European Martial Arts (Armored combat: HEMA, HMB, IMCF, SCA, et.al)

[GeneChing]

HEMA is becoming very interesting.


For Longsword, a Comeback Ages in the Making (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/sports/for-longsword-a-comeback-ages-in-the-making.html?_r=0)
By MAC WILLIAM BISHOPSEPT. 15, 2014

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/08/05/multimedia/sword-fighting/sword-fighting-videoSixteenByNine540.jpg

Longsword enthusiasts are resurrecting ancient sword technique as a modern, organized sport, with timed bouts and complex rules.
Video Credit By Mac William Bishop on Publish Date September 15, 2014.

A hotel ballroom in Ellicott City, Md., seemed an unlikely setting for a four-day competition involving ancient martial arts, Longpoint 2014.

“Fight!” the referee called out.

Axel Pettersson, 29, raised his sword above his head and waited. When his opponent drew near, they exchanged a rapid set of blows. At last, Pettersson landed a vicious cut across his opponent’s torso, winning the open steel longsword competition and adding another championship to his collection.

Longpoint, held in July, is one of several annual tournaments around the world, manifestations of renewed interest in what enthusiasts call historical European martial arts, or HEMA. It includes events like grappling — similar to Greco-Roman wrestling — and several types of swordfighting. But the focus is on the most iconic medieval weapon, forged from cold, lustrous steel: the longsword.

“The longsword specifically is just very accessible,” said Pettersson, a management consultant from Gothenburg, Sweden, “because that is what the old masters wrote about the most. It was called the ‘queen of weapons’ in the old days.”

Unlike re-enactors or role players, who don theatrical costumes and medieval-style armor, Longpoint competitors treat swordfighting as an organized sport. Matches have complex rules and use a scoring system based on ancient dueling regulations. Fighters wear modern if sometimes improvised protective equipment, which looks like a hybrid of fencing gear and body armor. They use steel swords with unsharpened blades and blunt tips to prevent bouts from turning into death matches.

Skill and technique, rather than size and strength, decide the outcomes. Fights are fast and sometimes brutal: key to the art is landing a blow while preventing an opponent’s counterstroke. Nevertheless, even the best swordfighters earn large bruises in the ring, which they display with flinty pride.

Longpoint began in 2011 with 60 participants; now the largest HEMA event in North America, it drew about 200 this year. The open steel longsword division had 55 entrants, eight of them women.

A newcomer, Katy Kramlich of Oshkosh, Wis., placed second among the 15 competitors in the women’s steel longsword division. She began studying the longsword a little more than a year ago, at the suggestion of her fiancé, and was skeptical at first.

“In my mind it was something very different than what it is,” said Kramlich, 24, who works in sales and marketing. “I was picturing dressing up, and fake swordfighting. I just wasn’t interested. I finally went to one practice, and I haven’t looked back since.”

At Longpoint, participants rushed between rooms for bouts and classes on ancient fighting techniques. Study is central to HEMA’s identity.

Many ancient swordfighting documents have been collected online, helping to forge a community out of an esoteric pastime. The most extensive collection is at Wiktenauer.com, a portmanteau of “wiki” and the surname of a (possibly apocryphal) medieval swordmaster, Johannes Liechtenauer.

As many manuscripts were written in Middle High German or Middle Italian, HEMA enthusiasts trace two main lineages for their art: the German school and the Italian school. Debates about which system is superior can become heated.

“To me, the German system is magical,” said Jake Norwood, a 36-year-old former Army captain and Iraq veteran who now works as a security consultant. “There’s something beautiful about it. There’s a beauty in the movement that I think is stripped from the Italian system, which in some ways is more practical, but also less exciting.”

Norwood tried other martial arts and sport fencing, but the longsword captivated him. He has been a driving force behind Longpoint, which he called “a giant nerd-fest.”

“You’ll see a lot of beards,” Norwood said. “It’s a kind of prep school meets biker gang vibe.”

[MightyB]

Looks very fun:

http://www.nytimes.com/video/sports/100000003040466/inside-the-world-of-longsword-fighting.html?WT.mc_id=VI-D-E-SOURCEB-AD-VAR-VIDEO-ROS-2015-NA&WT.mc_ev=click&kwp_0=8100&kwp_4=74823&kwp_1=124550

[GeneChing]

There's a vid if you follow the link. I'm considering breaking off some of the more recent threads here as European longsword fighting is becoming a thing and I just cannibalized this thread from a rather ignominious start.


UCF sword club fights in heart of campus (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/higher-education/os-sword-ucf-campus-20150305-story.html)
In the middle of the University of Central Florida, a group of students sword fight every day.
By Gabrielle Russon Orlando Sentinel contact the reporter

UCF sword-fighting club: 'It's an interesting scene you don't see every day.'
UCF sword-fighting club is a staple on campus – same spot, same time, every weekday.

Not far from where Bruno Ramos waits for his girlfriend to finish her class, there are a half-dozen sword-wielding students in the heart of University of Central Florida's campus.

Ramos watches the sword fighters, who thrust their weapons out in front of them and stab into the air, on a grassy field that's like a miniature Washington Mall if you pretend the Student Union is the Lincoln Memorial and the basketball stadium is the Capitol.

"Isn't that crazy?" says Ramos, 22, who is visiting from Miami. "It's an interesting scene you don't see every day."

The group is known as Knight's Blade HEMA, which stands for Historical European Martial Arts. About 20 or so students regularly participate and find themselves drawn by the sport, the martial-arts aspect and the history behind it.

"We're all brought together by the same thing," said the group's president, William Roesch, a 24-year-old aerospace-engineering major from Barrington, Ill.

"We're like a strange dysfunctional family," says Lydia Rhoa, 18, of Palm Bay.

"If something happens, we do have swords," jokes David Ross, a 19-year-old biomedical student from Celebration.

The different swords are made of nylon, steel and wood, causing an occasional bruise or nick, although the students say they train to prevent anything more serious.

They are staples at the same spot, every weekday from 3 to 5 p.m. The grass has worn away in some areas as they stomp the ground or throw their weapons down.

Reaction from their peers is mixed.

Most seem impressed when one of the HEMA members excuses himself to go to sword-fighting practice. "You do what?" is the standard reply.

A sorority girl once told Ross sword fighting was on her bucket list, but he assumed she was joking.

Occasionally, some students walk by, their phones out and shoot video of HEMA in action.

But on a recent Tuesday, most students are absorbed in their own lives.

Some drink coffee outside the Starbucks a few hundred feet from the sword fighters as a woman plays with a little dog, some ride by on skateboards, a student with a backpack on her shoulders walks into the psychology building.

