighting of the Argentinian GauchoContinuing in my presentation of knife fighting traditions, I found these two detailed descriptions of Argentinian Gaucho dagger fencing from the early 1900s. Argentina has a rich tradition of knifemanship, no doubt influenced by its Spanish colonists as can be seen by anyone familiar with the continental literature on the subject, ...
- Practiced with knives: Italian knife fighting in New YorkMonday, October 3, 1904 Watertown Daily Times Fencing bouts indulged in by Italians with blunt weapons Man Suspected of Baddato’s (sic) Death Arrested at This Rendezvous It has been said the reason so many Americans are good shots and the American army composed of more marksmen than are found in the ...
- Free Goodies for the Commonly Aching Joints of the Historical Fencerby Meg Floyd I hope everyone has limped into the holiday season with health and only moderate to severe belly grumbles from excellent Thanksgiving Day feasts. (My condolences to our European counterparts who lack such bounty in their lives this … Continue reading → ...
- Some thoughts around “warm-ups” and the proper order of trainingFirstly, I'd like to correct some misconceptions about what a warm-up is:"a period or act of preparation for a match, performance, or exercise session, involving gentle exercise or practice"A warm-up is the five minutes you spend at the beginning of a session prepping your limbs for the physical activity that's ...
- Cyber Monday Manual Dealsby Meg Floyd It’s Cyber Monday, which means those of us in the States too smart opposed to capitalism lazy to do any Black Friday shopping can order goodies online without need for leaving the house, or wearing of pants. … Continue reading → ...
- A Fechtmeister for 50 PfennigeIn the year 1890 you could become a „Fechtmeister“ if you bring 20 members to the “Deutsche Generalfechtschule” in Baden-Baden. If you open 10 own “Fechtschulen” or bring in 200 members you would earn the title “Oberfechtmeister”. You will get a fine certificate for the price of 50 Pfennige. No ...
- Op/Ed: Who Is HEMA For?by Meg Floyd In the wake of the Presidential election and many of the conversations I’ve been seeing on social media lately, as well as disturbing news stories, it’s useful for the community to ponder the question–who is HEMA for? … Continue reading → ...
- Salvator Fabris und Conrad Ernst von Berlepsch – Ein Eintrag ins Stammbuch (Paris, 1609)von Dorothee Nau und Jan SchäferDas Stammbuch, insbesondere das der frühen Neuzeit, ist „ein Buch, welches dazu bestimmt ist, daß Verwandte, Freunde u. Bekannte des Besitzers ihren Namen eigenhändig in dasselbe, gewöhnlich nebst einem Denkspruch, einer Zeichnung etc., als Erinnerungszeichen eintragen“. (1) Im Stammbuch des Conrad Ernst von Berlepsch (1588-1659) ...
- In Search Of Real Self DefenseRun away. That’s got to be the piece of martial arts advice I hate the most. It’s so full of smug assumptions about what constitutes a self-defense situation that I feel only envy for the life of people who think it is good advice. Of course, when we are talking ...
- In Search Of Real Self DefenseRun away. That’s got to be the piece of martial arts advice I hate the most. It’s so full of smug assumptions about what constitutes a self-defense situation that I feel only envy for the life of people who think it is good advice. Of course, when we are talking ...
- In Search Of Real Self DefenseRun away. That’s got to be the piece of martial arts advice I hate the most. It’s so full of smug assumptions about what constitutes a self-defense situation that I feel only envy for the life of people who think it is good advice. Of course, when we ...
- My TreatiseGreetings,The idea of putting your knowledge in words is somewhat of a scary prospect. When it comes to fencing and especially the use of the rapier it becomes a little larger due to all of the previous work which others have done. Some of my readers may know of this ...
- The Walking Staff in lengthThe walking staff The staff as a weapon is seen in many martial arts all around the world, but being it such a simple weapon, a variation in its length can affect the way is it used in combat. The staff in the Portuguese tradition is a walking staff, and ...
- „Anweisung zur Fechtkunst“ von Heinrich Christoph Ranis. Eine Rezension aus dem Jahr 1772von Jan SchäferIn der „Allgemeinen Deutschen Bibliothek“ (18. Band, verlegt bei Friedrich Nicolai, Berlin und Stettin, 1772) wird das Fechtbuch von Christoph Ranis besprochen.Der Text:„Heinrich Christoph Ranis, Königl. Commissarii und Fechtmeisters Anweisung zur Fechtkunst. Mit Kupfern. Berlin, bey Mylius 1771. 8.Wir haben in Deutschland noch kein Buch von dieser Art, ...
- Mercado da CorujeiraFeira de Gado da Corujeira—0 sr. governador civil prohibiu o desafio do jogo do pau no mercado da Corujeira. “Diario Ilustrado” – Domingo, 29 de Maio de 1892 EN: Mercado da Corujeira Occasional news: “The Civil Governor prohibited the jogo do pau challenge in the Corujeira Market” – Sunday, ...
- Kit review: Rage Pro Gloves"Pro Gloves High Grade EVA (Pair). International standard poly-ethylene front, EVA foam padding interior for comfort. The most widely used molding shape."You can find them here.Firstly, I should outline what use I'm reviewing these gloves for. For me, I use these gloves as day-to-day instructing / training gloves and as ...
- Great time for quotes at the moment: if you’re asking what is HEMA? STFU.Is it HEMA... Is it HEMA if we use this weapon or that? Is it HEMA if we add to the texts? Is it HEMA we compete in tournaments? Is it HEMA if we train against multiple opponents? Is it HEMA if we grapple? Is it HEMA if we train ...
- Moral of this story: read the sources, it’s not difficult!"most of my understanding of Hema comes from the sources but I could never tell you where because I rely on people like you to read and relay the techniques. It saves me from having to read the treatises directly myself which I’m more than happy to do because, yes, I’m ...
- Artigo sobre o Jogo do pau na Atlantis, Revista de bordo da TAP- 1986Jogo do pau cover and article in Portuguese and English on TAP‘s in-flight magazine from 1986Filed under: Artigos, in English Tagged: fencing, in-flight, jogo do pau, magazine, martial arts, TAP ...
- Michael Chidester on “Control”"Control is not some magical trait that a martial artist automatically develops with experience; contrary to popular belief, the ability to correctly perform an action slow does not automatically impart the ability to do it quickly, and neither does the ability to do it quickly allow a fighter to slow ...
- Jogo do pau in GothenburgPicture taken on the first gathering for the practices of Jogo do Pau de Cepaes, October 23rd in Gothenburg. Among us where representatives from several fighting arts and schools and it was the first among many coming gatherings to keep one of the few existing european martial arts traditions alive. ...
- Nordhausen, Leipzig, Himmel: Die Leichenpredigt für den Exercitienmeister Johann Joachim Hynitzschvon Jan SchäferUnter dem Titel „Das Jn der Welt vergeblich=gesuchte in Himmel aber gefundene Vaterland Der Kinder Gottes Aus II. Cor. v. 8. 9. Hat beyder Wohlansehnlichen Leichenbegräbnüs Des Wohl=Edlen / Hochachtbahren= und Wohl=Mannvesten Herren / Herren Joh: Joachim Hynitzsch / Berühmten Krieges Exercitien-Meisters / und Wohlverdienten StadtLieutenants in Leipzig / ...
- 10 Tips for Reading a HEMA TextCover of Vadi’s original manuscript There have been several moments since I started fencing when I’ve noticed a massive increase in my abilities. One of these is when I first picked up a historical text and started reading it instead of just training it and following my instructor’s take on ...
- Renown Versus NotorietyGreetings,Renown and notoriety are two words which some may have heard and some may have not. They are how different fencers are talked about, even if the people doing the talking do not even know the words or what they mean. This post is designed to bring these two words ...
- Notwehrgesetzgebung im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert: Das “Peinlich Halßgericht” Karls V.von Samara Ajjour und Jan SchäferDie "Peinliche Halß-Gerichtsbarkeit" Karls V. kann als ein (früher) Vorläufer des deutschen Strafgesetzbuches betrachtet werden ( noch inkl. der Folter bzw. peinlichen Befragung als Verhörmethode und Mittel der Wahrheitsfindung). Fechtgeschichtlich interessant ist, wie in der Frühen Neuzeit der Tatbestand der Notwehr verhandelt wurde und wann ...
- Some quibbles on “Transitional” Guards."...other sources and fencing masters, particularly later ones, do mention quite a few other secondary guards for longsword. There are some variations and discrepancies between authors of course, as well as different interpretations among contemporary researchers.Many, if not most of these are considered only transitional guards, so just particular positions ...
- The Beginner-CoachHEMA, in it's modern revival, is a new and blooming hobby. This article talks a bit about the strengths and weaknesses this creates, and then gives some guidance for the new instructor. The blessing and the curse of HEMA is that it is “new”. There is a rich history of ...
- Absolutely no absolutesThe more I study and learn of historical fighting, and the more I teach, the more I become careful in throwing around "absolutes" in terms of technique. I find that to say that something is "wrong" is a sub-optimal way of thinking about fencing that hinders development. Rather I like to ...
- Identity, Failure, Humility, and GrowthAlthough I wrote this for a specific audience of historical fencers, I realize that much of it can be more broadly applied to other martial arts/sports as well. Whatever your background, I hope my experience may be useful to you. A Crisis of Expectations and Failure It’s easy to ...
- Identity, Failure, Humility, and GrowthAlthough I wrote this for a specific audience of historical fencers, I realize that much of it can be more broadly applied to other martial arts/sports as well. Whatever your background, I hope my experience may be useful to you. A Crisis of Expectations and Failure It’s easy to ...
- Feeling my wayToday was my second class since bastardgate. I am immensely proud of how the guys have pulled together, found a venue and generally been the club in a time that could have resulted in complete destruction.I am slowly feeling my way through being the lead instructor and responsible adult. It's ...
- On PracticeGreetings,Practice is important. It is something which we hear and something which we are told again and again. This post is going to examine some of the details with regard to practice, how it is performed and why it is performed. Many will just skip over this one, but I ...
- Anweisungen zum Wettkampf im Gewehrfechtenvon Samara AjjourDas Buch "Anweisung für die Königlich Sächsische Infanterie zu den Uibungen im Gewehrfechten", erschienen 1833 in Dresden bei Meinhold, enthält auf den Seiten 67-69 ein Regelwerk für den Wettkampf zwischen zwei Infanteristen sowie für den Wettkampf zwischen einem Reiter und einen Infanteristen.Der Text:[Seite 67] I.Wettkampf.a) Zwischen zwei Infanteristen.1.) ...
- Kit Mod: Blacking the BlackfencerMy only criticism in my review of the Blackfencer sythetics was that the unprotected steel easily rusts and that this is a level of care I really would rather not be bothered with in a synthetic weapon.I investigated several options for steel care and decided upon gun bluing as the ...
- Di Grassi on the exercise and strength of arms"As touching the weight or heft, which is borne in the hand, be it sword or other weapon, I commend not their opinion anyway, who will for the strengthening of a man's arm that he handle first a heavy weapon, because being first used to them, afterwards, ordinary weapons will seem ...
- Sword of the Month: Irish Presentation SabreThe Irish rebellion of 1798 is a painful memory. Following the American and French Revolutions, the Irish Republicans – with the help of the French Directory- tried to evict the British Crown and its imposed sectarianism. It was short (around 4 months) but fiery as around 34 battles took place all ...
- Swordplay 2016 WorkshopJust a brief post to provide a link to the material presented at Swordplay 2016 this year in Brisbane, covering a selection of material from Meyer’s polearms. Swordplay 2016 Workshop-Fundamentals of Meyer’s Polearms ...
- A Methodical Approach to FencingSummary This article covers a scaffolded method of synthesizing key fencing techniques from primitive building blocks, using a representation of the late-period Italian lunge based on the teaching of Giganti as an example. I: Method vs Material Where the subject of thrust-oriented rapier fencing is concerned, I am an Italian ...
- A Methodical Approach to FencingSummary This article covers a scaffolded method of synthesizing key fencing techniques from primitive building blocks, using a representation of the late-period Italian lunge based on the teaching of Giganti as an example. I: Method vs Material Where the subject of thrust-oriented rapier fencing is concerned, I am an Italian ...
- Hard StartsSometimes I don’t know how my students do it. Fencing is a damned hard thing to learn. It’s demoralizing. You have to be fit, and that’s a process that is quite daunting for some. Especially since the fitness we demand isn’t the normal kind that you can brag about to ...
- Hard StartsSometimes I don’t know how my students do it. Fencing is a damned hard thing to learn. It’s demoralizing. You have to be fit, and that’s a process that is quite daunting for some. Especially since the fitness we demand isn’t the normal kind that you can brag about to ...
