Southern Knights Event - New Orleans, Feb. 28 & 29

[Webmaster]

Our "Southern Knights" event will be held February 28th & 29th in New Orleans.

Originally envisioned as a regional, interest for this was getting larger and larger, so we are now making it a much bigger affair.

The event will run 9am to 6pm Saturday and 9am to 4pm Sunday. Right now we tentatively expect to charge $60 per person for members, $70 for no (yes, this is an open event). We'll be holding this at a very large back warehouse behind an art gallery in a low income section of town near the French Quarter having that down and dirty "Eye of the Tiger" feel. We will be posting the official URL link for the event soon along with a map and event discount hotel/motel info.

Tentative Schedule:

OPEN ATTENDANCE SESSIONS:
Longsword Fundamentals - stances (John Clements)
Longsword Mastercuts - (TBA)
Side-Sword/Cut-and-thrust sword: sword and dagger foundation (John Clements)
Rapier - foundation and theory (TBA)
An Intro to Joachim Meyer teachings - (Jacob Norwood)
Basic & Advanced Tumbling - (Gene Tausk)
Kampfringen: unarmed combat essentials - (Gene Tausk)
Fiore's Armored Combat - (TBA)
Sword Physics - lecture (George Turner)
Fighting with knives & swords - (Hank Reinhardt)
Interpretations of historical fighting - (TBA)
The Hidden History of Fencing - presentation/lecture (John Clements)

ARMA-MEMBER SESSIONS:
Longsword Progression - half-swording (John Clements)
Rapier fighting skills - training & practice (TBA)
J. Meyer's Staff Fencing - (Stacy Clifford)
Dagger Fighting Methods and Techniques - (Ron Harris)
ARMA Free-Scholar Longsword Certification Evaluations
Open free-play session
Group free-play battles

We'll also feature several other special things as well just as soon as we confirm them.

What's unique about the city of New Orleans is that the French Quarter is inundated with swords and fencing history. You can encounter a wealth of old blades in most antique shops, everything from sword canes to Scottish backswords and Indo Persian pieces. The pubs and restaurants reflect dueling themes and swords and armor can be spotted in many of them. There's an old duelling ground, armory, a militaria shop, and an actual arms & antiquities dealer with hundreds of swords. At one time during the 1830s there were in fact more duels and fencing schools in this city than anywhere in Europe.

More event details to follow soon. For registration info, look for the upcoming URL on the event or send an email to the ARMA Director.

(ARMA members see the Elist thread for special info)

[JeanryChandler]

Folks with questions about the New Orleans area, can contact me at my email address:

cugel23@bellsouth.net

Jeanry

[John_Clements]

The official URL is now up:

Southern Knights 2004

[Mike Cartier]

That space looks great. I had no idea New Orleans was so sword freindly, i am almost as excited about looking at the Antiques as I am about the event.
Jeanry is there a section of town that has the antique stores all together , I want to get a look and feel of some real swords while I am there.

[JeanryChandler]

There are several antique stores on Royal street in the French Quarter, one or two of which occasionally have old weapons. In fact for about 8 blocks Royal Street consists pretty much exclusively of presitgious art galleries and antique shops. (It's typical of the ecclectic layout of New Orleans that one street over is Bourbon Street which is one big drunken tourist trap consisting of Strip bars and crappy kereoke bars pretty much the whole way down..) There is also one large coin and weapon dealer on Royal Street about six blocks from Canal, which usually has an assortment of weapons and armor ranging from the 19th century through the renaissance, though I think more turkish and persian artifacts than anything else. I have occasionally seen some pretty nice European Renaissance stuff in there, including once a nearly functional 16th century heavy crank-and-winch crossbow.

There are also a number of fairly new import shops on Magazine street, not far from the hotel most of y'all will probably be staying in, which also occasionally have weapons from various parts of Asia (indonesia primarily)

And as John mentions one or two of the bars have some swords and armor in them. Notably the Touche bar and the associated Omni Royal Hotel, also on Royal St., both have an interesting variety of armor and weapons on display.

I'll be putting together a little ARMA - friendly guide for getting around the city with regard to shopping, sightseeing, drinking, eating, and staying safe, which I'll post a link to before the event. It will have more specific details on the antique shops.

JR

[Webmaster]

All those attending the special New Orleans event the last weekend in February, now is the time to register. The event is growing and we hope to be able to bring in even more guest instructors, but we need to confirm attendance ASAP. So, here is a New Year's reminder to motivate everyone. This event is open to non-members.

[JeanryChandler]

A short but amusing overview of the local dueling traditions can be read here:

http://www.duellingoaks.com/oaks.html

[Guest]

hello, i have some interest in the ARMA and was quite delighted to see that there are members relatively near Gulfport. i would like to know if an "off the street" walk-in would be able to attend and participate in the open classes during the Southern Knights Event without any material(hardware or knowledge)? and if not then what would be expected?

[JeanryChandler]

I don't speak for ARMA and can't answer your questions officially, but I believe the event is open if you can pay the fee, and that you would be expected to participate seriously and with an open mind.

JR

[Guest]

Is there a carpool going from Houston? I would like to go, though I know it would be a lot of info overload on my newbie brainpan, but I will do what I can. What could be better? New Orleans and swords!
-regards! W.

[John_Clements]

Sure. It's an open event.
But not as a "walk in off the street", you still have to register in advanced.

[Webmaster]

Wendy,

I don't know if there's a carpool yet, but several of us are driving out there one way or another. If you need a ride, bring it up in class on Wednesday and I'm sure one of us can get you there. If you haven't registered yet, make sure you talk to John about it.

[Guest]

Will do Stacy, thanks! Sorry I didn't make it to class last week - foolishly believed the gloom/doom severe 'flooding' threats prophesied by the "Ken Lay's" of weather here. To my horror the weather didn't even get sprinkly until midnight. But, having a low-slung car, I didn't want to get stranded in case they *gasp* were right. This week, forget it - I am going to class.
Fear not, Paul, I will register - but I didn't want to do so until I had scored a ridealong - just in case. I probably won't do all the open classes, but some of them - afterall, N.O. is my home from home and I haven't been there since Halloween, so I am jonesin' bad to tread the cobbles of the Quarter.
Regards,
W.

[JeanryChandler]

Sure. It's an open event.
But not as a "walk in off the street", you still have to register in advanced.

Some people here in New Orleans contacted me, they have had some difficulty registering in advance (I think because they found out about the event rather late in the game and they don't use paypal) and wanted to know if walk-ins might be accepted after all, because they really want to participate.

These guys are in good faith and are willing to pay.

JR

[John_Clements]

No walk-ins will be accepted. Registration must be in advance. There is plenty of time, it was extended to the 23rd. If someone can't be bothered to do so by postal mail, oh well.