And the sword fighters fight.

"It's college," Ramos says. "It's everyone from everywhere in one place."

grusson@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5470.

[GeneChing]

This thread is only 3 (now 4) posts deep (and 1 is redundant), but hopefully with this more appropriate title, it'll thrive a little better. Desire-to-kill-Gun-Simulations-and-European-sword-fighting (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?9161-Desire-to-kill-Gun-Simulations-and-European-sword-fighting) just wasn't working.

Here's a plug for the company of one of my good friends - Victory Fencing (http://www.victoryfencinggear.com/). They carry the nylon long swords. I've seen these and they are pretty good for sparring fun. I wish they'd manufacture dao (http://www.martialartsmart.com/weapons-chinese-weapons-broadswords.html) and jian (http://www.martialartsmart.com/weapons-chinese-weapons-tai-chi-swords.html) of the same material.


Sparring Long Sword (Nylon Waster) (http://www.victoryfencinggear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=242)

http://www.victoryfencinggear.com/images/IMG-20110629-00026.jpg

$59.95
Finally, a much safer way to practice your swordsmanship, be it full-speed sparring, lessons, or choreography: High-Impact plastic wasters! These 1.5 hand length German-style longswords are full length and width with extra thick edges and a blunt point -- they are even somewhat flexible for some point-work. These weapons are lighter than regular 1.5 hand long swords and pretty durable. Wear the proper gear (fencing mask, padded gloves, thick jacket) and do not use without proper instruction/supervision. Really. I mean it.

Specifications: Blade length: 36", overall length: 47", Width of blade at guard: 1.75", width of guard: 9.5"

[GeneChing]

Is anyone here active in HEMA? HEMA Alliance (https://www.hemaalliance.com/) seems to be the prominent U.S. site, but that's only after a cursory search.



http://www.5280.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/fencing_jeff-nelson-960x720.jpg
Two long-sword fighters spar during a local HEMA class. Photo by Jeff Nelson

The Story Behind Historical European Martial Arts
The Krieg School of Historical Fencing turns long-lost European fighting techniques into modern art forms.
BY MARY CLARE FISCHER | 5280 MAY 2017

Outside of Game of Thrones, swords don’t make many appearances anymore—unless you’re a HEMA fighter. HEMA, which stands for historical European martial arts, is the realistic re-creation of duels based on Renaissance-era combat techniques. It’s only been around since the late ’90s, when scholars began translating 400-plus-year-old German and Italian fighting treatises into English. Over the past several years, though, the HEMA movement has quietly grown, from a few Renaissance re-enactors to more than 300 clubs in the United States.

This surge of interest prompted Ben and Meg Floyd to launch the Krieg School of Historical Fencing—a Denver satellite of a Tampa, Florida, HEMA club—in 2015. The couple runs programs for the long sword, a cross-shaped weapon with a thick blade (think: Aragorn’s weapon in Lord of the Rings), and the rapier, a narrower sword used more for stabbing than slashing (like Inigo Montoya’s in The Princess Bride). The Krieg School has rented space in a fencing center on East Colfax Avenue, but ballooning class sizes recently forced the Floyds to look for their own building. They’re in negotiations for a 7,000-square-foot location and hope to add a German style of wrestling and more beginner sessions once they move.

Basic technique for the long sword, the most popular form of HEMA, involves four defensive postures, called guards. Fighters swing their swords to try to force their opponents out of each defensive stance and into more vulnerable positions. Judges tally points differently in each tournament, mostly because each club—and even each individual member—has its own interpretation of the archaic fighting manuals. This scholarly component differentiates HEMA from many other martial arts, creating a community that’s “a wonderful cohesion of academia and athleticism and nerdiness,” says Krieg School fighter Gaelen Cox.

Still, the end game is the fighting. The goal of most HEMA battles is to touch your opponent with your sword as many times as possible within the allotted time period, typically between 90 seconds and two minutes. It’s even better if you hit the head, shoulders, or torso—the areas most susceptible to serious injuries. Don’t worry: The HEMA Alliance, the sport’s governing body, doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. Fencing masks, throat protection, puncture-resistant jackets, and knee and elbow pads are all required before you exchange blows. But wounding the other fighter’s pride? That’s fair game.

Where to see it:
Date: May 12 to 14 at Rocky Mountain Krieg, one of the Krieg School’s international HEMA tournaments
Venue: Bladium Sports & Fitness Club, 2400 Central Park Blvd., 303-320-3033
Cost: Free for spectators

[Cataphract]

The bare handed "Ringen" is a treasure trove of self defense applications, up to and including kicks and karate chops. It adds to my training.

Groups for sword fencing are popping up left and right, but it seems some of them still lack the professionalism of AMA.

[GeneChing]

East Deer fight club is resurrecting the lost discipline of European martial arts (https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/west-deer-fight-club-is-resurrecting-the-lost-discipline-of-european-martial-arts/Content?oid=3741935)
Shows like Game of Thrones have contributed to the popularity of sword fighting
By Ryan Deto @RyanDeto

https://media2.fdncms.com/pittsburgh/imager/u/magnum/3742023/sports1_32.jpg
CP photo by John Colombo
Two Broken Plow martial artists dueling with German longswords

When people watch Game of Thrones or other medieval fantasy shows, sword fights tend to look pretty bad-ass. But ask the martial artists at Broken Plow Western Martial Arts in East Deer Township about the authenticity of the TV fights, and you’ll get one answer: They’re bull****.

Not that the members, who practice the lost art of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), aren’t fans of the show. They just know that the choreographed fights on TV don’t showcase the true nature of medieval sword combat.

Scott Barb, an instructor at Broken Plow, says technique and strategy are key in German long-sword fighting. Strikes can’t be sent willy-nilly at opponents, because an attacker could then become vulnerable to a counter-strike.

“You have to be on offense and defense at the same time,” says Barb. “First thing is to ruin your opponent’s line of attack before you can strike.”

This is the level of seriousness that HEMA martial artists apply to their craft; Barb says Broken Plow has to constantly dispel myths that the club is merely a group of fantasy enthusiasts. When City Paper recently visited the group’s gym, housed in an old church, the intensity was on full display.

Participants clad in padded jackets, protective gloves, and what look like beefed-up fencing masks squared off, first in slow-motion drills and then in full-speed sparring, clanging their three-pound, 50-inch blunted longswords. Participants were working up serious sweats. Gym co-owner Josh Parise, who served with the U.S. Marines, says he teaches his students techniques without weapons first, and that this dedication to the martial-arts components of HEMA is necessary.

“If you don’t know how to use these,” says Parise, gesturing towards his hands, “you have no business using a sword.”

