A question came up on Reddit recently (thread) about fencing with synthetic or steel swords, and I made my usual reply that I don’t think it matters much from which material the swords are made (from the perspective of safety), but that it is much …
Review of the Thokk WeaponMaster gauntlets
I have been in the privileged position of having been able to test and use the Thokk WeaponMaster BladeProof gauntlets since August 2021, a couple of months before the gloves started being shipped out to customers in October, with delivery increasing …
You have to make money to spend money
We are probably all familiar with the phrase that you have to spend money to make money. However, I’d like to talk about the less well-known version of the phrase: you have to make money to spend money. Martial arts clubs often struggle with their …
Pairing whisky with antique swords
It is quite well-known that you can pair wine with food if you want to “do things properly” at the dinner table, but what about whisky? You can certainly do a whisky tasting experience, or just open a bottle of two and enjoy it by yourself or with …
Technical lessons and skills lessons
I find it helpful to divide the lessons I teach into two kinds of lesson: technical lessons and skills lessons. The same training session might even involve two parts, first one kind and then the other. By separating how I think about these two …
Martial art training games with a pack of cards
With holidays approaching, it can be useful to know some training games so that you can keep up with your training even while clubs are closed. I quite like to use a normal pack of cards because they lend themselves to endless variation and …
Some thoughts about teaching the fundamentals
Every martial arts instructor needs to teach the fundamentals in some fashion. This may depend greatly on the art in question, or on the flavour and focus of the club, or on a variety of other factors. However, everyone should probably agree that the …
Self-fulfilling prophecies in training
I find the idea of self-fulfilling prophecies to be quite an interesting concept. Whether for good or for ill, there are many examples that can be found in any martial arts school, both for students and for instructors. I would like to examine a …
Which details really matter depends on the question
Details are incredibly important when learning and performing a martial art – but which details really matter at any given time? Should you focus more on techniques or skills? Yes. Should you focus more on general physicality or martial arts …
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The role of senior students in a martial arts club
Any martial arts club that has been open for a reasonable length of time will have some senior, more experienced students. These will be the people who have invested plenty of time and effort into training at the club, who have learned well, and who …
The intended audience and purpose of Liechtenauer’s art
Who was the intended audience for Liechtenauer’s art? What was the intended purpose of the Zedel as written? These are questions that are quite often posed and answered in one way or another – during training, at the pub, at events, and online …
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Your words convey a message – but which message?
It should come as no surprise to any of us that your words convey a message. After all, that’s why we do the speaking for the communication. However, it may be a little more surprising what message is actually being conveyed when you choose a …
Some thoughts about sparring and etiquette
Pretty much every HEMA club will engage in some kind of sparring or free play, and every club will have some form of etiquette that governs how people behave and how they handle situations that arise while sparring. It is very easy to get used to …
Motivation in a martial arts club
Motivation can be quite a difficult topic, and yet it is one of the most important things to understand if you want to run a happy, healthy, and successful club. Having had the experience of attending a variety of different martial arts and sports …
Improving your club finances
One of the things that holds back many clubs is the issue of finances. There’s never enough money to do everything you want to do, to buy all the equipment you would like to have, to pay staff as much as they might want or need. So how can you …
Carrots and sticks, rewards and punishments
This is going to be a short article today, with some thoughts about the role of rewards and punishments during martial arts training. Films and TV series often show some kind of punishments in the dojo or training hall, and yet, this is rarely the …
Knowing your list of British kings and queens
Schoolchildren have always grumbled when made to learn long lists of names, dates, and British kings and queens in their history classes. What is the use of such lists? Why would anyone need to know this sort of thing when you can find out by posing …
Working on good habits rather than excessive detail
Good habits can be a powerful foundation for the practice of any martial art. Good habits are a pretty good basis for life in general, and I’m sure no one would disagree with that! And yet, when learning martial arts, it can be tempting to dive ever …
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Understanding Vor, Nach, and Indes – part 3: working in the bind
The concepts of Vor, Nach, and Indes are integral to the art of fencing according to Liechtenauer. The words and concepts can be interpreted in many different ways, and I have gone through many iterations over the last several years of practice and …
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Understanding Vor, Nach, and Indes – part 2: tactics
The concepts of Vor, Nach, and Indes are integral to the art of fencing according to Liechtenauer. The words and concepts can be interpreted in many different ways, and I have gone through many iterations over the last several years of practice and …
Understanding Vor, Nach, and Indes – part 2: tacticsRead More