Practice Targets

 Greetings,

A short note about practice targets that I noticed...

1. People's brains are obsessed with hitting the middle of a target, or target areas where delineated. Point a dot on a target and people will try and hit the dot.
2. The target needs to be identified to serve a particular purpose, or sections for particular purpose if multipurpose in design. The trainer and trainee both need to understand this purpose before they begin.
3. "Body Targets" need to account for the position of the weapon, thus Lines, or recognise that they are absent.
4. The target size needs to be proportional; a) to the skill of the combatant, b) to the target being sought, c) to the height of a "normal" thrust of the combatant.

These are just some quick points to consider when designing and using targets. They need to be considered when training students, especially when training them for a particular technique. Are you training them to strike a particular target, or use a particular technique? The target you use will affect the training that you use, and the result. Is the target you are using the most effective for the result you want? 

Cheers,

Henry.

Like this post? You will find more posts like this, and more in-depth studies of fencing, along with some of my other writings on my Patreon. 

Of Wolf and Dog

Greetings,

The following discussion is a little off my usual discussion of fencing subjects, but it does apply to the broad general area of fencing. The following is a discussion of Jack London's White Fang and how its themes and concepts can be applied. While not exactly aimed at fencing it does discuss training in fencing and also concepts around expectations and education, two subjects which are related to fencing.

The novel White Fang has been used by many people to explain many different things. For myself, it is one of my favourite books that I enjoy reading because it immerses you in the place and period in which it is set and also shows you somewhat the life of one wolf from pup to full-grown, and the interesting experiences that he had along the way. There is an animated version of this story available now on Netflix, which hits most of the main plot points, but misses much of the detail which is contained within the book. It also, as can be expected, changes elements within the story as well.

The first question that White Fang asks is how much of you is wolf and how much of you is dog? Or to put it another way, how much is driven by your instincts and how much of you is driven by what you have learnt at the hands of others? The same question could also ask how much of you is free and how much of you is tied to expectations and impositions, many which are imposed by the self?

We would all like to think that we are more wolf than dog, that we are free to do what we want when we want, but this is really not the truth. We are tied by our expectations of our society, and impositions made by ourselves and our own egos and what we want out of life, which tie us to society. The freedom of the wolf is an illusion that we would like to hold, but many cannot grasp.

Other aspects of the dog show themselves, our education, our further learning at the hands of other education and being part of societal systems. All of these things make us good members of society, good dogs. To rebel against these, to become the wolf, is to threaten ourselves with the potential of becoming outcasts, to stand alone, something which our gregarious nature and ego-financial-driven selves are somewhat afraid of. We admire the rebels in our midst, those who stand alone, but do not join them. Sometimes we need to stand alone, because it is the right thing to do.

In the story, White Fang spends some of his early years in the wild. Then with his mother, Kiche, becomes a sled-dog for an Indian named Gray Beaver. He is trained in this role. He does not get along with the other dogs in the tribe, his mostly-wolf self shows too much. He fights the other dogs to defend himself and place himself on the top of the pack. But he is accepted by Gray Beaver and thus works for him. Later, through some trickery White Fang is sold to “Beauty” Smith and is trained as a fighting dog. He is beaten and set upon other dogs. The fights are vicious and all that White Fang learns is how to fight and kill the dog that is in front of him. Eventually he is taken by Weedon Scott who heals him after a dog-fight and then teaches him another way; that he can live without fighting, or at least that fighting should only be reserved for enemies.

White Fang’s story shows many fights with other dogs who refuse to accept him. In some instances it is to prove that he belongs and others it is because it is what he was trained to do. Some instances are because it is what he is. His early experiences are of rejection from other dogs, these are his formative years and they leave an imprint of not being wanted by other dogs. The result is he defends himself against them and establishes his dominance. This fighting ability pure and raw is taken by “Beauty” Smith and harnessed and let loose on other dogs for money. Weedon Scott wants something else from White Fang, to show him another way; that he can be accepted and that fighting is not the only way to be accepted. He learns from these experiences that he can be accepted and that fighting is not the only way to fit in.