- Hard StartsSometimes I don’t know how my students do it. Fencing is a damned hard thing to learn. It’s demoralizing. You have to be fit, and that’s a process that is quite daunting for some. Especially since the fitness we demand isn’t the normal kind that you can brag ...
- Class plans…I am sure the reasons why the change happened are becoming well known, again not the circumstances I wanted to become lead instructor, but I feel I've been heading this way for a long time.So cue mad panic and study for a weapon I enjoy but have no great love ...
- 1435 February 2nd – Talhoffer’s second letter to Erhard HallerThe following is a transcription of letter of Hans Talhoffer to the knight Erhard Haller in Nürnberg. It is part of the Case of Hans Villenbach. The file is to be found in the Staatsarchiv Nürnberg Reichsstadt Nürnberg, Losungamt, 7-farbiges Alphabet, Urkunden 874. It was written at 1435 February 2nd. The letter bears ...
- FatThere is a current and recurrent thread amongst HEMA and other martial arts disciplines that mocks the fat instructor. It’s one of those things that everyone feels comfortable jumping in on. Five years ago I dropped 50lbs. It was just after finishing my Precision Nutrition certification. One of the most ...
- FatThere is a current and recurrent thread amongst HEMA and other martial arts disciplines that mocks the fat instructor. It’s one of those things that everyone feels comfortable jumping in on. Five years ago I dropped 50lbs. It was just after finishing my Precision Nutrition certification. One of the most ...
- EepFight camp was a mixed event for me. There was a massive shadow cast by my esteemed and honourable maestro. Being.. less than honourable and my having to turn a desolation into a win in 3 weeks.It was very unpleasant talking about the circumstances, we were fucked over to the ...
- FatThere is a current and recurrent thread amongst HEMA and other martial arts disciplines that mocks the fat instructor. It’s one of those things that everyone feels comfortable jumping in on. Five years ago I dropped 50lbs. It was just after finishing my Precision Nutrition certification. One of ...
- Save Eric’s Houseby Meg Floyd I usually don’t share these things, even though invariably they are for a good and noble cause. However, this time is different. Eric Wiggins is a really old friend of mine. He’s one of the people I … Continue reading → ...
- Fencing and MusicGreetings,There is no doubt that music has an effect on us all. Indeed that one odd body fact that I read somewhere, and have been meaning to fact-check, is that the human heart will beat alongside with the base of the music which is being played, or something similar. Music ...
- Transkription: “Anfangs Gründe der Edeln Fechtkunst” von Salomon Christoph Müllervon Samara Ajjour"Anfangs Gründe der Edeln Fechtkunst" ist eine Text-Bild-Handschrift, die um 1750 durch den brandenburgisch-anspachischen Hofffechtmeister Salomon Christoph Müller entstand. Heute liegt die zweibändige Handschrift unter den Signaturen H62/MS.B 215-1 (Band 1) und H62/MS.B 215-2 (Band 2) in der Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen-Nürnberg.Danksagung: Vielen Dank an Friedrich Lehmann von Historisches Schwertfechten ...
- Molar Equations And The Plastic BrainI wanted to be a science nerd really bad in high school. There was a problem with that for me. With my family’s frequent moves and the differing school systems I’d been exposed to, as well as some issues with no one noticing I needed glasses for many years, my ...
- Molar Equations And The Plastic BrainI wanted to be a science nerd really bad in high school. There was a problem with that for me. With my family’s frequent moves and the differing school systems I’d been exposed to, as well as some issues with no one noticing I needed glasses for many years, my ...
- This isn’t the blog for politicsThis blog was started due to the joy I found in HEMA, the people I respect and how positivity should be looked for well above politics and infighting and so on.The hobby has sustained me through bad times, I have met great people, become a better person both physically and ...
- Molar Equations And The Plastic BrainI wanted to be a science nerd really bad in high school. There was a problem with that for me. With my family’s frequent moves and the differing school systems I’d been exposed to, as well as some issues with no one noticing I needed glasses for many ...
- Siege Mentality in FencingThe following is a repost of a friend’s (/u/hussard) comments on reddit under /r/wma, it uses the metaphor of siegecraft for how we might approach fencing. I’m reposting it here because it’s so damned good.Before you attack, you must do the preparation necessary in order to execute your actions. Against ...
- Drill Sergeant di Grassi says, “Show Me Your War Face!”In HEMA, most practitioners understand that we need to train our bodies as well as our minds. However, it's wonderful to look through the fencing treatises and see those same admonishments from the esteemed masters. In this vein, Giacomo di Grassi wrote a wonderful piece that speaks specifically on the ...
- Balancing SkillConlan, who is going to be running what looks like another fantastic workshop at Valkyrie weekend after next, asked me a question on facebook today. I’d posted one of my favourite handstand progression videos to my wall and Conlan asked about what my interest was in handbalancing. What was the ...
- Balancing SkillConlan, who is going to be running what looks like another fantastic workshop at Valkyrie weekend after next, asked me a question on facebook today. I’d posted one of my favourite handstand progression videos to my wall and Conlan asked about what my interest was in handbalancing. What was the ...
- Stripping Down To The Real BasicsI was looking over an old notebook about a month ago, from back when I started rapier fencing. One day I had taken a bunch of notes after talking to a bunch of the really senior fencers, and watching them bout against younger and newer fighters. One of the things ...
- Stripping Down To The Real BasicsI was looking over an old notebook about a month ago, from back when I started rapier fencing. One day I had taken a bunch of notes after talking to a bunch of the really senior fencers, and watching them bout against younger and newer fighters. One of the things ...
- Fixes and ChangesWe’re coming to the end of another cycle of teaching at Valkyrie, and we’ve already started rolling out a new curriculum. For the coaches, it offers less strict guidelines on what to teach, but more strict goals of what students should achieve. So less direction on what specific drills to ...
- Fixes and ChangesWe’re coming to the end of another cycle of teaching at Valkyrie, and we’ve already started rolling out a new curriculum. For the coaches, it offers less strict guidelines on what to teach, but more strict goals of what students should achieve. So less direction on what specific drills to ...
- Aggressive Versus AssertiveGreetings,A long while ago I wrote a post on Aggressive and Brutal Fencing. At that point in time I really was not able to explain what I meant. Well, I was able to explain what I didn't mean, but I was not able to explain what I thought was suitable. ...
- Rapier & Dagger Sparring 27.06.16Some light rapier & dagger sparring from Monday’s class, concentrating on movement, measure and footwork. Like most sparring, it’s not perfect, because we are all trying different things out. We’re not going Hell for leather as, firstly, one cannot trial techniques, but also because we teach to respect weapons as ‘sharp’, ...
- Sword of the month : Italian presentation sabreOnce in a while I encounter swords of exceptional character in the different auctions I follow. To bring to light some of the masterpieces of post Renaissance sword making, I decided to start this series in which I will present a different sword each month. For my first post, I present this ...
- Book Review: Fencing Through the AgesGreetings,What? Another book review? Yes, it is. This one is of a similar nature to my last in that I bought this book at Swordplay last year and have been horribly slack about getting around to doing a book review on it. This is one that I am actually going ...
- Armouring for HEMA, Part 1- Academic Resources for the ArmourerFigure 1: “Bob”, my proto-Maximilian harness, looks down across our loungeDespite being blessed with absolutely talent when it comes to practical hands-on stuff like DIY, armouring and mechanics, I have always had a fascination with armour. My wife and I structure visits to Europe around armouries, my shelf is covered in ...
- Pollaxe Workshop Sponsored by Historic Enterprise’s KnightSchoolHello to anyone still reading this blog!I haven't posted anything on here for several years because life has been interfering. However, I was recently honored to be invited to do a pollaxe workshop by Gwen Nowrick and Jeff Hedgecock of Historic Enterprises under the auspices of their excellent KnightSchool program ...
- 6 Rules of Mechanical AdvantageEver wonder why a fencing technique you know should have worked didn’t? Chances are, you violated one or more at the core principles of mechanical advantage. This is fairly common, since many fencers never break these principles down into simple rules. In fact, it’s entirely fair to say that a ...
- 6 Rules of Mechanical AdvantageEver wonder why a fencing technique you know should have worked didn’t? Chances are, you violated one or more at the core principles of mechanical advantage. This is fairly common, since many fencers never break these principles down into simple rules. In fact, it’s entirely fair to say that a ...
- Meyer’s Rappier vs Viggiani’s Sidesword: A VERY Brief ComparisonIn an earlier post concerning hand positions in Meyer’s rappier while thrusting I briefly mentioned a comparison to roughly contemporary Italian sidesword styles. While I’m certainly not the first to do this, it seems that the comparison is most often made with Marozzo of the Bolognese method. In this post ...
- The Broad Swordsman’s Pocket CompanionThis small booklet was published by Capt. Frederick Wroughton in 1830. With perhaps a few variations, it follows the method of Angelo which was largely taught in the British military of the time. The size probably explain the colored plates, which are rarely seen in martial arts manual of the ...
- Keyboard warriors: Martial arts in the age of participatory cultureFor thousands of years, martial arts have functioned in very similar and classical modes of transmission: students trained, became teachers and taught the new generation, and so on. Even the advent of various revolutions never quite changed this state of affairs, at most changing the involvement of the State in ...
- Interpreting Meyer’s Rappier: Chambering the Thrust in 2.75V ?While Meyer’s longsword appears to have had an ongoing practitioner base for many years, his rappier system (which seemed to exist in the shadow of the longsword and dussack parts of the 1570 text) has been rising in popularity quite slowly in comparison. Happily the readership of this ...
- Ms. I.33 – Langort vs Halpschilt?This is an article that really should have been written a long time ago. It’s a basic concept in I.33, and really illustrates the depth of the binding mechanics as well as the tactics used to enter a fight. I will discuss how Halfshield and Longpoint are both similar in ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part IV: The AssemblyPutting it All Together At last! After forming a boss, building a press, and making a blank, the only thing left was to put it all together and add the final touches. In the greater scheme, this meant accomplishing three final tasks: Prepping and attaching the boss Creating and attaching ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part IV: The AssemblyPutting it All Together At last! After forming a boss, building a press, and making a blank, the only thing left was to put it all together and add the final touches. In the greater scheme, this meant accomplishing three final tasks: Prepping and attaching the boss Creating and attaching ...
- Mestre António Nunes CaçadorScroll down to Read in English Artigo do jornal «Novidades» por Sebastião Duarte da Mota Cerveira. Dos mestres do jogo do pau que actualmente têm escola em Lisboa é de toda a justiça colocarmos num lugar de destaque António Nunes Caçador, antigo professor do Grupo Desportivo da Companhia dos Tabacos ...
- Principles of Vadi’s GuardsAs I mentioned in my opening post, one of the single, most striking differences between Vadi and Fiore is the guards. A superficial glance at the two sets of guards could lead one to think they are quite similar. Both have 12 guards, for instance, and there are many names ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part III: The BlankFraming the Blank There’s something exciting and deeply intimidating about having pristine raw materials before you. There’s so much potential there, yet so many opportunities to totally botch the job too. If you’ve been following along with my other posts, I probably don’t need to highlight my particular obsession with ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part III: The BlankFraming the Blank There’s something exciting and deeply intimidating about having pristine raw materials before you. There’s so much potential there, yet so many opportunities to totally botch the job too. If you’ve been following along with my other posts, I probably don’t need to highlight my particular obsession with ...
- Are You Using or Teaching a System?Greetings,Every now and then we must look back at what we are teaching and what it is based upon. In some cases this may not be as pretty a picture as what we may like it to be but it still must be done. The question remains especially for us ...
- Fake It ’til You Make ItI thought of this in the car yesterday, and it’s something I’ve noticed for a long time. It has to do with how new practitioners are able to mimic what their instructor is showing them, even down to the finest detail. It’s something that I’ve never heard anyone else point ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part II: The PressA Pressing Need Now that I’d made a boss, it was time to move on to the shield blank. When I decided I wanted to dome my new period-style bucklers, I realized that I had quite a challenge before me. I saw immediately that I’d need to laminate two or ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part II: The PressA Pressing Need Now that I’d made a boss, it was time to move on to the shield blank. When I decided I wanted to dome my new period-style bucklers, I realized that I had quite a challenge before me. I saw immediately that I’d need to laminate two or ...
- NEW Translation of MS I.33I haven’t posted much for a long time, and life had me very busy with non-HEMA things, but I have completed something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time: A new translation of MS I.33. I will copy from the foreword of my work: “This work would not ...
- Practicing Control in HEMAExercising control when you're in the heat of a fight can be the most challenging component of martial arts. The masters tell us that control is paramount in our Art, as Joachim Meyer describes in his section on what he labels "the craft": "[The craft] is the art that teaches ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part I: The BossTo Form an Ideal Shield Boss I’ve decided to try my hand at constructing a 14th-century-style buckler in a way that I hope will be more accurate for I.33 than the all-metal or dog bowl with flat CDX plywood varieties I’ve used in the past. Ideally, I’d like to create ...
