ModernChivalry.org
Main => The Courtyard => Topic started by: Sir Edward on 2011-09-07, 21:03:33
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The Western Martial Arts Workshop
http://wmaw.us/2011/ (http://wmaw.us/2011/)
Well, this event is next week, so I get one more renfaire weekend before I go. I'll try to remember to take a bunch of pictures again. I usually do. It's hard to get good shots in the classes, but I usually get a few. The site is gorgeous, and the weather has been good the last few times I've gone.
The event draws in practitioners and instructors from all over the world.
This year they're having an "Armoured Deed of Arms" event on Friday. I'm asking about it now. The schedule has it, but I couldn't find any other info on the website. I've been guessing it's invitation-only, but I got the registrar to send me the PDF about it, and it implies it's open to all challengers (subject to safety inspection and assessment of character). I'm bringing my harness anyway, since I'm taking an armored combat class (which is immediately before it on the schedule). But now it looks like I'm bringing my banner too, since apparently that's required in the rules for this Pas d'armes.
Here are my photos from my previous trips:
2007: http://ed.toton.org/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?g=2007.wmaw (http://ed.toton.org/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?g=2007.wmaw)
2009: http://ed.toton.org/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?g=2009.wmaw (http://ed.toton.org/cgi-bin/gallery.pl?g=2009.wmaw)
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Where IS that place? It is, in a word, beautiful.
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I think it's some sort of former monastery or something. It's right on the bank of one of the great lakes, up in Racine, WI (about an hour north of Chicago).
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*sigh* one of these days I'll make one of the Western Martial Arts Workshops. :'(
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Same here...if for no other reason than to visit such a gorgeous locale. Milady and I have decided to try and visit one new place every year, just a short getaway.
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I was conflicted on it since it was so close to our originally scheduled honeymoon trip to England. By the time "we" decided we could push back the trip to England a bit so I could go to WMAW, registration was already closed. :( I cheered myself up a bit by spending the registration money on armor, but it's not the same.
Sir Edward, have a great time!
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Phew, I'm stressing out getting all of the last minute things done for WMAW. Not only am I teaching two classes, but it turns out I'm going to be taking over Tom's Bolognese classes because he isn't able to go, and I still am preparing my class notes for those. I'm heading out tomorrow morning at 5.
The Deed of Arms was invitation only, as this is the first year it's being done. I suspect future events will have it open to anyone who wants to participate. I'm one of the challengers for the Deed, so I'll be fighting in it.
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The Deed of Arms was invitation only, as this is the first year it's being done. I suspect future events will have it open to anyone who wants to participate. I'm one of the challengers for the Deed, so I'll be fighting in it.
That's what I assumed, but I never got a straight answer. Greg never replied, and John O'Meara simply replied with the PDF announcement.
I packed my banner just in case, but I've been assuming I'll be watching... in full harness. lol :)
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Is there any other way to watch such an event but in full harness? You never know if you might be called in...
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Where do you guys go to get this "training" you speak of, I keep hearing you guys say you take sword fighting classes etc. Where at? I am interested.
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Leganoth,
Several of us are students of Western Martial Arts. Some of us like myself are novices while others are far more advanced or even instructors such as forum members Das Bill and Swordchick. Sir Edward posted a link to a HEMA alliance map:
http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,916.0.html (http://modernchivalry.org/forum/index.php/topic,916.0.html),
however I didn't see any affiliates west of the Mississippi, which doesn't mean there are no schools or groups in the greater LA area, just that you'll have to do some searching after all AFAIK my school isn’t part of the HEMA alliance but is fairly prolific and stable.
I took the liberty of doing a quick google search of the LA area and got this hit.
http://academyofarms.com/info/location.html (http://academyofarms.com/info/location.html)
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Well, we're about to start our 4th and last day at WMAW. Classes start late on Sunday since the Saturday night partying tends to run late into the night.
I have lots of pictures to share, etc, which I'll work on when I get back. I even got some pictures of actual 14th century armor bits. They're small fragments, like plates from a CoP and a besegew, but cool in any case.
And Sir Brian, I need to show you the "reverse grip" stuff we did in one of Christian Tobler's classes. It's not what you're thinking from the name. But it's cool.
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I'm about to start the return trip home.
Just thought I'd take a moment and say that the Deed of Arms was really a great event. I didn't get to fight of course, but some folks want me to in the future, I think. Bill will have more to say since he fought in it. I think some people recorded it, so I hope to see it on youtube before long. I got several pictures from each bout.
That was an awful lot of great armor, and chivalric behavior in one place. They had tournament tents set up, with the stone church as the backdrop. The list was roped off, and each bout was heralded with the fighters banners placed at the list's gate.