Parise’s background is in taekwondo, the Korean martial art, but he wants to help resurrect the martial arts of medieval Europe, and hopes that HEMA will continue to grow in popularity.

The Broken Plow club has about 100 members, and they practice many different types HEMA, including longsword, rapier (light, thin sword), the short dagger called a Dussack, and sometimes sword-work while on horseback. Parise and co-owner Ben Michels started the club five years ago. While they acknowledge shows like Game of Thrones aren’t necessarily accurate, they have contributed to Broken Plow’s growth over the years.

Says Michels: “We used to have a HEMA group that was just four to six dudes in a park.”

There has been a lot of sword fights in cinema lately. Good martial arts flicks always give our industry a bump, so I imagine HEMA has been doing well lately too.

[GeneChing]

I heard there's an event coming near my area at the end of this month. :cool:

http://valhallamgl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/montereyfight.jpg

Here's their official website (http://valhallamgl.com/).


VALHALLA Modern Gladiator League
Valhalla MGL (Modern Gladiatorial League) is the amalgamation of historical re-enactment combat (SCA, ACL, HMB, HEMA) and MMA mixed martial arts (UFC, BELLATOR), combining Eastern and Western fight disciplines into one professional gladiator organization. Valhalla MGL is full contact fighting, where contests are determined by knock out, tap out or time out (scorecard). Combatants use sword and shield strikes to score points, grappling to attempt submissions, with kicks and pommel punches to gain tactical advantage.

Valhalla MGL consists of 6 weight divisions, drawing top fighters in the tradition of true gladiatorial combat with championships setup in a series of bracketed single elimination tournaments, leading to a final championship round. Fights are promoted throughout the United States in public arenas, civic auditoriums, casinos and sports complexes with ticketed audiences ranging from 1500-14,500 attendees.

Valhalla MGL allows fans the vicarious spectacle of organized violence to escape the struggles and banality of everyday life while embracing the romantic fantasy of knights in shiny armor. Our fans want to see exceptional displays of skill, strategy, character and aggression played out in the arena, but they also marvel at the history, beauty and artistic craftsmanship of the weaponry and armor.

Valhalla Modern Gladiatorial League (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70449-Valhalla-Modern-Gladiatorial-League) & HEMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-Historical-European-Martial-Arts-(HEMA))

[GeneChing]

Did the Mirror just hijack my article title? For a different org no less? Here's mine: Valhalla I: Modern Gladiatorial League: MMA meets Game of Thrones (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1381) :p

M-1 Global looks a lot like what Valhalla MGL is doing. Maybe they should unite. Or just fight it out. :D

There's a vid behind the link.


Medieval MMA with KNIGHTS in armour thrusting swords features brutal 'real-life Game of Thrones-like' battles (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/medieval-mma-knights-armour-thrusting-12013199)
The idea is the brainchild of Russian MMA organisation M-1 Global - whose president said on Facebook he hopes to create contests with weight categories, champion titles and belts
By Anna Verdon
15:28, 12 FEB 2018

Game of Thrones has been brought to life in a bizarre contest where people dressed as knights in armour take to a boxing ring to duel with a sword and shield.

Medieval MMA is the brainchild of Russian MMA organisation M-1 Global.

It sees men dress up in their finest armour and battle it out in front of the crowds with their weapons.

The hobby has been around for a few years and is gaining a cult following online - with more than 20,000 people subscribing for the latest updates on Facebook.

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article12013549.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Medieval-MMA-is-brutal-battle-like-real-life-Game-of-Thrones.jpg
Medieval MMA sees men dress up in armour and sword fight in a boxing ring (Image: MOSCOW M-1)

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article12013551.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Medieval-MMA-is-brutal-battle-like-real-life-Game-of-Thrones.jpg
The Game of Thrones-style sport is the brainchild of Russian MMA organisation M-1 Global (Image: MOSCOW M-1)

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article12013553.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Medieval-MMA-is-brutal-battle-like-real-life-Game-of-Thrones.jpg
Medieval MMA has got a cult following online (Image: MOSCOW M-1)

But these duals are more than just two men battering each other for the crowd's enjoyment - as there are a full set of rules that players need to abide by.

Firstly, the fights are made up of three three-minute rounds in front of five judges.

A point is awarded for strikes to the armour with a sword while three points are awarded for a takedown.

Submission moves are not allowed.

Fights can also be ended early if one of the contestants is able to knock their opponent off their feet and strike them three times on the torso or helmet.

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article12013554.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Medieval-MMA-is-brutal-battle-like-real-life-Game-of-Thrones.jpg
Knights can do almost anything apart from stab and choke each other (Image: MOSCOW M-1)

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article12013557.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Medieval-MMA-is-brutal-battle-like-real-life-Game-of-Thrones.jpg
The organisers hope to eventually turn it into a standalone show (Image: MOSCOW M-1)

Fighters can use swords and axes in the games.

Writing on the M-1 Medieval knight fighting Facebook page Vadim Finkelchtein, president of the company, said after the first fight was held: "People loved watching knights fighting in full armor, using swords and shields."

He added: "Since that time we started holding M-1 Medieval knight fights on regular basis.

"I see these fights look much as MMA . Knights also strike each other, use their skills in stand-up.

"They can do almost everything, except stabbing and choking each other."

He said he would like to create a full standalone Medieval fighting show with weight divisions and champion titles and belts.

THREADS: Valhalla Modern Gladiatorial League (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70449-Valhalla-Modern-Gladiatorial-League) & HEMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-Historical-European-Martial-Arts-(HEMA))

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=ltFOHwHGLrk

THREADS: Valhalla Modern Gladiatorial League (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70449-Valhalla-Modern-Gladiatorial-League) & HEMA (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-Historical-European-Martial-Arts-(HEMA))

[GeneChing]

Lawsuit: Sword-fighting student sues instructor for stabbing him in eye and brain (https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/09/man_stabbed_through_the_eye_by.html)
Updated Sep 6, 9:54 AM; Posted Sep 5

https://expo.advance.net/img/392f46db3e/width960/02d_sword1.jpeg
A pair of swords is pictured on Swordguild Portland's Facebook page. It's unclear what type of sword Jeremiah DuPrau alleges he was injured with during a March 2017 class.

https://expo.advance.net/img/869f04c25d/width960/93c_sword2.jpeg
A photo on Swordguild Portland's Facebook page shows two dueling people. They are also shown wearing protective gear.

https://expo.advance.net/img/a20d717cad/width960/08f_sword3.jpeg
Another photo from the Facebook page shows two people in combat.
By Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com
The Oregonian/OregonLive

A 35-year-old man who says he was stabbed in the eye by his instructor during a sword-fighting class at the Milwaukie Elks Lodge has filed a $9 million lawsuit against his instructor and the organization that offered the class.