- Making a Better I.33 Buckler – Part I: The BossTo Form an Ideal Shield Boss I’ve decided to try my hand at constructing a 14th-century-style buckler in a way that I hope will be more accurate for I.33 than the all-metal or dog bowl with flat CDX plywood varieties I’ve used in the past. Ideally, I’d like to create ...
- Today was a good class. Fewer people than usual, 2 of our Permanent Guest Instructor's class (He's off doing international stuff- Teaching/judging at some big meeting in the South of France) so they did their own thing.And 8 of the thugs. 10 people is a low turnout for us now. ...
- Springeck 2016: Coming together to train!Shenanigans at Springeck 2016.Springeck 2016 wrapped up on Sunday, April 24th and I couldn't be more pleased with the result. 11 clubs from 6 states gathered to train, learn, fence, and grow. It's clear that tournaments are a vibrant part of the HEMA community, but Springeck strives to bring historical ...
- Serafim Curado Borges da GamaSerafim Curado da Gama, o seu grande sonho foi fundar a primeira farmácia da terra (na altura chamava-se botica), num tempo em que ocorriam dezenas de mortes por ano, devido à total ausência de cuidados médicos (era o apogeu do então fatídico jogo do pau). A farmácia nasceu em 1898, ...
- 10 (not-so) Simple Tips for FencingWhile going over some old notes and half-finished articles, sorting out a few items worth republishing at here at The Edge of the World, I came across a little gem titled 10 Simple Tips for Fencing. I’m fairly certain that when I originally wrote this note, I was speaking mostly ...
- 10 (not-so) Simple Tips for FencingWhile going over some old notes and half-finished articles, sorting out a few items worth republishing at here at The Edge of the World, I came across a little gem titled 10 Simple Tips for Fencing. I’m fairly certain that when I originally wrote this note, I was speaking mostly ...
- On the Double Hit or Double KillNote: I originally wrote this article in 2011.Novices to this art oftentimes grow frustrated at the number of double hits that are committed while sparring. It’s obvious that a double hit does neither fighter any good and can make fighting with swords seem a game of chance—e.g. one’s opponent so ...
- Aims for the futureThis was in my drafts. I thought it was published....Where to start.My personal fencing is less important to me than seeing the guys do well. Sure, I am getting a shiny new custom made sword but it is to be used as an instructional tool. The sparring, although important is ...
- Quiet, but not gone.I guess it is time to fill people in on everything. Basically the club has been going from strength to strength. We have a good group, newbie turnover is a little too high for my liking but once we get someone for a month or so, they stay. We are ...
- Book Review: Encased In Steel: Anthology IGreetings,This is a book review that I should have done not long after Swordplay 2015. What can I say? I took the book home, I had other stuff to research, I read it, I then almost instantly passed it on to a student, and now I have actually had time ...
- Romarias em tempo de guerra.Scroll down for English translation: Wartime Festivals Verificou-se que a concorrência este ano ás romarias do Senhor da Serra e da Senhora da Atalaia, as duas festas populares mais animadas dos arredores de Lisboa, foi muito inferior á dos últimos anos. Influencia da guerra? Decerto, pelo menos como factor principal. ...
- The Art of Translation, Part 2: The Myth of the “Literal Translation”by Bill Grandy “The Art of Translation” is an ongoing series of articles covering translation as it pertains to HEMA source material. It will feature tips, resources, original translations and more. An American woman was visiting Italy enjoying her delicious gelato. Her conversational Italian was quite good, and she complimented ...
- The Art of Translation, Part 2: The Myth of the “Literal Translation”by Bill Grandy “The Art of Translation” is an ongoing series of articles covering translation as it pertains to HEMA source material. It will feature tips, resources, original translations and more. An American woman was visiting Italy enjoying her delicious gelato. Her conversational Italian was quite good, and she complimented ...
- Integrity When Interpreting SourcesInspired by Grauenwolf’s blog post here: https://grauenwolf.wordpress.com/2016/02/19/trusting-the-images/ I’ve decided to post about my approach to interpreting the sources, and some basic principles I try to follow. I’ll break it down into some simple rules to follow I have two fundamental rules when I study a historical fencing manual. They are starting ...
- How to hold a sword in VadiAs I mentioned in my previous post on Vadi’s preferred sword construction, Vadi is very explicit about certain aspects of the sword. One of these is that the “The pommel should be round to fit the fist”. As promised, this is my explanation of why. A modern day, first-world problem. Someone asks you to ...
- First Impressions of VadiThis week, I trained and sparred as an acolyte of Vadi. Not the easiest thing to do, seeing as the rest of my club are all doing Fiore. However, I think I managed to make it work. By which I mean I managed to test out some of the basics ...
- Measurements of a Sword in VadiOne of the interesting things in Vadi is that he dedicates a short chapter to the proper size and shape of the sword. Although brief, I think this chapter is extremely interesting for two reasons. First of all, most authors don’t do this (I’m not aware of any others at least). If ...
- Upcoming Presentation on Early Night LifeOn April 25 Kimberly Boice (the educator where I’m curator) and I will be presenting “Eine Kleine Nachgeschichte: A ‘Little Night History’ at a Pennsylvania German Farm” based on our semiannual immersive experiential history program for the Peter Wentz Farmstead Society Spring Meeting. For more information check out https://www.facebook.com/events/354104414760170/. The ...
- When You Wish Upon a Plan“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Antoine de Saint-Exupéry How it often feels to write a strategic plan. There are lots of reasons to dislike strategic planning and plans. It is easy for them to be unnecessarily extravagant, noncomprehensive, and impractical. If the strategic plan fails it’s ...
- Virtues Gained From SwordsmanshipGreetings,Based on some of what I said in a previous post on the ethics of swordsmanship, I had a request from one of my readers to write something about what virtues are gained from studying and performing swordsmanship. For your interest, the original post called "A Question of Ethics" can ...
- NATURAL TALENT vs CREATIVE TEACHINGArticle at:http://traininganswers.blogspot.pt/2016/03/natural-talent-vs-creative-teaching.htmlFiled under: in English, Notas técnicas ...
- Upcoming Moravian Mission TalkOn April 3 I’ll be presenting on one of my favorite topics “Without Noise or Parade: The Spiritual and Material Culture of Moravian Indian Missions” at the Conrad Weiser Homestead. You can find out more at http://www.gogreaterreading.com/event/spring-lecture-at-conrad-weiser-homestead/ It is free and open to the public. ...
- …The SeekerI forgot this museum reality in my previous post: No one person is responsible for a museum’s success.* Which is also to say my last post was perhaps unfair to the site, my coworkers, and myself. It was the sum of all of my anxieties and frustrations about museum work ...
- Der Fechtmeister in Christian Wilhelm Kindlebens “Studenten-Lexicon” (1781)von Jan Schäfer Das Studenten-Lexicon: Aus den hinterlassenen Papieren eines unglücklichen Philosophen Florido genannt [Digitalisat] ist ein Werk von Christian Wilhelm Kindleben aus dem Jahr 1781 über das Studentenleben in der zweiten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts. Kapitel 9 enthält einen Text über die Universitäts-Exerzitienmeister.Der Text:[Seite 280]Neuntes Kapitel.Von den Sprach= und ...
- … An Additional NoteGreetings,I feel that I need to add a special note with regard to the language which I use in my blog posts. This applies to all of them future and previous. I tend to use the male form, i.e. "he", "man" and so forth. In no way should my female ...
- Writing the RulesI will start this off by saying what this is not It is not a discussion on the pros and cons of competitions, nor is it in favour of a particular rule-set. I am unbiased on that last point; I used to be very much in favour of one particular ...
- Rapier competitionThe latest episode of Alte Herren. Hans Jornlind and Rob Runacres look at a bout from the 2015 Swordfish rapier competition in Sweden. In addition, we talk more generally about the state of rapier competition and discuss some of the difficulties faced. These include the limited forms in use and ‘chasing the hit’ rather than ...
- Kung Fu: The Best and the Worst; My Experience.In this post I’m going to be addressing a few points about Chinese martial arts in general, and so I feel it is necessary to include a disclaimer: I studied Choy Li Fut Kung Fu for seven years, and Yang style Tai Chi for four. I received both a black ...
- Study of the SmallswordGreetings,Most of you know that my posts mostly focus on Renaissance rapier, and other Renaissance weapon forms. Well, I must announce something of particular interest. Over the past months I have been doing study into the Smallsword, with the aim of learning how to use it, based on research from ...
- Welcome to CFAA’s Newest Member: Swords of ChivalryCFAA is very pleased to add Scott Farrell of San Diego, CA and his group Swords Of Chivalry* to our ranks. For those of you who might not know Scott, he is best known as the owner of Chivalry Today and its popular podcasts: http://chivalrytoday.com/ Swords Of Chivalry teaches several medieval weapon styles ...
- Lunge in Rapier in DaggerContinuing the series of techniques in rapier and dagger, this video offers a very brief introduction to the lunge. This is a very powerful attack, but has its problems. It is easy for the fencer to over commit and be vulnerable to counter attack. often, this is because students tend to ...
- Andre Paurenfeindt – Twelve Rules for the Beginner Fencer” Part 2/2This is a continuation of the previous post which examined rules #1-6. To begin there, click HERE.I mentioned in my commentary on rule #6 that "soft," "hard," "weak," and "strong" could be interpreted to mean both the pressure in a bind or the divisions of a sword. In other words, ...
- Females and Fencing (Part 3)Greetings,Welcome to Part 3! If you have not perused the previous two instalments of this subject I would strongly advise you to do so. The previous ones have looked at the Physical and Psychological differences between male and female combatants in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). This was based upon ...
- Priest’s Special Langort and Schutzen vs 4th WardA short video filmed this past Saturday finally showing my interpretation of the Schutzen done from Priest’s Special Langort against 4th Ward, and the ensuing binding actions. More work will hopefully be done with this. Thanks to Sam Nankivell for his help showing the interpretation on video as well as ...
- Meyer Masterclass: Hanging and WindingIn Joachim Meyer’s sequence of devices, the principles of hanging and winding are introduced in the second device using the guard of Zornhut (1.34v and 1.35r; Figure 1), immediately after a device dealing with the slice (referred to in my last article). The hanging is also used in a device ...
- New to Alte HerrenTechniques and Interview with Jake Norwood A lot of things going on with Alte Herren these days. The first is a video reviewing four techniques from three fights at the 2015 Swordfish Open Longsword. We breakdown exactly what the fighters are doing, looking at their body mechanics and footwork, and ...
- The Final Series of Plays of I.33The final plays of I.33 have represented a conundrum to me for a while now. While superficially simple, we are shown the various things that happen when Priest’s Special Langort besieged 4th Ward. But then we see the extremely strange anomaly of 4th Ward using an Obsessio (Halfshield) against another ...
- Some thoughts on the SchutzenSome thoughts on the various Schutzen: Remember, in I.33 we are shown one fencer attacking from a Ward, the other entering with a Schutzen. The one in the Ward is then typically shown doing the correct thing which is to not carry out his strike but to bind against the ...
- Like a Rolling Stone…Museum work has several inherent truths. Lately I was reminded of a few of them: Project-focused research is never comprehensive or complete. Nobody’s collections or exhibitions are ever in a perfect state. Public interpretation is never as engaging or informed as it could be. Not everyone on staff shares the ...
- Das Vorwort des Giganti-Fechtbuchs in der deutschen Zetter-Ausgabe von 1644von Samara Ajjour und Jan SchäferJacob de Zetter veröffentlichte 1644 zum wiederholten Male seine deutsche Ausgabe des Fechtbuches von Nicoletto Giganti. Die 1644-Ausgabe in der Herzog August Bibliothek (1) enthält kein Titelblatt und Vorwort, aber in der Ausgabe in der Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen-Nürnberg (2) ist es vollständig erhalten. Jacob de Zetter ...
- An Example of how the 7 Wards of I.33 are Different from the Guards in other SystemsIllustration of Dussack Guards from Meyer’s fechtbuch beside Folio 1r of MS.I.33 showing the first 4 Wards Today on the bus I decided to read through Roger Norling’s brief intro/summary of Meyer’s Dussack again (found here: http://www.hroarr.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2014/10/Norling-Roger-Meyer-dussack-article-v1-2-2014.pdf). It’s a great little 28-page guide that gives a good intro to Dussack and ...
- Further thoughts on the KronMy article about the Kron, or Crown, guard a few months ago (read it here) caused quite a stir, with a lot of discussion about whether I was right about the Kron being a horizontal guard above the head, sometimes with the left hand gripping the blade. Since a lot ...
