Swords in cities – in modern times and in those historical. We find swords in established salles, rented recreation centres, city halls and the neighbourhood watering hole. Cities used to be where one went to purchase the very latest-version of trendy weapons and accessories, and to take advantage of one of the many urban masters-of-arms that would instruct you in how best to use your new blade. I’m not convinced that the best WMA/HEMA blades are forged now only in the larger cities, but I do know that the hope for the future of our art lies with those salles that are capable of reaching out to and engaging a large number of young people in a small amount of time.
Eastern Version of Western Martial Arts
OTTAWA EAST EMC (Ontario) 13 May 13 City en guarde for first sword festival (Michelle Nash)
The 30 members of Les Maitres d'Armes hosted their Canadian and American peers in the capital as their Borealis Swordplay Symposium offered both instruction and opportunities for free-play competitive sparring.
Jason Smith, a principal instructor and director, said the event is his groups’ way to introduce Ottawa to historical martial arts.
"We thought it was high time to bring something to the Eastern Canada, to let people in this part of the country who might not otherwise travel abroad to gain the benefit of some of the leading instructors in the world," he said.
Feeling Your Way Around a Sword
THE SOUTHERN REPORTER (UK) 16 May 13 Ednam fencing expert ready to school Borderers in sword skills
While we’re having at each other here at home; back in (one of) the motherland(s), the Hotspur School of Defence (HSD) has been teaching historically based swordplay for over a decade.
Aside from a dedication to teaching fighting techniques as they are depicted in a variety of fight books; HSD instructors also concern themselves with how a student will instinctively conduct those same moves as both a mental and physically-cooperative package.
“It helps develop good appropriate perception, which I used to explain as the ability to pick up your pint up and take a drink without spilling it while still having an eye on the blonde at the end of the bar.
“Appropriate perception allows you know where your limbs are in space without the need to see them.
Snippets
BBC (London, UK) 11 May 13 Henry VIII's Carmarthen sword changes hands (Neil Prior)
A 15 kilo (33 lb) bejewelled ceremonial sword was granted to Carmarthen by Henry VIII in 1546 in recognition of the town's service to the king, and it is still in ‘official use’ today as a symbol of the city’s rich history.
THE HINDU (Chennai, India) Medieval swords found at Kottakkal (R. Madhavan Nair)
More historical artifacts are dug up – adding to our knowledge – or in this case Our confusion – about how European sword types developed over time.