When you’re involved in HEMA/WMA disciplines, your ethics have to be irreproachable. You’re using a potentially deadly weapon against another person with their full compliance. You need to be ‘honourable’ and faultless in your application of safety measures taken to protect your opponent, yourself and bystanders.
Our mounted peers have another consideration when it comes to sparring or training ethics; they must consider the potential harm and ‘common good’ for a partner that cannot express their own opinion – and whom might be entering the lists without the full realisation of what they’re about to become involved with.
When you’re dealing with arms, speed, power and people (and horses); do the right thing for the right reason the first time, and every time.
Local Lad Does Good!
NORTHERN LIFE (Sudbury, Ontario) 30 May 13 Sudbury boy jousting with Knights of Valour (Jenny Jelen)
Former Sudburian Tj Duquette is part of the Knights of Valour and is back on home turf to participate in a local Celtic Festival.
Duquette spends most of this item describing how he came to the sport, how to succeed in this physically punishing discipline, and how one can contribute to the publics’ understanding of the sport during those time when one-bounce-too-many has rendered one temporarily hors-de-combat!
Quote of the Week: “Ride and learn.”
And Peers Down South are Doing the Same
GAINESVILLE SUN (Florida) 31 May 13 Jousting tournament not just for show (Rachel Crosby)
Across our border the Knights of Mayhem Ultimate Jousting Tournament was held this past weekend … and not surprisingly, the stories are much the same as those above. The value of this item however, is the extensive gallery of pictures depicting on field and ‘behind the scenes’ picks of just what it takes to get on a horse and charge someone – get knocked off – get up – and do it again.
Viking Knights?
KRISTIANSTADS BLADET (Sweden) 11 May 13 Riddare gjorde upp i tornerspel (Jerker Hagman)
Our Swedish friends met at Hovdala Castle to conduct their own jousting tournament, albeit without the full contact that described above.
One of the competing groups, the Knight Society Celeres Nordica represent the ‘state of the art’ as it was in the 13th and 14th centuries.
My Name is Kate Hutchinson, prepare to … Hit Me!
TIME OUT LONDON (UK) 19 May 13 Heavy metal: Kate Hutchinson tries her hand at longsword fighting (Kate Hutchinson)
A fit lady with attitude, a sword … and apparently can match Us for drinks after an evenings’ bout … We think that We really, really like Our life!
Ms Hutchinson describes her experience with the London Longsword Academy and their introductory class in medieval longsword.
If this is the sort of press that salles create, the future of our studies is in good hands.
Of note; Ms Hutchinsons’ has captured near exactly Our own feelings after an advanced class with younger students when We’ve been too long away from class: “I’ve no clue what’s going on … (but We love it).”
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor.
BC LIVING (Vancouver) May 13 Getting Fit and Ready to Fight with a Swordfighting Class at Vancouver’s Academie Duello
Blair Kaplan and three friends get an introduction to the Academie’s Warrior Fundamentals and Sword Fit programs … apparently, twas a success.
Snippets
CBS NEWS (New York, New York) May 13 "Idiot Fencing" is a funny train wreck to watch (Will Goodman)
WORT (Luxembourg) 30 May 13 Schwert und grünes Gewand für Biologe Jules Hoffmann
Quick, don’t look at your smart phone … what major institution still presents an individualised sword to the honoured recipient in recognition of … academic merit?
Jules Hoffmann, biologist received his from the Académie Française as part of his induction into ‘the Immortals’.