This past week I wrote a post about posture and my journey to build it in myself. How we hold, carry, and move our bodies is essential to our practice as martial artists in two ways: Effective Martial Arts Requires Effective Mechanics The heart of martial arts is body mechanics. Every technique you can perform is…
Blue Spur Mounted Games: couching and releasing the lance At the Blue Spur you are not expected to do actual combat with the spear, or even joust against the quintain. However, we do want you to be able to: Demonstrate couching and releasing of the lance. Couching 'Couching' refers to holding the spear in one…
Read More... from Learning to Let Go: couching and releasing the lance
In many old boxing books, they claim that the first question students ask is "How shall I stand?" but I've never had a student ask such a question. However, it is the first question to ask yourself when you think a fight is about to start -- whether you have just stepped into a competitive…
An assortment of swords and rapiers in the far corner of the dining room… make a brave pretense at being legitimate collections…. -- Byron, Joseph. Photographs of New York Interiors at the Turn of the Century. The Illustrated Directory of Swords & Sabres by Harvey J.S. Withers is anything but a pretense of a collection. …
Read More... from Book Review: Illustrated Directory of Swords & Sabres by HJS Withers
Several years ago I wrote a post about how I was working on fixing my posture. You see, I’m a tall guy, and as is the case with many tall guys, I had started to roll my shoulders forward to get a little closer to the world. Also, years of fencing -- and most likely…
Read More... from How I fixed my posture and how you can fix yours
Blue Spur Mounted Games: Block Cutting The second mounted games skill we ask you to demonstrate for the Blue Spur is cutting to the blocks: Cut and thrust four out of five block targets using a synthetic or wooden sword in good form, three times in a row, while at a trot or canter. The…
Mastering a physical skill is a long process. Although most beginners need to learn the fundamental movements and the terminology to identify them, there is a constant development at all levels of general traits and valuable “soft” skills. Despite the lack of attention given to these virtues, they are universally acknowledged among the best performers.…
Provost, I feel like I need to get more practice in but I don’t have much time outside of the classes I do. What do you recommend? I think the solution here is to strive for quality over quantity. That is, make every minute in class or open floor be devoted to practice. Here…
Read More... from Ask Clint: Tips for Making the Most Out of Class!
Tricks and secret techniques have been a part of sword fighting since the beginning. From masters who advertised their “botte segrete” to teach for a special price, to those who ever only taught the one or two techniques they felt would get you out of a tight corner. Even more expansive writers such as Ridolfo…
Read More... from Learn the Language of Swordplay -- Not Just Its Tricks
What do fairground rides have to do with mounted combat? A lot, it turns out. The children's game of spearing rings from the back of carousel horses descends directly from knightly games. In fact even the word 'carousel' comes from the Italian 'garosello' or 'little war'. These were the displays of skill at arms that…
This week, I am left speechless. We have three items that could spawn entire essays because there’s so much to exclaim about each one. Instead, kindly read each and think about the implications. Yes! Taking away the fear of punching girls in training. http://boxwrestlefence.com/kajaswords/2015/11/26/hitting-girls/ Nope! Selfie-sticks as self-defence weapons? http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/23/theres-now-a-self-defence-class-teaching-people-to-use-selfie-sticks-as-weapons-5519563/ Double yes! Rank examinations were…
While not yet plethoric, HEMA in North America is benefiting from a richness in new and established salles and their scholastic approaches to traditional western swordplay. The community is truly in a time of having "something for everyone". Consequently, we are -- for the most part -- leaving behind our niche status, moving instead into…
Read More... from Art, Science or Sport Sword Press: News for November 2015
Everyone has their own pace of learning. However, there are many strategies that can both help you to make the most of your capacity as well as enable you to learn faster and more effectively. Here are a few useful ideas: Fundamentals First Every advanced technique is made up of fundamental ones. Many students limit their…