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Now that I'm in the office I can make an effort post on some gear recommendations. I will preface this by saying to always ask your instructor first as to what gear you should and should not have. What I'm writing applies to my school (and many schools across the country), but if your school has certain preferences or requirements, by all means follow those. If you're just starting in HEMA, you can look into acquiring gear in three phases: (1) Bare Essentials, (2) Sparring Gear, and (3) Cutting Swords. Phase 1: Bare Essentials The first phase focuses on getting the bare essentials, IE equipment for drilling safely with a partner. The main purpose of this gear is to protect yourself from getting accidentally stabbed in the face, your fingers smashed, hit in the dick with a wild thrust (if you have a dick of course) and having the proper implement to practice with. The pieces of gear you will need for this are a mask, gloves, and a training sword. For a mask, I highly recommend the Absolute Force Basic HEMA Mask ($60). It's the standard in many schools for its relatively low entry-level price point , its durability, and its ease of purchase. There are certainly better, more comfortable masks out there (such as the PBT HEMA Warrior Reinforced Mask), but this one is a solid choice that may last your entire HEMA career. You can opt to get it with back of the head protection ($109.99), but for the first phase it isn't necessary, and I personally prefer some other options for back of the head protection, which I will get to in phase 2. Next you will need gloves. I know lots of people opt early for sparring gloves, but I think for now you can still get away with light gloves since you won't be doing much (if any) steel sparring at this point, and steel sparring without other pieces of protective gear is still fairly dangerous. I recommend some simple lacrosse gloves that fit snuggly, or even padded leather gloves ($36). You can also get away with some oil rigger gloves (~$25, Amazon), which work very well for the price. I personally use a pair of padded leather gloves and the Red Dragon HEMA gloves, and I switch depending on what I'm doing. If I'm just doing cuts in isolation, I'll go without gloves. If I'm doing blade-to-blade contact with new fencers, I'll use padded. If I'm expecting contact as per the drill on my hands, I use the Red Dragons. Now for feders. The best thing to do here is to try out as many different feders as possible and try and figure out which one feels the best to you and is in your budget. Feel is going to be very personal to the user, so it's fairly hard to describe. Just try a bunch and see what works. Most students will be more than willing you let you see a sword or feder of theirs, so just tell them you're in the market and ask if you can check theirs out. Note: I would recommend getting a feder over a blunt longsword, namely because a feder is more versatile and can be used in both drilling and sparring. A blunt longsword will feel more sword-like (depending on the brand), but they may not be made to spar safely with. The big brands are Albion, Regenyei, and Black Horse, though nowadays there are many different blacksmiths and forges pumping out feders, and they come in a range of sizes, colors, styles, and prices. Purple Heart Armoury has a few different feders for sale as well, and they're pretty good for entry-level swords and are fairly cheap ($200-$269). My personal favorite is the Albion Meyer ($490) since it feels, to me, the most "sword-like". It's on the higher-end price-wise, but is built to last, and if it breaks they will replace/repair the blade. Note: I would not recommend getting a nylon training sword. They generally feel bad, aren't particularly sword-like, are horrible in the bind, will get chewed up by clashing with steel, and are honestly just as dangerous as steel. They're cheaper sure, but if money is that much of an issue for you I would recommend just getting a a wooden sword or a synthetic longsword. The synthetic in particular is what we give to new students to do solo practice with, since it's a bit lighter than a feder and much cheaper. As for cups, well, just get an athletic cup. There's lots of options! Just find something that fits, has a removable cup, and please for the love of god wash it regularly. Going with the cheapest options, you will be spending around $280 in total ($60 for mask, $20 for gloves, and $200 for a training sword), with the biggest variable being the price of the sword (ranging from $200 to $500). Phase 2: Sparring Gear Now that you have the essentials (mask, gloves, sword) you can start focusing on phase 2 (sparring gear). This is for sparring at 70%-full speed with steel feders. Ideally you want to increase protection without sacrificing mobility. This will never be the case, but it's easier to do so now as the number of people making decent HEMA gear has exploded in the past few years.This gear (at minimum) typically includes the following, in order of necessity: jacket, sparring gloves, throat protection, knee and elbow protection, shin protection, chest