06-16-2012, 12:33 AM
Interesting article posted on the Sci-Fi web site io9.
More Medieval than Ancient Greek or Roman, and for some members of this Forum old news, but some may find the article of interest.
Click on the link for the full article with photos.
http://io9.com/5918644/swordfighting-not...hink-it-is
Swordfighting: Not What You Think It Is
To borrow a famous line, the problem with most people trying to understanding the true nature of historical sword combat is not that they're ignorant — it's just that they know so much that isn't so.
It's amazing, really, how a subject that so permeates our modern pop culture, and is so ubiquitous, is one which virtually no one any longer has any real world experience in, nor pursues for its original function. As a result, most all our conceptions of sword-fighting get it wrong. The reality of it is not what you think it is.
Some readers will really get offended if you dare to suggest that they don't have an accurate conception of sword-fighting. It's pretty silly, since no one of them relies on this skill for self-preservation, nor makes it their profession. Plus, nearly everyone gets their information and opinions on it from the same essential sources: TV, movies, fantasy literature, video games, cartoons, comic books, dinner-theaters and renn-fairs fight shows. But where do those sources get their notions?
About the author: A recognized international expert, John Clements is the world's foremost instructor of Medieval and Renaissance fighting arts. Having pursued the craft since 1980, he has been a pioneer in reviving these forgotten martial disciplines and is a major force in the field of historical fencing studies. His writings have been featured in more than a dozen periodicals world-wide and he has appeared in numerous television and film documentaries. As director of ARMA, the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (www.theARMA.org) he teaches and writes on the subject full-time from his facility outside Atlanta, Georgia. This article originally appeared on ARMA's website.
:wink:
Narukami
More Medieval than Ancient Greek or Roman, and for some members of this Forum old news, but some may find the article of interest.
Click on the link for the full article with photos.
http://io9.com/5918644/swordfighting-not...hink-it-is
Swordfighting: Not What You Think It Is
To borrow a famous line, the problem with most people trying to understanding the true nature of historical sword combat is not that they're ignorant — it's just that they know so much that isn't so.
It's amazing, really, how a subject that so permeates our modern pop culture, and is so ubiquitous, is one which virtually no one any longer has any real world experience in, nor pursues for its original function. As a result, most all our conceptions of sword-fighting get it wrong. The reality of it is not what you think it is.
Some readers will really get offended if you dare to suggest that they don't have an accurate conception of sword-fighting. It's pretty silly, since no one of them relies on this skill for self-preservation, nor makes it their profession. Plus, nearly everyone gets their information and opinions on it from the same essential sources: TV, movies, fantasy literature, video games, cartoons, comic books, dinner-theaters and renn-fairs fight shows. But where do those sources get their notions?
About the author: A recognized international expert, John Clements is the world's foremost instructor of Medieval and Renaissance fighting arts. Having pursued the craft since 1980, he has been a pioneer in reviving these forgotten martial disciplines and is a major force in the field of historical fencing studies. His writings have been featured in more than a dozen periodicals world-wide and he has appeared in numerous television and film documentaries. As director of ARMA, the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (www.theARMA.org) he teaches and writes on the subject full-time from his facility outside Atlanta, Georgia. This article originally appeared on ARMA's website.
:wink:
Narukami
David Reinke
Burbank CA
Burbank CA