General Questions about ARMA

[Brett Malone]

Hello All,

I came across the ARMA website last night while searching the internet. I was looking for or if anyone did Viking style martial arts. I read through most of the website and still had some questions hopefully someone could help me with. While i have done some boxing, and done some self defence stuff being active duty, I have 0 experience with anything like this. So if my questions sound stupid please be patient with me.

1. Do you train with any other weapons besides swords and daggers? ( i.e. axe, spear)

2. Do you train in armor?

3. Do you train shields other than bucklers ( i think thats what their called not sure)?

Thanks in advance all.

EDIT: I realize you guys are not Viking martial arts thats just what i was looking for when i came across the website.

[Stacy Clifford]

1. Do you train with any other weapons besides swords and daggers? ( i.e. axe, spear)

Absolutely! We will train in pretty much any weapon we can find manual instruction for. Outside of swords (any type), dussacks, and daggers, we train with staff and polearms (I taught a staff class at our last major event) and unarmed combat the most. We will experiment with the axe, but there is almost no written material existing on it, so it is not a major part of our curriculum. Other weapons you could train in if you can find appropriate equipment would be sickle and scythe!

2. Do you train in armor?

For those who can afford armor, yes. Unfortunately armor is pretty expensive and few of us have much of it.

3. Do you train shields other than bucklers ( i think thats what their called not sure)?

To a limited extent, yes. Like the axe, little written material on shield work exists, mainly because better armor had made it largely obsolete by the time written manuals started appearing. It does reappear in some later Italian sources, however.

[Brett Malone]

Thanks alot Stacy.

Couple more questions. Lets say I join, (currently stationed in puerto rico but moving soon) whats the next step? Do I have to wait until I can attend a session? Do I have to manipulate my friends into doing this too?

Just kinda fuzzy on what happens after I drink the Koolaid?

Thanks againg for your response.

[Stacy Clifford]

Once you join, you'll have access to additional training materials in our private member's area and our group discussion e-list. We support many practitioners who start out solo like you, and many have gone on to become excellent fighters. You don't have to recruit new members to form a study group, but obviously it helps to have somebody to swing a sword back at you if you want to learn swordsmanship. Attending member events like an MTP 1.0 will definitely kick your training up a few notches, but you definitely do not have to wait until then to start training. Also, if you are traveling to a location where other members live, you will almost always be able to arrange a practice session while you're in town. This happens a lot in ARMA, and we are very keen on helping new folks get up to speed, not to mention having new sparring partners!