aca Archive

  • <p>Papa got a new side sword. Yeow!</p> <p>My latest addition is Darkwood Armory‘s magnificent “Arms and Side-ring” side sword which they list under the code ARMSIDE. It’s a great example of a sixteenth century rapier which, for me, matches the swords you find in the diagrams in many manuals of the period, in particular, Joachim Meyer’s Art of War, Henri de Sainct Didier and the rest of the gang who published around 1570 or so.</p> <p>It lacks the complex hilt of later rapiers in favour of a simpler cross hilt with a knuckle bow and finger rings. It’ll be interesting to […]</p>

    A New Sidesword for Me!

    Posted on 23 January, 2012 | No Comments

    Papa got a new side sword. Yeow!

    My latest addition is Darkwood Armory‘s magnificent “Arms and Side-ring” side sword which they list under the code ARMSIDE. It’s a great example of a sixteenth century rapier which, for me, matches the swords you find in the diagrams in many manuals of the period, in particular, Joachim Meyer’s Art of War, Henri de Sainct Didier and the rest of the gang who published around 1570 or so.

    It lacks the complex hilt of later rapiers in favour of a simpler cross hilt with a knuckle bow and finger rings. It’ll be interesting to […]

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  • <p>Swordplay is a three day gathering of schools of historical swordsmanship held each September in Brisbane, Australia and run by the Australian College of Arms (ACA). The idea behind the event is to bring together fencers from all corners of this wide brown land to meet, exchange ideas and cross blades is a friendly atmosphere. This year, we kidnapped Puck Curtis and refused to release him until he presented a workshop on one of his passions, La Verdadera Destreza, the Spanish rapier technique of the sixteenth and seventeen centuries.</p> <p>The format seems to have roughly fallen out as a day […]</p>

    I Survived Swordplay 11

    Posted on 16 September, 2011 | 1 Comment

    Swordplay is a three day gathering of schools of historical swordsmanship held each September in Brisbane, Australia and run by the Australian College of Arms (ACA). The idea behind the event is to bring together fencers from all corners of this wide brown land to meet, exchange ideas and cross blades is a friendly atmosphere. This year, we kidnapped Puck Curtis and refused to release him until he presented a workshop on one of his passions, La Verdadera Destreza, the Spanish rapier technique of the sixteenth and seventeen centuries.

    The format seems to have roughly fallen out as a day […]

    Continue Reading...

  • <p>It’s September and that means Swordplay 11 is just around the corner. In fact, it’s on in less than a week. Yay!</p> <p>Obviously, all historical fencers in Australia know about Swordplay but there’s bound to be a poor benighted few who haven’t heard of it. Swordplay is an annual event run by the Australian College of Arms which brings together schools of swordplay and historical fencing from all over the country in order to chat, compare notes and, of course, cross blades. It’s been going for a few years now and leaping from strength to strength. You won’t find three […]</p>

    Swordplay 11 Is On!

    Posted on 2 September, 2011 | No Comments

    It’s September and that means Swordplay 11 is just around the corner. In fact, it’s on in less than a week. Yay!

    Obviously, all historical fencers in Australia know about Swordplay but there’s bound to be a poor benighted few who haven’t heard of it. Swordplay is an annual event run by the Australian College of Arms which brings together schools of swordplay and historical fencing from all over the country in order to chat, compare notes and, of course, cross blades. It’s been going for a few years now and leaping from strength to strength. You won’t find three […]

    Continue Reading...

  • <p>One recent development has been playing on my mind of late: the height of pedestal on which we place the masters of the various historical fencing techniques we study. In our collective hero-worship no one seems to have considered that the masters’ techniques either just plain don’t work or work only in a limited set of circumstances. This type of hagiography does not to advance our understanding of historical swordplay nor does it provide a useful basis for the future of the sport.</p> <p>The context in which a particular master wrote is the key piece of information missing from the […]</p>

    On the Sanctity of the Masters

    Posted on 15 July, 2011 | 1 Comment

    One recent development has been playing on my mind of late: the height of pedestal on which we place the masters of the various historical fencing techniques we study. In our collective hero-worship no one seems to have considered that the masters’ techniques either just plain don’t work or work only in a limited set of circumstances. This type of hagiography does not to advance our understanding of historical swordplay nor does it provide a useful basis for the future of the sport.

    The context in which a particular master wrote is the key piece of information missing from the […]

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  • <p>A factor which goes completely unrecognised by most practitioners as we struggle to revive the lost fighting arts of Medieval and Renaissance Europe is the differenced between “sword fighting” and “fencing”. I’m going to try to explain the difference and show how knowing the difference shapes our practice. First, let’s define the terms.</p> <p><strong>Sword Fighting</strong>: battlefield or martial swordplay skills answering the question “what’s the fastest way to put the other guy on the ground and move forward to the next target?” The focus here is on efficiency and economy of action in an environment where skill-at-arms meant life […]</p>

    Sword Fighting Versus Fencing

    Posted on 11 March, 2011 | 2 Comments

    A factor which goes completely unrecognised by most practitioners as we struggle to revive the lost fighting arts of Medieval and Renaissance Europe is the differenced between “sword fighting” and “fencing”. I’m going to try to explain the difference and show how knowing the difference shapes our practice. First, let’s define the terms.

