En Garde!

In my last post I wrote about the Fight Camp I attended a couple of weeks ago and some people asked some questions so I thought I would explain a bit more about my interest in Western Martial Arts. WMA or Historical Fencing or Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) as it is also known is a distinctly different from Eastern Martial Arts, having originated in Europe and having it's own styles and techniques. It is the practice of armed, and sometimes unarmed combat using a variety of weapons. In very simple terms, it is learning how to fight and defend yourself using swords, daggers, shields, sticks and other weapons.


As I said before, I have been training now for about 18 months and am still very much a novice. I heard about a group of like-minded people who were setting up a club and jumped at the chance when I was asked it I wanted to join. WMA is not easy to learn. It takes a lot of dedicated practise and study of historical texts to learn and then master the techniques. Part of the difficulty is that many of the techniques fell out of use in the West with the invention of the firearm. Traditionally, each school of swordsmanship taught their techniques through word of mouth so much of what was common knowledge has been lost. Luckily, many of the masters recorded their fighting systems and these are used by various WMA groups.



The club I belong to is called the Academy of Historical Fencing. We train in many schools of historical fencing and use a variety of weaponry such as rapier, broadsword, longsword, sword and dagger, sword and shield and bow staffs. We almost exclusively use steel weapons to train with which are blunted, although the 'newbies' use Shinai (bamboo swords) at first until they get enough armour (padded jackets and leather gauntlets as well as fencing masks) to train safely. The pic above is of one of my first swords and is of a 17th Century Hangar which is a particular type of single handed sword. It is mostly used with a companion weapon such as dagger or buckler ( a small shield). The pic below is of a sword I have recently purchased which is a Pappenheimer Rapier (named after a great swordsman) and is the style of swordsmanship most akin to modern day sport fencing which has it's origins in these schools of swordsmanship.


People who join the club are from a huge variety of backgrounds and there are a few clubs in the UK and a number in Europe and the US. Some people have backgrounds in Eastern Martial Arts and some people who join have done re-enacting. This differs from WMA in that re-enactors recreate battles, usually for the entertainment of spectators and will often also recreate the historical living conditions through researching the period. Although they practise some aspects of WMA, the battles they recreate are sometimes staged and based on a known outcome (i.e. who is going to win). Students of WMA however, study the fighting techniques as an historical competitive martial art.

The next picture is of my first longsword which is a two handed sword and is currently the system I am learning (specifically, from the German school of Longsword). This is also a blunted sword (like all the ones we train with). Sharp swords are only ever used for cutting competitions, like the one using bottles of water in the video on my last post of fight camp. Fight Camp is an annual event where different WMA clubs get together to train. It is a great experience!

I hope that explains a bit more about it and I suspect you might have two more questions. The answers are: yes I do get bruises and yes I probably am a little bit crazy. You can blame my old junior school teacher who introduced me to The Hobbit when I was 9 years old. Ever since then I wanted to learn to use a sword and yes, one of my swords is called 'Sting' :) The video below is of two of our members sparring. I hope you enjoy watching it!

Fight Camp & Floods

A while ago I promised you a post on the fight camp I went to a couple or so weekends back. This was a training camp for Western Martial Arts groups across Europe and was held at the Royal Gunpowder Mills. I have been practising WMA for about 18 months now and it is a great way to keep fit and is also great for confidence. The training weekend was a great opportunity to practise with other groups and pick up lots of tips. As well as the classes there was also a jousting tournament and a display by a Gatka group.

WMA or Historical Fencing is the practice of weapons-based martial arts. The techniques are of European origin and involve the use of swords, shields, daggers and stick fighting. Often these techniques were passed down orally and so very little was recorded. There are very few surviving texts so much information may have been lost as these techniques fell out of favour with the widespread adoption of the firearm but thankfully the techniques of some of the masters are not lost. One of the people that attended put together this video of the weekend which is a great account of it. I hope you enjoy it (those of you who don't like heavy rock music should turn the volume down, those who do might want to turn it up!).

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The flood water in Gloucestershire is receding nicely though the rivers are still very full and the land is very soggy in places. Now the clear up is underway in earnest. There is still no fresh water there (it's been 6 days so far) and the supermarkets are out of fresh food. Bottled water is being handed out but some people are being greedy and taking more then they need and then trying to sell it on despite it being rationed. The water bowsers are always empty. My father went around 11 the other night and they were all empty. This is not great for a man in his 70's. Apparently, people have been taking more then they need and also vandals have been breaking off the taps and letting the water out. Unbelievable! Some vigilante groups are now guarding their bowsers!

Anyway, my parents came down yesterday to get some washing done and have a hot shower. It is very important that my mother's legs are kept clean and they have clean bedding and clothes and it is not easy under the circumstances. The journey down was obviously tricky for my mother but she was glad of the chance to wash properly. We also picked up some fresh food and water for them before they went home. My brother and sister are coming down this weekend with their washing too so I'm thinking of opening as a launderette! Hopefully they will get the water back on soon so their lives can get back to normal.

I also hope that my mother gets some medical care soon. I saw her legs and they looked awful. She is obviously in a great deal of discomfort too. They tried to get through to the doctor's surgery but that was flooded and is closed. I can't believe they discharged her from the hospital with no aftercare, especially considering she is on antibiotics (and about a dozen other drugs) with her kidney problems. There is no-one monitoring her bloods at all. We are all keeping an eye on her though. Hopefully they can get some medical support soon. Thanks to all who visit and continue to leave well wishes :)