The fighting was really good. You could tell at times that people were having equipment malfunctions or limited vision issues, but their fighting instincts and training filled the gaps. It looked great from the sidelines.
And yes, I walked around in full harness, armed with a camera. :)
The one odd thing was that when they had a poleaxe malfunction, and needed to find one quickly, apparently they grabbed mine without asking. I'd have gladly offered, but I also could have warned them that the thrusting tip would come off, since the retention ring broke the day before. So of course, mine malfunctioned too. I may just duct-tape the darned thing in place at this point.
All in all, a great event! More to come.
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And Sir Brian, I need to show you the "reverse grip" stuff we did in one of Christian Tobler's classes. It's not what you're thinking from the name. But it's cool.
Cool! Man I can't wait to see it, but by my estimations you won't be able to show me until your wedding day! :o
Well I'm sure Kat will understand why we'll be late! ;)
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Can't wait for the pics and vids.
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People recorded video of some of the fights. I'll try to locate some. Also, one of the other VAF guys shot some video of one of my bouts (me vs Matt Cacy, considered one of the top Selohaar students). I hope to get a copy of that soon too.
In the meantime, here are my pictures from the event. It's in two facebook albums:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150373510366341.404751.534921340 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150373510366341.404751.534921340)
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150381790336341.406379.534921340 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150381790336341.406379.534921340)
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Don't mess with Jess:
MWAW 2011 - Dont Mess With Jessica (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaH-qykd188#ws)
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Our own Bill Grandy (with the yellow and red leggings) in a longsword bout during the armored deed of arms:
WMAW 2011 - Armored Combat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDnKKzCePjs#ws)
And a sword-and-buckler bout between Guy Windsor and Roland W. (not going to try to spell his name) during the feast night's combat demos:
WMAW 2011 - Sword and Buckler (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jimbjAUQbpg#ws)
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Baton fight:
Baton Exhibition of Ken Mondschein vs Steve Popen WMAW2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8ujQzH1gjA#)
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My head is still reeling at what an amazing event that was. Every year it seems to get better and better.
Our own Bill Grandy (with the yellow and red leggings) in a longsword bout during the armored deed of arms:
WMAW 2011 - Armored Combat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDnKKzCePjs#ws)
There is a mistake in the naming in that video. I was fighting Maestro Sean Hayes, not "John". That was an incredibly fun fight. There was a scary moment at the end that the video doesn't capture, but I drove my point into Sean's armpit just as he was closing to throw me. The point was in there so well, which is what caused him to fall with me, and he fell straight on top of it. I felt the blade really bend hard, and those are not very flexible swords. I was genuinely scared Sean had gotten hurt, and I heard people around me asking, "Are you okay?" Turns out they were talking to me, not him, and everything was just fine. :)
I am a little confused as to why they ended the bout there, as we were supposed to go to 5 passes, yet we only did four. *shrug* No biggie; I had a ton of fun either way.
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I thought he got irritated w/you Bill, and tried to throw you since he couldn't best you on foot. I also really liked the sword and buckler demo...looks like you fellows had a grand time. Hope to make it someday myself.
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Great videos and excellent match Das Bill! Well done indeed although I would have been cool to have seen you do a pile driver on him in plate! ;)
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I thought he got irritated w/you Bill, and tried to throw you since he couldn't best you on foot.
Oh, no, he definitely was not irritated. Sean is a not only a fine fencer, but also a very honorable gentleman. I'm attaching a link below of a video of the exact same bout where the sound is better, and you can hear him telling the judges to give me the point about the throw because he was more concerned about us doing justice to the art then he was about winning for personal gain. That's the kind of stand-up guy Sean is.
http://youtu.be/uY_-RNnS4ag (http://youtu.be/uY_-RNnS4ag)
As a side note, Sean was having issues with his helmet (that's why it kept popping up), and it was strongly blocking his vision, yet he didn't try to use that as an excuse. I'm quite certain the bout would have turned out different had he not had this issue, and I can't wait until the next time I get to fight him to find out! :)
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I thought he got irritated w/you Bill, and tried to throw you since he couldn't best you on foot.
Oh, no, he definitely was not irritated. Sean is a not only a fine fencer, but also a very honorable gentleman. I'm attaching a link below of a video of the exact same bout where the sound is better, and you can hear him telling the judges to give me the point about the throw because he was more concerned about us doing justice to the art then he was about winning for personal gain. That's the kind of stand-up guy Sean is.
WMAW 2011 Armored Deed of Arms 8 (http://youtu.be/uY_-RNnS4ag)
As a side note, Sean was having issues with his helmet (that's why it kept popping up), and it was strongly blocking his vision, yet he didn't try to use that as an excuse. I'm quite certain the bout would have turned out different had he not had this issue, and I can't wait until the next time I get to fight him to find out! :)
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Glad to hear it...and noted the issues w/the helm (including hearing someone mention 'duct tape' as a solution lol). I think its awesome such stand-up guys are into the art.
