Postby Will Adamson » Thu Apr 12, 2007 5:53 pm
It's all very much an individual thing. The main thing you will need is a waster. You can do quite a bit in terms of movement, stances, and cuts with just your waster. If you have a training partner you can do alot of partner drills and even some freeplay without much else than wasters. Check the links page on the ARMA website for a list of waster manufacturers. My vote is for New Stirling Arms.
A pell is great to have. Much has been written on pells. Do a search in this forum, and also there is at least one article on the pell on the ARMA website. I use a wavemaster punching bag that is left over from my TKD days. The problems with it are that I can't hit straight down on it without breaking the plastic inner sleeve (I have a fix for this, I just haven't done it) and that I can't use anything but a waster on it.
Beyond that you might want some pads when you get into sparring with padded swords. The Holy Grail of pads is to have something that is protective while still allowing free range of motion. I like lacrosse elbow pads, and I have lacrosse gloves, but I wouldn't ordinarily recommend them. I just happened to find some that work well. I also like a hockey helmet with a cage, but many folks use fencing masks. If you are working with wasters and need head protection, go with the fencing mask because most wasters will slid right through the cage. With paddeds you can go either way. Take a stroll around a Play-it-Again Sports store to find something that works that is hopefully cheap. If you have guys around, they will probably see the wisdom in wearing a cup.
I hope this helps.
"Do you know how to use that thing?"
"Yes, pointy end goes in the man."
Diego de la Vega and Alejandro Murrieta from The Mask of Zorro.
