Looking for a decent start, correct me

[T. Roy McKigney]

Hello everyone,

First, I must apologize if this post is overlong.

Around 2009 I heard about the ARMA from friends at Texas A&M and thought it was cool. I was also kind of in a bad way health wise, had just dropped out of what I then considered my dream college, and frankly I needed to do some serious growing up. So I registered to this site, got really excited, and then in typical young adult fashion promptly forgot about it. And I have to own up to that.

Well, it's 2013. Four years means I have had a lot of stuff happen, and apparently I matured quite a bit. I'm almost a year to getting my physics undergrad, and I may accidentally a math undergrad before the 2013-2014 year is up. I ended up developing a lot more self-discipline going into a hard science, and I'm interested in the sword arts again, but I just can't get into the Asian stuff and I don't want to deal with the SCA stuff. So, I've been doing research to find my own path. Which lead me back here. Which also probably means I'm getting things wrong.

I have picked out this waster, which I have seen good things about, as my practice weapon. I've read good things about it, and I have learned that it's better to pay for quality once than expedience multiple times. Is it a good investment? If not, what should be looking at? And what other investments should I realistically look towards making since this I'm going into this for the long haul? (I can already tell it's going to be at least $300 starting out. Every hobby is at least $300 starting out.)

I have no idea who or what I should be studying first. I see a bunch of manuals, and a bunch of scholarship, but I'm not sure if it will be profitable to my efforts to just take the full dive. What do you suggest starting with *edit start* for an individual practitioner starting out? Assuming, of course, that this doesn't fall under the category of "really belongs in the ARMA member's e-mail list. *edit ends*

I go to Sam Houston State and I live near Huntsville. Which means the two closest study groups, College Station and North Houston, are split an hour and a half drive assuming perfect conditions. School comes first, as does family and other obligations, so I won't be able to afford the time to go to all the meetings. I've applied for associate membership, so assuming I pass the basic screening process would it be improper for me to show up at a club or study group whenever it is practicable to get corrections and sparring?

Finally, since I'm already over my word budget, the interest in ARMA is pretty much summed up with the words "like minded people" and "resources". The whole ranking thing doesn't interest me beyond giving myself a goal to achieve. If I don't get into the ARMA, but can still hang out on occasion with people who know more about this stuff than I do and maybe learn from them, then I'm perfectly fine with that. If I can't hang out with folks and learn from them, I'll try to figure out a way but it probably won't be as good.

Thank you for your patience, especially with this particular novice,
T. Roy McKigney

[Stacy Clifford]

Since you are close to Houston, the best way I can recommend to get started is to come visit our practices a few times:

http://www.armanorthhouston.org/

Although we practice in south Houston (see my other post from today), a couple of our members live up in the Spring/Woodlands area and can probably meet with you up there. Getting started with an existing, experienced study group makes a big difference, even if you can't come very often. You can learn drills and exercises to do on your own and help you recruit more local practice partners, and make it down to practice with us when you're able. You'll also be able to examine and handle the equipment we have first hand before you buy anything. (Note: ARMA has a longstanding boycott against Purpleheart Armoury due to bad business dealings in the past. We highly recommend New Stirling Arms and Raven Studios for wasters.) A fencing mask should be your next investment after a waster, and I recommend a good pair of gloves (there are plenty of threads about gloves to search on here). A steel blunt would be next when you can afford it. It's easy to get overwhelmed with info on this subject, but we'll be happy to help you sort it out.

[T. Roy McKigney]

Missouri City is not practical for me at this time, as I would have to leave at 4pm and would be returning home past midnight (when the accidents occur on dark, twisty country roads) if I left at 10pm, in addition to the forty-sixty dollars I would be spending in gas. I make an equivalent drive going to drill in Bryan, and that drive to BCS is faster on account of not being 45. *edit*I cannot attend on Sunday due to family obligations and religious conscious. I do not mean to bible-thump, but that is a part of the life decisions that I have made for myself.*edit ends*

The Woodlands or Spring is easily achievable, however. As an invading Northman I can raid there and comfortably return to the family and farmstead. *edit*If somebody or a group of people can bring me under their wing so that I can study in earnest more earnestly it would really help.*edit*

Is there a particular tradition that is followed with the study group in Houston? I want to make sure that I am at least speaking the same language when I'm studying the manuals. *edit* Although if that falls under things which cannot be shared with people who are not currently a part of ARMA, that's fine too.*edit ends*

Thanks for the heads up about Purpleheart. I'm planning on ordering the waster anyway so that I can start training (even if it comes down to 'go to the backyard and work on footwork while holding something sword-shaped), but everything else I'll wait and see with personal experience.

*edit: I will likely order the waster on Monday, as well as a book or two to start building my library.*

[Stacy Clifford]

Believe me, as a native I can understand the limitations of drive time and gas costs in Houston. We can still take you under our wing even if you can't regularly make our practices, and hopefully you can eventually build your own group. It would still be a good idea to visit our regular practice at least occasionally, maybe every couple of months, to practice with different folks at various levels of experience. In the meantime I'll have Kyle Cook, our senior Spring resident, check out this thread and contact you to see if you can work something out.

As far as traditions go, we primarily use the German terminology and manuals for longsword here in Houston, though we have plans to spend some time on the Italian sources in the future. There is plenty you can learn without infringing on any private ARMA material, so there's no real need to worry about that right away.