Morning w/asp/s,
I want to start a discussion about the differences between historical fighting groups.
Obviously everyone has an opinion on each group, which one is best, why the SCA is a pile of shit and so on. But no one ever just talks about their groups. So that is what I'd like to do.
Let's share our experiences with each group, negative and good and see where that goes.
This will not be a thread about how to join a group or to get pointers, I swear to fucking god your inability to use google is the reason all these groups are declining.
I will start off.
I'm in a small town a few hours out of a large city, so all we have is the SCA. Sure there are bigger groups outside, but they are nothing to talk about. (mostly LARPers)
I used to do heavy, that was alright but I moved to rapier because of some issues with one of the fighters. I'm not going to compare cut and thrust with HEMA because myself, and virtually every fighter here wishes we could try that. But I do appreciate the structure of the game and how it is more of a sport, which is easier to follow. Most of us study fight manuals outside of the game and beat the shit out of each other away from events.
I have no quarrels with heavy, it's a pretty competition oriented sport instead of an actual historic recreation, but it certainly has it's merits and a lot of people could learn from it. (Ever been hit with a baseball bat hard enough to cave in 12g steel? Ever kept going afterwards?)
But like I said, I've never been able to do HEMA or ARMA or all that and I want to know what other people think of their groups. Fuck, we could even just share epic tales we've heard or witnessed, I don't care.
>>754308
Hey man.
I'm a HEMA instructor.
I run the club with another two friends. We love it and we put our heart and souls into dissecting the technique and running the club as best we can. Our club is young (we've been running it for just over a year), but we've managed to attract a huge number of members.
Although I have a long time background in historical swordplay, most of it wasn't proper HEMA.
At times it gets a bit overwhelming. Between running the club business-wise, preparing technique that's new to us, figuring out the best way to teach it to others... it gets scary at times.
I barely have any me time to train technique. We keep hoping that things will slow down, and that we will get a better grip on running classes and managing the club.
It's not all bad tho. Our members really feel how dedicated we are. We get a lot of support from them and the number of people keeps growing. We are purchasing new gear at an incredibly fast rate.
I guess that's what keeps me going, the validation we get for doing it.
Most epic HEMA moments:
Going to seminars abroad and connecting with other instructors and practitioners of the art.
Hard to describe the amount of love and acceptance we received.
Sparring with other instructors, then afterwards drinking and laughing and sharing stories about our clubs.
>>754308
>I'm not going to compare cut and thrust with HEMA because myself, and virtually every fighter here wishes we could try that.
Why in assfuck aren't you just staring a study group then? SCA regulation uses essentially the same gear, right? Darkwood rapiers used to be gold standard HEMA rapier kit, for instance.
It's not like the existing HEMA instructors appeared by magic, you know.
I'm european and there are very few SCA clubs around here so I don't know it except for what I read on /asp/. My club do both reenactment and HEMA. In reenactment we do mostly stage fight and some freeplay with safety rules. Outside reenactment we train HEMA as best as we can (we started it about a year ago). I'd try HMB just for fun and challenge myself with new stuff, but I'm quite sure it's not my thing.
>>755467
I can totally relate to this
>>754305
I'm far too poor for SCA, also too busy. But Dagorhir is my combat game of choice.
Pros:
>cheap
>easy entrance level
>only as much dedication as you want it to be
>very common in Ohio
cons:
>cheesy foam swords
>cheap
>less intense in all ways
My unit is relatively new, but we're getting huge. It's awesome. I'm learning to fight in a line with a glaive currently.
>I want to start a discussion about the differences between historical fighting groups.
I want to jump in here to clarify something so people new to the subject aren't confused.
HEMA isn't anything like the SCA, LARP groups, Battle of Nations, or any of those battle groups. It's just a martial art focusing on combat in a dueling environment. It has much more in common with karate, MMA, and sport fencing than the previously-mentioned fighting groups.
That's not to say we don't have a community, far from it, but HEMA is 100% about the art and the study of it. It's much, much more limited in terms of what you can "do" with it. The SCA has reenactment festivals, wars, and Battle of Nations has huge-ass battles and week-long campouts, while HEMA really just has club practice and tournaments. So if you're interested in HEMA, please don't think you can get yourself immersed in another world, because you'll only be disappointed.
And sure, we have lots of overlap with some of those groups because we're all involved with medieval culture in one way or another, but there's a hefty chunk of people in HEMA who don't associate with SCA-types because our interests, while related, are not similar. I've had plenty of new guys come to my club thinking they'll get to play around and have fun with swords, but then never show up again after they realize we're just a martial arts club that happens to use swords.
>>756213
I thought of a good analogy to tl; dr my post:
"SCA/BotN/LARP" is to hunting as "HEMA" is to IPSC shooting competitions. They both involve firearms, but the community and goals are very different.
>>756217
Well said, anon. Simple and correct.
>>756292
I guess he meant the HEMA has no dressing up and/or roleplay involved. And that's just true.
>>756213
Ah, sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm truly interested in hema, but I get what your saying. Is it hard to get into both time and money wise?
>>756181
>too poor for SCA
Local groups almost always have loaner kits and armorers willing to teach and help you build your own. You can make plastic sport armor for $30 + a helmet, less than that if the armorer hooks you up with spare materials.
>less intense in all ways
Dagorhir allows grappling and aggressive shieldwork. You get hit harder in the SCA, but you're armored up and there are all those chivalry rules and grappling is disallowed because fat old weekend warriors have a tough enough time getting up the hill at Pennsic, let along getting up time and time again after a grappler puts them on the ground.
>>756350
From what I understand it's still overall more expensive, money and time wise.
