Cat of Ulthar
08-18-2007, 03:35 PM
So I went on this medieval sword fighting course and it was absolutely great!
A French medieval weapon master, Laurent Bernard, came to the Netherlands on invitation of the Order of the Northern Wind, who gave the course. Laurent taught us some sword fighting techniques, based on medieval manuscripts, and tought us how to use these without hurting your partner (he is an expert on show fighting for festivals and television). Mostly that means doing the actual strike but talking to your partner beforehand so he knows what to expect and can get the appropriate counter in time; and aiming just sideways, above or in front of your fighting partner.
What I really liked was that we did not just focus on techniques, but also were immediately taught how to use them in a show fight, building up a fight the first day, and having to make up our own soon. Also the Order itself had workshops on fighting with sword and buckler, spearfighting, unarmed and dagger combat, master strokes, biomechanics, poleaxe, etc.. The first two days we fought at the camping we were all staying at, the last three in a fort, which of course added atmosphere to it all.
It was funny to see the distinct types of people who enrolled in the course. There were the historians, who were interested mostly in the exact way that knights fought; there were the sports people, who thought waving a sword around was an interesting new way to train your body; and there were the gamers, who were interested in learning how their character actually would feel. It was fun to make a gaming-related joke and seeing half the other people burst out laughing while the other half looked at us as if we were not quite right in the head. Of course it was also the gamers who decided that if beer was not available on the camping, we would go out and get it ourselves so we could at least enjoy a pint or two after a day of hard work.:D
Now I have a stiff back, sore wrists, burned shoulders and muscle cramps in my legs, a destroyed pair of combats, two wooden swords and an enormous entusiasm to find a swordfighting club nearerby to join!
A French medieval weapon master, Laurent Bernard, came to the Netherlands on invitation of the Order of the Northern Wind, who gave the course. Laurent taught us some sword fighting techniques, based on medieval manuscripts, and tought us how to use these without hurting your partner (he is an expert on show fighting for festivals and television). Mostly that means doing the actual strike but talking to your partner beforehand so he knows what to expect and can get the appropriate counter in time; and aiming just sideways, above or in front of your fighting partner.
What I really liked was that we did not just focus on techniques, but also were immediately taught how to use them in a show fight, building up a fight the first day, and having to make up our own soon. Also the Order itself had workshops on fighting with sword and buckler, spearfighting, unarmed and dagger combat, master strokes, biomechanics, poleaxe, etc.. The first two days we fought at the camping we were all staying at, the last three in a fort, which of course added atmosphere to it all.
It was funny to see the distinct types of people who enrolled in the course. There were the historians, who were interested mostly in the exact way that knights fought; there were the sports people, who thought waving a sword around was an interesting new way to train your body; and there were the gamers, who were interested in learning how their character actually would feel. It was fun to make a gaming-related joke and seeing half the other people burst out laughing while the other half looked at us as if we were not quite right in the head. Of course it was also the gamers who decided that if beer was not available on the camping, we would go out and get it ourselves so we could at least enjoy a pint or two after a day of hard work.:D
Now I have a stiff back, sore wrists, burned shoulders and muscle cramps in my legs, a destroyed pair of combats, two wooden swords and an enormous entusiasm to find a swordfighting club nearerby to join!