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The state of the Art blog post

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Joshua Santana:
I came across this blog post that I just read and it is something I got to share!

http://www.marozzo.com/blog/2009/11/21/the-state-of-the-art/

Hope you enjoy it!

Sir Edward:

Boy, I've been so busy with work, I keep getting interrupted every time I try to start reading this article. After a few paragraphs, he still hasn't gotten to the meat of it, and is almost apologizing for his article. But I can understand the point he's making, in that a lot of people get involved for different reasons, and therefore may not agree with what he says.

That does bring up an interesting point though. What draws you into swordsmanship in the first place? There are those who take a scholarly approach, and are happy to work with the manuscripts and never pick up a sword. Others just want to be good fighters, but don't care about the manuscripts, and there are many in between.

I'm in between myself, and don't completely fall into either category. I don't spend much time looking at the manuscripts, but I enjoy learning the interpretations of them from others who are more skilled than myself. I don't aim to be a great swordsman, just functional enough to understand the weapons. I came from being a collector first, and then wanting to learn more about their use.

Joshua Santana:

--- Quote ---Boy, I've been so busy with work, I keep getting interrupted every time I try to start reading this article. After a few paragraphs, he still hasn't gotten to the meat of it, and is almost apologizing for his article. But I can understand the point he's making, in that a lot of people get involved for different reasons, and therefore may not agree with what he says.

That does bring up an interesting point though. What draws you into swordsmanship in the first place? There are those who take a scholarly approach, and are happy to work with the manuscripts and never pick up a sword. Others just want to be good fighters, but don't care about the manuscripts, and there are many in between.

I'm in between myself, and don't completely fall into either category. I don't spend much time looking at the manuscripts, but I enjoy learning the interpretations of them from others who are more skilled than myself. I don't aim to be a great swordsman, just functional enough to understand the weapons. I came from being a collector first, and then wanting to learn more about their use.
--- End quote ---

That is a good response, and I understand that you have priorities that precede your interests.  It's your goals and how far you want to be "in to" your interests. 

For me personally, I fall in the category of a scholar and swordsman who will spend a majority of his time reading the manuscripts and later on practicing the techniques and formulating his teaching method or curriculum.  My priorities reflect on what I want to do, I am staying at college to be a history teacher since I know my history and it is a strong subject for me.  I seek to teach HEMA as well since it correlates with my teaching profession and I am an active HEMA practitioner.

Now I am aware that I am deemed "crazy" for seeking to be a teacher of History and HEMA but since they are my passions, I seek to balance my passions with priorities such as building a business plan for my HEMA school and working on a doctorate's degree so I can teach on the college level. 

My point is that the goal of any practitioner, part-time or full time will vary but we must be placed in proper perspective with their daily lives and occupations.  How far you want to be full time or part time practitioner is up to you.  Everyone who wants to get into HEMA have different, varying goals.   

Thorsteinn:
For Joshua:

http://zenpencils.com/comic/36-bruce-lee-there-are-no-limits/

http://zenpencils.com/comic/35-bruce-lee-absorb-what-is-useful/

Joshua Santana:
Thank you Rautt for the blog posts.  I am familiar with Bruce Lee as a influential individual whose philosophy did inspire in my former training.

If I were to apply his philosophy to my HEMA Studies it would bud from an interest in German Longsword, then branching out to I.33 + German Sword & Buckler fighting, Medieval Dagger, Medieval Pole Arms (Pole Axe and Spear), Armored Combat, Messer fighting, Grappling & Wrsetling this would be one branch. 

The second branch would be Bolognese Swordsmanship Tradition (Italian Sidesword + companion weapons, Dagger, Pole Arms, Spadone, armored combat), Spanish Sidesword, French Sidesword, Renaissance German Longsword, German Sidesword, Dussack fighting, English Rapier, English Short Sword Renaissance Armored Combat and Wrestling.

There would be another branch that stems from this starting from Italian Rapier + companion weapons, Spanish Rapier + companion weapons, French, Italian, Spanish Smallsword, Polish, Spanish, Italian, English, French Saber fighting.  Then there is Scottish Baskethilt Broadsword fighting then gets into Classical French and Italian Fencing (Northern and Southern Schools). 

This would mean I would have to absorb multiple sources and training methods and fighting techniques.  The list would be extensive to the size of a Encyclopedia volume.  However, what my true point is this.

It is wise to be an practitioner whose Knowledge is the summation of individual experience and the experience and wisdom of those who fought in the past and present.  Always listening and challenging his mind and his training.  That I agree on. 

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