That's an interesting way to look at the intensity. With dagorhir I find it might be more physically taxing but seeing this is a HEMA thread, I feel as though they focus more on the an art. Combining the skills of hema or sca with the more guirella feel of dagorhir would be awesome.
>>756344
It ain't cheap. A lot of clubs have loaner gear or people who are willing to spare a sword or mask or gloves but money is definitely the big obstacle towards getting deep into it.
Still, if you don't mind synthetics as a starting point you can get the bare basics for less than 200. Mask, gloves, and waster.
>>756381
What region are you in? If you can make it down towards Baltimore, there are some amazingly technical Dagorhir/Darkon fighters at the Tuesday fighter practices--I'd wager they're the best foam fighting practices east of the Mississippi.
Also look up Sword Knight Bootcamp if you want to up your foamfighting stickjock game and be super cereal about your dorkbattle.
>>756475
Northern ohio. Great place to fight plenty of good fighters, but it's so busy around here there's tons of bad fighters aswell. If I'm in the area I'll check it out
>>756513
I know some Ohio sticknerds who train like martial artists--get in with a crowd like that, and you'll be fine. Footwork, pell work, block-striking, etc. should all be part of your regular practice if you want "skill" to come into play--your dorkbattle is what you make of it.
SKBC changes locations, maybe you'll be able to make it one year. Check out /swordknightbootcamp/ on Facebook (spam filter won't allow the whole URL).
>>756523
Just checked it out, looks cool.
my group really focuses on team aspects as opposed to martial arts, as a glaive fighter I'm virtually useless by myself (because I'm newer to it) and also have way less people to train me.
Right now I'm learning how to check people with the handle/haft of the weapon to force shieldmen back. Any martial arts equivalents for notes?
Ive done SCA years ago and currently practice HEMA
SCA- the barony where i lived was very small, and due to that, it was extremely RP focused (there were no RP type organizations in the area) when we went to "sparring practice" we suited up and did light rattan work, while the teacher (who had zero martial arts background) berated us for various things. eventually he would tell us to stop, and we would watch an older Japanese man shoot his yumi for an hour.
HEMA- my club is great, the instructor is very focused on getting everyone sparring, no real rules, aggressive grappling/striking is encouraged from day one (we have a ton of fun with messer). long sword is our main weapon of course, but we dabble in practically everything. i couldn't be happier with the club or its members.
im going to order pic related sometime soon, albion quoted me 3 months, hopefully ill get it sooner.
>>756554
>Any martial arts equivalents
naginata
there's quite a bit of stuff on youtube.
you could also get a partner and try doing TSKSR katas, although I'm sure a koryu practitioner somewhere would roll in his grave.
It focuses mostly on 1v1 combat, but you might be able to work some in tight quarters.
>>756583
>im going to order pic related sometime soon, albion quoted me 3 months, hopefully ill get it sooner.
Don't except you are really short.
>>756583
>long sword
>main weapon of course
triggered
>>756598
S&B fags deserve to die.
>>756598
It is the main weapon of HEMA pretty much everywhere.
>>756601
Except it's not. Not every club is about medieval and reinassance german school, you know.
>>756603
>Except it's not. Not every club is about medieval and reinassance german school, you know.
But the grand majority is. Notable exceptions are the Italians and the British.
>>756554
You'll have to modify anything you find to avoid head shots. If you ever do make it down to Baltimore, ask for Thrush--he's hella good and will talk technique and theory with you. I'll see if I can dig up any training videos for you, I used to have a whole bunch of them bookmarked somewhere.
>>756677
Good stuff. Thanks man! If its the same thrush that I've heard about (though I'm willing to wager there's more than one) I'll probably meet him at some of the events I have planned.
Sorry for derailing this thread with foam fighting, maybe it needs a general for general reenactment and foam combat hema has one. Sca and belegarth/dag could use one.
>>757947
>If its the same thrush that I've heard about
Viking dude with the Forgotten Ones, hangs out with No Quarter! folks a lot, does security at Ragnarök?
Still trying to find that training material, it's in a .txt file on some flashdrive somewhere around here.
>>757969
Yeah that one! If he's a winter fighter I'm bound to see him sometime next few months.
Thanks mang, don't sweat it though if you can't.
>>756344
>I'm the original anon you responded to
It's not necessarily "hard," but you really have to dedicate yourself to it. Money can always be saved up, but in order to actually go anywhere with HEMA, you're going to have to devote yourself to studying and practicing the art, because any HEMA conversation is going to involve name-dropping a bunch of manuals, masters and techniques.
But if you truly are interested in HEMA, then go for it and join a club or make one. It's the best decision I've ever made.
>>756292
It's an analogy bro, it's not a perfect fit.
My group is a big one of about 40 people, but everyone is friendly and highly skilled. I've been in it for almost 2 years now, and I've made the best friends I've ever had and traveled more than I ever did previously. It probably helps that my group is one of the better-known ones in North America (no names), but our club culture is about positive growth and personal achievement, rather than trying to impress instructors or proving yourself "worthy" of advancement. The moment you seem competent in a particular style, you're encouraged to start teaching and you'll be helped every step of the way.
As far as bad experiences, the only ones I've had have been with other clubs, and even then I wouldn't call them "bad" experiences. Some clubs have a bit of a cult-of-personality surrounding the head instructors, and some guys have big egos that clash at tournaments, but as a whole, the HEMA community is full of awesome bros who love being beaten by someone better than them as much as they love beating others.
>>758043
Still haven't found that shit for you because I'm a terrible person, but one good resource is the "Serious Foam Fighters" Facebook group.