What we must all ask ourselves is in our teaching and interactions are we acting like “Beauty” Smith or Weedon Scott? Are we taking someone at face value and just accepting everyone else’s view of them, or are we forming our own opinion? Are we simply harnessing one ability or are we really developing a human being? This is a question that trainers in all forms of martial arts must ask. What sort of impact is the training having on the individual? Is it perpetuating a cycle or is it doing the best for the individual?

As trainers of martial arts we should all be seeking the improvement of our students, in all senses of the word. We should not just be honing their fighting abilities, but we should also be examining other aspects as well. The social aspects of the art that we teach should be a serious consideration, as the students will learn everything from their teachers. If you teach in a gung-ho, “anything for a win” fashion, then that is what the students will take away. If you teach in an honourable, victory by art and skill rather than pure force fashion, then that is what the students will take away.

I recommend White Fang to anyone as a good read, and a book which will probe thoughts. The themes and ideas which the author presents are some which need to be considered. The story itself is well-written, primarily from the point of view of the protagonist wolf-dog White Fang, which is an achievement in itself, it describes scenes which will make you think.

Cheers,

Henry.

Females and Fencing (Part 3)

Greetings,

Welcome to Part 3! If you have not perused the previous two instalments of this subject I would strongly advise you to do so. The previous ones have looked at the Physical and Psychological differences between male and female combatants in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). This was based upon a lesson which I presented at an event known as Swordplay '15. It was based upon some of my observed findings of the female combatants at the event and their interactions and fighting at the event. This post really will get to some of the really important stuff, which we all need to take note of.

You Are Not Alone

While the numbers of female combatants in HEMA may be smaller than those of their male counter-parts, the important thing for the female combatants to realise, and even the males to realise is that, you are not alone. Without a doubt there is another combatant out there going through the same problems as you are having, and working through them just like you are. The feeling of loneliness is one that can kill your fighting spirit in no time at all and it is one that you need to purge. You are not alone, there are people out there to help you.

So, the first thing that you are going to tell me is that you are the only female in a class of all males. You are still not alone. Your first point of call should always be your trainer. If they cannot help then you can find help elsewhere. So, you are not a member of any formal organisation and you are studying as a singular individual. You are still not alone. Thanks to the internet there are multiple sources to consult and people often are more than willing to help people and share their own insights and research. In fact, for the most part the harder task is to get us to shut up so you can get a word in. Below you will find a list of links to various Facebook groups where you can link up with other women in HEMA.

Ostensibly, I began the class at Swordplay to demonstrate to the group of ladies that they needed to move differently to the male fighters who were competing in the competition. Something more grew from the conversation that I had with the ladies who were there (Yes, I am calling you all ladies). It was the realisation that most of them had not talked to one another about HEMA and how it worked for them, and how it affected them. This was actually quite a shock to me. Guys tend to sit and chat about technique, this master over that master, and what armour suits and protects us better, so I assumed that it would be the same with the ladies. I was wrong, for this I apologise. I just hope that the class which turned into more of a discussion got people talking and that this series of posts will also get people talking, and especially the ladies. Oh, and in case you are wondering, Yes, I will be checking up on you.

Facebook Links

AUS/NZ HEMA/WMA ladies group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1732046537016304/
Started by Evangelina Corona it is a place for AUS/NZ HEMA/WMA ladies to share their thoughts, meet new friends and change the face of women in Australian and New Zealand Sword play groups. "I began this after SP15 [Swordplay '15], feeling there was a need for we ladies down under to be able to share things solely with each other."

Esfinges
https://www.facebook.com/groups/esfingeshema/
The worldwide group, this group was made for women who practice fencing, to unite them and let them get to know one other. 

Ladybits
https://www.facebook.com/groups/565948176761635/
A group where ladies share.. Well, they are ladies, doing ladies things!

What You Can Do (Conclusion?)

Note that there is a question mark after the word conclusion. This is there because I am not actually sure that this is the end of the subject at all. I would not be surprised if there are further posts on this subject, possibly inspired by future events or comments. Another thing is that this process is one that needs to continue. Some of what follows will question the way things are done and I expect a certain amount of contention, but I believe that lively intellectual discussion and argument is healthy.

