Questions - A - Plenty

[Andrew Kesterson]

Okay, I have quite a few questions for the longer-standing ARMA members.

• How long should it take for me to receive confirmation of my membership? I sent in my dues, probably a week ago or so. I haven't seen the check clear yet, so I'm not worried or anything, I'm just wondering how long I should wait before following up.
• If I'm doing mainly solo work, should I invest in a waster or a steel blunt? I have been in contact with the guys in ATL, but that's a long drive for me to make every week, so most of my stuff will be solo. Given that, should I get a waster, or go ahead and get a steel blunt - so I can get a feel for how the real thing handles, and get a waster later on, when I actually have sparring partners? (I already have wasters, but none of them are hickory or anything super-tough, which is why I ask.) And since I've got previous sword experience, I doubt I'm going to go banging myself in the skull with a blunt on accident. At least, not more than once <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> .
• What fechtbuch do you think I should focus on? I've noticed that alot of people seem to speak highly of Lichtenauer, but I have no idea which of the fechtbuchs have the most bang for my reading time. Also, many of them have just a translated text, and no plates, or vice versa. Keeping in mind that I have previous sword experience (kenjutsu), what would you recommend for a good book?
• What would be some exercises you would recommend for a solo practitioner? I've already got the basic guards and wards down (in my opinion), and am at the point where I'm looking for things to do. Any ideas for the construction of training dummies, reactive training items, etc are highly welcome.
• What is everyone's opinion of Badger Blades vs Albion? I am looking at blades to get for training, and it's currently a tossup between Badger's bastard swords and Albion's squire line. The main reason I am looking at Badger is because their warranty appears to be much better; they expect you to use their sword like a sword, not a museum piece. They stand behind swords that have been used to obliterate Subarus.
  

... I think that's everything. Thanks guys

[Jaron Bernstein]

" * How long should it take for me to receive confirmation of my membership? I sent in my dues, probably a week ago or so. I haven't seen the check clear yet, so I'm not worried or anything, I'm just wondering how long I should wait before following up."

Don't hold your breath. John is buried with about a million things at the moment. But, don't let that stop your training. Just train, and eventually the admin. stuff will catch up. We are in this art for the skills and not pretty pieces of paper after all. There should be enough just in the public part of the member site to keep you more than busy for some time.


"If I'm doing mainly solo work, should I invest in a waster or a steel blunt? I have been in contact with the guys in ATL, but that's a long drive for me to make every week, so most of my stuff will be solo. Given that, should I get a waster, or go ahead and get a steel blunt - so I can get a feel for how the real thing handles, and get a waster later on, when I actually have sparring partners? (I already have wasters, but none of them are hickory or anything super-tough, which is why I ask.) And since I've got previous sword experience, I doubt I'm going to go banging myself in the skull with a blunt on accident. At least, not more than once."

Well, it IS fun and more realistic to do solo work with steel (either blunts or sharps). But you CAN do solo work with a stick if that is all you have. You can test cut by yourself if you have a sharp. Footwork (my great weakness) requires 2 feet and some ground. In terms of training with partners, you will needed a waster for drills and light contact and a padded and helmet (and maybe gloves if you value your fingers) for full contact sparring. If you join an established study group (or be the charter member for your area and recruit others in which case this advice doesn't apply) they may have loaner gear.


"* What fechtbuch do you think I should focus on? I've noticed that alot of people seem to speak highly of Lichtenauer, but I have no idea which of the fechtbuchs have the most bang for my reading time. Also, many of them have just a translated text, and no plates, or vice versa. Keeping in mind that I have previous sword experience (kenjutsu), what would you recommend for a good book?"


Check out the recommended reading section of this site. I suggest Svard and Lindholm's Ringeck referenced there as your first Lichtenauer book to study techniques from. For a better overview of the L. system, I would read the Dobringer commentary on Lichtenaur (also on site here). For a "this is a longsword, from page 1 with illustrations, put your right foot here and cut this way" thing, IMO Joachim Meyer is your manual. You can get lost in Meyer for years and still learn new stuff every day, but he explains things more clearly than any manual I have ever seen and with wonderful woodcuts to boot to illustrate the text. And you can ask Jake and the S. Florida ARMA guys for clarification on any questions that arise (and believe me they will).

"* What would be some exercises you would recommend for a solo practitioner? I've already got the basic guards and wards down (in my opinion), and am at the point where I'm looking for things to do. Any ideas for the construction of training dummies, reactive training items, etc are highly welcome."

Footwork. Make a pell and beat it. Do the cuts while moving. And other things, as explained far better than I can on this site.


"* What is everyone's opinion of Badger Blades vs Albion? I am looking at blades to get for training, and it's currently a tossup between Badger's bastard swords and Albion's squire line. The main reason I am looking at Badger is because their warranty appears to be much better; they expect you to use their sword like a sword, not a museum piece. They stand behind swords that have been used to obliterate Subarus."