- The DurchtretenJust a brief post after this past Saturday working with the Durchtritt from I.33 The Durchtritt is a technique we see in the play of 1st Ward being besieged by Halfshield, and in the play of Schutzen against 2nd Ward. The term means “tread through”. The following is the only illustration ...
- Die Fechtbücher im Besitz von Kurfürst Johann Georg I. (1585-1656)von Jan Schäfer Im Inventar der Bibliothek der Kurfürstlich Sächsischen Bibliothek findet sich für das Jahr 1595 folgende Auflistung von Fechtbüchern. Es ist denkbar, dass sie als Nachschlagewerke auch für die Unterweisung des zukünftigen Kurfürsten Johann Georg I. dienten.Auf fol. 212r:"Zwei fechtbucher geschrieben vnd gemahlet, jn schwarzenn sammet, verguldeten rockelen, ...
- Common Fencing SystemRoyal 2 B VII sword and buckler fightershttp://hemaalliance.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2861 The topic of Common Fencing is one of those recurring topics in HEMA. People have been trying to figure out exactly what the common fencing of the medieval and renaissance period looked like. This is probably due to the fact that most ...
- “When you can snatch the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave.” OR Andre Paurenfeindt’s “12 Rules for the Beginner Fencer,” 1516 – Part 1 / 2Having committed HEMA heresy by alluding to an eastern martial art show in the title of my post on historical European fencing, the famous scene from the 1972 TV series Kung Fu is fitting to think about when discussing the German master Andre Paurenfeindt. The scene in the TV show depicts an ...
- Frog DNA, Concentric Rings and Old-Fashioned Necromancy: Reconstructing Historical European Swordsmanship(c) 2014, Gregory D. Mele, Chicago Swordplay Guild Most of the modern WMA community is based, not on living tradition, but rather on reconstruction of martial arts long dead. While these arts survive in detailed written and pictorial form, they were recorded for contemporary, not modern audiences. This means that ...
- Meyer Masterclass: Four Devices with the SliceIn previous installments of the Meyer Masterclass series, I’ve dealt with Meyer’s longsword devices in roughly the same sequence as he presents them. We dealt with the first three devices which lay the basis for parrying and counterattacking, the Fourth Device in which Meyer explains how to attack, and then ...
- What Counters Ochs? Krump Pow! – Tournament ReviewWalking up to my opponent, I held my Albion Liechtenauer while I breathed heavily through my mask. "Do you think your hit across my shoulder got in while I hit you on the forearm?" I said."Yeah, my sword deflected the arm hit," my opponent said, taking off his mask as ...
- Smile And Attack!In my classes on how to enter a fight, one of the things I teach is to constantly smile. Smiling helps you to relax and remain calm. If you are calm, you can tense up in a controlled manner whenever required, instead of wasting energy and slowing yourself down by ...
- Five Fallacious Arguments for Heavy HittingMy previous article, “Some observations on women, tournaments and heavy-hitting” cause quite a stir a few months back. While lots of people liked my comments, some argued that what they did was not “heavy hitting”, and some argued that such hitting was essential to HEMA. Now I’m finished with a ...
- HEMA – Art of Self Defense: A Novice’s OverviewThe master's are continually telling us that often the best defense is a good offense. We're told to obtain the vorschlag, or first strike, and to quickly follow up with the nachschlag, or after strike. The purpose of these hard and fast techniques is to overwhelm the opponent. Ringeck advises ...
- The Unorthodox FighterA while ago, I was asked the following question: „I.33 and most of the other manuscripts are based on the idea that there will be a meeting of the swords and actions at that bind will determine the victor. How do you deal with an opponent who refuses to bind, ...
- Die Handschrift Mscr. Dresd. C.94.a – eine weitere deutschsprachige Fabris-Übersetzung aus dem 17. Jahrhundert?von Jan SchäferDie Handschrift C.94.a ist eine 252 Blatt starke Text-Bild-Handschrift, die in der Sächsischen Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek aufbewahrt wird.Es handelt sich um eine (eigenständige?) Übertragung des Fabris'schen Fechtbuches Scienza e Prattica d'Arme in deutsche Sprache. Wie das Original besitzt auch Mscr. Dresd.C.94.a 190 Illustrationen. Diese sind vermutlich mit Silberstift ...
- “Von dem Nutzen der Fecht=Kunst und den Vorzügen gegenwärtiger Anweisung.” Anton Friedrich Kahns Vorrede zu seinen “Anfangsgründen der Fechtkunst”von Samara Ajjour„Anfangsgründe der Fechtkunst“ ist ein Fechtbuch von Anthon Friedrich Kahn (1713-1797), das im Jahr 1739 erschien [Digitalisat Ausgabe Göttingen 1739] [Digitalisat erweiteret 2. Ausgabe Helmstädt 1761]. Das Werk hat eine Gesamtseitenanzahl von 162 Seiten und enthält zur bildhaften Darstellung der Übungen 25 Kupferstiche.Kahn lehrte als Fechtmeister an der ...
- Indes, when they wobbleSwords are really strange sometimes. They wobble. And this wobbling is much more than a small violent movement it appears to be on a photo. While … ...
- Some observations on women, tournaments and heavy hittingI’d like to think I’ve done a decent cross-section through the HEMA tournament in Europe. At the same time, I’ve been organising tournaments bimonthly to yearly in South Africa. I’ve spent a lot of time fighting, judging and organising tournaments, from before they were fashionable until they became the big ...
- “worauff zwölff Blau-Röcke aus dem nechsten Pusch kamen”. Ein Duell bei Leipzig 1677.von Jan Schäfer Zu einer Ausforderung wurde ein Duellant in der zweiten Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts für gewöhnlich von einem oder zwei Secundanten begleitet. Nicht so die Edelleute Lochau und Benedict nebst Hofmeister, die sich mit dem Baron Meydel und dessen Hofmeister schlugen, wie der folgende Fall aus "Die neue ...
- Work From the Principles, the Techniques Will Come Later.I spent a great deal of my martial arts career as a technique collector. When I went to seminars to learn new forms or techniques, I took meticulous notes on every detail and frustrated the living hell out of my instructors asking them to drill me through all of the ...
- Gear Up! …But Don’t Be Afraid to Gear Down.Do not make the mistakes that I have! I make an unfortunately stupid habit of not wearing as much protective gear as I should, and I have many a bruise after practice because of it. Admittedly I am a poster child for why serious protective gear is necessary in martial ...
- The Joy of Teaching.I’ve spent almost ten years doing martial arts of various kinds. I spent seven years in the Choy Li Fut kung fu system, four of those years spent practicing Yang Tai Chi Ch’uan as well. During those years I also spent a fair bit of time doing submission grappling and ...
- A (Possible) End to My Journey into the World of Kenjutsu…Life has a funny way of getting in the way of the pursuits we all like to enjoy, and for me this is certainly true of my kenjutsu classes. I have immensely enjoyed the short time I spent learning Itto ryu, but after a major back injury, changing class times ...
- Joachim Meyer’s Dussack: Changing the Guards Form.One of my previous posts detailed a “stepping into the guards” exercise I had created to teach the guards in Meyer’s dussack system. The inspiration for this was Giovanni dall’Agocchie’s passegiatta nelle guardia, and how learning this exercise made the Bolognese guards easy to remember (at least for me). Since ...
- Some thoughts on multiple opponent scenariosMost of what we train in HEMA revolves around one-on-one combat, but it is instructive to train multiple opponent scenarios every now and then, Off the top of my head, here’s a few reasons to do so: – Fighting multiple opponents develops situational awareness – Fighting multiple opponents emphasises the ...
- Meyer Masterclass: Three devices with a beat from the leftThe devices in Meyer’s longsword introduce different techniques sequentially to the student,and often introduce the same technique in a variety of contexts. One such technique is a beat with crossed hands from the left, which is introduced and displayed in three consecutive devices in Meyer’s section on Vom Tag. These ...
- “und will ich euer vergalltes Herz / mit eurem Blut erkühlen” – Musterbriefe für Duellherausforderungen aus dem 17. Jahrhundertvon Jan SchäferWie wurde eine schriftliche Duellherausforderungen (sog. Kartell bzw. Fedebrief) im 17. Jahrhundert formuliert? Der "Teutsche Secretarius" von Georg Philipp Harsdörffer, eine Sammlung von Mustern für offizielle und persönliche Briefe und Schreiben, gibt auf S. 41 der zweiten Abteilung (3. Auflage) die Antwort in Form zweier Vorlagen.Die Texte:[S. 41] ...
- “Die Fechtkunst in der alten sächsischen Armee” – Über das Bajonettfechten (und Florettfechten) im 19. Jahrhundert im Königreich Sachsen"Die Fechtkunst in der alten sächsischen Armee" ist ein Artikel von E. Schurig, den dieser 1895 in der Militärzeitschrift "Der Kamerad" veröffentlichte (33, 27, S. 4f). Der Text (1)[Seite 4] Die Fechtkunst in der alten sächsischen ArmeeEine historische Skizze von E. Schurig.Als diejenigen königlich sächsischen Truppenteile, welche dem zur Okkupation ...
- What Is the First Part of Manciolino’s Assault Teaching Us?Given that I spent a long time in Asian martial arts, it’s no wonder why it is I like forms. While I have some misgivings about their usefulness in empty handed fighting arts, I think they are often essential for those arts that concern themselves with weapons. For this reason ...
- Joachim Meyer’s Dussack: Taking a Page From dall’Agocchie.One of the drawbacks to having an awesome hobby like HEMA is that you might not always have all the time you want in order to enjoy it. With work, school, and a sad attempt at having a social life, many of us aren’t able to make it to class, ...
- Joachim Meyer’s Dussack: Thrusting from Longpoint in the Onset.One of my ongoing projects for my study of the dussack is to pry out every simple combat precept that Joachim Meyer lays out in his Kunst des Fechtens. I’ve always been a big fan of taking a basic principle and wedding it to a technique or a series of ...
- Summertime Throwback: Historical Swordsmanship on Virginia Time Travel (2011)by Bill Grandy Summertime might be a time of beaches and vacations for some, but for the team members of TheHEMAists, it’s the busiest time of the year. Every summer we need a small break, so expect to see a Summer Throwback each year, where we’ll revisit the “olden days” of our ...
- Summertime Throwback: Historical Swordsmanship on Virginia Time Travel (2011)by Bill Grandy Summertime might be a time of beaches and vacations for some, but for the team members of TheHEMAists, it’s the busiest time of the year. Every summer we need a small break, so expect to see a Summer Throwback each year, where we’ll revisit the “olden days” of our ...
- The Origins of European SwordsmanshipA common feature of all historical European sword-fighting, as reflected in medieval and Renaissance combat treatises, is fencing with blade binds. In this refined fighting art, a crossing of swords informs a combatant on appropriate maneuvers, based on pressure feedback sensed through one’s blade. Actually, the concept of going where ...
- Das Fechten als Exercitium in August Bohses “Der getreue Hoffmeister adelicher und bürgerlicher Jugend ” (1706)von Jan Schäfer August Bohse (1661-1740; biographisches u.a. bei Flemming, Willi, "Bohse, August" in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 2 (1955), S. 422 f. [Onlinefassung]) schrieb seine Ratschläge für das angemessene soziale Verhalten des Adeligen und Bürgerlichen in einem Buch nieder, das 1706 unter dem TitelDer getreue Hoffmeister adelicher und bürgerlicher Jugend ...
- Die Fechtakademie-Regeln des Jacques François Girard (1740)von Michael PieracciniDer französische Fechtmeister Jacques François Girard formulierte in seinem WerkTraité des armes , par le Sr P. J. F. Girard,... enseignant la manière de combattre de l'épée de pointe seule, toutes les gardes étrangères,... orné de figures en taille douce (1)zu Beginn zwanzig Verhaltensregeln für die Schüler der ...
- Die Fechtaufzeichnungen eines Studenten (3): Transkription der Fechttexte aus Ms. FB Gotha, Chart. B 2117von Jan SchäferMs. FB Gotha, Chart. B 2117 ist ein 305 Blatt starkes Hausbuch aus der Mitte oder der zweiten Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts. (1) Es enthält neben diversen anderen Inhalten vier Seiten Text zum Stoßfechten (auf 259r-260v ) (2) und vier weitere Seiten Text zum Hiebfechten (auf 285r-286v). Als Autor ...
- Das Greifswalder Fechtboden-Reglement von 1745von Jan Schäfer Von der Greifswalder Universität (1) sind uns Fechtboden-Regeln aus dem Jahr 1745 überliefert. (2)Der Text (3)[Seite 462] No. 14. Der Königl. Akademie zu Greifswald confirmirtes Reglement, wornach sich sowohl der Fechtmeister, als auch alle diejenigen, welche auf hiesigen öffentlichen Fechtboden, der Information in der Fechtkunst sich bedienen ...