As combatants we all have a role to play to ensure that our female combatants are included and not side-lined in any form. This will begin with a change in attitude. We need to remove some of the negative expressions which we have grown up with such as, "You hit like a girl." and "Stop acting like a girl." All of these put our female combatants in a negative light and this is not healthy for us and definitely not for them. Rather we need to promote a the positive nature of their participation in HEMA. Further to this we also need to promote the levelling nature of martial arts in general.

With regard to this I need to approach our first contentious issue the idea of the "Ladies Tournament". I would question whether or not this is actually a healthy idea or not. Is having such a tournament an inclusive or exclusive thing? Sure it is inclusive as it involves the female combatants in a tournament, but it is also exclusive as it side-lines them to another tournament, and almost makes it feel like that they are not welcome to participate in more "general" combats. In my own opinion the nature of HEMA provides a level playing field in which all can compete, thus there is really no need for this separation, but this is a question that no doubt will be debated for some time to come.

Trainers. You are at the forefront of including individuals in HEMA regardless of whether they are male or female, or indeed of their physical nature. I have already written on the nature of bio-mechanics and body-shape, and indeed already on disabilities and fencing. Now we need to look at the male-female dichotomy. These posts are as important for you to realise the differences between the male and female student as they are for the female student to realise their own differences.

You need to approach these differences as simply that, differences, not problems. You need to consider the differences in body shape and approaches to combat. The benefits for taking this into consideration will outweigh the extra work that you will have to put in to making sure that you get it right. Take note of how your female students' bodies want to move and adapt their training to suit that, not the other way around. They will be much more comfortable, and much more successful.

Well, this series of posts has been a lot longer than I ever thought it would have been. I thank those ladies who participated in my class for the information which they gave me. It has enabled me to further understand how the female combatant operates and thinks and thus allowed me to produce these posts without you, this would have been a lot more difficult. So thanks go out to: Eva, Sam, Lois, Bec, Sharon, Emma, Rosie, Tristyn and Jessica (if I have forgotten anyone I apologise). I also need to send a big thank you to Zebee Johnstone for putting me on the right path.

I hope that all of my readers are able to pull something useful from the information which has been presented here. I apologise if there is anything here which has offended you, but I have attempted to do something which I thought needed to be done. I also apologise for some of the rambling nature of the information as I tend to write it how it comes, but then you needed to expect that considering the title of the entire blog.

Cheers,

Henry.

Females and Fencing (Part 2)

Greetings,

Welcome to Part 2, this is the second part of my discussion on females and fencing based upon a lesson which I delivered at Swordplay '15 this year. It is designed to highlight the differences between the male and female combatant and bring these into the light so that both the trainer and student may realise that they are differences not problems. The previous part dealt with physical differences this one will start with the psychological ones. I would advise you, dear reader, that if you have not read the first part, that you should as it will give and explanation of my approach to the subjects which follow.

Psychological

After dealing with the physical differences we need to look deeper and have a look at some more mental differences. This means having a look at the psychological differences between males and females and seeing how this will affect them in training and also in a combative situation. These need to be taken into account as they are deeply embedded in our minds and are not easily dealt with.

To begin the so -called "feminine characteristics" portray the female as passive and shy. I know this not the case for everyone but it is the general outlook and for some it is true. Added on top of this is that from the beginning, for the most part, females are given nurturing roles. This means that they are not supposed to hit people, this idea is, in many cases driven from their make-up.

What is the result of this? It means that the female trainee and combatant will often have difficulty starting and often continuing with training as the idea of striking someone else with an object is foreign to their internal make-up. For the trainer this will take time to encourage them that it is fine for them to do this and it is actually what is expected of them. No trainee should be discouraged, male or female, because this is part of their make-up. More so, it should be emphasised not just by trainers but by other members of the class that it is okay to strike their opponent and partner at the right time and place.

Now we need to discuss the "jitters". That horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach that comes up during training, and especially at tournaments or examinations when the pressure is on. This is the feeling that you do not belong here, that all the training you have done has been a waste of time, that all the other combatants hit harder and are better than you, and that there is nothing you can do about it. First thing that I am going to say is that everyone has had this feeling, and that anyone who denies ever having had this feeling before a tournament or training session is either lying to other people, or lying to themselves which is worse. The question is how to deal with them.