Jeremiah DuPrau describes in his lawsuit how his life has been irreparably changed: The sword not only pierced his eye but also his brain and shattered the bones of his face.

He now is legally blind, unable to see through his right eye and retaining only some of his vision in his left, according to his attorney, John Coletti.

DuPrau’s lawsuit lists the instructor of his sword class, Jason Romandelle Brown, as a defendant along with Swordguild Portland and the Elks’ Milwaukie Portland Lodge No. 142 as defendants. Brown couldn’t be reached for comment.

Sia Rezvani, a Portland attorney for Swordguild Portland, declined comment because of the pending litigation. Thomas Rask, a Portland attorney for the Elks lodge, also declined comment because of the active litigation.

DuPrau's lawyer said his client was attending his third class as a beginner student on March 9, 2017. That's when the instructor called DuPrau over to use as a prop to demonstrate a move for the rest of the class and jutted the sword into DuPrau's eye, according to the lawsuit.

Coletti said Brown didn’t warn DuPrau to put on his protective headgear and face screen beforehand.

“He’s unable to drive, unable to ride his bike, unable to hike,” Coletti said of DuPrau. “He actually had to give his dog away because he was unable to take care of it.”

DuPrau suffered a stroke after the sword entered his brain -- leaving the left side of his body partially paralyzed and making walking and balance difficult, Coletti said.

DuPrau worked as an educational aide for Portland Public Schools, Coletti said. School district officials couldn’t immediately verify whether DuPrau was back at work.

Read the lawsuit, filed last week, here (http://media.oregonlive.com/portland_impact/other/sword.lawsuit.pdf).

-- Aimee Green

agreen@oregonian.com

o_aimee



THREADS:
Martial FAIL (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?61860-Martial-FAIL)
European Martial Arts (Armored combat: HEMA, HMB, IMCF, SCA, et.al) (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-European-Martial-Arts-(Armored-combat-HEMA-HMB-IMCF-SCA-et-al))

[GeneChing]

I can foresee a similar comeuppance for Kung Fu (https://www.martialartsmart.com/kung-fu-tai-chi.html) like what was experienced with MMA (https://www.martialartsmart.com/mma.html). So many forms practitioners don't fight. There's nothing wrong with that as long as they don't believe that they can fight without fighting. CMA has the most diverse arsenal in the world but so few of us work sharps anymore, much less real weight weapons, and few spar. :o


The ‘knight’ of Nichols Hall: Professor fights to preserve medieval martial arts (https://www.kstatecollegian.com/2019/04/29/the-knight-of-nichols-hall-professor-fights-to-preserve-medieval-martial-arts/)
By Rowan Jones - Apr 29, 2019

https://files.kstatecollegian.com/2019/04/MMA-696x463.jpg
Driving their sword underneath the helmet of their opponent, a student at the Broken Arm Academy of Swordsmanship ends a practice sparring match. Every Sunday, the academy meets at the Combative Sports Center to practice the fighting techniques of 14th century Italian knight Fiore dei Liberi. (Rowan Jones | Collegian Media Group)

Among the brick walls and battlements of Nichols Hall, a remnant from the Middle Ages lives on: Daniel Ireton, associate professor and academic services librarian at Hale Library.

It may seem odd to call Ireton a medieval “remnant” since he can often be seen around the Kansas State campus wearing colorful suspenders and a bow tie with his long hair and unusual beard, but make no mistake — when Ireton isn’t teaching or working on research, he takes on a different persona.

“You could ask me about the sword fighting, which is a thing,” Ireton said.

This self-described “thing” of Ireton’s is his involvement in the Broken Arm Academy of Swordsmanship.

https://files.kstatecollegian.com/2019/04/MMA2-1024x681.jpg
Academy members spar in full armor at the Combative Sports Center in Manhattan. Holding a sword with two hands at both the hilt and the blade allows for increased mobility and higher accuracy when pinpointing weaknesses in armor. (Rowan Jones | Collegian Media Group)

When he isn’t reading fantasy novels, playing board games or watching television, Ireton said he studies the teachings of Fiore dei Liberi, a 14th century knight, fencer and martial artist from Italy who wrote the Armizare (in English, the Art of Arms) manual titled “The Flower of Battle.”

Only four original versions of this manuscript remain, but the Broken Arm Academy and Ireton study copies that focus on the combat techniques for longswords, daggers, spears and poleaxes both in and out of armor.

Ireton said he became involved in the academy in 2014. Previously, he had studied fencing, and he said it seemed like a natural combination with his literary interests.

Unlike live action role-playing or the Society for Creative Anachronism, Ireton said the goal of the Broken Arm Academy is to try and reconstruct both the equipment and combat techniques of medieval sword fighting as accurately as possible.

“This falls broadly under something called historical European martial arts,” Ireton said.

The Broken Arm Academy is one of six historical European martial arts, or HEMA, organizations in eastern Kansas, with others in Lawrence and the Kansas City area.

During matches, combatants face off against each other using blunt weapons with rubber caps to prevent any stabbings or slashings from taking place. Matches can be divided into categories based on armor types and skill levels.

Using the HEMA ruleset, members of the academy compete to score points by pinpointing weaknesses in their opponents’ armor. Ireton said most of the matches at the Broken Arm Academy aren’t terribly serious, and most participants are honest about when they get hit by an opponent.

“There is is a competitive nature which isn’t diminished, but it’s more about sharing a rare hobby with friends,” Ireton said.

Ireton said winning a match is not paramount for him. Generally, he is focused on trying to improve his own understanding of the art of sword fighting.

Ireton added that his usual opponents at the academy are people who he’ll shake hands with, share a hug with and grab a drink with later.

“The camaraderie that has grown out of it, it’s been surprising,” Ireton said.

The Broken Arm Academy practices on Sundays at 3 p.m. in the Combative Sports Center in Manhattan. Those who are interested in the Broken Arm Academy can find more information on their Facebook page.

There is plenty of extra equipment and interested parties are welcome to come down and learn some techniques, Ireton said.

[GeneChing]

You have to follow the link to see the embedded video on SCMP.



Medieval ‘knights’ in China are going to war (https://www.inkstonenews.com/sports/medieval-knights-china-are-going-war/article/3009477)

by Thomas Yau

Hacking at each other armed with swords and shields in full medieval armor may seem like a job for stunt actors.

But in China, dozens of enthusiasts are suiting up for exhausting bouts in the hope of finding international success in medieval combat.

Watch the video above.