protection, and back of the head protection. To start, you'll probably want a jacket. The SPES AP ($209) is the standard in most circles. It's a solid jacket, fairly durable, and on the low-end price-wise. You will want to make sure you have the size right the first time, so make sure to ask other fencers if you can try on their jacket. Preferably do this before it gets all sweaty and gross after a day of fencing. There is also Neyman Fencing which offers lots of customization options (including free color customization). They're fairly expensive, and take a long time to deliver, but their product is fairly solid. Just make sure to measure yourself accurately before sending in your measurements! There are plenty of other options out there, so be sure to ask around and see what other people prefer and ask them why. For sparring gloves, most people I know go with the SPES Heavy Gloves. I am not a huge fan of these particular gloves (I prefer something more mobile), but I can see why people dig them. They're easy to get, are super protective, and become fairly supple over time. There are also Sparring Gloves (varying prices depending on style) which have been around for years and are somewhat of the standard. They can take a few weeks to deliver, but they're lighter than the SPES Heavies and more mobile. I recommend doing a custom job on these. There are also the Koning Gloves ($280), which are great if they fit and have been worn in. Many people who use them seem to love them, but they're also a bit difficult to get a hold of. For throat protection, I recommend any of the gorgets listed here. They're all great and will get the job done. I personally use the AF Neck Protector ($25) since it's the most affordable option and low-profile. There's also the Winter Tree Crafts Gorget ($60) which works great and looks pretty cool, and the Leon Paul Gorget ($114) is pretty dang good, but definitely expensive (like all Leon Paul gear). For elbow protection, these work great ($22) and are fairly inexpensive. There are plenty of options though, ranging from baseball elbow guards to hockey elbow guards. Find something that fits well, is in your budget, and doesn't obstruct your movement. Note: If you have thinner arms, the guards I recommended may not fit snugly. If that's the case, there are relatively easy ways to mod them (namely with velcro), or you can find good baseball guards that fit tight around your jacket. For knee protection get these (Amazon, $28). They're the best. Lightweight, comfortable, offer full knee protection and mobility, and cheap. Really any of the options on this list will work great, but the ones I linked are my absolute favorite of the bunch. You can also find great hockey, skateboarding, baseball, and sometimes even MMA options for this as well. Just find something lightweight that doesn't obstruct your movement. For shin protection, again people use lots of different options (I use something similar to these), so find something comfortable and inexpensive that won't slip and slide out of place. You can look into soccer shin guards, baseball shin guards, hockey shin guards, lacrosse, etc. For purpose-made stuff, I'd recommend the SPES Hard Shin Guards ($20) as they're fairly cheap and low profile. Note: You can also sometimes find knee protectors with built in shin protection! There are lots of motocross options for this, as well as a few baseball options as well. Amazon is your friend in this situation. Finally in this phase, the chest protector. You don't necessarily need a chest protector, but I'd highly recommend one. They are now a requirement in tournaments, and if competing is something you're interested in, then definitely invest in one. The Absolute Force Chest Protector ($27) is the standard for most schools. It's lightweight, fits under most jackets, and can be easily modded to better fit the torso. If you have breasts you may want to get this sooner than later, since I've been told getting stabbed in the boob is very unpleasant. If your mask doesn't already have back of the head protection, now is a good time to start looking into it. The options listed here are all solid choices. I personally use the PBT HEMA Mask Back of Head Protector ($65), but the SPES Back of the Head Protectio ($35) is a solid option. Going with the cheapest options I've given and every slot listed here protected, you can expect to spend around $552 ($200 for the jacket, $200 for the gloves, $25 for the throat protector, $22 for the elbow guards, $20 for the knee protectors, $20 for the shin protectors, $27 for the chest protector, and $35 for back of the head protection). Phase 3: Cutting Swords Now for the final (and most expensive) part of your kit: the cutting sword. This will be used for cutting tatami, practicing solo cuts, displaying proudly (read: nerdily) on your wall, and having a bunch of fellow dorks ooh and ahh when you pull it out for the first time. Prices can vary anywhere from a couple hundred bucks to a couple thousand, but the sweet spot is in the $500-$1500 range. You can find something in that range that will last you practically an eternity, assuming