Each person has their own way of dealing with this feeling, and you need to find a way for dealing with your own. I will give some suggestions that may help you, but it is a personal process that you must think through. First we will start with Pre-Tournament, then Tournament, and then Post-Tournament. Each one is slightly different to suit the different situation. In this I will be using the word "tournament" to signify what ever event is being discussed, be it a training session, examination or tournament.

Pre-Tournament

On the way to the location of the tournament I like to listen to music that either puts me in a good mood or music which is appropriate to the tournament. I am a bit of a metal-head but I have found that Iron Maiden's "Flash of the Blade" or "The Duellists" works for me. If you are looking for something a little slower Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" also works. I have also found that anything classical with some "drive" behind it works, Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky for examples. 

Once I have arrived, I make a point of finding someone I know and saying "Hello." This is to realise that I am not there alone. If you are at an event for the first time, be sure that you are not the only one. Go and find someone to say "Hello" to. This is a great way to release some tension. Following this, go and do all the mundane things, signing in and all that business. Go find the Officials of the event and introduce yourself and thank them for being there, they will be happy about it, trust me on this one.

Unpack. Find a comfortable spot. This may be with others, it may not be. It needs to be comfortable for you. Have a good look at each piece of gear as you take it out. Get it all out and have a good look. Then walk away for a little while. Come back and in a relaxed fashion put your armour (safety gear on). Start internal and work external, start from the ground work up. Start from the body and work out to the arms. Gauntlets last, trust me on this one. Once you are in your armour, move about and get used to being in the armour, without your weapon. Next pick up your weapon and go through some simple solo drills, finally go find someone you know to warm-up with. By this time you should be suitably warm and much more comfortable.

Tournament

Regardless of the result of a round, examine how you fought and what you did in response to the opponent's actions. Have a look at you did well and be happy with this. Breathe. Next examine where you did not do so well, remember this because you can ask your trainer about it at your next training. Breathe. You should always look at crossing blades with an opponent as a chance to learn something about yourself and your opponent. Do not miss this chance. Breathe. Victories fade the lessons live on.

In between rounds, if you have time, make sure that you take off your gauntlets, mask/helm and gorget. This will let a lot of the heat out. Breathe. Drink liquid. People say drink water, I say liquid as you should also be concerned about your sugar levels dropping too low. Go for a little walk if you need to, but not too far. Breathe Watch the other opponents for what they are doing and learn from what they are and are not doing. This is a prime time to learn. Listen to what other combatants are saying. Breathe. Do not think about the next round until it is announced, and even then do not focus on it unless you have seen the opponent and learnt something useful about the way they fight. Did I mention Breathe? You need to stay analytical about the process, this will help you calm yourself. Remember all the things you did right and celebrate them.

Post-Tournament

Why? The tournament is over, why would this be the case that you get jitters? This would be the case that you still have a lot of adrenaline running through your system and also probably endorphins as well. Once again it is a matter of settling yourself. Breathe. Take your time. Have a drink. Get rid of the mask/helm, gorget and gauntlets as before. Put the weapons down with your gear. Go for a little walk. Breathe. Have a chat to some of the other combatants. Breathe. The most important thing here is to relax. If there is a presentation made after the tournament and you have placed high enough to be a part of this enjoy the experience, you deserve it.

Well, this has turned out to be a lot longer than I expected it to be. I only planned for this to be two posts at most, but I think that keeping them relatively short is important for better absorbing of the information which I have presented. Once again, if the information presented has continued to interest and inform you, be prepared as there is a third, and final, installment of this subject.

Cheers,

Henry.

Females and Fencing (Part 1)

Greetings,

The following post is based on a lesson I delivered this year at a "local" event and I use the word "local" very loosely as it is becoming recognised as a national one. That event was Swordplay '15. Essentially it was designed to get all of the female combatants together and have a chat about Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), tournaments and the whole gambit of things and the simple thing that they are not alone and that they needed to talk more to one another to share their experiences, more on this later.

While at the event in the position of Safety Marshal I was in a great position to see a lot of fighting at the event and see how everybody was doing. One of the things that I noticed was that the female combatants were attempting to fight like the male ones, with some achievement it has to be said. The obvious problems associated related directly and indirectly to the method and approach to the fighting is what sparked the idea for the lesson.