I know absolutely nothing about Badger one way or another. I own an Albion and know several others who also do and have nothing but praise for them. My Sempach will likely outlive me.

[Jaron Bernstein]

One last item.

Get thee to a 1.0 Seminar somewhere in the country. That builds the foundation on which you learn this art. We just had one here and it was an awesome event. 2 days of medieval fighting <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> . Veery cool. Also, a 1.0 will correct bad habits before you develop them or correct them if you already have them.

[John_Clements]

Andrew, due to the colume of applciaions and our consistant backlog, it can take weeks for us to review them. Then several more weeks to consult and communicate in order to make a decision one way or the other. Then time for the fee payment to clear. Then several weeks to send out packets. So, please be patient. Contact us next month if you haven't hear anything.

JC

[leam hall]

1. Membership. A while. Patience is a virtue learned the hard way. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

2. I prefer waster though I must confess to not having a blunt or a sharp. A good waster seems to give you the feel and you can "play" at trying new things like half-swording transitions and not worry so much about punctured body parts. Even a blunt at high speed is a weapon.

Also if you're newer to WMA you might want to take the time and figure out what style of weapon you really like. Tastes change as you learn more and a good blade will cost you a bit. Make an educated choice.

3. Second vote for the Svard and Lindholm. It explains a lot of things in ARMA terms, has good drawings and has a lot of good info. As you look around the Arma site there are lots of things to read and learn from.

4. Footwork. All directions, easy flow. Control--you probably know this from before but learn to hit with a controlled strike.

Transitions and flow.

5. Blades. No idea, I've only seen Albion. Again, save your decision for the right time--maybe you can make the international event and see both there?

[JohnGallego]

Hey Andrew,

Taking a look at the Badger Blades website (and assuming I got the right website), their longswords seem on the heavy side (5 to 6 pounds) and not very pretty, though functionality is more important for someone learning I would think.

Unfortunately the website makes no mention of profile or distal tapering and I see no fullers or risers on their blades.

Don't know what that will mean in terms of functionality, but I would guess nothing good. Having never handled one though I'd say see if you can get your hands on one and see hot one handles (Are they located near you?).

Otherwise, Albions have always been lauded to me.

[David Kite]

Waster or steel blunt? IMO, a waster. It's definitely cheaper, as well as more forgiving of stupid mistakes by the wielder (I've been at this for more than 3 years, and I still occasionally crack my noggin with a cross guard). A waster will allow you to play around with different swords (longsword, rapier, single-hand sword), and even swords of different types (Oakeshott Type XIII vs OT XVI, for example) without the investment required of steel blunts. You will also already have a training tool in the event you acquire training partners sooner than expected, or if you attend an event. It will also allow you to work at the pell without prematurely wearing out a steel blunt against a wooden post. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

Which book to start with? If you're a beginner to RMA, and especially if you train alone, I still recommend JC's Medieval Swordsmanship. It describes all kinds of possibilities concerning grips, footwork, guards, and strikes (they have 2 edges for a reason) without bogging you down with all the technical jargon you'd encounter by starting with one of the primary sources. Once you're familiar with this book, Liechtenauer, Meyer, and Fiore will all become much clearer much faster because you'll already be aware of what a European sword is capable of.

Solo training excercises? Guard transitions. Footwork excercises are important. Practice your cuts--extensively. Flourysh. Practice at the pell. Once you're an ARMA member and have access to the ARMARIA (Member's area), there are more specific instructions, including a piece by yours truly specifically aimed at solo practitioners (like me).

Badger vs Albion? I've never even heard of Badger Blades, let alone handled them, so I can't help you there. Compared to any other reproduction blades I've handled, Albion blades are by far the best IMO, right up there with Arms and Armor. The only "problem" with them is that at the moment, Albion doesn't offer any training blunts (though they are in R&amp;D). I have had the opportunity to handle a couple pieces from their Squire Line (which are unsharpened), though IMO, the edges are still too fine for me to be comfortable with someone swinging one at me. A&amp;A offers a Fechtbuch sword (which is a blunt), and another really good source for reliable blunts is Lutel and Del Tin. As far as Badger's guarantee, beating up a Subaru doesn't mean much for a sword (to me), and Albion, as well as A&amp;A, will stand behind their swords, as long as their swords are used as swords (which means no beating up Subarus or building with them).

Some of this repeats what's been said already, but I still hope it helps.

David Kite
GFS, ARMA in IN

[Jake_Norwood]

Badger blades was, if I'm not mistaken, formerly Highland Steel. Their blades are pretty close to immortal, but they're not swords by any stretch of the imagination. They are thin crowbars with leather wrapped around the handles. You really could destroy a car with them, but even their old site back in the Highland steel days called them "sword like objects," a term very possibly taken from this website here.

