Lately I've been worried about something - that I do not have the necessary self-motivation to pursue HEMA to the highest degree. That is, one of my ambitions had always been to become one of "the Names" in WMA - you know, the people who seem to be on the instructor list of almost any event, the people who when you think of a specific art you think of them (example: Italian rapier = Tom Leoni). The thing is that I've always known this about myself - even as a musician during high school I really didn't like solo practice. Group practice I looked forward too but I couldn't really get up the gumption to practice the sax on my own on a regular basis, but I would practice because it was necessary for group practice/concerts to go well. While I was living in Eugene, solo practice was easy for the same reason - it made group lessons at UO or the salle go smoother (and there was the added pressure of teaching).

Part of what has put me into a non-practice rut since moving from Eugene (I think) is partially due to money issues. My wife is in her first year of teaching after finishing graduate school, I am contemplating graduate school, and so thinking about buying new armour, or enough wasters to start teaching Armizare, traveling half-way across the country for events, etc. begins to put a strain on our finances that we just can't handle right now. That is the reason I've been looking into other sword arts to study - arts that require less armour to practice, arts whose weapons are less expensive, etc. - because longswords, poleaxes, and their required bouting/safe practice armour is expensive.

Options so far have included:
-Rapier
-Sword & Buckler (of various traditions)
-Bolognese School
-Military Sabre
-Backsword/Baskethilt swords (mainly because single-sticks are cheap)

I uess I'm jsut putting this out there is the hope that others have had the same issues and maybe have some advice for me?

Musings - Don't get Lost in the Forest by Focusing on the Trees

I was recently made aware of the fact that I have been focusing far too much on individual weapons (i.e. which do I prefer more: longsword, poleaxe, spear, etc.?) and losing the forest for the trees. Instead, my focus needs to be on the system as a whole - as the Marine saying goes "One Mind, Any Weapon". All of the weapons, as cool as they are individually, are just tools. I find myself wondering (and this is probably just an effect of my lack of training time) whether I should spend my time on the longsword, or the axe, or sword & buckler, or whatever and the answer is all of the above. There is room in Armizare for all of these weapons, if by no other option than by simply following the principles therein. For instance I've been playing with my homemade mace - made from one of these Brass Mace Heads from Kult of Athena, a 30" piece of an old axe haft, and some brass tacks (it ain't pretty, but it works) - using Fiore's principles. It's been an eye-opening thought experiment, shadow-boxing with my mace. I really suggest it - find a weapon that is not in your canon (or is not a "normal" HEMA weapon - flail, etc.) and play with it, making sure to follow the principles of your flavor of HEMA.

Axe videos

Sweet Mary it's been awhile since I posted anything!

Anyways, here are some great videos on axe play from a group from the Netherlands (I believe)

First up is a bout between two gentlemen in harness.


Second up is more of a demo video. All of it is very good, but the poleaxey goodness starts at 3:15.

In the both videos there are some moments where blows are obviously being pulled. Of course they are! These guys are using real axes and have their visors up - this is "loose play" or slower-speed sparring. They are not trying to kill each other, just show what they can do.

All in all, these are great videos (and there are more on their youtube page) and it's just great to see people training with the greatest weapon of them all

;-)

Book Review: The Knightly Art of Battle

This is a book review of "The Knightly Art of Battle" by Ken Mondschein, from the Getty Museum.

While this is not a full translation or facsimile of the Fiore manuscript held by the Getty Museum in LA, this is a wonderful introduction to the manuscript for non-Fiorists and Fiorists alike. The introduction is clear and concise, as are the brief introductions to each section.

The highlight (for me) were the high-res images included in the book. While it doesn't include the whole manuscript, most of the "important" images are: the segno, all the poste, and a hand full of plays.

For so cheap a price, this book really is a must-own for any Western Martial Artist.

Book Review: The Complete Renaissance Swordsman

The Complete Renaissance Swordsman
A Guide to the Use of All Manner of Weapons
Antonio Manciolino's Opera Nova (1531)

Translated by Tom Leoni

Available from Freelance Academy Press

This book was purchased, much like Tom's translation of Giganti's rapier, as part of the "What If" section of my WMA library. As in, "what if I someday decided to teach / study, or have students who are interested in..." As most of you are aware, the Bolognese school is not in my normal area of interest (Although Manciolino does have a pretty cool section on polearms).

As with the Giganti book, the biggest value to the beginning student is in Leoni's clear introduction to the Bolognese school - stances, guards, attacks, footwork, etc. The actual translation is just as clear and easy to read as readers have come to expect from Tom Leoni.

No matter which aspect of HEMA you study, you would be smart to pick up this book.

Apologies

I have been horrible about updating this blog.

My bad.

Part of it is feeling that there is nothing I can really write that will contribute to the community at the present. However, stay tuned I as I will be receiving a couple books that I plan on reviewing here.

Brief Thought

It just struck me that polearms occupy both ends of the training spectrum.

More people focus on the sword, but traditionally the spear was the more common weapon throughout the Middle Ages. It can then be claimed that the spear is one of (if not the) simplest weapon to learn.

On the other end we have the pollaxe, which is viewed by myself and many others as being the "acme" weapon - the tip of the pyramid of weapons training. This is because the poleaxe combines so many aspects of the other weapons - the spear, the sword and the dagger.

Discuss.