THOMAS YAU
Thomas Yau is a contributor to Inkstone and a video journalist at the South China Morning Post.

[GeneChing]

https://storage.googleapis.com/sns-fileupload/thumbnails/04WZSGU_1560594402367.jpg_thumb_1200x801.jpg

EUROPEAN MARTIAL ARTS AS PART OF CULTURAL PROGRAMME OF THE 2ND EUROPEAN GAMES (https://minsk2019.by/en/belarus/culture/1298?date=1560786409544&fbclid=IwAR1iUJn5dq3RFk1BU_DmzhNrZnRtoIt3f7i1qadGn hoqMC1A-dNuuGyzMs4)
JUNE 15 2019

For the first time, European martial arts are hosted in the cultural program of the European Games. An exhibition, an invitational gala tournament, and two conferences will offer the visitor of the European Games insights into the multifaceted aspects of European martial arts heritage and traditions brought back to life.

Conference "Historical European Martial Arts: From the page to the gym"

Historical European Martial Arts have been documented in the corpus of fight books since the fourteenth century, and fight books are still written today. Several revivals of past martial arts practices are documented throughout history, but especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The recent movement started in 1990s has become global in the last twenty years. Learn more about this movement through the conference with 12 international lecturers (English).

Location: Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery, Plošča Svabody, 15

Schedule: 21 June, 09:30-17:30

Price: Free

Download the program of the CONFERENCE

Invitational Gala Tournament: Historical European Martial Arts

In the past twenty years HEMA has turned into a global phenomenon. Worldwide, nation-wide and regional tournaments, competitions and events have helped in the spread of this movement. In Minsk, 4 of the most popular weapon categories (longsword, sword & buckler, rapier, rapier & dagger) will be presented to the public with an invitational tournament with top athletes of the sport from around the world.

Location: Belarusian National Technical University, sports complex (Vulica Bahdana Chmialnickaha, 9)

Schedule: 22-23 June, 09:00-21:00

Price: Free

Download the gym PROGRAM

Public demonstration of Historical European Martial Arts

Discover how women and men fought in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Our public demonstration will showcase re-constructed martial practices from the study of fight books, by renowned researchers and expert martial artists. From the ancient manuscripts and printed books to a modern combat sport.

Location: Fan-Zone "Sports Palace"

Schedule: 22-23 June, 19:00-20:45

Price: Free

Exhibition: European Martial Arts: From Vulcan’s Forge to the Arts of Mars

By displaying both objects (ancient books, arms and armour) and intangible cultural heritage (martial arts), this special exhibition offers the visitors of the European Games a unique experience in rediscovering a forgotten martial culture. The ancient ways of the sword will be celebrated through a visualisation of the processes behind the development of martial ethos, from the forge to the use of weapons.

Location: Mikhail Savitsky Art Gallery, Plošča Svabody, 15

Schedule: Opening time during the Games: 12:00-21:00. Exhibition on display: from May 1 to September 15

Price: entrance fee of the museum

Any members here from Belarus? That would be amazing...

[GeneChing]

...but honestly, how much can you learn in just one class? Enough for an article, I suppose. :o



I took a sword fighting class. It's not the workout you think it is. (https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/i-took-sword-fighting-class-it-s-not-workout-you-ncna1052641)
Yes, my arms and abs ached. But focusing my brain on the task at hand proved to be the most challenging work.

https://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2019_38/3014141/190917-sword-fighting-class-2x1-al-1413_d4d60b5920cd1eddfc16b93d0e13c25c.fit-1240w.jpg
The HEMA: Longsword class focuses on the knightly martial art of the German longsword, developed by Johannes Liechtenauer, a 14th-century fencing master. Adrian Lam / NBC News

Sept. 22, 2019, 4:11 PM PDT
By Jen Glantz

After graduating from college and entering the workforce, I found myself putting exercise high up on my to-do list. The reason? I went from running from class to class, to spending eight or more hours sitting down at a cubicle, staring at a screen. My body began to crave it.

After years of trying every workout class out there, from HIIT to naked yoga, I grew bored and found myself wanting something new — something that challenged my body and was different from lifting weights or riding a stationary bike, and made my mind focus (other than just pretending to do that in yoga class when really all I was thinking about was getting to that final Savasana).

One quick Google search led me to a new option: sword fighting. I've seen people in Central Park practicing with their swords and I always wondered what it would be like to give it a try. Not only did it seem like something that would exercise my body and my uncoordinated feet, but my mind, too.

I tried it: Sword fighting

I signed up for a beginner's class called HEMA: Longsword at Sword Class NYC, which according to their website, focuses on the knightly martial art of the German longsword, developed by Johannes Liechtenauer, a 14th-century fencing master.

While I had imagined donning a face mask and padded suit, I was instructed to simply take off my shoes and enter the studio in my gym shorts and a tank top. Our instructor explained that we’d focus on the basic principles of footwork and winding with an emphasis on proper body mechanics and cutting alignment.

In the corner of the room were nylon swords. I huffed a sigh of relief. There's only so much damage a person can do with a plastic sword in their hand (aside from a few bruises). I couldn't wait to get my hands on one and start swinging it around. I was eager to get to the workout part of class but quickly learned that what I was in store for was not what I imagined.

There wouldn't be any actual fighting or duels. We wouldn't be running laps or jousting. We weren't going to rehearse a victory dance of any kind. We were going to learn form, begin to master it, and above all, appreciate it.

I worried I was wasting my time. But as we picked up our swords, and officially started class, it took less than a few minutes for me to feel the burn.

We learned how to grip the sword with our hands and hold it up in different positions, each time spending minutes with the sword raised. My biceps, triceps and shoulders began to ache. It reminded me of the slow burning pain of a Pilates class.

We practiced fighting with the air, learning different cuts that involved squeezing our abs and turning our hips, in a similar motion to someone trying to hit a hole in one. Each cut with the sword had to be done with pure precision to get it right. After going through the motions again and again, muscle memory kicked in and very soon it was easy to tell if my hips weren't rotating as much as they should or if my elbows were bent too much.

The class lasted a little under an hour and when it was over, I wasn't sweating. My heart wasn't racing. I didn't feel the same dizziness or exhaustion that I do after a bootcamp class. But I did feel an aching soreness in my arms, abs and legs that ended up lasting me the rest of the week.

Is sword fighting a good workout?

OK, so I wasn't sweating, but Nick Rizzo, fitness director at RunRepeat.com, says that sword fighting is a full-body workout that targets your entire body.