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Well this year I spent less money than I have in the past. The last few times I've gone, I've come home with new albions (or at least ordered them). This year it was easier to resist... because I already have one on order. lol! :)
But I picked up a messer trainer from A&A (I think they finally nailed it. It handles well, and costs less than the ones others are making), as well as a new gorget from That Guy's Products (http://thatguysproducts.com/).
My effort to pace myself, and get into slightly better physical condition in advance, both worked out pretty well. I signed up for a lot of lectures, and made sure I got to bed at a semi-reasonable time by not staying on-site past 11pm. I also made a point to drink a lot more water. Between these, I still had energy for more vigorous classes on the last day, didn't get my usual migraine toward the end, and I was ready to fence more people.
Also, doing cardio stuff at the gym in advance helps a lot. When I bouted other folks, my arms would get tired quickly, but I never got out of breath. I kept going until they suggested we stop. :)
I think the event gets a little better each time. Boy, 2013 is a long time away.
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Yes, this was definitely the best WMAW, and it seems that the event only gets better every single time.
But I picked up a messer trainer from A&A (I think they finally nailed it. It handles well, and costs less than the ones others are making),
You aren't kidding. The current version exceeds my expectations in function, form, and even price. The prototypes that I commissioned are now back at A&A for Craig to modify to be like the one you have, and I'm half tempted to buy another just because these are so awesome.
My effort to pace myself, and get into slightly better physical condition in advance, both worked out pretty well. I signed up for a lot of lectures, and made sure I got to bed at a semi-reasonable time by not staying on-site past 11pm. I also made a point to drink a lot more water. Between these, I still had energy for more vigorous classes on the last day, didn't get my usual migraine toward the end, and I was ready to fence more people.
Also, doing cardio stuff at the gym in advance helps a lot. When I bouted other folks, my arms would get tired quickly, but I never got out of breath. I kept going until they suggested we stop. :)
That's awesome that you fenced so much. I feel like I was trying too hard to pace myself, so I actually did not get in as much free fencing as I wish I did, and I'm sort of kicking myself now about that. Oh well, it was still an amazing event, and I'm once again sad to have to wait another two years for the next one.
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It's funny, I'm always nervous and slightly apprehensive before going. There's just so much raw talent out there, and I'm terrified of showing up without some critical piece of equipment. :) But once I'm there, I have a blast, have no worries, and end up buying more gear while I'm there.
What's cool is to see the overall quality of the classes, skill levels, etc continue to improve each year.
This event really is the cream of the crop. Or the "crown jewel" as I heard someone else say.
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Two years til the next one? Is this invitation only?
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No, anyone can sign up, but the registration fills up faster and faster every year. This year it filled in about 3 days.
It's held every other year, for a couple of reasons. The event used to be put on by two different schools, and they took turns doing it. I don't know the whole story, but one of the schools stopped doing it. The remaining one (The CSG) took it over completely, but it's so much work to do it that they decided they couldn't ramp up to doing it every year by themselves. Plus, the current site ended up working out so well, that they don't want to go back to moving it around like they did before. So now it's just every other year.
Some folks have tried to have some smaller events on the off years to fill the gap (specifically Chivalric Weekend up in NY, which might not be happening anymore). Most other events are annual as you'd expect.
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It's extremely rare that I get to see my own fights, because they either don't get recorded, or if they do, it gets corrupted, or lost, or people forget to give it to me, etc.
Anyway, Matt Cacy and I finally got a chance to crosss blades again after two years. He's considered one of the top Selohaar students. Jonathan from VAF was kind enough to record us. I didn't realize our exchanges were all so quick and short, but it can feel a lot longer when you're out there doing it. :) Watching the video, Matt looks really clean. This was a fun bout.
2011 WMAW - Matt Cacy vs Ed Toton (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IYuvQYb3NA#ws)
I'm the one in blue, of course. :)
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Oh man I have to wait ALL day before I can watch this! :(
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I don't! :) Nicely done, Sir Edward...I think you're better than you give yourself credit for.
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I still haven't seen it yet but I heartily agree with that statement Sir William!
Sir Edward is most elegant with a blade. :)
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I think this is the part where I blush and look down at the ground while kicking a small rock. :)
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Excellent video and well done Sir Edward! :)
IMHO I would say you were both evenly matched which is to say the technique of both of you was exceptional! I almost started drooling though when he went into the high vom tag while being within measure @ around 3:12. One of my favorite attacks against that is a quick high thrust to the neck or face while taking a big slope step off the center line. Then followed up with a low angled zwerch to the midsection. :)
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Yeah, my zwerch didn't quite do it there. :)