Hello and new here

[Lore Arnold]

Hello all, I'm a "guest" here. I hope to someday join ARMA but I'm not ready yet. I'm in the reading and research phase for the time being. In addition to that, there are no chapters in my area and no practice partners. (New Orleans, La) I'm here to read read read, but if any member here is from my area and can offer advice on finding basic sword training (not Asian martial arts, but Western) please let me know? Much appreciated. I'm starting with a wooden waster short sword. When I say "start" - I mean holding it. I wanted to have it now so that in case I ever do find a study group or practice partner in my area, I'll be ready.

I look forward to reading the forums in addition to all the great articles and resources found on the ARMA website.

[Webmaster]

Please change your username in your profile to your first and last name as per our forum rules.

[Lore Arnold]

Yes ma'am.

Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:05 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
Please change your username in your profile to your first and last name as per our forum rules.
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Stacy Clifford
ARMA Webmaster

[Stacy Clifford]

Actually that would be sir, but welcome to the forums anyway. You should try to get a longsword waster if you can, that's our primary training weapon that everybody starts with, and if you're ever in the Houston area you're welcome to stop by and check out our practice sessions.

[Lore Arnold]

I'm so sorry Sir, and thank you for welcoming me. If I were still in Tx (where I was born and raised) I'd stop by one of your practice sessions, but I'm here in La now. Longsword - I'm currently not compatible with it. Does that mean I don't have a chance with ARMA training someday? In your opinion?

Actually that would be sir, but welcome to the forums anyway. You should try to get a longsword waster if you can, that's our primary training weapon that everybody starts with, and if you're ever in the Houston area you're welcome to stop by and check out our practice sessions.

[Sal Bertucci]

Nonsense! The Longsword is just our primary weapon of focus b/c of how central the principles of the longsword translate to (practically) all other weapons.

Longsword doesn't have to be your "thing" . I know several people who are "dagger people", "ringen people", and even some "halberd people". Those are the fields that they focus on and have specific interest in, but all of them dedicate time to the longsword b/c anything they learn in longsword is applicable to their weapon of interest.

[Vincent Le Chevalier]

Hi Lore,

You should read this article that seems to give the point of view from the Arma with respect to longsword training:
http://www.thearma.org/essays/Longsword_Centrality_in_RMA.htm

As you can see it seems pretty much compulsory

Note that this view is not necessarily shared even among masters outside the German culture. As time went by the emphasis shifted to single sword.

[Stacy Clifford]

It's true that not every master shared the same emphasis, but since we take a holistic approach and see that a sizable core of German masters shared this opinion of the longsword and we see good reason to agree with their reasoning, we have developed our core curriculum around it to use as a starting point. This way all of our members share a common base of skills and knowledge before branching out into other weapons and styles and it makes it easier for us to aid each other in training and research. We're not denigrating anyone's approach of taking one master at a time and diving in "untainted" by other ideas, as it were, there is value in both approaches, we're just saying that this is our way and it's up to the student to decide which way better suits their style of learning.

[Lore Arnold]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it! I do see the point in starting with a longsword and I look forward to someday learning how to use one. Now, someone needs to form a study group in the New Orleans area.

[Stacy Clifford]

We have a lot of people who start off solo before getting a group going, listen to the advice of people like Sal Bertucci. There are plenty of threads on here about ways to find practice partners, do some searching for those and you could be the one who starts a study group. Eventually of course you need to meet with an experienced instructor, but we have a lot of resources available to members to start studying and learning on their own until they can get senior assistance. Don't wait, look for something you can do and go ahead and start practicing it. The stances & guards article in the essays section is a good place to start.

[Martin Burke]

System d'Armes

http://sdanola.ning.com/

[Jaron Bernstein]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it! I do see the point in starting with a longsword and I look forward to someday learning how to use one. Now, someone needs to form a study group in the New Orleans area.

Welcome to the Art. If you are able to travel, there are a number of ARMAteers in driving radius of you. You might make arrangements to attend a session to get a good base to start. Heck, our director is in the Atlanta area, to say nothing of some first rate folks in Texas. What you might do is learn enough in a few arranged weekend visits to get things started in New Orleans. Study groups all start with someone, which could be you.