- Lethal Combat: Medieval Wrestling from Masters Ott Jud, Sigmund Ringeck and Fabian von Auerswald (video)A technique from Fabian von Auerswald.by Bill Grandy, Tim Hall and Doug Bahnick The study of historical Ringen (the German word for “wrestling”) has opened doors to the modern practice of HEMA. The techniques found in the sources range from sport wrestling to vicious strikes against joints and weak points on ...
- Lethal Combat: Medieval Wrestling from Masters Ott Jud, Sigmund Ringeck and Fabian von Auerswald (video)A technique from Fabian von Auerswald.by Bill Grandy, Tim Hall and Doug Bahnick The study of historical Ringen (the German word for “wrestling”) has opened doors to the modern practice of HEMA. The techniques found in the sources range from sport wrestling to vicious strikes against joints and weak points on ...
- “der Marquis de la Vallete meinen Obristen, so balde er nach Paris kommen, gefordert” – Das Duell des Marquis de la Vallette mit dem Grafen von Schönbergvon Jan Schäfer In seinem Tagebuch dokumentierte der hessische Obrist Caspar von Widmarckter am 5. Juni 1617 ein Duell zwischen dem Marquis de la Vallette und seinem Obristen Graf von Schönberg, von dem er Kenntnis erhalten hatte. Bemerkenswert für die Fechtgeschichte ist die Quelle vor allem deshalb, weil uns Zeitzeugenberichte ...
- Ringen Training: How Training for Sport Assists Understanding of Combative ApplicationBy Tim Hall “Every wrestling must consist of three things. The first one is skill, the second one is speed, and the third one is the proper application of strength.” – Ott Jud, medieval wrestling master A Schlosringen (Lock Wrestling) throw from Fabian von Auerswald. This technique is presented in ...
- Ringen Training: How Training for Sport Assists Understanding of Combative ApplicationBy Tim Hall “Every wrestling must consist of three things. The first one is skill, the second one is speed, and the third one is the proper application of strength.” – Ott Jud, medieval wrestling master A Schlosringen (Lock Wrestling) throw from Fabian von Auerswald. This technique is presented in ...
- Einige Hinweise zu den Ursprüngen der deutsch-italienischen Fechtkunst des 14. und 15. Jahrhundertsvon Paul BeckerIm Rahmen meines Geschichtsstudiums befasste ich mich 2010 mit deutschen Söldnern im Italien des 14. Jahrhundert. Parallel dazu arbeitete ich an einer Seminararbeit über das Rittertum und seine Bedeutung bis zum Ende des Hundertjährigen Krieges. Die dabei gewonnenen Erkenntnisse sind zumindest nach meiner Meinung für die Ursprünge der ...
- VAF DocumentaryShameless promotion for our school, the Virginia Academy of Fencing. We did a short documentary showing a bit about our Historical Swordsmanship program. (www.vafinc.com) This documentary is a follow up to the previous promo we did, which is also on our “Who are the HEMAists?” page: ...
- VAF DocumentaryShameless promotion for our school, the Virginia Academy of Fencing. We did a short documentary showing a bit about our Historical Swordsmanship program. (www.vafinc.com) This documentary is a follow up to the previous promo we did, which is also on our “Who are the HEMAists?” page: ...
- “Menschen im Zweikampf. Kampfkunst und Kampfsport in Forschung und Lehre 2013”. Eine Rezension.von Thore WilkensDas Themenfeld der Kampfkünste erfreut sich in akademischen Kreisen seit mehreren Jahren eines wachsenden Interesses, das sich nicht nur auf die bewegungswissenschaftlichen Disziplinen beschränkt. Die Symposien der DVS (Deutsche Vereinigung für Sportwissenschaft) spiegeln die Pluralität der Annährungsmöglichkeiten an dieses Themenfeld wieder. Das 2013 in Erlangen abgehaltene Symposium beinhaltete ...
- Drill Bits: Simple Parry-Ripostes, Part 1 (Longsword focused)by Bill Grandy “Drill Bits” is a regular series of articles on drills for various HEMA styles. These drills can be worked into existing lesson plans and most can be easily modified for multiple weapon styles. Weapon style: Longsword or similar style cutting weaponDifficulty: Beginning to Intermediate (Fencers should already know basic ...
- Drill Bits: Simple Parry-Ripostes, Part 1 (Longsword focused)by Bill Grandy “Drill Bits” is a regular series of articles on drills for various HEMA styles. These drills can be worked into existing lesson plans and most can be easily modified for multiple weapon styles. Weapon style: Longsword or similar style cutting weaponDifficulty: Beginning to Intermediate (Fencers should already know basic ...
- I hate paywalls- read this in your local WHSmiths.From- http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22530040.600-eureka-relived-alchemy-thats-more-than-magic.html"and put into the one side thereof a burning Coal, and the Fire will glide through the Feces within half an Hour, and Calcyne them into a Citrine Colour, very glorious to behold." It doesn't exactly sound like science, and this extract from The Bosome Book of George Ripley, ...
- Die Übung der Grundlagen des Stoßfechtens: Das Stoßen und Parieren an der Wand nach Siegmund Carl Friedrich Weischnervon Jan Schäfer Siegmund Carl Friedrich Weischner beschrieb in seinen Fechtbüchern 1764 und 1765 (1) in Kapitel 26 (dem vorletztem Kapitel) mit dem Stoßen und Parieren an der Wand (2) eine Übungsform, anhand derer die Schüler das Grundcurriculum von Stößen, Paraden, Finten und Cavationen erlernen sollen. Das anfänglich einfache Repertoire ...
- Interpretation and academia.No translation or interpretation exists in isolation- translating a piece of work is not easy and can be prone to subjective errors. Errors creep in through slang, unfamiliar/obsolete/changed words, or simple translators bias.The same thing happens with interpretation. Errors creep in because it's what you feel is right, or you ...
- Teaching fencing is like fencingI hope that during the progress of this text I would make the title more clear. The basic concept came to me in conversation after today’s session. Some background – I am a junior instructor in the only HEMA school … ...
- The Fours of Meyer DussackThe Fours of Meyer DussackWhat is so cool about Dussack fencing?Besides it being a very fast paced, and dynamic fight, that requires a mastery ofthe measure and tempo, there also exists a rather comprehensive system oftechniques available to us from the works of Joachim Meyer. Not justtechniques, but also actual ...
- Hans Sachs, and his visit to SchlaraffenlandThe Poem written by Hans Sachs in the early 16th century, Schlareffenland is a comical tale of the Fool's Paradise. A land of opposites where losing was winning, and your dreams came true. Replete with sharp sarcasm, and criticism, but with a moral ending, this farcical tale probably achieved ...
- Cage rattled…I've been wrestling with this for a while. There's a concrete point where 'misunderstanding', 'different goals'... and all sorts of stuff becomes "taking the piss". Often these people hide behind the rules- don't hate the player, hate the game type people. For me, the dispute about a venue isn't about ...
- How to make a HEMA videoThere was a discussion on Reddit a few days ago on one of the teapot’s videos. Grauenwolf, a common sight there, proposed to make a separate topic – on making a HEMA video, presentation and “how to show my Zornhau … ...
- Winning on defense 101 & preparatory actionsOne of the complaints tournament fighting often gets is the lack of defensive actions and people protecting themselves, and only attacking instead. At this article we will look at ways of increasing your success in some defensive actions. But before doing this, one thing needs to be said.Offense is a ...
- Landing first intention attacksMost people when they start fencing have trouble on landing simple first intention attacks. The key to landing first intention attacks is simple.Time for you strike to reach the target < time for your opponent to perceive & react to the stimuli accordingly + time It takes for them to ...
- In Search of the RudisThis article was originally posted at http://www.puckandmary.com/blog_puck/2014/06/in-search-of-the-rudis/. It has been re-posted here, with permission from the author, Puck Curtis, with our thanks. ——— Like many of the stories of my life, this one should start with me being a fool. It was WMAW and assembled there were a collection of instructors ...
- Bringing Museum Work Into FocusA little while ago I got to do something I’ve never done before. I was invited to participate in an exhibition focus group for a new museum, which shall remain unidentified, in Philadelphia. The museums I’ve worked at haven’t typically had the luxury of time or resources for focus groups. ...
- Another perspective on the Judging debate.Yes, I know it's been a long time. Shit happens, and it's been a lot less shit recently so I am able to concentrate on the fun things.Thanks to the upturn in my circumstances, I am now in possession of a Canon Powershot SX270 HS. The HS stands for "high ...
- Stable, Striking and Mutable: Fighting from the Guards of L’Arte dell’Armizare“I am the sword and I am lethal against any weapon; lances, axes and dagger are worthless against me. I can become extended or withdrawn; when I get near the opponent I can enter into close play, perform disarms and abrazare. My art is to turn and to bind; I ...
- CFAA Welcomes the FreifechterThe Chivalric Fighting Arts Association is pleased to welcome its newest member, the Freifechter (http://www.freifechter.org) Founded in the year 2000, ‘Die Freifechter’ are one of Germany’s oldest historical fencing clubs. Their training focuses on the single-handed, single-edged sword from various historical eras. Systems trained include Messer according to the so-called ...
- Memory and Performance: Visual and Rhetorical Strategies of Il Fior di Battaglia(First presented at the Renaissance Society of America’s Venice conference in 2010. Presented also as part of an academic session followed by an armoured combat demonstration, organized by Dr. Regina Pskai, at the American Association for Italian Studies conference at University of Oregon, 2013) This paper is part of a larger study on medieval ...
- Wide and Close Play in Armizare, the Martial Tradition of Fiore dei Liberi Gregory D. Mele, ©2014 [N.B: This article greatly expands and upon an earlier one “Understanding Wide and Close Play in the Martial Tradition of Fiore dei Liberi”, first presented in 2008 and later published with photo interpretations in In the Service of Mars, Proceedings from the Western Martial Arts Workshop (1999 – ...
- Circles.My mind spins from pole hammers to swords of every shape and size to maces and war hammers to spears to daggers and back to pole hammers. The mind only pauses for a moment before the circle begins again.Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. ...
- Mine or His?It's like an episode of "The Walking Dead" - I'm back!For now.Thing is I am in the middle of graduate school - getting my Master of Art in Teaching and it is swallowing all of my time.But that doesn't mean I am ignoring HEMA and Armizare. It just means that ...
- Go / no goGo/no goOften in class people ask how they should attack. The how part is usually easy, but when & why are much harder questions to answer, and require a deeper understanding of fencing. The choice of correct time is crucial for the success of an attack. Attacking at the wrong ...
- Ringen syllabus and training – part 2Well, this is embarassing. In two hours our third session will begin, and I still haven’t described the second! Well, it has been a busy week. I’ll try to write up on a session every time, but it can take a few days. However, I’ll make every attempt not to ...
- Why the weighted afterblow?Note: This is a guest post by Matias Parmala. I agree though fully at what he has to say on the subject.Tournament rules get a lot of attention, and for good reason. While tournament prowess is not the only goal in HEMA, successful tournament strategies do influence the way people ...
- Ringen syllabus and training – part 1So, finally to review the training session. As I explained yesterday, our school formed a group specifically for the study of ringen and abrazare. The purpose of this post is not just to go over a training session (something I’ll … ...
- Finally – Ringen every Saturday!This Saturday was the first training session of our brand new ringen and abrazare group within our school. I had an intention to write about it immediately after training, but for the last few days I have been wondering how to … ...
- Practicing switch-over reaction is a great way to reduce double hitsHave you ever been in a situation, where you both stand in vom tag, and you think to yourself “this is a great time to throw a zwerch”? Then a fraction of a second after you execute your brilliant plan your opponent throws his own zwerchaw resulting in a double ...
- Loose play vs practice boutsFor all of us interested in fencing comes a time when “freeplay” or loose play, is introduced to practice. But unfortunately for some of us there never comes a time when we get to do practice bouts. The importance of practice bouts is unfortunately often underestimated in HEMA, and most people ...
- Characteristics of fencing as an activity & how to trainRegardless of what type of swordfighting you practice, it is quite a unique activity compared to other martial arts / sports / combat sports out there. Compared to physical activities like acrobatics, running, swimming, dancing and other closed motor skill sports/activities, the ...
- New Year’s Advice ArticlesAn Otherwise Good Article Marred By One Idiot Being Included, and an All White Male CastA Counter-Balancing Article from EsfingesDisclaimer: I may be the Idiot. ...
- A (Personal) HEMA Year in ReviewIt's Christmas. As an Englishman, that means indifferently chill rain, bad jumpers, and the constant threat of Cliff Richards playing from shops' speakers. Minced pies with brandy butter make it all worthwhile though.The end of the year is also the traditional time to take stock and review, hence the spiking ...
