ARMA Knoxville, Tennessee Presents:

A Two-Day Introductory Course to Joachim Meyer's Fechtbuch of 1570

with Jake Norwood, ARMA Senior Free Scholar

June 26-27 at the Welch Tennessee Walking Horse Farm only 15 minutes from Knoxville, Tennesse

This exciting two-day event will feature the first-ever full-scale event featuring the methods, techniques, and teachings of Joachim Meyer's well-known Thourough Descriptions of the Knightly Art of Fighting, published in 1570. Jake Norwood, a respected instructor and martial artist, will share his experience at teaching students of all levels and ranges of experience toward functional training with the long sword, dagger, and staff from this important and frequently misunderstood manual.

This workshop will cover:

• A comprehensive introduction to Meyer's fencing with the long-sword, including stances, cuts, footwork, handywork, fencing from the stances, and an improved understanding of the previous 200 years of swordsmanship through the insights that only Meyer seems to impart (using both available translations and yet untranslated material).
• An introduction to Meyer's hand-to-hand combat with and without a dagger (from material previously unavailable to the English-speaking public).
• An introduction to Meyer's staff-work.
• Understanding the progression of the German School under Master Liechtenauwer onward.

Also:

• Contact sparring with longswords or daggers and grappling practice!
• Test Cutting with replica sharps!
• Bar-B-Que lunch provided for Workshop attendees

The Welch Tennessee Walking Horse Farm Features:

• Horse Riding
• Free Camping
• Close to several hotels and motels (about 10 min.; group rates can be arranged).
• Close to Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the world's largest knife shop (less than 30 min), Dollywood resort/theme park/Gatlinburg, and the Great Smokey Mountains (about 30 min).

Registration

• Registration is online via PayPal (pay to Driftwood Publishing) or by mailing a check or money order to David Welch (address pending). $65 covers workshop tuition and lunch both days. $75 covers workshop tuition, lunch, and provides a staff and a training dagger (which you can take home). ARMA members get a $5 discount. All workshop attendees can camp at the Welch Farm free of charge.
• Who can attend? We openly invite ARMA members and non-members to this unique opportunity. Eastern and Western Martial artists, fencers, reinactors, faire-goers, SCA members, LARP-ers, and similar groups are welcome to attend individually or as groups. There are only 35 spaces available, however, so register quickly. * If for some reason the below links don't work, send your Registration Fee via Paypal (www.paypal.com) to sales@theriddleofsteel.net.
  
  Or mail your check or money order payable to:

  David Welch
  9509 J.I. Alexander ln
  Strawberry Plains TN 37871

Equipment for Seminars and Practices

• Required
  • Uniforms: ARMA members are expected to show up in uniform (red shirt, black pants). Others are encouraged to wear white shirts and black sweat- or athletic pants (if no such colors are available, please come in a very minimum of rugged athletic clothing for fighting and rolling in the dirt). "Dress" Uniform (period or semi-period clothing in starndard uniform colors) is optional. Comfortable athletic shoes are a must. If you sweat a lot or blister easily, we also recommend comfortable leather gloves (driving gloves, fencing gloves, biking or weightlifting gloves also work well). Lastly, because most of the day's training will be outdoors, sunscreen, sunglasses, and other, similar items are strongly encouraged.
  • Wasters: A longsword waster is the minimum. If you have a Cut & Thrust, Arming Sword, Messer, wooden staff, or Dagger waster, then bring them as well (in other words, bring all your wasters of any kind). If you don't have a waster and can't afford one you'll need to get a 4-ft. hard-wood dowel (cheap and available at any lumber store). We have some longsword wasters to loan, but we can't promise anything, so get a dowell regardless. First-time attendees are excused, and get first pick of loaner equipment. There may be some wasters from New Sterling Arms for sale at the event.
  • Staves (6" - 8") and Dagger wasters (or rubber practice knives) are neccessary for all attendees, but can be provided at the event for $10 (staff and dagger together).
• Optional and Encouraged
  • Steel: Bring any steel swords you have, sharpened or otherwise. Please use caution when handling any weapon.
  • Sparring Gear: Pads, masks/helmets, sparring weapons. Contact weapons need to be up to ARMA specifications, and should resemble real weapons as much as possible.
  • Books and Manuals. Because the ARMA study method relies heavily on the writings of the historical masters, all are encouraged to bring along any print rescources they have, especially if they are seeking help in interpretation. There will be lots of time to discuss any interpretation of any manual with the instructor.

   

Curriculum for download/online viewing

www.schielhau.org Mike Rassmussen's fantastic website containing translations of longsword manuals in the Liechtenauer tradition, including an excellent rendition of part of the longsword section from Joachim Meyer 1570. Though not the only existing translation, this version is publicly available and may be used to familiarize yourself with the work.

About the Instructor

Jake Norwood is an ARMA Senior Free Scholar, the Director of ARMA Middle Tennessee (former Director of ARMA Provo, UT), and author of The Riddle of Steel. He has been teaching swordsmanship for over two years. Jake has instructed or demonstrated historical fencing and the ARMA method in Las Vegas, NV, Salt Lake City, UT, New Orleans, LA, Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, Syracuse, NY, and Nashville, TN. He currently lives in Lascassas, TN.

Contact Information

David Welch
(Host/Event Organizer)
Phone: (865) 932-0841

Jake Norwood
(Instructor)
Phone: (801) 372-7086