Looking for sparring partners

[Scott Richards]

To all,

I am very pleased to find such a useful and informative site one line to use towards learning more about one of my historical passions. However, there are no ARMA groups anywhere near me to practice with, so I need to know if there are any members in the central Pennsylvania region who would be interested in meeting to practice, spar, and learn historical martial arts together.

Thanks,
Scott

[GaryGrzybek]

Hello Scott,

Sadly, we're a long way from central PA. Eric Gregory is located in White Haven PA but that's probably several hours away. Keep looking and you'll find someone.

Good luck,

[Scott Richards]

Gary.

Thank you so much for that information. White Haven is, in fact, only about 40-50 minutes away and easily accesible. This is fantastic news!

Thank you,
Scott

[GaryGrzybek]

That's great news!

Eric is a great fellow and quite a talented fencer. I try and get out to visit him whenever I can so maybe we will meet at some point.

[Grant Hall]

OK so it looks like one persons problems are solved, now lets take a stab at another one (No pun intended).
I live ALL the way DOWN in Australia, and although I have plently of lads who are interested in learning, and will undoubtedly make excelltent sparring partners (Once we all learn how to) the problem is, How do we learn? we are very eager and passionate about Medieval Martial Arts, but do not know how to get started... please a little help someone? anyone?

[M Wallgren]

The articles and videos on this site is a good start! Then by some of the books on the methods of fighting listed in the litterature on this site. Start training and don´t be afraid to ask questions here at this forum. There is some material on the net to if you know where to look. To get some startertechnics check this out...

http://www.nada.kth.se/~jsh/hobby/tekniker/

English at the bottom...

Hope you get going..

Martin

[Grant Hall]

Thankyou very much,

I will be sure to investigate the provided material extensively, and share it with the others in my group of interested swordsman.

ARMA has been a long time in the coming, and I am thrilled that at last I have found others who share my passion for the sword in all its glory. I have long sought those who cherish European Martial Arts and the ties to our ancestral heritage.

Again, Thank you muchly!

G. Hall

[Mike_McGurk]

I personally found John Clement's Medieval Swordmanship really helpful when came to learning the basics of fencing. As for finding sparring partners, don't limit yourself to medieval and renaissance martial artists, cross-training is a great way to further both your skill and your insight into martial arts as a whole. My best sparring partner uses a bokken. Another thing that I found to be surprisingly helpful as far as the psychological aspects of swordfighting are concern is a Japanese treatise on swordmanship called The Sword and the Mind . Although it isn't exactly European, it covers an aspect of the art that I find lacking in most of the fechtbuchs I've looked at and focuses mainly on how to improve mentally and what to look for in your opponent's motions.

[Grant Hall]

Thanks for the info, (Im sure John appreiciates it too, Chh-ching $$$ <img src="/forum/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ) Ill be sure to get my hands on it, provided I find a good retailer down here.
As for cross training, there are not to many EMA arround here that focus on swords, and everytime I 'spar' EMArtists they break <img src="/forum/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" /> I guess they just dont make them how they used too.

One question? What is SCA? (I dont want to rufle feathers, but could I get any valid practices sparing with them?)

Cheers all

[Risto Rautiainen]

There's Stoccata School of defence in Australia and I guess there are others...

http://www.stoccata.org/

[Mike_McGurk]

Your best bet for finding John Clement's book is online, Barnes &amp; Nobles and Amazon are good bets. Most stores don't carry it, WMA being an 'esoteric' subject (The American Heritage Dictionary defines martial arts as eastern fighting systems).

[Gene Tausk]

"(The American Heritage Dictionary defines martial arts as eastern fighting systems). "

Sad, isn't it?


---------------&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;gene tausk
SFS
Study Group Leader - ARMA Houston Southside

[Grant Hall]

Thanks for the tip off.

"(The American Heritage Dictionary defines martial arts as eastern fighting systems). "

It's not sad Gene, its <img src="/forum/images/icons/mad.gif" alt="" /> *Bites tongue* <img src="/forum/images/icons/mad.gif" alt="" /> I guess 'sad' will have to do <img src="/forum/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Mike_McGurk]

It's more than sad. I'm planning to write them a letter about it.

[Mike Chidester]

One question? What is SCA? (I dont want to rufle feathers, but could I get any valid practices sparing with them?)

The SCA, or Society for Creative Anachronism, is an organization that focuses on selective recreation of medieval and renaissance customs and lifestyle. I say selective, because they tend to take a few reasonably historical elements and combine them with others that are contrived and unrealistic. This holds true for everything they do, but especially their combat, which is nothing even resembling historical or valid (nor is it intended to be, according to some, though others vehemently--and foolishly--defend it). A visit to an SCA tourney will give you new respect for how valid even EMA are.

So no, you won't learn anything from them, and practicing with them won't give you any meaningful experience. Their rules system utterly prevents realistic fighting conditions, and if you fight outside of it they will be unable to offer any resistance. You may just as well do pell work.