- REVIEW: The ‘Lost’ Second Book of Nicoletto Giganti(1608): A Rapier Fencing TreatiseGiganti, Nicoletto; Pendragon, Joshua; Terminiello, Piermarco. The 'Lost' Second Book of Nicoletto Giganti(1608): A Rapier Fencing Treatise. Vulpes, 2013. ISBN 978-1909348318Before the review, it's worth clarifying that I'm not a rapier fencer. I've focused on the longsword. Perhaps this brings an outsider's perspective to the book. Secondly, one of the ...
- Review: AHA German Longsword Study GuideThe Academy of Historical Arts recently published their study guide for Lichtenauer tradition longsword fencing. written by Keith Farrell & Alex Bourdas. At SwordFish I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy of it, and here's my two(ish) word review of it:It's sound.In more depth, the book itself is ...
- A reply to Alex Bourdas on distance.I recently came across a post by Alex Bourdas on The Historical Academy's blog about the correct distance to fence in. I can't help but disagree with its conclusions. This post will be a bit of a rebuttal of his.Firstly, I feel that MS 3227a doesn't support the argument that he's ...
- DVD Review: German Medieval Martial Arts, Volume 2: Sword, Buckler, & Messer"German Medieval Martial Arts, Volume 2: Sword, Buckler, & Messer" is the second offering from Speaking Window Productions (Christopher Valli's production company), featuring Selohaar Fechtschule.It covers the German tradition's techniques with the single-hand sword. This single-hand sword can either be a classic arming sword or the messer, a weapon that ...
- The USFCA Has No Right To Govern MeI recently read a blog entry by Guy Windsor concerning the modern sport fencing organization known as USFCA seeking to establish their own system for granting titles for HEMA instructors, even though their organization does not practice any historical systems. Guy's comments can be read here:http://guywindsor.net/blog/2012/11/certification/I find this incredibly disturbing. ...
- A Masterful PerformanceI for one welcome our new HEMA overlords.An actual living HEMA Master! ...
- On art and fencing.This came up in my feeds of things from interesting people and I thought it would make a good starting point. It often happens that a fencer is graceful and clean with sword in hand, but is nevertheless ineffectual. Facing another who is very unaesthetic with sword in hand, as ...
- Back to the myth of edge-on-edgeInspired by the constantly raised question about edge-parries, I thought I'd go and have a look at ARMA to see what they had to say about the matter."In his 1617 backsword and rapier fencing text swordsman Joseph Swetnam also makes no mention of the word “block” or “parry”, but only ...
- Thought For The Day: Don’t Begin In DistanceI returned from a tournament to try a "regular" sparring class at a local club. One thing that stood out was that locals skipped over the Zufechten. In the tournament, you began in your corner, and enjoyed a phase of manoeuvre, feeling out, and trying to steal an angle or ...
- My introduction to Buckler…In a way.One of the things that makes HEMA distinct from fencing is the fact that people use the other hand. It's an easy thing to point at as a difference. Personally, I find the option of an off-hand weapon to be remarkably sensible and pragmatic. Even if you don't ...
- Explaining lines.One of the challenges with teaching is learning the language of your students. Imposing your "language" upon them is actually an obstacle to producing an instinctive response.When I'm talking about language, it's more learning modes and that filter between thinking and doing. I tend to slip into a kinaesthetic mode ...
- Bruises as Error Messages.So, yesterday, I had a pretty good day getting stabbity in the park Mostly sparring, a little teaching (and I'm still really chuffed with how the guys look- they won't embarrass themselves in competition and may even get past the first round)This morning I'm totting up the aches and pains. ...
- After Action Report: Bob Charrette’s Armoured Combat Workshop"That's okay, I'm in armour." - Bob Charrette On April 16th, 2013 the Northwest Fencing Academy hosted the esteemed Bob Charrette for a one day workshop on fighting in armour. While the focus was on Armizare (I mean, he wrote a book on it after all) I believe that ...
- Somewhat Cathartic RamblingsMy most common response when someone inquires about a skill-set of mine is:"Kinda sorta"I have always been a Jack-of-All-Trades personality. It probably started with Boy Scouts. When I turned 18 I had 30 some-odd merit badges, ranging in everything from emergency lifesaving to weaving baskets out of reeds. The idea ...
- The ever present kit issue.HEMA still isn't big enough to have mass produced "standard" kit. We're getting there, but there's always going to be issues and the need to cobble together certain things. Plus... it's quite nice to have a bag that is different to everyone else's.Sword Bags are a particularly tricky thing to ...
- Congratulating people for hitting you in the face.Going through my after class analysis I suddenly started to think about something really absurd about HEMA... You know, beyond the obvious stuff.There is a culture of complimenting people when they hit you (at least in my club and those from the same tree). This is a brilliant thing, it ...
- Swash this weekend.You have to love a rapier competition that expressly forbids Mortschlags and pommelling. ...
- Unarmoured PoleaxeIt's been awhile since I posted anything here but I just have a quick poll type question:How likely do you think it was for poleaxes to have been used while unarmoured? That is, in gambeson, gloves, etc. No real armour to speak of.I know that we see some illustrations of ...
- The importance of playI suspect that I've already had a post with the same title, but the manuals tell you to play at the sword. There's this distinction between at play and fighting for your life and I think that distinction is missing from a lot of places. Especially where ritual is there ...
- Countering the SchnappenI have long been troubled that the Schnappen, one of the most ubiquitous counter techniques in Liechtenauer’s longsword system, apparently had no canonical counter. Sure, it’s possible to make a technique up like many people do, but our school is committed to practicing canonical techniques *only*, and this seemed like ...
- New YearHappy New Year everyone!After having not really updated this blog since September that is going to be one of my focuses this new year - to be better at this blogging thing. It might not always be insightful because of grad school (starting this summer and going straight through to ...
- Blast, it’s been a while….I didn't realise how long it's been since I made a post here. Rest assured, my silence has been due to concentrating on my students.We're in the Christmas lull and the last week was an informal "use whatever is safe" night based on the pas d'arms rules from Fightcamp. From ...
- RuminationsI had planned on writing up an entry here discussing how I was going to spend sometime focusing on learning the German tradition of longsword. I would like to say that this was going to be an attempt to increase my knowledge base, but honestly it was because I was ...
- Striking With A SpearI have long been skeptical--OK, I have laughed mercilessly--of those who want to believe that spears were used like staves, that is, for striking actions as well as thrusting actions. For one thing, there's no clear evidence for that in foot combat in any Fechtbuch. For another, spears just aren't ...
- Starting a new format for the class.Well, I think that's what's going to happen- but you know what it's like, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. I think we've got to a point where competitive drilling (freeplay with individual rules that force people to play against their weaknesses) will be the focus of lessons.I ...
- The Dunning-Kruger effect.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effectThe Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly rating their ability much higher than average. This bias is attributed to a metacognitive inability of the unskilled to recognize their mistakes. Actual competence may weaken self-confidence, as competent individuals may falsely assume that ...
- Mike, Y U No update blog?Because I haven't been doing HEMA. Because I cannot make any HEMA training sessions.I'm going to Swordfish in November. Signed myself up for most of the competitions and everything. I guess I'll have to get into reasonable shape and wing it from there.Ultimately, I'd like to train Liechtenauer's unarmoured longsword ...
- New Book: “Formal Partner Exercises”The fifth book in the die Schlachtschule unarmored combat series has just been released on Lulu.com.Formal Partner Exercises presents a series of two-man forms designed to teach students the flow of combat. Each form starts with a basic technique of Johannes Liechtenauer’s system of combat and builds it into a ...
- Post Fight Camp BluesAn update? Oh me oh my. I haven't really been able to do much HEMA lately, so there hasn't been much to say.Last weekend I went to fight Camp, the largest UK HEMA event, and four nights of camping. Met interesting people, sparred a bunch of them, learned from a bunch ...
- Re-focusAfter having a horrible realization that, other than moving it around to reorganize the garage, I haven't touched my swords in months. Time to fix that. I'm going to make a promise to do at least 15 mins of solo drills/sword handling a day. Rather than spread my attention to ...
- 2 GenerationsApparently the ARMA is at least two generations ahead of everyone else.Whilst I'm a little puzzled as to how they'd know as I don't recall spending much time with anyone from the ARMA recently I'm not too bothered by their claim.After all this man is also two generations ahead of me. ...
- One Mind, Any WeaponThe title refers to a motto I've seen used by the US military forces, usually in regards to firearms usage, meaning that whatever weapon winds up in your hands, it is your mental attitude that matters most. YOU are the weapon. I've written about this before and it is ...
- Clothing grabs in Von AuerswaldThe question of whether there are clothing grabs in Ringen (and if so, whether they are limited to the belt and crotch areas) has come up several times on this blog and various forums.In an effort to settle the issue once and for all, I have cataloged select illustrations from ...
- ARMA Deputy Director resigns!Unsurprisingly, there has been another massive upheaval within ARMA's ranks. John Clements' most recent protege, Aaron Pynenberg, resigned last week for all-too-familiar reasons. My sources tell me that a number of senior ARMA members (including those few who had stayed after the 2009 schism) left with him.On Tuesday, Aaron bravely ...
- Grabbing the opponent’s clothing in Mair’s RingenI have long argued that certain Ringen techniques require you to grip your opponent's clothing.Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School agrees, and has compiled a series of images from the Ringen chapter of Mair's Vienna manuscript that clearly show belt, sleeve and crotch(!) grabs.Check it out here. This is ...
- Forbes: Neal Stephenson On Video Games And Working Out"Time is running out for Neal Stephenson and Subutai’s sword-fighting Kickstarter, Clang. With four days left to go, the crowd-funding effort remains short of its target, with approximately $80,000 to go toward a half million dollar goal."More: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/07/05/neal-stephenson-on-video-games-and-working-out/ ...
- What is Mair all about?An interesting thread on the HEMA Alliance forum explores the following questions:1) To which tradition does Mair belong? Lichtenauer? Nuremburg?2) Does Mair present a complete system of swordsmanship (akin to Lichtenauer's and Ringeck's), or an encyclopedias of dirty tricks (akin to Codex Wallerstein)?3) If Mair's target audience was the wealthy, ...
- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!I have tried so hard to just let it all flow past me.To allow the bullshit claims and fantasy opinions to simply drift past and leave me peaceful and quiet, zenlike even.But it is too hard.I am only human and I can no longer let the twats, fuckwits and imbeciles ...
- Can’t talk…...busy training.Please disregard all previous moping. Time to get my HEMA face on. ...
- Windows and High SnakesWhen I went over to Eugene to train at the Northwest Fencing Academy on June 2nd, I knew that it was essentially to be an exchange of notes on pollaxe between Maestro Hayes and myself, with the other students being willing guinea pigs. Many wonderful things came from that session, ...
- HistFenc ReviewI recently had an order from HistFenc (http://www.histfenc.com/) arrive. HistFenc are a Polish company that produce kit designed for HEMA. Today I finally had an opportunity to test the equipment, so here's a review of it all. We only got kitted up, tested the mobility and did some Federschwert sparring, ...
- Rhetorical QuestionsMy life's been dominated by work recently. I've still managed to attend a few Exeter sessions, but Plymouth has become more difficult. I'm going to begin Olympic fencing again instead - as much for the exercise as any other aspect of training.I've also been thinking a bit recently about the ...
- Laugh at me.Went down to the park. Dabbled. In terrible longsword, terrible grappling, and even a bit of terrible basket-hilt stuff.And came away having learnt something: ...
- All Quiet on the West Country FrontFew updates lately - I'm currently working as much as I can, and what little HEMA time I have left has been spent trying to fight better with a steel sword. I ran a 'longsword 101' the other day though, which seemed to go well.But on the other hand, the ...
- Short Axe TheoryWhen I bought Dr. Sydney Anglo's "Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe" I'll admit that I immediately flipped to the chapter on polearms and started reading there. At the bottom of page 151 was an illustration that caught my attention and has been bugging me and percolating in the back of ...
- KdF Weekend.This last weekend I travelled up to a seminar by Thomas Stoeppler for the KdF group. The man is fast as greased lightning, strikes impressively hard and is generally better at Longsword fighting than me. The seminar was brilliant, and touched up a lot of things that I was aware ...
- ‘Even if I’m training well, what am I training towards?’Long time no post. Been on holiday, and other excuses.Which gave me time to think. I’ve been having two main frustrations with HEMA. One of them is the day to day stuff of running a club. The usual stuff most people who have run a hobby group will be familiar ...
- Poleaxe based on Talhoffer take-apart axeCheck out this poleaxe from a smith in the Neatherlands. A really pretty interpretation - personally I'd prefer the top of the haft to be more like the one in Talhoffer, that is, a narrowed metal cap which the head fits onto rather than the screw present on this one, ...
