I'm very interested in becoming a member.

[adam walton]

Hello. This is my first post of what I hope to be a lifelong pursuit. I am very interested in becoming a member and have been applying and researching for over a year. I am very into everything the A.R.M.A. stands for . I would like to start a study group and have studied blades of Europe since childhood. I have always been obsessed with swords and practical combat of my ancestors. I would like to know what it takes to join and how long it usually takes to become a member. I have applied several times and inquired several times since last year. I have allot of experience and love the generous info I have seen on the site. Much of it confirmed what I already thought to be the case. I am also a big fan of John Clements and his approach to scholarship. I look forward to one day train with him. Any tips anyone could provide on starting my journey( as there is no one in my area doing this,) would be much appreciated. Thank all of you for your time and Much respect.
Courage,Strength,Mastery, Honor.
Adam

[David Kite]

Hi Adam!

Whereabouts are you located? It is possible that there are groups in your area and you just haven't run into them yet.

As for your application, JC handles all of the applications himself along with all of his other responsibilities, so you may just need to be patient for a bit.

Do you have any friends with whom you are able to practice with now? If not, I understand what it's like to train alone. But keep at it.

David Kite
ARMA in IN

[adam walton]

Thank you for the kind words. I train alone for now but have met some who would be very interested to train with me if I get approved to join and start a training group. I am also looking forward to buying a bosworth longsword. I very much like reading everything available on the website and look forward to training and research. I would like to ask if you know of a good brand of wooden waister for training that could approximate the bosworth?

[adam walton]

Also, if Mr. Clements reads this, I love the battlecry line. Some of the best weapons I have owned. I hope you continue the line and was wondering if there are any plans to come out with a decent greatsword? I do hope so. I think one made for the battlecry line would be the crown jewel. Thank you for your time.

[David Kite]

Hi,

Don't let non-membership stop you from training or beginning a study group. You'll be able to follow our methodology and approach to training even without being a member.

As for a good source of wasters, finding one that approximates the feel of a particular steel sword may not be possible, just because of the properties of wood vs the properties of steel, even if their dimensions are similar. However, a very good source of wasters is New Stirling Arms (http://newstirlingarms.com/shop/), and they are also available for small amounts of custom work. They are very nice people and should be willing to work with you. (Mind that if you get one of their standard longswords, their pommels are on the bigger side)

David Kite
ARMA in IN

[adam walton]

Thank you very much for the tip on wasters and the encouragement. I am currently doing research into the fight book and Fiore. I just received my Bosworth longsword and it was worth every penny. A work of art. I plan on writing a review but was wondering if that would be allowed on here? As for my study , Where would be a good starting point? I want to study the A.R.M.A methodology but I don't have access to that info as I'm not a member. What would you recommend? Thank you as always for any info and most of all for your time.
Strength,Courage,Mastery,Honor.
Adam Walton.

[David Kite]

We tend not to put weapon reviews on our site (but we do have book reviews). A better place for weapon reviews would probably be myArmoury.com.

While we do have a lot of training materials and study tips in our members' area, you don't need that material to follow our method. As long as you focus on martial intent in your practice, then you should get far. What I mean by that is don't go soft and slow. Slow is okay when first learning an action, but this art was meant to be practiced with intent against someone intent on doing you harm. So, to understand the art, it is important to train that way (but be sure to also use control so you don't injure your training partner). To get a good feel for levels of intensity, you can watch the videos on this site. There are a lot of good videos on YouTube, but there are also a lot of bad videos there, so it's hard to give any real pointers there.

If you're using Fiore, he is fairly clear and straightforward. Practice his guards, and practice cutting along the cutting lines he illustrates (what we call the segno). Those are your basic cutting lines, and all cuts go along those lines. After guards and cuts, there is flourishing (essentially shadow boxing) and working at the pell.

Again, I don't know where you're located, but even if you can only occasionally travel to meet with a partner or group, that will really accelerate you study.

Finally, just read much and ask questions.
David Kite
ARMA in IN

[adam walton]

Thank you very much for the tips. I will be employing them. I am located in Creston B.C. Do you know of anyone near here to train with?

[David Kite]

I do not know of anyone in Canada. However, there is a club finder at this link: https://www.hemaalliance.com/club-finders/

David Kite
ARMA in IN

[adam walton]

I have not found anyone out my way but I'm still studying and practicing. I have Two questions for anyone willing to answer. 1. How does Mr. Clements do those spinning grip transitions on the longsword? In the vids I found He is going to fast to see it well. And 2. Does anyone have a good recommendation for steel trainers that are good and if possible don't break the bank? Thank you.