The study and appreciation of WMA continues to enjoy a renaissance in Europe and North America; and we are now uniquely fortunate in having a large variety of salles from which to choose to train. The salles differ in the sword technique favoured, the "olde master" which is followed, how they present their program… and with what aim.

It should be noted, not all salles agree on the interpretation of any particular Master, and that’s OK.

What is interesting in having a multitude of different approaches to WMA, is that some schools are joining together in common cause associations to pool their efforts -- and assist each other with shared resources, understanding, and recently -- actual practical on-the-ground assistance to the embryonic salle start up. We now have umbrella groups such as the Chivalric Fighting Arts Association and the HEMA Alliance, et al., each of which have a different view of our art, but all of which are concerned with and active in pushing our understanding of and participation in accurate historical swordplay.

And differences are fine.

If we can mimic our professional sports neighbours and can enjoy both the NFL and CFL Football Leagues; and the American and National Baseball Leagues; all while arguing respectfully about "who has it right", then it follows that our sword-centred scholastic community is going to be just fine.

We’re All in this Together I

TIMES HERALD-RECORD (Middletown, New York). 15 August 15. Medieval martial art has local renaissance.

Alex Meloi has started up the Tri-State Historical Fencing Club in Port Jervis NY, with the intent of instructing students on the finer points of Italian longsword as written by Fiore dei Liberi in 1409. What is interesting about this story, is that this is the first event mentioned in press that has alluded to a salle being created with the real and practical assistance of one of the umbrella-group historical sword play associations.

We’re All in this Together II

LE TÉLÉGRAMME (Finistère, France). 13 January 15. Escrime médiévale. Cesamm dégaine l'épée.

Englishman Eddie Yol, of the three-year-old group CESAMM Bretagne is attempting to bring back the study of medieval swordplay to… Pontivy, France. It seems to be going well for the group, which is in no small way attributable the support that the fledgling salle received from the administration and 1,5000 members of the national French swordplay association FFAMHE.

Fight Night or Knight Fight?

SPORTS ON EARTH (New York, New York). 12 August 15. Inside the world of knight fighting - In the world of Russian mixed martial arts, knight fighting is quickly gaining popularity.

The Russian MMA group M-1 Global is intent on expanding commercial coverage of its wildly successful series of fully armoured, full-contact medieval combat bouts. Aside from advertising the new "M-1 Medieval" tournaments as impressive and exciting combat in their own right, Russian organizers are also leveraging the cultural history of Russian swordplay as a draw.

"It is a new sport and rather cruel, which is appealing. It is also beautiful, and no MMA promotion has attempted this before."

And whatever one might think of the "historical" techniques demonstrated by the combatants, it appears to be inarguable that this style of historical swordplay is bringing more public interest to WMA than any of our previous, more scholarly efforts. Whether our community can leverage this new interest in commercial swordplay into historical swordplay study remains to be seen.

Come Back Next Week – If You Can

DNA INFO (New York, New York). 21 July 15. 'Game of Thrones'-Style Combat Class Teaches Fighting From the Dark Ages.

And it’s not just the Russians that are pursuing the MMA-style of swordplay. Damion DiGrazi’s New York Sentinels group training out of the appropriately named Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York is educating and toughening up students for bouts within the American Armored Combat League.

"You're learning how to kill someone with a weapon, but obviously that's not our goal here. That's bad for student retention."

Let’s be Careful out There

TIMES OF MALTA (Valetta). 12 August 15. Re-enactor hit by sword in critical condition.

A demonstration of historical swordplay went poorly in Marta when one of the participants was “critically injured” during a choreographed event. There have been few other details of the injury, or of the group involved. However, it does highlight once again, that WMA is a contact sport with swords -- and that all prudent protection for its practitioners MUST be insisted on by those hosting events.

But, It Worked in the Movie

HUFFINGTON POST (USA). 30 June 15. Did People in the Middle Ages Fight as Well With Swords as Portrayed in Movies?

Medieval Literature scholar Tim O'Neill takes time to explain some of the very real differences between swordplay on the silver screen and swordplay on a green field. His item is much like a readable Coles Notes on the subject, and it’s good to see that grappling received the attention that it historically deserves.

Collective Sword Press: News for August 2015