- Michael Edelson – The John the Baptist of Cutting PracticeImagine this scenario. I give a cutting class at a big event. People who take it can't cut through a mat using whatever mechanics they use until I adjust them. Later on that day, they go fight in a tournament, reverting to their original mechanics. They hit each other and ...
- A re-examination of Le Jeu de la HacheAfter some thinking while walking the dog today, I've decided that there is a proper usage for Frog DNA while reconstructing Le Jeu de la Hache - to inform you insofar as stance and footwork goes. But that's it. Le Jeu, neatly enough, contains it's own discussion of tactics & ...
- HiatusI'm off on holiday for a few weeks. Enjoy sword fighting without me. There are some videos from training up on the Facebook and stuff, including one of the Feder being used for the first time (yes, not enough protection for there to be any intent. Deal with it).Anyway, I'll be back ...
- Hammer play in recent gamesI love to play role-playing video games. As a medievalist and WMA practitioner, this has to be carefully done lest my head 'spode from all the fantasy armour and weapons. Let's not even get into the fighting styles (that much spinning around would make me dizzy as hell).However, I've been ...
- Upcoming projectI have a theory about pollaxe usage with a short haft. By "short" I mean:Average = User's Height +/- 1 foot Shorter than average = User's Height - 1.5 feetThe main reasoning behind my theory is actually a picture featured in Sydney Anglo's book Medieval & Renaissance Martial Arts in ...
- 12/03/12 SessionLarge class. More experienced people did 'The KdF longsword bind drill', then into just a sprechsfenster drill, with a third person coaching. Then they did it with steel.The less experienced people were introduced to guards, covering and then attacking different quarters. Dead to begin with, then drilled, then a bit ...
- Book Review – “Armizare” by Robert CharretteI just finished Fiore dei Liberi's Armizare: The Chivalric Martial Arts System of Il Fior di Battaglia by Robert Charrette.First off, buy this book. Seriously. This is, by far, the best overview of Armizare yet. The organization of the book, the writing, and the photography are all clear and easy ...
- 5/3/12 Session, some questions to the dudes and a bit of snideness.This last Monday we did Fiore. We started with a warm up and stretch, and then worked on a few of Fiore's wide plays again. It was a mix of experienced and brand new people, which always makes leading class interesting.Then we moved on to the close plays. Unfortunately, since we didn't ...
- HM JKL Fiore Dagger videoI stumbled overtoday. It's one and a half hours of Fiore's dagger, in English, by Historiallinen miekkailu JKL. Those of you who are interested in Fiore's dagger might be interested.It's not how I'd present Fiore's dagger, or how I'd drill it (once people are drilling towards the end). It's not ...
- On Sparring out of DistanceWatching two people both waiting out of distance, hoping the other guy twitches first is only dramatic in Kurosawa movies. For sparring, it's a lot like pulling closed guard and clinging really tightly in BJJ, hoping the other guy will give up and go away.I have nothing against feints done ...
- Vier Leger – This is how they were recorded.The 'Vier Leger' are the 'four guards', the fundamental positions of Liechtenauer's fencing. There are only four of them. Of course there are others (Langort/Long Point, Kron/Crown etc.), but those aren't that important.Hans Talhoffer, the anonymous blogger, knows more about Medieval High New German than I do. He once explained ...
- 27/02/12 – Back to the Italian.So, this week we took a break from the Liechtenauer to do a compare and contrast with Fiore's system. We ended up working with the Giocco Large (wide-play) section of the sword-in-two-hands in the Getty Manuscript. I'll send out an email with links to copies of the manuscript.The session was ...
- 20/02/11 SessionA brief re-cap of what happened:Warm up, incorporating a little bit of getting used to 'being in each other's space'.Some points on body mechanics. Beginning with everyone walking around the room looking snooty - head tilted back, shoulders rolled back and hips stuck forwards. Specifically, keeping the hips facing forward. ...
- 06/02/11 Session Re-CapSorry for the lack of a written out lesson plan, I didn't make one.This lesson focused on feints, and generally speaking all the stuff that happens in the beginning of a fight, out of distance. Trying to gain the initiative and the vorschlag. It's an area that the early sources ...
- Lately I've been worried about something - that I do not have the necessary self-motivation to pursue HEMA to the highest degree. That is, one of my ambitions had always been to become one of "the Names" in WMA - you know, the people who seem to be on the ...
- Mair and the Wiktenauer[This post contributed by Michael Chidester]In October 2011, I started and ultimately completed the Wiktenauer's treatment of Paulus Hector Mair's work, including a full concordance of his three manuscripts. Mair's Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica (roughly "The Greatest Work on the Athletic Arts") stands as possibly the largest compendium of ...
- “The Half-Swording of Paulus Hector Mair” by Keith MyersThe following commentary and translation are copyright 2010 by MFFG member Keith Myers and reproduced here in accordance with the license granted by the author:Paulus Hector Mair was an avid collector of Fechtbucher/Fencing Manuals. He eventually undertook the task of producing a large Fechtbuch of his own that brought together ...
- Codex Wallerstein: A Medieval Fighting Book from the Fifteenth Century on the Longsword, Falchion, Dagger, and Wrestling="1">The Codex Wallerstein (MS I.6.4.2) is a collection of material written in Middle High German during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, then purchased and compiled by Paulus Hector Mair circa 1566. In fact, Mair's handwritten entry on the first plate (see detail at bottom left) reads "Bought in ...
- Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair now available for Kindle!Paladin Press has released a version of Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair (by David James Knight and Brian Hunt) for the Amazon Kindle. The original illustrations from Mair's Dresden manuscript look great on my second-generation Kindle!The foreword and introductory chapters are downloadable for free. Check it out here! ...
- Musings – Don’t get Lost in the Forest by Focusing on the TreesI was recently made aware of the fact that I have been focusing far too much on individual weapons (i.e. which do I prefer more: longsword, poleaxe, spear, etc.?) and losing the forest for the trees. Instead, my focus needs to be on the system as a whole - as ...
- Book Review: The Knightly Art of BattleThis is a book review of "The Knightly Art of Battle" by Ken Mondschein, from the Getty Museum.While this is not a full translation or facsimile of the Fiore manuscript held by the Getty Museum in LA, this is a wonderful introduction to the manuscript for non-Fiorists and Fiorists alike. ...
- Book Review: The Complete Renaissance SwordsmanThe Complete Renaissance SwordsmanA Guide to the Use of All Manner of WeaponsAntonio Manciolino's Opera Nova (1531)Translated by Tom LeoniAvailable from Freelance Academy PressThis book was purchased, much like Tom's translation of Giganti's rapier, as part of the "What If" section of my WMA library. As in, "what if I ...
- ApologiesI have been horrible about updating this blog.My bad.Part of it is feeling that there is nothing I can really write that will contribute to the community at the present. However, stay tuned I as I will be receiving a couple books that I plan on reviewing here. ...
- Brief ThoughtIt just struck me that polearms occupy both ends of the training spectrum.More people focus on the sword, but traditionally the spear was the more common weapon throughout the Middle Ages. It can then be claimed that the spear is one of (if not the) simplest weapon to learn.On the ...
- Random thoughts & MusingsAnyone ever noticed how the blows of the sword described and shown in the various Fiore manuscripts are also the same motions used when parrying? When you make the parry of the 1st Master of Gioco Largo, you make a fendente. I think most of the people who study Fiore ...
- On Bravery: Hemingway"The coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one" (Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms). ...
- Halbschwert Ort Breaks WindenThere is a technique in Codex Wallerstein, folio 11 recto, seen here:http://media.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/file/82660/33346593581.pngin which you bind, then your opponent tries to take control of the bind with a Winden, and you counter the Winden by lifting your blade over his and going to a halfsword grip on the other side of ...
- The Four OpeningsFighting to the Four OpeningsIn the forward of the 1570, written by Joachim Meyer, we see his initial attempt to introduce to the reader, the primary and ancient rule of fighting with the Sword.that is; that there exists a division of the opponent, into four quadrants, this division is the ...
- Christian Tobler’s “Captain of the Guild”I just received my copy of Christian Henry Tobler’s new book, Captain of the Guild: Master Peter Falkner’s Art of Knightly Defense, Freelance Academy Press, 2011. The book is excellently prepared and looks well produced and serviceable. The binding is properly and cleanly executed, and the cover seems quite durable. ...
- Who were the Freifechter?While much today is being written and researched about the Fencing Guilds of Europe during the 15th-17th centuries, not much is presented about the vast portion of fencers who perhaps did not all belong to these Guilds. The Freifechters existed throughout the renaissance in Europe, they were the epitome of ...
- Intellectual HonestyFolks, without intellectual honesty we cannot have meaningful discussions. Without meaningful discussions, we cannot explore important areas of our art that are unclear. As one example, admit when you are wrong! Everyone makes mistakes, everyone spouts off comments “from the cuff” in informal discussions, and everyone of us is misinformed ...
- Columbus Day Sale At Lulu.comIf you've been thinking about buying any books at Lulu.com, they're having a sale for Columbus Day: 14.92% off all purchases (up to a maximum of $50.00 in savings) until 10/11/10. Simply enter the word "EXPLORE305" in the coupon code field at checkout. So if you've been putting off buying some ...
- One wordI seem to have riled a few people recently.I have one word for you.Excellent ...
- Source materialThe tournament debate seems to be dying down a little now thank the Lord, but not before it has found it's way onto pretty much every forum on the internet. One line that I found particularly memorable was “2 people square off with faux swords (bamboo or plastic) and they ...
- There is no point in ArguingWhen it comes to WMA discussions there is a certain point when the discussion switches from objective debate to macho posturing. It becomes less about whether you have the right information and more about who has the biggest cock.I have the biggest cock.Now as that's sorted let's get back to ...
- A Hidden SocietyThere is an organisation within the world of WMA that you may not know much about. Its primary goal is not the furtherence of the martial arts of Europe, it has a number of other goals. I'm going to tell you some of the things they say about themselves.They claim ...
- Arrogance, Tournaments and Orange WomenI was driving down a country lane today when a giant 4x4 came screaming round a blind corner and almost rammed me off the road. The arrogance people show when they feel safe and secure in their own little personal cocoon never ceases to amaze me.It got me to thinking ...
- Hi Honey, I’m home.Hello.Yes it's Hemaboy again.I can almost hear the collected sighs of relief.How did you cope without me?Heaven only knows, but you don't have to struggle on in the dark without the shining light of my opinion to guide you any more. I'm back.How long it will last is another question, ...
- Controlling MeasureMost techniques can be characterized as either first attacks or counterattacks. Most counterattacks can be broken into two parts, the defensive and the offensive. The simplest version of this is a block followed by an attack. This applies even to single-time techniques, although with such techniques the defensive and offensive ...
- Prize played and won.Just enjoyed a great weekend of fencing, and successfully played for my Free Scholar's Prize.So, before I forget, I learned first hand some important things which, whilst falling under the category of 'bleeding obvious, you git', bear noting down if only as a permanent reminder to me.I'm talking about the ...
- Roles in Formal ExercisesFrequent readers of this blog will note that I often turn to traditional Japanese martial arts training processes for training students of HEMA. I do not use their techniques, interpretations or customs because I believe those to be contrary to the cultural aspects inherent in studying medieval German martial arts, ...
- Correcting An Interpretation From Christian Tobler’s Pollaxe DVDIn a review of Christian Tobler’s recent pollaxe DVD I noted that Tobler failed to document the techniques in his DVD, making it very difficult for scholars of the art to know the sources of the techniques being demonstrated, which, in turn, made it difficult to analyze Tobler’s interpretations.Last week ...
- A Review of Christian Tobler’s Pollaxe VideoA REVIEW OF GERMAN MEDIEVAL MARTIAL ARTS VOLUME 1: THE POLEAXE (SIC) BY CHRISTIAN HENRY TOBLERReviewed by Hugh T. Knight, Jr.Christian Henry Tobler is a widely respected figure in the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) community. He has produced four books on various aspects of Johannes Liechtenauer’s art, and some ...
- Are the Gladiatoria MSS Part of the Liechtenauer Canon?Some readers of this blog may know of my fascination with the so-called "Gladiatoria" family of Fechtbücher, and one or two may even have read my translation of the Krakow edition. Recently, some excellent work by Dierk Hagedorn of Hammaborg has shed an interesting new light on the relationship between ...
- Random musings from the past month and a half.Poor health again. Not conducive to training.Tonight I'm going to get some random thoughts down to keep my hand in, as it were.So, within the scope of the SCA game, I am recently authorised in 'cut & thrust' which pleases me immensely, because I can start playing with the bolognese ...
- HEMA Groundfighting: Codex Wallerstein1. To perform this shoulder lock on a prostrate opponent, "pull his left arm back; put your left foot on his muscle, and put his forearm before your shin bone, as depicted here." Zabinski-Walczak 300. Note that the perspective is unusual in this drawing and the center figure is probably ...