you don't accidentally gently caress it up by over-sharpening or hitting it against rocks or steel. With Japanese swords you generally want to go a bit cheaper on your first sword since by their nature katanas are easy to bend and gently caress up. You can always fix the bend, but practitioners recommend going somewhere in the $200-$300 range for your first katana. European-style longswords are more difficult to bend and warp, and as such I would personally recommend jumping straight into the $600-$1500 range, especially because the quality of what you're getting is so high. For more information on cutting swords, check out Tristan Zukowski's videos. A couple quick notes about picking your cutting sword: size does matter. Depending on how big you are you will want something that rests comfortably in your hands and isn't too out of proportion with your body. I don't really know what those proportions are, so it's good to speak with your teachers, instructors, and other students of similar size what they prefer. I'm short but strong for my size, so I can use a sword like the Alexandria (shorter but heavy) with ease, while I struggle to cut with the Baron because of its length. If you're a bigger person, go for a bigger sword. Smaller person, smaller sword. Just make sure the profile is good for cutting (IE not a thrusting sword. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and it may even be more historically accurate depending on the source material you follow, but a thrusting sword will by its very nature be difficult to cut with and that can be frustrating for new students). The three brands that I always recommend are (in order of price and quality) Valiant Armory, Albion Swords, and Arms & Armor. Valiant Armory offers great swords for the price ($500-$800), and they come with a customizable scabbard.Typically scabbards alone cost several hundred dollars (for some reason), so you're getting a great deal. The steel is softer than the other companies on this list, but they're hand-made, consistent, and hold good edges. They feel good in hand and have lots of options. I highly recommend the Knights Templar Medieval Long Sword ($520) and the Kriegschwert Medieval Long Sword ($500). Albion Swords offers incredibly high-quality swords that can range from modestly priced (~$800) to expensive (~$2000). Their swords are cut from a single sheet of steel and then worked into a sword from there, so they aren't especially authentic, but they are consistent in their quality and incredibly durable, hold an excellent edge, and are incredibly well-balanced and fine-tuned. Some solid choices from their extensive selection are The Crecy ($880), The Steward ($1015), The Baron ($1085), and The Alexandria ($1375). All of these are amazing swords and will last you a lifetime, assuming you take good care of them. I personally have cut with all four of these swords, and I own The Alexandria. The Alexandria in particular is especially easy to cut with, followed by the Baron, then the Steward, then the Crecy. Finally, Arms & Armor offers incredibly high quality, hand-made swords. In terms of quality, they are on-par if not slightly better than Albion. They don't have a massive selection of good cutting swords, but the swords they have are excellent. The two I have had experience with are The Towton ($980), and The Durer ($1075). The Durer in particular is an insane sword, and I would put it just slightly below the Alexandria in terms of cutting ability, just above the Baron. Again, like all other pieces of equipment, make sure to try a bunch of different swords and see what works and feels best for you. Our school in particular usually has about 8-10 different swords depending on who shows up, and if you ask nicely enough, most of the time people will let you try them on some tatami. Note: Swords have a tendency to retain their value fairly well, but you're almost guaranteed to find a used sword that someone is selling on sites like My Armoury or Kult of Athena for cheaper than retail. If you're in the market, make sure to check these websites often as good deals will disappear relatively quickly. Verisimilidude fucked around with this message at 22:27 on Aug 13, 2018 |
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Aug 13, 2018 17:34
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https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/09/man_stabbed_through_the_eye_by.htmlquote:A 35-year-old man who says he was stabbed in the eye by his instructor during a sword-fighting class at the Milwaukie Elks Lodge has filed a $9 million lawsuit against his instructor and the organization that offered the class. This is why you always practice with a mask
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Sep 6, 2018 14:40
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your friend a dog posted:Don't you guys wear armored gauntlets when doing longsword? I'm actually looking to get some SCA gauntlets since they seem to get the job done and have full mobility. Do you have any recommendations? I tried a pair of these from Darkwood Armory and they're great, but I'm looking for more options.