    Sword Fighting: battlefield or martial swordplay skills answering the question “what’s the fastest way to put the other guy on the ground and move forward to the next target?” The focus here is on efficiency and economy of action in an environment where skill-at-arms meant life […]

    Continue Reading...

  • <p>I’ve been reviewing a bunch of video of my rapier bouts at Swordplay 10 and I’m a little unsure whether to be pleased or disappointed. The real cringing, gut-wrenching joy of seeing your performance on video is that it lays you bare before the harshest critic in the universe: yourself. There is no better platform from which to learn and improve. Here’s how:</p> <p>1) Watch the videos again and again. Take notes. Specifically, note all the good points, all the things you did. Be generous. List as many good points as you can: stance, guard positions, actions, correctly anticipating the […]</p>

    Long Dark Night of the Sword

    Posted on 8 October, 2010 | No Comments

    I’ve been reviewing a bunch of video of my rapier bouts at Swordplay 10 and I’m a little unsure whether to be pleased or disappointed. The real cringing, gut-wrenching joy of seeing your performance on video is that it lays you bare before the harshest critic in the universe: yourself. There is no better platform from which to learn and improve. Here’s how:

    1) Watch the videos again and again. Take notes. Specifically, note all the good points, all the things you did. Be generous. List as many good points as you can: stance, guard positions, actions, correctly anticipating the […]

    Continue Reading...

  • Swordplay 10 was brilliant fun. Historical fencing schools from all over the country turned up and we had at each other for three days straight with a variety of weapons. The highlights for me were the chance to bout with longswords with the guys from Glen Lachlann Estate College of Arms (GLECA) and a dusack bout with padded foam “boffer” weapons with Paul Wganer of the Stoccata School of Defence (Stoccata). The coffee van turning up each morning rates pretty highly as well.

    Swordplay 10 Review

    Posted on 10 September, 2010 | No Comments
    Swordplay 10 was brilliant fun. Historical fencing schools from all over the country turned up and we had at each other for three days straight with a variety of weapons. The highlights for me were the chance to bout with longswords with the guys from Glen Lachlann Estate College of Arms (GLECA) and a dusack bout with padded foam “boffer” weapons with Paul Wganer of the Stoccata School of Defence (Stoccata). The coffee van turning up each morning rates pretty highly as well.

    Continue Reading...

  • <p>Let’s face it. Fencing is a dead activity. At no time in my life will I ever be called upon to fight a duel, let alone a duel with swords. As a combat art, fencing is a technique without a purpose. So, other than to be pretentious (which is an end in itself) why do I learn, study and practice the fighting styles of a bunch of dead white dudes?</p> <p> I’m going to discuss this problem through an analogy to languages (another passion of mine, by the way). In this way, I hope to diffuse some of the emotion that […]</p>

    Breathing Life into Historical Fencing

    Posted on 27 August, 2010 | 2 Comments

    Let’s face it. Fencing is a dead activity. At no time in my life will I ever be called upon to fight a duel, let alone a duel with swords. As a combat art, fencing is a technique without a purpose. So, other than to be pretentious (which is an end in itself) why do I learn, study and practice the fighting styles of a bunch of dead white dudes?

    I’m going to discuss this problem through an analogy to languages (another passion of mine, by the way). In this way, I hope to diffuse some of the emotion that […]

    Continue Reading...

  • Last weekend, I went to the SCA’s annual Fencing Fest, now in its seventh year, to see what they’re up to and to cross blades with as many people as my cold allowed. I ate their food, drank their coffee and managed something more than half a dozen bouts with various people. On top of all of this, I even managed a couple of realisations which may change the way I apporach this hobby. And there’s photos.

    Fencing Fest VII

    Posted on 13 August, 2010 | No Comments
    Last weekend, I went to the SCA’s annual Fencing Fest, now in its seventh year, to see what they’re up to and to cross blades with as many people as my cold allowed. I ate their food, drank their coffee and managed something more than half a dozen bouts with various people. On top of all of this, I even managed a couple of realisations which may change the way I apporach this hobby. And there’s photos.

    Continue Reading...

  • Go to the website of any band and you’ll find a page which lists in gratuitous detail the guitars, amps, effects pedals, etc each band member uses. Although I haven’t been in bands for many, many years, I fence and reckon the sport has the same kind of equipment fetishism. Now you too can revel in the glory of my gear.

    My Historical Fencing Gear

    Posted on 30 July, 2010 | No Comments
    Go to the website of any band and you’ll find a page which lists in gratuitous detail the guitars, amps, effects pedals, etc each band member uses. Although I haven’t been in bands for many, many years, I fence and reckon the sport has the same kind of equipment fetishism. Now you too can revel in the glory of my gear.

    Continue Reading...

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