Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2012 8:50:22 GMT
Okay so my friend and I have been extremely interested in European sword fighting almost all our lives. I have studied this forum a while but can't find any definite answers (maybe I have just been looking in the wrong places) and have not had much luck in this matter. We want to start with full contact sparring and teach ourselves. I have a book on European martial arts entitled Medieval Swordsmanship by John Clements. However I am lost as to which protective equipment to buy and what kind of wasters to start with, be it steel, synthetic, or wood. I've tried to research as much as I can in my spare time but it seems that its just to much to learn without some help so I figured I would get the advice of the SBG community. I would like opinions on what the best equipment to start with is, and what possibly cheaper alternatives there are to protective equipment that would work just as well. Personal experiences with specific products or companies be they good or bad would also be helpful. What to avoid and what to look for. Any and all information is appreciated.
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Post by Vincent Dolan on Jun 23, 2012 9:57:38 GMT
Well, if you want full contact, but are on something of a tight budget, you can look into the RSW (Real Sparring Weapon) line of products. They have perhaps the widest selection of sparring weapons (many places will stock one or two different types of weapon, while some may have about 5-6 individual styles), and the recommended safety gear is headgear (a fencing mask or similar) and a pair of thick gloves (lacrosse are most popular). With some other styles of synthetics (the Rawlings, though I've heard mixed reviews on them), that's about all you'd need, maybe a thick jacket, but with wood or steel, you'd have to have a padded jacket, gloves, headgear, probably some padded legwear... It adds up, particularly since quality blunts aren't exactly cheap (I believe the cheapest are made by Hanwei that sell for about 150$ or so and just keep going up); however, steel reacts best in the bind. Wood reacts poorly in the bind and is generally poorly balanced compared to the real thing. Wood also has, I think, the highest breakage rate of all media, so you'd potentially have to replace your weapon a few times, adding to the cost. The RSWs are a little pricey initially, but with the comparatively little equipment you would need in addition to it, it becomes cheaper in the long run; RSW also offers to repair for about 30$US (though I imagine shipping it to Hong Kong and back would be nightmarish, but the option exists). All told, going this route, you could outfit yourself for probably around 180$; with the other routes, that might get you the sword, mask, and gloves (wood, though I'd also recommend a padded jacket and a throat protector if you go this route), or sword and mask (other synthetics like the Purpleheart Type III), or not even the sword (steel, particularly if you go higher end; an Arms & Armor Fechterspiel goes for about 430$US).
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Post by MOK on Jun 23, 2012 16:26:14 GMT
Clements's book isn't really much good for learning swordsmanship, it's more just a quick, broad overview of Medieval European fighting arts - more an academic report than a how-to guide.
For actual study and training, you might want to look at books like, for example, The Swordsman's Companion by Guy Windsor (for Italian longsword) or Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Art of the Longsword by David Lindholm and Peter Svärd (for German longsword). Unlike Medieval Swordsmanship, they both offer sound guidelines and recommendations for equipment and actual detailed instruction on exercise and practice.
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Post by Ceebs on Jun 24, 2012 6:18:57 GMT
Ditto what MOK said. The upside with the Sigmund Ringeck book is that you get the primary source translation along with the Author's translation which you can use or disregard at your discretion. Alongside Christian Tobler's Fighting with the German Longsword (another starter book on the German system) it can be a valuable training tool. Clement's book has been eclipsed by other books and may not be the best starting point in this period of development in WMA.
I would recommend starting with wood or synthetics before you jump into steel for training. With wood or synthetics the margin for error with mistakes is increased. With steel, if you make a mistake, you'll end up wearing it :shock:
Head on down to the sword training sub-forum of the site if you want some pointers if you would like more training advice. Always good to see people starting out in Euro Swordsmanship!
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Taran
Member
Posts: 2,621
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Post by Taran on Jun 24, 2012 7:12:02 GMT
You might also want to look into what WMA or SCA or similar groups are in your area. They are good places to practice what you are studying against more than a single opponent and maybe have some additional input or access to more materials. Personally, I am a big fan of the SCA. To find your local group of SCAdians, start with SCA.org and use the links to find which kingdom covers where you live, and which group within that kingdom and on down until you find the meetings and fight practices that occur nearest you.
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Post by MOK on Jun 24, 2012 7:29:43 GMT
Also, most martial arts groups keep a bunch of gear to lend to newcomers, so you can try things out before investing a lot of money.
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