- Post-training thoughts 04/02/2010Offloading some thoughts before they get entirely scattered by imminent sleep.I forsook playtime again, as we have a newcomer who I think will become a regular face at the school. The gentleman is certainly keen and has a number of aspects which show a lot of promise.There is an interesting ...
- HEMA Groundfighting: MairFor years, a debate has raged over the role of groundfighting in HEMA, from whether it had any place on the battlefield (answer: yes, it did; see Gladiatoria!) to whether it should be restricted in, or even eliminated from, Ringen tournaments (answer: no, and here's why).While the majority of Ringen ...
- Capoferro, Capoferro, wherefore art thou Capoferro?With a longsword seminar coming up the next weekend, this seemed a perfect time to offload some thoughts on Italian Rapier.So.Capoferro. Much more of a workout ever since my posture and stance was corrected. (I may thank you, Don Emrys, but my legs are not so sanguine about the whole ...
- Teaching to learnWell, with major illness passed, Christmas and New Year's over, and my stamina regained, it is time to get back into the swing of things. Which means both training and this blog. Can't let myself be too lazy.Anyway.A number of wise and knowledgeable heads from various fields, including some that ...
- How religion affected the Fencing ArtsThe affects that Religion had on the Fencers of the Rennaisance era have often been overlooked in many Modern day, Scholarly reconstructions of the Kunst des Fechtens. Especially with regard to the Middle High Rennaisance period of the Holy Roman Empire. Christianity was in turmoil and the effects of the ...
- What exactly were the Fechtschulen?The fechtschule was often a public spectacle that involved Men trained in the Arts of fencing, with the Longsword, the Dussack, the Rappier, the Dagger the Halberd, the Half Staff and the Long Pike. The longswords, amd rappiers were almost always of the Steel, Blunted edge variety. While the Dussacks ...
- Kampfringen Fundamentals: Leg Drag (Codex Wallerstein)This is a quick demonstration of the first throwing technique in Codex Wallerstein (16 recto). I will be uploading more in this series in the future.This interpretation hinges on translation of the Middle High German verb tauchen as any pushing, pulling or torquing motion, not specifically "to push" as it ...
- Why I train at home (despite being lazy by nature)This entry falls under 'Stating the obvious in as verbose a fashion as humanly possible'.I want to get this down while I'm thinking about it.I write this because, due to time and health limitations, I can rarely go to more than one night-time training session with my peers each week.The ...
- Mair’s Sickle 1: Obere Schnitte* from both sidesAttacker: Approach your opponent with your right foot leading, the sickle held in your right hand on the left side of your head, your left arm extended towards your opponent, and your left hand open (see left figure).Defender: Approach your opponent with your left foot leading, the sickle held in ...
- Exercises I use for developing strength in the armsOne thing I noticed very quickly when I first started training with swords was how rapidly my arms and shoulders wore out and became too fatigued to safely or successfully execute any fencing techniques.(Quick background: when I was in Uni, I was quite weak in the torso and arms due ...
- The perils of choice for a beginnerAs a novice of the European sword, one of the hardest things to come to grips with can be 'Where do I start?'.Due to the dedicated efforts of many groups and individuals over the past years, the re-creation of the medieval and renaissance martial arts has become a lot more ...
- A Scholar’s Diary: IntroductionThe purpose of this project is to keep a record of my thoughts and experiences as I re-engage in the study of Historical European Martial Arts.This will largely serve as a mnemonic device for me - a way to ensure that I am not undone by the sieve which is ...
- Vegetius on Lost Martial KnowledgeA startlingly relevant passage from Roman military author Flavius Vegetius Renatus' 4th century De Re Militari:After their examination, recruits should then receive the military mark, and be taught the use of their arms by constant and daily exercise. But this essential custom has been abolished by the relaxation introduced by ...
- Test Cutting with Albion TalhofferTesting out a new sword. I tried to focus on being more fluid in this session. I found that, at first, I tended to ‘power’ the blow by cocking my hands back. I did find however, that not only was this a bad telegraph, it also made for a poorer ...
- Left Guard Video...
- Parries Video...
- Swordsmanship and the Law in New YorkI was recently asked by a HEMA practitioner from Texas whether he would be able to continue his longsword training if he moved to New York City, given the City's strict weapon laws.The short answer is "Yes, as long as you use common sense."The long answer requires a detailed legal ...
- Kampfringen in the New York TimesMy friend and very occasional training partner Justin Porter, an amateur MMA fighter and New York Times reporter, included a reference to "Kampfringen, a form of German battlefield wrestling that is now being reconstructed from ancient manuals," in his June 17, 2009 article "In Tight, a New (Old) Martial Art ...
- Fechtkunst Training Report- 30/07/09Thumb grip to normal grip transitions through out the 4 primary guards. Absetzen- Using Pflug and Ochs as aggressive defence to basic cuts against one’s four openings. Zucken- using weak vs strong when your point is deflected, and replying with a short edge cut. Remember each intent in the sequence. ...
- Return to Ramblings and RantsOk my updating has been slack of late, but I broke my collar bone (fell over running- and people say swordfighting is dangerous) and one thing led to another. All healed up now though. I’ve also discovered KETTLEBELLS. These things and their associated exercises are awesome. I highly recommend them. ...
- The ‘My Weapon is Better Than Yours’ Fallacy of PhallusesI’ve been meaning to rant about this topic for a while. Throughout my time as a HEMA swordsman I’ve often heard people say something like- Why do you do longsword when ‘weapon X (often sword and shield, spear etc)’ will beat it? I’m not here to agree or disagree with ...
- Mair’s ExoticaA HEMAist by the name of James Head appears to have an unhealthy fascination with two of Paulus Hector Mair's most obscure weapons: sickle and flail. Working partly off of Brian Hunt's translation of Mair's flail chapter, Mr. Head has produced over a dozen videos of his sickle and flail ...
- Medieval battle records go onlineBritish researchers have released a free-to-access database containing detailed service records for 250,000 English soldiers from 1369 to 1453.According to Dr Adrian Bell of the University of Reading, the" Soldier in later Medieval England" research project database contains "indentures for service detailing the forces to be raised, [and] muster rolls ...
- Language change and HEMA"Languages change, usually very slowly, sometimes very rapidly. . . . The slower mechanisms of change seem to include the 'battle' between simplicity and expressiveness. We want our languages to communicate as much information as possible, and yet do so economically. We want our languages rich yet concise. How many ...
- Codex I.6.2.5 FechtbuchCodex I.6.2.5 is a compilation of four early 16th century fencing texts purchased and bound circa 1566 by Paulus Hector Mair. It is currently held in the collection at the University of Augsburg.The contents of the Codex are:Anonymous, Augsburger Fechtordnung (1r-5v);Anonymous, Ordnung und Chronik der Fechtbruderschaft Unserer Lieben Frau und ...
- Short and SweetI like girls.They smell nice, they are pleasant to look at and they are better at HEMA.Seriously, they really are.1) They are more precise with their techniques. 2) They don't have the competitive testostorone thing going on that guys have which stops us admitting we are getting it wrong.3) They ...
- Great ExpectationsI suspect I'm not alone in having wondered if the few fragments of manuscript detailing the art of the longsword in England could ever be combined to make a workable system.To date the vast majority of the work seems to vary between decidedly average at best to unbelievably poor at ...
- Why I don’t give a fuck what you thinkThis month saw the launch of the Atheist Bus campaign. It is a worldwide campaign placing free-thinking slogans on the side of buses, and thanks to some effective fundraising, on posters too.It has drawn some pretty passionate responses.Some people think it is a wonderful idea, that we should do everything ...
- Tag and I’m it.It would seem that I have been tagged by James Marwood of www.safeism.com to reveal seven facts about myself. I considered not bothering but didn't think that was sporting. However, part and parcel of the Hemaboy persona is his anonymity and so whilst I won't be revealing whether they are ...
- Chivalry, Idiots and Historical JustificationIn 1344 Edward III, disappointed at the dropping standards of chivalry amongst his knights, announced the formation of a new order of chivalry. The Order of the Round Table was designed to draw directly on the legends of King Arthur and his Knights to set an example of the kind ...
- DebtWith some newspapers predicting UK national debt to be as high as £1 Trillion by 2012 I thought it was time to mention some debts I have.The Association of Renaissance Martial Arts. For sharing sources when it was of little benefit to themselves. Yes they keep some to themselves, but ...
- Books and AuthorsStephen King's net worth is reputed to be somewhere in excess of $200 million. Yet whenever the subject of money is mentioned to anyone who has written a book on HEMA they never hesitate to tell you that they didn't do it for the money, in fact it cost them ...
- Evolution and memeticsIf we are to believe Darwin then we are simply organic vehicles that exist to ensure the survival of the genes we carry. Those genes give us the characteristics and ability to ensure we can pass them on to others and so ensure an unbroken line of genetic existance.Richard Dawkins ...
- Steel Longsword FencingWe have filmed some blunt-steel longsword fencing this month, as soon it will get too hot to wear the appropiate PPE. Steel freeplay is something I have neglected of late, mostly due to being too lazy to gear up for it. The past few sessions have made me realise how ...
- A thing I like.It has been mentioned that this blog is all about what I don't like. That's not true, there is a picture of kittens, and what's not to like there?Though I'd like to make a special mention for these guys.They seem to have got the balance right between aesthetic and safety ...
- Under pressureIt seems I may have created a monster Every day a new HEMA Blog appears, Hemaman, Hemagirl, Hemadog, Hemagoth, and more lately Baskethilt Broadsword Boy and Sword Punk.I don’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed.A part of me believes that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, that ...
- New WMA BlogAnother fish crawls out of the murky internet sea. Baskethilt Broadsword Boy Good to see. I hope these blogs keep up regular posts. If you haven’t already noticed, I’ve also added some more existing blogs in the links column. More may be added as I find them.Posted in Historical Fencing ...
- Beyond comprehensionWhen I was at junior school we used to do something called "comprehension". It was pretty simple stuff, you read a short piece of writing and then answered some basic questions on it in order to show that you had understood what it was that you had just read.I suspect ...
- Closed Source HEMAAfter writing my post on Open Source HEMA I remembered the discussions about the ARMA’s new Krumphau interpretation. To summarise, an ARMA member stated there was a new and improved version of the Krumphau being proliferated in the organisation, but was not at liberty to divulge it to the general ...
- A VictoryCongratulations to Greg Mele on a stunning victory recently.Not only have you managed to remove Scott Brown from SFI, you have sent Dave Rawlings packing with him and somehow managed to even remove another moderator who had a habit of disagreeing with you.I am truly impressed.Of course it is a ...
- Why Longsword?I’ve been asked this before. ‘Why learn longsword when system X and Y are better?’ I think John Clements addresses this nicely in his latest article of at ARMA. To quote John- Though we would not suspect it from the simplistic way the weapon is typically misportrayed in popular culture, ...
- The HEMAbrian Blog ExplosionThere seems to be a cambrian explosion in HEMA blogs at the moment. I’m not talking about training journals, most HEMA blogs seemed to be prior (including Laches). No, I’m talking about anonymous, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial blogs, exposing the dark underbelly of HEMA. First we had HEMABOY. Then HEMAMAN. ...
- Open Source HEMAI came across this article today by Bruce Schneier. Bruce, a supporter of open source cryptography, talks about this sort of thing in his book, Secrets and Lies– Company X has protected its product with an expensive in-house but shoddy encryption system. Knowing this they try to keep the encryption ...
- CompetitivenessI hate Monopoly.It all stems from my childhood when I used to play against my brother. He was, and still is, the most competitive person I have ever met. We never actually finished a game, it always ended in a fight. He'd cheat as much as he could and do ...
- Masters and spoilt childrenWhen I was at school my biology teacher hated me.Not a surprise I hear you say, we don't even know who you are and already some of us hate you.I suggest you learn to live with it. I manage somehow.Anyway we were talking about my teacher.He hated me because I ...
- Identity and AnonimityThis blog is anonymous for a reason. That reason is not because I am a coward who won't put their name to their thoughts. I will happily espouse the same thoughts in person and by name on the internet. I'll use the words of James Marwood of safeism.com to explain ...
- Andrew Chase Cunningham Biography in Transactions of the American Society of Civil EngineersANDREW CHASE CUNNINGHAM, M. Am. Soc. C. E.*DIED JANUARY 13TH, 1917.
- What German Weapons are most common?
- Longsword Beginners Guide #9 – Beat and Thrust
- Struggles with Synthesis
- Longsword Beginners Guide #15 – Defending from a Combination of Attacks
- 1712 A London Bear Garden Fight
- Show me some nice swords: How to talk to a German sword cutler in the 17th century
- All a Matter of Attitude
- Good Morning.