Before I go into much detail there are a couple of things that I have to say. Firstly, I apologise to those people who have been waiting since the event for this post to come out, part of this has been slackness and part of this is other factors. Secondly, I know that this post is possibly going to cause some issues that I am talking about females in fencing and I am a male, but this is all from my point of view and based upon my training and my experiences training females. I hope that this post will help rather than hinder women in HEMA. Thirdly, I know it is a little arrogant to be speaking on the subject, but please bear with me. Finally, this is probably going to be a pretty hefty sort of post so get ready for a solid sort of a read.

So we have the situation that women most often taught by men and men most often do not know how women work physically and mentally. This is simply because most of the more experienced members of the community are male. This presents problems in training for the women who are participating in the training and, for the most part, these problems are kept to themselves. I would like to highlight these "problems" and demonstrate them not as "problems" but as "differences" and differences which trainers need to take into account. The following will be divided up into various sections so that areas can be highlighted for discussion.

Physical

So men and women are different physically. Well done, Captain Obvious! Tell us something we don't know. This simple fact is something we need to take into account when training. It is something which I have indicated before in a previous post (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/bio-mechanics-and-effect-of-body-shape.html). This post was mostly indicated at different body shapes as in short versus tall, broad versus thin and so forth, for this discussion we need to go more deeply into the discussion and examine how the male and female form differ and how they move differently.

To start with we need to examine hip shape, the hips control the centre of mass and also control the legs which makes them essential for movement. If you do not have free movement through this you are bound to have problems. Well, males and females are markedly different here, especially the way that the legs join up with the hips. The way that the leg joints are positioned in men and women are different and this can be seen in the on guard position. Let us take the generic terza (third) guard.

The right foot is forward the left is to the rear, many guards in HEMA will begin like this. Many will actually be a little more broad with the rear foot a little further outward and a little more forward. This will immediately put the hips in a diagonal position if this position is adopted, which for a male suits them perfectly, due to the way their leg joints are shaped. For the female she will have all sorts of trouble keeping her front foot pointing at the opponent, this is because her hips do not want to do this. So what we need to do here is make a change in position to make it more comfortable and more moveable for the female. It is not radical it is a change in position from diagonal to horizontal, from the male position to the female position.

In the case of the image above it is from the lower image to the upper image. In the first instance you do this you may need to physically move your hip into this position. In the case of a trainer you may need to move the student's hip into the correct position, make sure you ask permission to do so first. The change in position may require a broadening of the stance, and a slight withdrawal of the foot, that is fine. The ease of movement will have its own reward.

While we are on movement, we might as well stay there for a while. The female combatant will also move differently from the male combatant. This you will see in their actions with the weapon, but also in their movement across the ground. The woman can also access a lot more mobility in their hips and waist than the male can for the movement of their body for voiding and other actions than most men will be able to and this is a great advantage, and one that should be used.

As a female, in general, you will simply not be able to compete with the raw power of the male, so you should not try to. However there are different ways to approach the combat through movement and being lighter on your feet. Against the stronger opponent use their strength against them, slip off their attacks, redirect their power to other directions. Use the lightness that you have to simply avoid the power that your opponent possesses, and with the extra movement indicated already, this will be even easier.

Now we come to one final attribute of the female form which most trainers often forget to take into account in their training, the female breast. The Parry of Fourth, the Parry to the High Inside Line, any time your arms have to cross your body close they get in the road, and the trainer often will not take it into account because he doesn't have them.

Parry of 4th

Breast protection just doesn't help the situation, in fact it even often makes it worse. How do I know? First, I listen. Second, I wear a chest plate myself. How do we get around this particular problem? We look at the assets again and see what we can use to our advantage. Once again it comes down to the hips and waist. In the case of the Parry of Fourth, or High Inside Line, turn your body at the same time you make the parry. This will give you some more clearance for the parry and also some more room. In fact, as far as this "problem" goes this is the primary way around it, use the other attributes of mobility to get around it.

So, this is the end of Part 1, if I have not insulted or bored you too much, Part 2 will start with a look at some of the psychological aspects which have to be dealt with and go from there, depending on how things go and how deep it gets will see how long it goes for.

Cheers,

Henry.