Miscellaneous > The Sallyport

Gotta get this off my chest.

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Sir Edward:

Yep, very good perspectives here.

Admittedly, I'm not a very good academic when it comes to these things either. I'm approaching it from two angles- I want to get out there and have fun, and I want to have practical knowledge that enhances my appreciation for the historical toys I collect. Whether I'm doing it exactly as described in the manual is secondary, as long as I get an understanding of what I'm doing and how it fits into the historical context.

I understand why people are very protective of their approaches. But personally I'm not into the whole "walled garden" thing, and am happy to see a lot of different groups have their own unique emphasis.

Technically we're all on the same side, since we're all taking the parts of history we like and trying to revive them. It's just that some folks are trying to be as accurate as they can in every possible way, and others are taking the bits they like and discarding the rest. There's nothing wrong with this, and in fact I think it provides a wider range of options for people to find the level of involvement that suits them.

Ian:

--- Quote from: Sir Wolf on 2012-02-28, 14:53:03 ---ya as much as anyone wants to put it as far as the sca, living history, fantasy etc, we're all LARPS. i dont care what people say it's true. we all play a game and dress up. whether it's to honor vets, get rid of reality or what have you. just different names and different faces.

--- End quote ---

I guess this is where the big difference lies between all the groups you listed and HEMA/WMA. It's first and foremost a martial art.  It encourages no role play, no personas, and many schools don't require any period clothing unless used for purely functional purposes. That's why they can get upset when someone comes along and suggests to them how to improve upon their martial art when that person is coming from a role-play perspective.

The line is skewed only because we view WMA/HEMA in the same light as the other mentioned groups because they use swords and other medieval weapons.  Do you look at Kung Fu or Karate schools as LARPs just because they wear traditional garb?  No... because they are martial arts schools, teaching a combat sport.  So it is with HEMA/WMA school. They really shouldn't be lumped in with Living History, SCA, Boffer LARPs etc, because the aim is to teach a combat sport, not role play or be a persona etc...  It gets blurry here because the SCA has a sporting aspect within an overall role-playing community. 

But you have to be respectful of the WMA crowd's perspective here.  the analogy would be if a Kendo school was approached by a group of people who re-enact Samurai era history and suggested technique to the Kendo guys. I think we can see here, that it simply doesn't make sense, and the Kendo school might even be dismissive of what the re-enactors are trying go say.  So it is with the WMA community and the SCA. Let people have their fun, but don't be surprised if one group doesn't want to listen to the other.  The point is WMA, although historical in context, is a martial art, not a LARP, and I think that's the point that people are overlooking when it comes to this particular topic.

SirNathanQ:
Thank you Ian, truly you are among the most eloquent of the Brethren here.

I aim to at least try all of it. I do WMA because I collect swords, and I want to learn how to use them. To really make good on my persuit, because my aim in all this is to be a modern-day knight. As I wear armour to materialize what I hope I show through my person, I learn WMA to flesh out what I've already materialized through the pysical object of the sword. One step closer to being (as close as possible) a real knight.

I want to try SCA, to give experience to my understanding of group combat and strategy. No other place you can have battles in the thousands with medieval weapons anymore.

Sir Edward:
We can always trust Ian to cut to the truth with laser accuracy. Awesome. :)

Sir Brian:
Truly I envy your youthful enthusiasm Sir Nathan and it certainly serves you well for I have never met a knight as young as you with such boldness tempered with wisdom beyond your years. I do not hold such lofty ambitions as you to try everything as I squandered the best years of my body on more baser pursuits which left me some vague and scattered memories along with a far less resilient physique.  :-\

The differences between SCA, WMA/HEMA, LARP or REENACTMENT groups really are beyond my consideration as I simply do not have the available active lifespan left to 'sample' them all. Suffice to say I've rediscovered that I enjoy hitting people again and the best part is that it is manageably safe to do so with the WMA group I train with.  ;)

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