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Sep 20, 2018 21:14
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DandyLion posted:Why do y'all think so many of the old artwork and images show knights in full harness but without gauntlets on? I know someone who has been using (with massive success) a pair of lacrosse gloves with a layer of thick leather over top for the past 5+ years. His hands look like giant hamburgers. I'm thinking of coming up with a homemade solution since I have some friends who have access to commercial equipment. I just want something that doesn't require force to close my hand. Kote seem to be a solid foundational choice in terms of shape and comfort, but I also really appreciate aesthetics. Verisimilidude fucked around with this message at 22:14 on Sep 20, 2018 |
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Sep 20, 2018 22:09
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I have the konings, but they’re too large for my hands. Trying to sell them currently. As for the spes heavies, I know they’re a good choice but they’re too large and bulky and I don’t like the maneuverability. I’m thinking of making something similar, with a padded comfortable glove and kydex plating, but with better rivets, slimmer profile, and better articulation.
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Sep 21, 2018 04:02
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HEY GUNS posted:my hands are huge, what's the color/price/size Medium and I think they're the red color. They're brand new, never been used since they don't fit me. Willing to sell for $290 + s/h https://www.saintmark.se/product/the-koning-glove/ Verisimilidude fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Sep 24, 2018 |
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Sep 24, 2018 22:05
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For exercise the best and easiest thing you can do is start doing basic calisthenics. Focus on good form over harder progressions, ie do easy stuff with perfect form a lot before trying to do harder stuff. Do dips, push ups, pull ups, and squats until failure, then do an easier version of those, repeat. Do this 4 times a day, 3-4 times a week, and with fencing (and good eating habits) you’ll see results quickly.
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Oct 5, 2018 04:11
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Xiahou Dun posted:Anyone have experience with St James feders? They’re fine despite not having a full site. They’re still in the experimentation stage though, so you may get some flaws. He will however replace anything that breaks as quickly as he can.
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Oct 14, 2018 06:04
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rio posted:Hi folks, I am looking for some advice as someone who is looking to get into HEMA. I found a place near me within an hour, a “historical fencing academy”, and after I work out my schedule to allow it I am going to join the group. I got a longsword as that is my primary interest in terms of what to learn - I know that I won’t be using that in the group but I’d still like to practice with it. I'm currently in the process of making a beginner's longsword video series on YouTube. I'll be sure to link the videos here as they are released. Until then, I'd focus on doing basic cuts in isolation. IE no stepping, just cutting from a good solid stance. It's hard to say what to do on your own because it's hard to identify issues you're having without an experienced person to point them out, but if I had to say a few things everyone should follow: -Make sure your back is straight, your chest is out, and your shoulders are relaxed -Focus on cutting slowly with perfect form -Don't grip too tightly. Picture trying to hold a bird in your hands gently enough to keep it safe, but strong enough for it to not get away You can follow this video for a beginner glossary on some of the basic cuts (oberhau, mittelhau, unterhau), basic guards (vom tag, ochs, langenort, pflug, alber), and some of the master cuts (zwerchau, schielhau, krumphau, schietelhau): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9m_JT4QnjE
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Nov 13, 2018 01:33
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If y'all would like to support our channel and production company, feel free to donate to our Patreon or Ko-Fi. You can see our current videos on the TZ Longsword YouTube channel. Every bit helps! Xiahou Dun posted:Feder chat : Feders: Make sure to ask around and try a bunch of different swords and buy the one that feels the best to you. If it feels good and you can afford it, go for it. Just be mindful of stiffness in the blade. A good all-arounder is the Regenyei feder, since it's on the low-end price wise and are built to last. For your size it might be a good fit. I really like the Albion meyer, but again it's all about personal preference. As for tournaments: Long Island Point is happening next weekend, so I'm sure you can go and check that one out. The longsword tournament is sold out, but a bunch of people from your school are going. There's also Fechtschule NY (FNY) which happens every summer in upstate NY, not too far from the city (maybe a 2 hour drive). It's a NYHFA-run tournament, so a bunch of people from your school go. Longpoint is in March 2019, and takes place in Baltimore. It's the biggest tournament in the country. Bunch of us will be going there. Fighty McFightface is a rookie tournament in Pennsylvania. The first one was this year, and I think they'll have another next year since it was so successful. I'm sure there are others in the region, but these are the only ones I know of off the top of my head.
