Fencing and why I recomend it.

[Sir Nate]

Most of the knights our there as me prefer larger swords than what are used in fencing, but fencing contributes and is mentioned in most fighting styles of the medieval era. Not only has it helped teach me balance, but the ability to stay calm in hot gear on hot days. It teaches balance, the base skills in any martial art, and how to use certain blades. there are three, foil, epee, and saber. foil is much of stabbing and lunging, and although i am choosing to learn more foil i have practiced saber, which the attacks are of slicing and that helps one learn techniques when it comes to broadswords. a saber is heavier and has a much thicker blade than foil. If you havent done much with fencing i would recomend it. and as far as gear goes it is one of the cheaper classes. but it does balance out because even the gear is cheaper than other martial arts, the classes themselves are more expensive.

[Sir Brian]

So I take it you are a sport fencer? Have you looked into HEMA/WMA? There are several clubs that train in the greater DC area. I belong to a club out of Annapolis Maryland called MASHS where we train with the German (Liechtenauer) tradition of the Longsword, but also the Italian style of Dueling Sabre and Rapier, the French Small sword and Dueling Epee. I am proficient in the Longsword (usually), the Sabre and the Epee although not much better than a novice IMO with the Epee. This fall or early next year we will be starting with the I:33 sword & buckler. 

[Sir William]

Definitely interested when you guys start I.33, Sir Brian.

[Sir Nate]

I am a fencer, but me and my brother were interested in the memags brucke fechtschule in philadelphia, but since im more of a single handed swordsman I also looked at the scottish broadsword academy of pennsylvania.

[Sir Nate]

but that is very similar to saber even tho the footwork is different.

[Sir Brian]

Definitely interested when you guys start I.33, Sir Brian.

Larry is developing the curriculum now. Speaking of buckler I still have yours. Let me know when you intend to make it to MDRF and I'll be sure to bring it.

[Thorsteinn]

I know of at least 2 KSCA who started as champion sport fencers.

I started in TKD, then SCA Heavy, then I just grabbed what I could and ran cackling into the night.

The one issue I have with sport fencing is how it can instill a lack of a close in game, situational awareness, and knowing how to finish a fight. But it does do quite a bit very well.

[Sir Edward]

I am a fencer, but me and my brother were interested in the memags brucke fechtschule in philadelphia, but since im more of a single handed swordsman I also looked at the scottish broadsword academy of pennsylvania.

If you have a chance to study with the MEMAG guys, that's worth doing. They won't steer you wrong.

[Sir Vander Linde]

I personally don't like or encourage sport fencing, when in relation to actual martial situations. sure it is a good and healthy sport, but that's what it is, a sport. I honestly have lost track of people who have a sport fencing background that even with a few years of handling real swords get their butts handed to them on a silver platter practically every time. Especially when they are rather cocky about "knowing how to sword fight" because of sport fencing, luckily these people are getting rarer.
My views are probably because I'm a bit of a nut on sword play, so don't take it personally.

[Ian]

I personally don't like or encourage sport fencing, when in relation to actual martial situations. sure it is a good and healthy sport, but that's what it is, a sport. I honestly have lost track of people who have a sport fencing background that even with a few years of handling real swords get their butts handed to them on a silver platter practically every time. Especially when they are rather cocky about "knowing how to sword fight" because of sport fencing, luckily these people are getting rarer.
My views are probably because I'm a bit of a nut on sword play, so don't take it personally.

My thoughts are a little off topic, but what you said here reminds me of a parallel in flying.  When we got students in military flight school who had a significant amount of previous flight time in the civilian world, they often struggled in the military flight environment, much more so than the students who had no flying experience.  A lot of the habits learned in civilian flying do not translate and are hard habits for them to break.  I suspect similar things happen in the sport fencing to martial art fencing conversion.  While some of the skills are the same, there are enough differences to cause problems.

Timing and measure may be important skills that do translate, but the goals and intent of the two activities are so different than they may be very hard to get over.  This is why I always frown when I hear about SCA  heavy trying to carry over to HEMA/WMA.  It's two different activities, with similar themes, but they are too different to translate properly.

[Sir Edward]

Timing and measure may be important skills that do translate, but the goals and intent of the two activities are so different than they may be very hard to get over.  This is why I always frown when I hear about SCA  heavy trying to carry over to HEMA/WMA.  It's two different activities, with similar themes, but they are too different to translate properly.

Yeah, when I started doing Longsword, I had to unlearn some of my Foil fencing to get it right. Sport fencing does teach you a lot about footwork, measure, timing, etc. But since it's all thrust-oriented, entirely right-foot forward, asymmetrical, etc, there's a lot you need to do differently in a sword-based martial art. It took about a year to switch things around in my head. But having done that, it's now a lot easier to transition between weapons.

The more difficult transition I think is if you do theatrical/choreographed combat, versus a martial art or fencing. Switching from NOT hitting the other person, to hitting them, or vice-versa, is a real brain-twister. I took a small theatrical swordplay class once, and it was really hard not to hit the other person, because I had previously trained to specifically get around their parries and hit them.

[Sir Nate]

saber is mostly slicing. i guess i should take saber, I just don't have the money to do memag yet.

[SirNathanQ]

Coming from the "No Income" corner is Sir Nathan, with the recommendation that you don't blow your money on something that's just going to teach you bad habits. Honestly, a good MMA group will prepare you better, for less I would imagine.

anyway, I would recommend putting your money towards a good training tool, and doing solo drills. That's the majority of my practice, and I am able to compete on a good day with the guys who have the luxury of classes and instruction.

[B. Patricius]

Coming in as backup in the "no income" corner, is B. Patricus!

Sir Nate.  I'm going to toot my own horn here like Thorsteinn did, and ask if you would check out adrianempire.org.  It may be right up your alley.

take me for example.  I have little experience with sword and shield although I am very good with saber, cutlass, rapier, smallsword, backsword, broadsword, and espada ropera.  Luckily that does translate to about "meh 30%" of what I need for sword and shield lol.  My footwork is literally backwards. I met a man, who in his spare time, loves to teach.  He's a third level Knight, which is the highest and there's only 32 total in the entire national group.  He has over 40 years experience.  I would easily pay hundreds of dollars a month to work with this man an hour or two a week!  And I have quite a bit of formal training in a lot of WMA and Japanese and Chinese.

Instead, I work with him at least 6 hours, at least once a week! The time I've spent with him is priceless.  It's funny because he laughs and says that's why he doesn't charge. 

basically there are groups out there that have knowledgeable people in traditional western martial arts, and the funny thing is, most are clubs, or medieval reenactment groups.  and most cost little to no "membership" money.  Yeah, the armor is definitely there.  But that's why we're here anyways right?