Training equipment question

[Will Adamson]

Not to get into a pissing contest, but I personally wouldn't use a paintball mask or chest protector. Well maybe the chest protector for light rapier sparring. I have my own biases coming from a hockey and lacrosse background, but I think that type of equipment is better designed to take the beating from wasters and padded weapons. That being said, it occured to me the other day that the elbow and shin/knee pads from Redz would be adequate possibly. Some paintball gloves might be an option as well.

I had just had the thought the other night about using a lacrosse goalie chest guard for rapier. As soon as I move I'm going to do a lot of trying out different types of padding. Mainly so I can see if I can put much of my old sports gear to good use again. I think this is probably an ongoing thing for most folks. Safety measures should always be being evaluated!

[Steve Ames]

Doh. The guy at triplette said the size 4 would be appropriate for my head circumference so I went ahead and ordered a 1999 on Monday. Ah well... I'd still like to try out your mask if you don't mind bringing it on Saturday?

[Stacy Clifford]

There's not much you can do if the mask is too tall for your head, except maybe put some extra padding in there to take up the space, but the time-honored way to adjust a mask that's too wide is to squish it.

[Allen Johnson]

I've done rapier for a while and I now use little more that a tshirt for protection. I used to use a padded vest I picked up at a second hand store but I've since dropped it. Yeah the bruises are a bit more ugly but that gives you more motivation to get better.

[Cory Watkins]

Do any of you use historical helmets with visors? Just cuious, im hoping to get started here in college station pretty soon with the practice group.


I would not be willing to use a paintball mask for sure. Theyre very easy to break with blunt force impacts( i play PB), ive seen stick crack lenses doing a "superman"(head first dive).

[Richard Strey]

I own both an Italian barbute (Barbuta) and a German sallet (Schaller). Although both offer decent fields of vision, I find them totally inadequate for sparring relating to Blossfechten. When training for unarmored fighting, that amount of weight on your head changes your movement considerably. Things with your arms near the head (Ochs, Zwerchhau) will also be affected.
They are clearly better than nothing though and certainly useful for specific training setups where protection is paramount - like a fullspeed Scheitelhau drill, for example.

[Allen Johnson]

I have the old (now discontinued) MRL "Scottish Burgonet" that I eventually intend to have fixed up with a steel perforated face plate. Eventually I'll get around to hiring someone to do that.

[Will Adamson]

Does anyone use a gambeson or some other kind of padded jacket for freeplay? I was thinking of making one, so another question would be: where can I get a pattern for one or any other proper period fighting attire?

[J. F. McBrayer]

Does anyone use a gambeson or some other kind of padded jacket for freeplay? I was thinking of making one, so another question would be: where can I get a pattern for one or any other proper period fighting attire?

There is this one. It looks decent, but I don't care for the pointed-on sleeves with the open armpits; I don't like the idea of such a vulnerable area lacking coverage. The same for the cut-out inner-elbows. I am working on a pattern for a semi-historical padded jack with a "simplified" grande assiette sleeve attachment, but as I've just started a new job, I don't have the time to spend on it that I'd like.

The new Revival cotton gambeson is on special for a while, but I haven't heard reviews of it yet.

[Randall Pleasant]

Does anyone use a gambeson or some other kind of padded jacket for freeplay? I was thinking of making one, so another question would be: where can I get a pattern for one or any other proper period fighting attire?

Will

I have never seen an ARMA member wear a gambeson during free play. During free play with blunts people normally wear elbow pads, fore-arm pads, and of course gloves.

[Will Adamson]

Really? I thought that would be the case, but I thought I'd ask.

Weren't padded jackets sometimes worn in training? I think I would only be able to stand it from October to March.

[Kenneth Armstrong]

I've been considering investing in a good gambeson.

I just went through my first sparring session this past weekend, and I took a good shot to the gut and a hefty thrust to the elbow. I'm going to get a hold of some elbow pads but I've seen Schola Gladiatora (in their videos) use gambesons, vests, and pads.

I know that people are going to tell me to suck it up and get better at my guards, and I intend to. But when your first session of sparring is against skilled individuals who have been doing this for a while, and you have only been practicing by yourself for only about a month, I'd like to have more protection.

[Will Adamson]

Padded or wasters? My gambeson question was meant for use with wasters so that the strikes could be as full contact as with padded. I still haven't sparred with wasters since I don't feel that I have that kind of control just yet. I'm still getting used to being hit too.

I will tell you that my first sparring experience was against Senior Free Scholar Matt Anderson in Virginia Beach. I'm sure he was taking it easy with me, but I felt thoroughly beat down on the drive home as my body began to get cold. After that was David Welch in Knoxville who made my right side a garden of bruises. It wasn't nearly as bad as what Matt did to me, so I felt good about that. Then in Atlanta it was less painful still. Then this past weekend I sparred alot of folks, David again as well as Jake Norwood. Yeah I got plenty of the beat down handed to me, but it didn't seem as painful as those first few times.

David made a good point that eventually you just get used to being hit. This seems to be very true. Putting on some muscle if you need it and toning up makes strikes easier to take as well. Military presses and shrugs should add some muscular padding to those upper outside openings, as well as just plain make you stronger.

Being an equipment junkie (dangerous thing in this field) I like to experiment with lots of different stuff. Many of the differnt gear requirements and options have already been discussed, but I want to reinterate my view of lacrosse pads. Most of the gloves are just a bit too bulky for our purposes, but I just happened to find some that are great. Lacrosse elbow pads are mainly what I'm thinking of. They are designed to protect you from guys taking metal sticks with plastic heads and whacking you about as hard as they can. If that doesn't scream good sparring pads, I don't know what else would. Some of the minimalists will only want to use some sort of foam padded sleeve, but I'm not quite that brave yet.

A used sporting goods store, like Play-it-Again, in a college town should have plenty of used lacrosse gear. They'll also have lots of new, cheap stuff, but I would hold out for just the right used gear.

Another thing is that if you feel like you're really getting beat up, just try to grapple or get in a bind. Not only is this what occupies much of the manuals, but it'll make for much more interesting bouts, and usually won't result in you getting whacked up side the head. If you get caught in a hold, just tap out when you've had enough. After all, neither you nor your partner wants to really hurt you. At least I hope not!

[Brian Hunt]

One thing to remember about a gambeson is that it is only going to take the sting and some of the thump out of a strike, it is not going to give total protection against a truly hard strike from a weapon therefore any sparring with wasters or blunts involves control on the part of the users. A gambeson will help, but all it really is is a thick wearable quilt, how much can you expect from a quilt. Historically things like quilted jacks were made out of 15 to 30 layers of heavy linen (think similar to canvas) and were made to stop cuts but like mail you still received a good deal of impact. They help, but that is all. If you are worried about your elbows, wear elbow pads or if you make or buy a gambeson add some jack chains to protect your elbows, the outside of your arms and the points of your shoulders.

hope this helps.

Brian Hunt
GFS

P.S. I am currently in the middle of making a heavy 14th century gambeson for sparring and a lighter one to wear under armour. It is based on the same pattern as the one that revival based theirs on.

[Shane Smith]

I wear a gambesson very frequently. Especially with rapier and blunt steel work. A nicked edge on a blunt will lay you open in a hurry. Just look at the slices in Rod's gambesson sleeves below. That could have been his skin or mine. I'm the guy on the left;