Observations from period clothing

[Jake_Norwood]

Over X-mas I was blessed with fluffy knee-breeches, red hose, and an MRL "late rennaissance shirt." I have a few observations from practicing in the pants in particular:

* They *really* effect footwork. I find the stances and guards (especially with the advice "The front leg is bent, the other one going towards the back is stretched"). There's a lot of freedom of movement that isn't quite available in sweats or other pants nowadays.

* I find that kicks are easier to do, as are cock-steps and the like.

Has anyone else spent time training in period clothing? (John, I know you have.) What other observations do you have. What do the different eras of med/renn. clothing change (my stuff is all late renn, for example).

[GaryGrzybek]

Hello Jake,

I totally agree, training in period style clothes really makes a difference in freedom of movement. I've trained in my yard wearing knee breeches and a swordsman shirt many times. Now I have to gather the nerve to wear them in public other than to the Renaissance fair <img src="/forum/images/icons/blush.gif" alt="" />

[John_Clements]

Yeah, makes it easie rto grab someone in grappling too.

JC

[George Turner]

There's a trick to getting away with it in public.

Wear bright red Scottish plaid knickers, the louder the better, blue knee length socks, white and blue wingtip shoes, and keep your swords in a golf bag. People will think you're Paine Stewart. It works.

George Turner

[GaryGrzybek]

Thanks George, I'll try and remember that <img src="/forum/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

Very much agree. The freedom is so much more in the historical uniform and I also feel closer to my studies (that sounded weird) anyway I also feel more comfortable where a t-shirt and athletic pants stick to your person where the historical uniform doesn't. Cheers

Todd

[George Turner]

Yep,

Too bad baseball players don't wear black, or we could all just run down to a sporting goods store. Anyway, add a cap and you're ready for the links! What's really strange is that the period swordsmen who really used the big two-handed swords probably sometimes practiced in their golf clothes. At least when they weren't out bowling, playing hockey, croquet, or some precursor to baseball or cricket. The oldest image of a golfer in the UK (as claimed by golf historians) is in a stained glass window dedicated by a soldier to his comrades who died at the battle of Crecy. I guess the part of warfare that consists of long stretches of intense boredom gets the soldiers to think up ways of killing time. Alexander the Great was once overjoyed to see his soldiers striking up a ball game after a battle, before they'd even bothered to take off their armor. Those guys must've been the definition of sports fanatics. Sports history is very interesting, and no one can find the origin of dodge-ball. It seems to predate written records...

Best Regards, and never play through without a sword hidden somewhere in your bag. You never know how much beer the slower guys have been drinking. Just put a sock over the pommel and refer to it as...well...what's a good name for both a driver or a sword?

George Turner
ARMA in KY

[Jake_Norwood]

Actually, black baseball breeches (knickers?) are easy to find out here. Would they be appropriate?

Jake

[Guest]

Baseball Pants actually do work but only discovered this after I got my fencing pants from MRL

[GeoffGagner]

This makes complete sense given my past experience with the transition out of sweats into proper martial arts uniforms. Like in Kenpo, switching to a gi made a world of difference. And in Aikido the hakama was amazing to train in compared to pants of any kind (gi or sweat). So now that I am aware that there are options to sweats in WMA... got any recommendations?

-Geoff

[kyle cook]

I have been wearing base ball pants since i joined arma. I found i move faster and nothing draging around my feet.

kyle cook
ARMA Victoria, Texas

[Jake_Norwood]

I've always felt baseball pants were a good idea, but I never went through with them. I wear modifed sweats (so that they work like knee breeches) or "#8-595 Knee Breeches" from http://www.by-the-sword.com/pants.html (I think it's just MRL stuff, though). I like them quite a bit, even if the fabric is a bit light. They seem tremendously easy to make, though. I wear hose underneath, or tall red soccer socks (the Nike ones are great).

Happy training,

[George Turner]

There's another thing you can wear, if you want. Get a bright and colorful pair of panty-hose. You're legs will stay warm, you can move well, and for some reason you get in lots and lots of fights, which provides ample training opportunities. In addition, any touches cause a run, so there's not much room for disputes about whether you got hit or not!

[TimSheetz]

Hi guys,

Honestly, I can see where wearing the historical clothing would give you a better feel for the movements and contribute to some of the grappling, but long or short pants shouldn't restrict you too much. If it does, you probably need to work out more and trim off some loose weight. If you are at an appropriate level of fitness, shorts, sweats, knickers, or jeans should make very little difference.. In my opinion.

OK, you can yell at me now. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Tim Sheetz

[GaryGrzybek]

Okay Tim, I'll move in for the kill <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />


I think sweats are fine but jeans???

Nothing is more restrictive than blue jeans in my opinion ...even if your a born athelete <img src="/forum/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" /> .