Tis spring, and a young man's fancy turns to … tournament!
Yes, the Battle of the Nations approaches … and hordes of heavily armed fighters will move west to cross the eastern border of France to … wait … doesn’t this road look a bit familiar?
Are We Here to Fight, or to Talk?
THE ROTUNDA (Longwood University, Virginia) 28 March 13 Conference in Medieval Studies Brings Middle Ages to LU (Michelle Goldchain)
Shortly after his instructional appearance at VISS, historical fencing coach Tom Leoni of the Order of the Seven Hearts Fencing School, demonstrated his art at the Seventh Annual Undergraduate Medieval Conference … this theme of which was “Where the Wild Things Are”.
Notwithstanding the very real education that WMA/HEMA students get with blade in hand – We believe that there is significant value to understanding the historical milieu of our select studies; and the wit, spleen and character of those who fought with swords; by attending ‘related period lectures’.
Plus, you make pick up a recruit or two that can be lured out of their Codex manuscript and into a Fechtbuch!
New Kids on the (Chopping) Block
TENGRINEWS (Astana, Kazakhstan) 04 April 13 Kazakhstan knights to take part in international tournament in France first time (Assemgul Kassenova)
Seven combatants from Kazakhstan’s five teams will head to France next month to cross steel with their peers from 20-plus other nations in the Battle of the Nations.
Fechten Friesen
WESER-KURIER (Germany) 05 April 13 Meister im historischen Schwertkampf
The international Frisian full-contact Championships have finished, and Michael Tegge of the school ‘Historische Kampfkunst Wesermarsch’ keeps his laurels.
Russian VISS?
МОЗАИКА (Ulyanovsk, Russia) 31 March 13 В Ульяновске прошел турнир по историческому фехтованию «Клинок Симбирска» (Даша Юдина)
ГАЗЕТА НАША ВЕРСИЯ (Russia) 03 April 13 Команда "Стального копья" выиграла "серебро" на "Клинке Симбирска"
In a city with the same sized population as Vancouver (the city, not the region); “dozens” of competitors came together to fight in the “Simbirsk Blade” historical fencing competition.
Bouts included: 5-on-5; Sword-and-shield; sword-on-sword and “two swords”. There were also age and gender divisions. The winners of their various bouts will be going on to regional, and hopefully, the national championships.
Point of Note: One Russian city … “dozens” of competitors! Dozens!
Snippits
THE WEEK (New York, New York) 04 April 13 How ancient shark-tooth swords uncovered two long-lost species (Chris Gayomali)
You want ‘flamberge’, I’ll give you ‘flamberge’!
ВОЛОГДА-ПОРТАЛА (Vologda, Russia) 03 April 13 Что такое спортивный меч, и кто занимается этим видом спорта? (Екатерина Василенко)
Sports swording? Sorry, but ‘Google Translate’ is not going to help you with this one!