Go Albion or Lutel if you're set on a blunt for now.

However, I would definitely go with a waster first, as it's a more widely functional training tool, especially at earlier levels of training.

Jake

[M Wallgren]

The only "problem" with them is that at the moment, Albion doesn't offer any training blunts (though they are in R&amp;D). I have had the opportunity to handle a couple pieces from their Squire Line (which are unsharpened), though IMO, the edges are still too fine for me to be comfortable with someone swinging one at me.

Check out this on the Albion site:

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/swords-albion-mark-maestro.htm

I know theire not yet finished but you could still order...

Cheers
MArtin

[Matthew_Anderson]

All the replies here so far are good advice, as for blunt training swords, I'm a Lutel Fan also. I've had the model 1518 for about three years now and litterally beat the crap out if it and it's still going strong. It is balanced well, has a pronounced distal taper and comes with a cool scabbard and belt! I was concerned about the screw-on pommel at first, but it has never loosened at all, even after lots of hard use. They used to be quite inexpensive, even taking into account the shipping, but are a little pricier now. Anyway, here's the website:

http://www.lutel.cz/index2e.htm

[Mike Cartier]

I recommend the Paul Chen hand and a half blunt. I have one and I love it and it has a good reputation for sturdiness. Cheap too at only $100. can be purchased at kultofathena.com

[Jared L. Cass]

Hi Andrew! From one of your other posts I see that your a former (current, too?) Ralph Severe guy (if it's the same "kameyama" I'm thinking of:) The taijutsu group I'm with considdered affiliating our selves with him a couple of years ago but ultimatly decided to stay compleatly independant). If so, you've got an excellent basis for learning RMA and sort of "bypassing" alot of the very basic beginner things like bodymechanics and foot work. Don't bypass it compleatly though because you'll find out you'll need to stand a bit straighter than many of taijutsu's stances...think jumonji no kamae rather than ichimonji no kamae. Also there's a number of other differences but IMO the simularities are greater and the transition to RMA from a very good EMA like your's will be rather painless:).

That being said, get a waster first. You said you already have one but it's not sturdy? Hell, use what you've got. You mught also want to do a search of this site. It'll provide you with alot of DIY instructions for making your own if you decide to go that route. If you can afford it, get a good waster and a blunt asap as well as a sharp. That would be the ideal but $$ always get's in the way. What do you think you'd get the most use out of?

Like David said...watch out for that cross guard! It's a world of difference from a tsuba. A wood one hurts alot less than a metal one! Probably the most earth shattering difference is having two edges to work with. The european double edged sword is simply amazing.

I second the notion to attend a seminar ASAP. The 1.0 will present you with alot of things you already know (footwork, cutting angels. ect), but it'll also open your eyes to what RMA has to offer. Like you I had previous weapon training, but the emphisis was always more on unarmed skills. I've learned more about weapon usage in 2 years of being an ARMA member than in 6 years of my other MA. You'll have the lead on where ARMA and the rest of the RMA community is as far as unarmed fighting is concerned (though I see a noticable change there reciently) so with your exploration of RMA, you'll really be able to round out your skills.

As far as books go, what's already been mentioned is great advise.

MAybe this will help and maybe it won't...but welcome aboard! Membership confirmation can take abit, so be patient:)

Jared L. Cass, ARMA Associate, Wisconsin

[Andrew Kesterson]

Yep, Kamiyama Dojo. I never actually trained with Ralph, instead I trained under my older brother, who achieved his Shodan under Ralph. I never had the money (or time) to go down with him to Tai Kai, or the various expeditions to Texas, to meet Ralph. My other brother did though. I'll just say Ralph is .... eccentric. <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the advice everybody. The main reason I wanted to skip a waster, is that I just can't see paying $70 for a block of wood. Granted, it's hickory - but it's still a block of wood. Alot of you may not understand my disgust at the price, but my brother and I used to go out back, cut down hickory trees, and work them into bokken and ryokushakubo whenever we needed one, for free (we had an extensive shop on-hand for the purpose, and lots of free time to work the tough hickory). So methinks I'll try to find something that's sturdy, while not taking off one of my legs as payment. An axe handle, suitably worked and fassioned, would make a fine arming sword or cut and thrust. I'm sure I can find a piece long enough to make a longsword out of.

I'll check out the books mentioned, and I'll keep my eyes open for a seminar coming up in my area.

Thanks all

[Jamie Fellrath]

Andrew,

Even if you do decide you can make wasters yourself, it helps to have a good model. So, if you don't have someone else's waster to check out and model yours after, it could help to buy one just to get started.

Jamie