“The constant footwork, quick steps, lunges, and active balancing provides your lower body with an intense workout,” says Rizzo. “How you maneuver your upper body and swing your blade of choice requires a great deal of muscular activity from your core, arms, shoulders, back and chest. Even just properly maintaining your stance with the weight of the sword or remaining on guard is activating your muscles in the same way an exercise like wall-sits engages your quads.”

Rizzo says that while sword fighting won't help building muscle like strength training does, it will help you to consistently build lean muscle mass over time, and is a great option for cardio, especially for people who aren't fans of more traditional cardio options like running.

The verdict? It's a physical and mental workout

Despite those benefits, it wasn't just my cardiovascular system and my muscles that got a workout. The class balanced the patience of perfection with having to master movement that felt unusual and tough at the same time. More than anything, it was also an education into a culture and a hobby that was foreign to me. I now have so much respect for those who master this skill.

The part of my body that was most exhausted was my brain. I left the class and could barely think straight. For an entire hour, I had to carefully calculate every move, think through the motions, and treat the sword in my hand as if it were real, careful not to swing it without purpose, so that my mind would learn not to make any sudden mistakes that could harm me or anyone else if I ever did practice with a real sword.

The class required true focus, which wasn’t easy. I felt my heart racing and my stress levels rise because naturally I am a fast-moving person and spending 15 minutes learning one pose and strike had me tapping my toes eager to move on. Halfway through the class, I tried to abandon my race-to-the-finish-line attitude and go at the same pace as everyone else. I failed. I would constantly set the sword down once I thought I mastered a move, only to have the instructor come over and show me countless corrections. This happened again and again.

To take a class like this, you have to be in the right mindset. Walking in, I wasn’t. But toward the end of the class, I began to enjoy the pace and challenge it provided me and wished it was another hour longer.

On the way home, my abs and arms ached and my mind craved silence. I meditated the entire subway ride home just to give my overworked brain a rest.

[GeneChing]

The Academy of Western Martial Arts opens in Hutto (https://communityimpact.com/austin/round-rock-pflugerville-hutto/impacts/2019/11/06/the-academy-of-western-martial-arts-opens-in-hutto/)

https://communityimpact.com/uploads/images/2019/11/06/16958.jpg
(Courtesy Bryant Coston)

By Kelsey Thompson | 11:35 AM Nov. 6, 2019 CST | Updated 11:35 AM Nov. 6, 2019 CST

The Academy of Western Martial Arts is now bringing "historically accurate" medieval and Renaissance practices to Hutto, following its official opening on Nov. 3. The business, located at 125 Lemens Circle, Hutto, offers both adult and youth fencing classes to attendees of every skill level. www.academyofwma.comI like how historically accurate is in quotes.


This Workout Class Combines Swordplay and Martial Arts (https://abc7chicago.com/localish/this-workout-class-combines-swordplay-and-martial-arts/5666589/)

This fitness class combines swordplay and martial arts!

Sunday, November 3, 2019 9:55PM

If you drive past one Chicago alley you may find yourself watching medieval and renaissance swordplay, and it's all just for a great workout!

Forteza Fitness is trying to build a strong community through martial arts and swordplay.

"What we are is an eclectic fitness and martial arts gym," said Jesse Kula, Forteza Fitness' manager.

Kula said "forteza" is the Italian word for strength.

"Playing with swords, there's nothing like it," said Thayne Alexander. "They say swords are sexy, and they really are."Click the link for vid.

Listen to me now and hear me later.

CMA is headed towards a come-uppance with the rise of swordplayers. So many Chinese martial artists practice sword. So few have actually sparred. It's got the potential to be as humiliating as the MMA Challenges to Kung Fu (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71327-MMA-Challenges-to-Kung-Fu).

[GeneChing]

A ROUGH KNIGHT: MEDIEVAL FIGHTER SLASHED IN SUBWAY (https://www.brooklynpaper.com/medieval-fighter-slashed-in-subway/)
Posted on November 11, 2019
By Colin Mixson

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Zorikh-Slashing-1.jpg
Zorikh Lequidre sustained a seven-inch gash amid an assault on the L train in Williamsburg.
Photos courtesy of Zorikh Lequidre

Some wacko slashed a modern-day knight in the face aboard an L train in Williamsburg on Nov. 8, after the chivalrous straphanger prevented him from assaulting another man.

The victim — who dons plate armor to engage in armed duels as part of the Society for Creative Anachronisms and New York City Armored Combat League — sustained a seven-inch gash amid the attack, and said Medieval warfare has nothing on the city’s transit system.

“My sport involves swords and axes, but the only thing I’ve gotten from that is a torn ACL and a couple broken bones, and here I finally get a scar,” said Zorikh Lequidre.

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Zorikh-Pennsic-2017-768x510.jpg
Zorikh Lequidre in armor circa 2017.

Lequidre said that he boarded a Brooklyn-bound L train at Manhattan’s Union Square subway station at around 10 pm, when he noticed the knave repeatedly hurling a smaller man off the train, and yelled at him to knock it off.

The villain then started shouting at the victim, resulting in a back and forth that ended when the other man snarled “suck my dick,” to which Lequidre quipped “only if it comes with horseradish,” eliciting some chuckles from his surrounding straphangers.

The nut then attempted to hock a loogie at the victim, but managed to hit another man instead, according to Lequidre, who said the hapless bystander’s girlfriend had to talk him down from fighting the creep.

It wasn’t until the train pulled into the Lorimer Street stop in Williamsburg that things turned bloody, and the lunatic slashed Lequidre across the left cheek before scurrying out the door.

“He took a swipe at me, and I thought he just scratched my cheek,” he said. “I waited until the guy turned around and left, then I put my hand on my cheek and realized, oh yeah, I am bleeding.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qSsZWrV9-Y

Detectives with the 94th Precinct are investigating the attack, and have not made any arrests, according to a spokeswoman for the Police Department.

Lequidre — who suspects the knife-wielding lune may be a former homeless shelter resident, or patient at a hospital near Union Square — described his attacker as around 40 years old, six foot three inches tall, and approximately 190 pounds, while sporting a beard and oversized clothes.

The warrior from Williamsburg studied jiu jitsu and wrestling before making his own suit of armor and traveling to Poland for his first Battle of Nations in 2012, an annual armored slugfest where he represented Team USA battling other combatants with weapons including swords, maces, battle axes, halbreds, polearms and warhammers.

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/dtg_brooklynknight_2013_03_22_bk02_z.jpg
Zorikh Lequidre in hand-made armor ahead of Battle of Nations 2013.

But the fighter claims his most powerful weapons have always been his sharp tongue and cool wits, and says he was happy to put them to use for a good cause.

“Part of the point of being a knight is to defend people. and that’s what I was trying to do,” said Lequidre.