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Nov 13, 2018 17:54
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Huge Knight is a prime example of toxic HEMA culture and why I'm moving away from the HEMA community. Yuck.
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Nov 21, 2018 18:17
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barkbell posted:Where are you going Mostly JSA, judo, and stuff outside of the general HEMA community like personal projects, personal classes, etc.
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Nov 21, 2018 21:20
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rio posted:(Tl:dr: looking for advice on form) I would start by raising the target to about eye level. Training yourself to strike downward at a low target (as opposed to forward) from the start can lead to bad habits later on. I would also be wary of where your sword ends up. Your sword is finishing pointing away from your target by your side. You should be stopping your cut as the sword comes down to your center, with your sword still threatening (pointing toward) your target. Stopping your cut properly is just as important as cutting properly.
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Dec 31, 2018 19:33
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EvilMerlin posted:The point is (oh boy, the puns), is that cutting in HEMA isn't a static thing. And we shouldn't practice it as such. I’m of the opinion that practice works best when you start with the easiest form of something, and then when you understand that motion, you move on to more complicated movements. You start by cutting in isolation. After you understand how to make that work, you begin to cut with steps and additional movements. I’ve had much success teaching students via regressing motions into easier and easier forms until they find the one they can do consistently. Then I have them practice the next step of that motion. Cutting and fencing aren’t two distinct operations, you should cut like you fence and fence like you cut, but as a teaching tool it’s imperative that people start developing good habits early rather than potentially compounding bad habits with poor but effective technique.
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Dec 31, 2018 21:27
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ImplicitAssembler posted:I would argue that footwork is the hardest and most important to learn and I believe that's what most martial arts starts with. Footwork, yes. Cutting and stepping is a separate context, however. You learn footwork, and you learn cutting, and then when you have both figured out you bridge them.
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Jan 1, 2019 05:12
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EvilMerlin posted:This is why I'm big on teaching cutting with a step... You do you. What works for me and some of my students, which I learned from far greater teachers than I, works.
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Jan 1, 2019 07:00
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ImplicitAssembler posted:I'm curious to what you are trying to achieve? Learning to cut bottles? Or use a sword? The latter is nearly impossible in a vacuum. ImplicitAssembler posted:Ok, then I would compare to trying to learn to play the cello on your own. What are you trying to achieve with posts like these? rio posted:I’d like to join a HEMA class but it’s not logistically possible right now - I’m a single dad and the only class is over an hour round trip from here on a school night for my daughter. With the time of the class and driving I can’t afford babysitting costs for 3-4 hours 4 or 5 times a month and even if I could I’d feel bad being away that much given how much time we have together during the school week, at least as old as she is now. Rather than do nothing I’m trying to accomplish what I can on my own by just working on basic form and stuff like that - I know that it won’t make me good at using a sword but at least I can be familiar with the stances and try to understand the mechanics as much as I can on my own. Also I have generally never been that interested in physical activities in terms of hobbies - I’m a musician which has me sitting a lot so having a somewhat active hobby is appealing as I get older. I’m not into sports and haven’t really had what I’d call an active hobby so even if it is futile I am just doing what I can. Keep at it. If you can, reach out to people in your area who’d like to start a small group. Watch videos, keep asking for critiques and commentary. Something that may be an option is going to an event once or twice a year. You’ll learn a lot in a small span of time if you can make it to one.
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Jan 3, 2019 05:03
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