The School of the Western Martial Artist

By Todd Sullivan
ARMA Central NY

Webster's Dictionary describes the word "School" in many ways such as; A session of instruction, The building or group of buildings housing an educational institution, A group of people, especially philosophers, artists, or writers, whose thought, work, or style demonstrates a common origin or influence or unifying belief: the school of Aristotle; the Venetian school of painters, or A group of people distinguished by similar manners, customs, or opinions: aristocrats of the old school. To the Western -or "Renaissance" -Martial Artist their "school" comes in many forms.

If you mention to someone that you're a Western martial artist, usually, after looking confused, the first thing they think of is a room with four walls, mirrors, and assorted weapons and a punching bag hanging from the walls. This is usually not the case in Western Martial Arts. If you where to go out searching the streets for a Western Martial Arts School by looking for a large or renovated building and perhaps a neon blinking sign you will come up short. The Western Martial Artist's school today is usually not even that of a real building with a nice sign out front, it's a community center, YMCA, or some other recreation center.

The place where you study and practice Medieval and Renaissance martial arts is not a sport-fencing club either --that's just a game, not a martial art. The traditional fencing salle or salon, or "academy of arms", haven't been "schools" for these skills in hundreds of years. Though this is starting to slowly change. In the 17th century fencers actually disliked the common plebian connotation of the traditional "school of defence", and so started calling their parlors "academy's" in order to make them more distinguished. Their clientele were officers and gentlemen learning deportment as well as self-defence for dueling.

The Western Martial Artist's "school" today is instead the back yard, perhaps closed in by a fence with the smell of freshly cut grass, it's the back of church with tables and chairs moved to the side, it's a high school gymnasium late at night, and it's even a quiet room in one's apartment or house with the door closed deep in research of the historical manuals or research and writings of others. Ask a Western Martial Artist what time school is and where is it? You'll get a smile on their face and response "Depends on the weather" and "I have to check with the others about their schedule" and "I think we are training at one of the State Parks?" and "I'll have to check my e-mail."

A Western Martial Artist today does not need the surroundings of a formal setting, fancy walls of a warm building with flag or shrine. Their only care is to further themselves in the craft of European arms and armor regardless of their surroundings. All they need in a school is space and a lot of it! Like some of the scenes of fencing in our historical source literature, this space may be grass, it may be dirt, it may be snow, or it may be concrete and it may be a musty smelling garage. I know of scholars who have trained in the dead of winter, alone, in seclusion of a state park with nothing but the cold wind to keep them company. I have heard of scholars first learning the Medieval and Renaissance Arts in their back yard with nothing more than a simple stick to train with. I know of ARMA scholars in the armed forces overseas training in the base gym's racquetball court with the thought of war troubling their mind but they continue on.

If you ask a modern rock band where they started? They will usually reply "In my buddy's parent's garage." This is true for the Western Martial Artist today. If they need gear and equipment to train with and can't afford to buy it, they'll build it. If they can't afford to rent space of a building to train in, they'll walk, drive, or hike to an outside area regardless if it's raining or snowing. If they are alone and don't know how to start their training in Renaissance Martial Arts they know they can depend of the advise from others through ARMA's website forum and e-mail and phone conversation from others. They may sit in front of their computer for hours gathering information before they step out to train.

Ask a member of ARMA or any other serious student of Western Martial Arts why is it they do what they do and why do they enjoy it? The responses could be many but, it my case it's "I don't know, but I'm drawn to it".