He'll wear that scar like a badge of honor for the rest of his sword fighting career

[GeneChing]

What good is that Kung fu jive if you can’t even use it? READ The Kung Fu of Comic Cons 2019 – Wizard World Bay Area (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1526) by Gene Ching

http://www.kungfumagazine.com/admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/upload/2010_20195404-wizard.jpg

THREADS
Comic Cons (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70242)
European Martial Arts (Armored combat: HEMA, HMB, IMCF, SCA, et.al) (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492)

[GeneChing]

January 19, 2020
HISTORICAL EUROPEAN MARTIAL ARTS. AN INTERNATIONAL OVERVIEW (JANUARY 2020) (https://www.djaquet.info/blog/2020/1/19/historical-european-martial-arts-an-international-overview-january-2020)
Publication
Our report for the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement under the auspices of UNESCO (level 2 centre) is now published, as a book and as a downloadable file.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57b3fbd0440243c274bdd241/1579422976313-4FOE5TDG3CPXQRKQMA4B/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kK98kIiFddq94RPiKE_w9Y5Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpxwo6Ja1S1UmX3oqi2XoXNRv6HOVvpuitV-BwtEOlSvLDTbQkGCkSujV_0Ld6ZHG8E/title-page_web.PNG?format=750w
Daniel Jaquet, Audrey Tuaillon Demésy, and Iason-Eleftherios Tzouriadis. (c) ICM, South Korea, 2020. ISBN 979-11-965532-5-8

The reports attempts an international overview of the communities today, based on two surveys (one qualitative, one quantitative). It offers as well critical views on elements of definition of HEMA, a short history of the movement, an overview of the primary sources, and some discussion about the main directions of the movement.

Written by academics with expertise in history, sociology and arms and armour studies, but also HEMA practitioners involved into HEMA organisations, this report is however not adressed to the HEMA communities, nor to the academics, but to the general public. We hope it will be considered as one more step towards the recognition of HEMA as a whole.

We thank the ICM for providing us with the opportunity, IFHEMA to have let us use their communication channels, but foremost the HEMA practitioners and organisations who engaged with us through our surveys, as well as the colleagues who helped.

Out of the quantitative survey, we managed to get an interactive map with HEMA groups worldwide. Check it out on Infogram. Of course, we do not claim that our dataset is exhaustive, but it gives a pretty nice overview.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57b3fbd0440243c274bdd241/1579422273681-FTUWE6X2PT5K67SMLB0O/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kJoL5Jc4QMyzBfoBF-D1969Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZamWLI2zvYWH 8K3-s_4yszcp2ryTI0HqTOaaUohrI8PIFHryctS4hNutVdHx-z2UJ2vfUEcbmsqxA594u7rCEwk/Screenshot_2020-01-19+HEMA+international+map+2019+by+Daniel+Jaquet+-+Infogram.png?format=1500w
Happy reading! If you did not manage to get the file through the Korean website, you can download it here (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57b3fbd0440243c274bdd241/t/5e24132f6fef6f177e382681/1579422529854/Jaquet_Tuaillon_Tzouriadis_HEMA-report2020.pdf). I've only skimmed this so far - it looks quite interesting.

[GeneChing]

Man held over Macron slap was medieval swordsmanship fan (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/man-held-over-macron-slapping-was-medieval-martial-arts-enthusiast/ar-AAKRAYm)
By Tangi Salaün and Caroline Pailliez 5 hrs ago

By Tangi Salaün and Caroline Pailliez

https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAKRtGC.img?h=892&w=1248&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=689&y=536© Reuters/BFMTV/ReutersTV FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron is protected by a security member after getting slapped by a member of the public during a visit in Tain-L'Hermitage
PARIS (Reuters) - The man alleged to have slapped French President Emmanuel Macron in the face ran a club for enthusiasts of medieval swordsmanship and had no previous criminal record, two sources familiar with the investigation said on Wednesday.

https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAKRtGP.img?h=892&w=1248&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f© Reuters/BFMTV/ReutersTV FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with a member of the public before he was slapped during a visit in Tain-L'Hermitage
A police source identified the suspect as 28-year-old Damien Tarel. Acquaintances in his hometown of Saint-Vallier, in southeastern France, described a man who loved period role-play and did not cause trouble.

Tarel is under investigation for assault against a public official, the local prosecutor said.

Macron, who was on a trip to take the country's pulse after the pandemic and with less than a year to go before the next presidential election, was hit on Tuesday during a walkabout in southern France as he greeted a small crowd of onlookers.

The president reached out to greet a man, who shouted "Down with Macronia" and "Montjoie Saint Denis", the battle cry of the French army when the country was a monarchy, and slapped Macron across the cheek.

A source close to the investigation described Tarel as someone who was "a bit lost, a bit geeky, a bit of a gamer".

Tarel and a second man were still in police custody on Wednesday, the source added. The charge of assault against a public official carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a 45,000 euro fine.

Reuters was not able to identify Tarel's lawyer.

Tarel managed a local club focused on the practice of historical European martial arts, including traditional swordsmanship, and had founded a board game club called "The Knights of the Square Table".

Aurélien Laniece, a friend of Tarel, told Reuters he knew him as a decent person ready to help neighbours and who liked teaching his passion to others.

Laniece expressed surprise at reports in French media that Tarel's social media accounts showed he followed far-right and monarchist groups. Reuters could not corroborate this because Tarel's accounts had been made private.

"He's not the kind of guy to do that (hit someone)," Laniece said. "Lockdown was hard, but he was keen to work on the reopening."

Government officials have expressed concern in recent weeks about pent-up frustrations erupting after lockdown. France has been under a curfew for more than seven months.

Macron said he had not feared for his safety, and continued shaking hands with members of the public after he was struck.

"You cannot have violence, or hate, either in speech or actions. Otherwise, it's democracy itself that is threatened," he told a local newspaper after the incident.

Macron has been targeted before by disenchanted citizens. He was pelted with eggs by trade unionists over labour reforms when he was economy minister in 2016. Two years later was left shaken after being heckled by anti-government protesters.

"We can disagree with what President Macron has done. We vote next year and there will be plenty of people voting against him, said Parisian Louis Bernard "but this electoral campaign cannot be based on violence."

