Youth camp

[Jimmie Bergkvist]

Hello,


I am located in the south of Sweden and I organize medieval camps for boys between 8 and 14.
The camp consist all kinds of things from craftwork to archery and tournament, this things I know about.
I also learn the children to fence a little bit with longswords, just the basics.
I am no weapon master, but I did take one course in longsword fencing, just enough to learn my students about it.

The problem is this:
Last summer the boys became squires and they are going to return this summer to become "knights".
I now have to take the fencing to a higher level and I need some simple techniques for sword and shield (this is the "heater" shaped shield), maby some info about this type of fencing, positions, cuts, blocks, how to, what to do, why not and so on, and then 4 or 5 simple (yet funny and easy to learn, we are talking kids here) techniques (fencing with only swords are no problem, I got the program from last year).
I would also like to have some info about fighting with spear, the "chainmace" (I just can't find the english word for it), the halberd, and maybe something about fighting with dagger or small hand axe.
It would be very nice if there are some techniques where the different weapons meet.
And the same here, some info about positions, cuts, blocks, how to, what to do, why not and so on and ofcourse some techniques (remember, funny and easy to learn).
If you know of something that could be good for the camp weapon "education", let me know.
It is mainly the weapons that the mounted knight fought with that are of interest like the sword, sheild, dagger, spear and mace.

I am not asking for an education, just some basics and tricks, that is funny, lookes cool and are easy to learn, yet based upon facts. This would be very helpfull for me and I thank you for your time given to read this words.

Many thanks/Jimmie

[Axel Pettersson]

Hi Jimmie,

in Southern Sweden there are many HEMA groups you can contact for sword in hand demonstrations, visit http://www.shfs.se (swedish historical fencing schools), amongst others there are schools in Malmö, Kalmar and Visby (these are the three most southern ones I think), as well as Gothenburg and one starting up in Halmstad.


If you by "chainmace" means a metal ball on a chain that is attached to a handle then "morning star" is an english word for it, "morgonstjärna" in Swedish.

/Axel

[Jimmie Bergkvist]

Hi Axel,


I don't have any possibility to take lessons (though Kalmar is near) do to the lack of time and communication. But I will try to contact someone from Kalmar shfs, but still, some help right here on the forum would be nice.

No, I didn't mean the morningstar, but the one with three chains and smaller metal balls. ("stridsgissel" in swedish;))

/Jimmie

[Keith Culbertson]

Hello, I think the medieval camp for the kids is cool and wish you great fun!
The classic crusader knight weapons you already mentioned sound like a plan---a weighty one. Horsemanship included? If you have the time, maybe try to throw in music or other courtly favors as well to fill non-combat time.
By the way, the chained weapon is called a flail (either a staff-like weapon with a bar linked by just a few links, or a smaller handle with longer lengths for horsemen). A morningatar is basically a nasty spiked, iron-headed club without any chain. I advise extreme caution with any chained weapon---they are just as dangerous to an untrained wielder (children especially might whip it about with abandon) as to the enemy. (I got a nice horseman's two-ball flail in Prague years ago and still take great care practicing with it)

all the best

[Craig Peters]

Though it's a bit dated, you could always pick up a copy of JC's Medieval Swordsmanship. It has some stuff about shield usage. http://www.paladinpress.com/detail.aspx?ID=532

[Jimmie Bergkvist]

Hello, I think the medieval camp for the kids is cool and wish you great fun!
The classic crusader knight weapons you already mentioned sound like a plan---a weighty one. Horsemanship included? If you have the time, maybe try to throw in music or other courtly favors as well to fill non-combat time.
By the way, the chained weapon is called a flail (either a staff-like weapon with a bar linked by just a few links, or a smaller handle with longer lengths for horsemen). A morningatar is basically a nasty spiked, iron-headed club without any chain. I advise extreme caution with any chained weapon---they are just as dangerous to an untrained wielder (children especially might whip it about with abandon) as to the enemy. (I got a nice horseman's two-ball flail in Prague years ago and still take great care practicing with it)

all the best

The horsemanship is no problem. I train tournament myself, but the tournaments in Sweden is a little bit "non-authentic", so I lack the experience of "real" weapon training (though I know how to ride with the lance, sword, flail and spear to perform different exercise, it's the ground exercise i need help with).
For an example, there is only one group of knight in Sweden that are involved in real jousting and there are few that are involved in tournaments at all.
The exercises are going to be held separately from each other, real weapon combat on the ground, and the "show-tournament" will contain weapon techniques like gathering low-rings with the sword, ground-targets with the spear and of course, striking the Quintain, no "fighting" from horseback that is.

The flails (thank you) we are going to use are without iron balls, and the chains will likely be plastic, all to reduce the injurys.

/Jimmie

[Jimmie Bergkvist]

Though it's a bit dated, you could always pick up a copy of JC's Medieval Swordsmanship. It has some stuff about shield usage. http://www.paladinpress.com/detail.aspx?ID=532

I think I have a friend that owns that book, I'll see if I can borrow it from him.