(Reporting by Tangi Salaun and Caroline Pailliez; Writing by Michel Rose; Editing by Richard Lough, Angus MacSwan and Giles Elgood)
Sir Damien, Lord Slapper of Macron.



too soon? :o

[mawali]

He'll wear that scar like a badge of honor for the rest of his sword fighting career

As a former Marine, the reason for the high neck dress blues that Marines wear (for ceremonies and special events today) was that in the days of the Barbary pirates, the North Africans miscreants would often slash at the neck (vulnerable) to maim as worst as possible anyone attrempting to subdue them. Marines were definitely not swordsmen but they often trained (physical conditioning) in the weapons of the day in their fight for survival

Barbary Pirates and US Marines:
https://www.thoughtco.com/young-u-s-navy-battled-north-african-pirates-1773650

Part II: https://cdapress.com/news/2020/dec/27/history-corner-us-navy-and-marines-defeat-barbary-/

[GeneChing]

More on Damien (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-European-Martial-Arts-(Armored-combat-HEMA-HMB-IMCF-SCA-et-al)&p=1321180#post1321180)



Medieval martial arts teacher who slapped French leader gets jail time (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emmanuel-macron-slap-face-medieval-martial-arts-teacher-faces-justice/)
BY ELAINE COBBE

UPDATED ON: JUNE 10, 2021 / 11:32 AM / CBS NEWS

Paris — The 28-year-old man who gained instant infamy by slapping French President Emmanuel Macron has been handed an 18-month jail sentence, but will only serve four months behind bars as the rest of the sentence was suspended. He told investigators that he'd acted "without thinking" when he struck the president.

The medieval history and martial arts enthusiast, identified only as Damien T., said he wanted to "express his unhappiness" with Macron's policies.

The public prosecutor believed him, saying it was clear there was no premeditation, and that the man had acted on the spur of the moment when the president walked directly over to him as he went to greet a waiting crowd in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the southeast region of the Drome. A video of the incident was posted to Twitter.

Macron's bodyguards immediately moved the president away and pulled the man to the ground. He and another man were arrested. Damien T. appeared in court Thursday, charged with assaulting a person in authority.

threads
European-Martial-Arts-(Armored-combat-HEMA-HMB-IMCF-SCA-et-al) (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-European-Martial-Arts-(Armored-combat-HEMA-HMB-IMCF-SCA-et-al))
Busted-Martial-Artists (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48947-Busted-Martial-Artists)

[GeneChing]

Sword fight convention strikes up crowd in Costa Mesa (https://dailytitan.com/lifestyle/sword-fight-convention-strikes-up-crowd-in-costa-mesa/article_65a8ce04-ceb0-11ee-8e46-373b4530ed1b.html)
By Mia Mejia 2 hrs ago
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/dailytitan.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/46/846f3cd0-ced1-11ee-a489-57954e3c7e7e/65d2c1fa4bba4.image.jpg?resize=750%2C510
Multiple martial art forms were showcased at the Orange County Fair and Event Center. (Mia Mejia / Daily Titan)

Blades, swords, daggers and sabres swept Costa Mesa during SoCal Swordfight 2024, a Historical European Martial Arts tournament.

Hosted at the Orange County Fair and Events Center from Friday through Sunday, SoCal Swordfight remains the largest HEMA tournament in the world. The event held competitive matches in which contestants demonstrated historic fighting techniques and attempted to strike their opponents for points.

Competitions exhibited a variety of weaponry dating back to the 14th century, including longswords, rapiers, sabres and daggers. The event also introduced new weapons at the tournaments, such as the cinquedea dagger, which is an 18-inch dagger that originated in Italy.

SoCal Swordfight began in 2012 and was originally hosted in a Southern California elementary school before growing to its current magnitude.

The event now includes more activities than just competitions. Chris Ponzillo, managing director of SoCal Swordfight, works to provide new amenities and plan events that participants of diverse backgrounds can enjoy.

“If you don't want to fight, you can learn. If you don't want to come in and do classes, you can watch,” Ponzillo said. “We’re trying to have activities for everybody and that I think is where we’re different than we’ve ever been in the past.”

This year’s tournament featured an antique weapons showcase with items that were up to 8,000 years old, 110 hours of classes and vendors from across the United States.

Last year, Ponzillo was surprised to see 400 spectator tickets purchased and hopes to see that number continue to rise as the event grows in popularity.

“Some of our plans going into next year are again focused on how we make it more fun for spectators, how we make it a little bit more of an event for the community to come to,” Ponzillo said.

SoCal Swordfight also serves as a hub for the martial arts alliances and allows groups to explore different fighting styles, connect with other teams and represent their clubs.

The Cal State Fullerton Medieval Swordsmanship Club attended over the weekend with members participating in various competitions.

Nishan Jayasinghe, a second year computer science major at CSUF and club speaker for the Fullerton Medieval Swordsmanship Club, was grateful for the group to be represented and exposed to other organizations.

“It's wonderful meeting all the different people with all the different opinions. Seeing how other groups differ from ours, how ours differ from theirs,” Jayasinghe said. “There’s so much interesting cultural retinue to dissect in an event like this.”

Jayasinghe studies longsword techniques. However, he explained that the tournament is about much more than combat.

Studying the history of various fighting styles is an important aspect to participating and is often what attracts people to the sport. Members of the club study texts written by knights and work to master their techniques using modern safety equipment.

“I think it’s really engrossing and immersing to be able to sort of imagine people hundreds of years ago doing the exact same stuff we were doing, reading the same books that we are and coming to sort of similar motor conclusions about how to do things,” Jayasinghe said.

Robin John Price, a featured instructor, also emphasized the importance of history and connecting with one’s ancestry.

“A lot of people of European descent wonder ‘what did my ancestors do? what kind of martial art did they do?’” Price said. “You learn a lot of the traditions and cultural aspects of the different arts as you learn them.”

Price has attended SoCal Swordfight since its first meeting 12 years ago and believes everyone should try a martial art because of the self-confidence it can give.

As the event continues to evolve, directors take recommendations from participants to improve. Coordinators are already planning for next year, considering new martial arts styles and displays to include. One of my friends from Man at Arms (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70140-Man-at-Arms-Art-of-War-Original-Series-from-EL-REY-Network-with-Gene-Ching), R.J. McKeehan, is heavily involved in this. He invites me every year, but it's in the middle of Chinese New Years activities, plus my wife's birthday, so I can never make it.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukRhMnqWfjc

Sword-Sparring (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?51267-Sword-Sparring)
Jedi-Academies (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65368-Jedi-Academies)
European-Martial-Arts-(Armored-combat-HEMA-HMB-IMCF-SCA-et-al) (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68492-European-Martial-Arts-(Armored-combat-HEMA-HMB-IMCF-SCA-et-al))

[YinOrYan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukRhMnqWfjc


Its very interesting that he says a lightsaber is like fighting with escrima sticks. Will have to dig up some literature on something like just using one, perhaps cane forms that may be adaptable to lightsaber if all the hooking moves are removed.