Anyone swordfight or fence?

Muuu, I went to a small Ren Fair nearby and finally met up with some SCA folks in the area. I've decided to start attending their regular rapier combat (and maybe heavy weapons combat) practices at the park. I learned a bit of fencing when I was in junior high and I was a member of the kendo club in college, so I wanted to go back to playing a sport that I enjoy and look forward to. I've been dealing with my usual chronic depression and the resulting recent weight gain that made it much worse, so I'm hoping a regular schedule of getting out of the house and exercising will help too. Maybe once some weight goes off and I'm more used to squatting I would like to give fencing another try, but unfortunately, there are no nearby kendo dojos to practice at anymore.

 

Does anyone else do swordfighting of any type? I'd like to hear about what everyone else uses for fighting and what your practices are like.

My boyfriend teaches me kendo, I originally did it to help him so he had someone to practice with, but I really enjoy it!

 

I've always been interested in fencing! Good luck with it

My only experience is with kendo and the sword techniques done in Aikido.

 

I started Kendo just as I entered High school, though due to my laziness and work I have taken a few months off. I will probably resume later this year as I still hope to make it into the world or European championships while Im still young and able.

 

At my university club I sometimes take the training sessions. My favorite thing to do is to make everyone do an unpleasant amount of suburi then a lot of Kirikaeshi. Extremely good for fitness and for gaining stamina!

 

I really love Kendo though have always wanted to try fencing, just somehow in my town there was a kendo dojo closer than a fencing club.

I did take a fencing class in college, and it was awesome! It was a foil fencing class, though the teacher also knew rapier, epee, broadsword, and sword-and-dagger apparently; wish we'd had more than just the one level there we could have taken from him. I wasn't that great, but it was fun enough I didn't care.

 

I'd love to get back into it; maybe I should research so I know what's available when I get a new job and therefore monies to pay fees.

I wish I could attend a swordfighting class, but no where local to me offers it and because I'm a chef I don't have a set Rota to dedicate to any martial art Does anybody else have this problem?

 

On the upside though, I live in the hotel I work at, so if the function room is empty, I can practice in there

So cruel, KOD! In my club, if we got out of line we were threatened with a session of just squatting suburi up and down the stairs. We were more laid back, which was the kind of environment I enjoy. Although we did admit that all the suburi were very good for us in the long run. I hope you can make it into the Championships! It does sound that you are doing pretty well though with all your exercise.

 

CharBrass, is there a chapter of the SCA nearby you? A lot of times they are teaching each other sword fighting of some sort, and if you do find one nearby, you can ask them to teach you. I hope you can find someone to teach you something, because it is super fun!

 

Poofiemus, you're so lucky you had the option of a fencing class! I would have loved for such an option. I suppose though that I am really lucky that there is a reputable local fencing academy nearby. At least we have that option. I also need to get a job to pay fees, that is a big hurdle to overcome.

I fence on and off with the SCA by me. The group I'm with currently is a little to hard core for me so I'm taking a break. The SCA is awesome! I hope you have a great time!

Waah! How exciting! Thank you! Last practice was canceled at the last minute because of storms. I did meet two people there at the park who were also interested in it though. I am hopeful that I will be able to meet the group this Friday.

What was your practices like? How were they hardcore? Did they just like bashing each other all practice long?

I'm just guessing, but by hardcore, they mean, "totally in character," or something. As far as fencing, our male half has been "training" for around about 14 years on and off. Training here means being taught half-basics by someone who quit after being repremanded over 3 times (on average) per session in kendo (supposedly he was given 10 lashes across the back with a shinai each time). From there, he went sparing whoever he could find, some amatures, some moderately trained (there are a few stories featuring a parking garage/lot at the local anime con). Most recently, a friend who used to practice Iaido started sparing again and they now tend to part ways with bruised hands, arms, and wrists. Said friend's father, evidently, used to be a part of an SCA chapter somewhere, but we never found out where.

Sorry to dig up a dead thread. By hardcore I meant they weren't willing to deal with a casual fencer. Either I was full in or I was out. It was disheartening, but we'll get transferred sooner or later and I'll get to try again.

 

Did you get to meet up with them Coco? I hope you had a good time!

Man, that is disappointing that they wouldn't accept a casual fencer. I was already looking to be super hardcore as I can be when I joined, and it seems like the entire Middle Kingdom is super accepting!

 

I do have an update I swung by to give..

I did eventually get to meet up with the local group! It turns out, my brother's best friend is the heavy marshal, and they fight at the same time as the light group. So, I joined both. I plan to alternate heavy and light at the practices so I can learn both. I keep completely spacing the archery meet times though, so I haven't been to either of those. And I also went to the Crown Tourney as my first event and got to meet the scribes who I can work with doing illumination and calligraphy. I'm in nerd heaven.

I hope I can keep up with everything. I tend to run really hot at first and then my depression cools some things off. But I love being active and the group reminds me of events and things, so I am trying to keep at it! The only thing is that I slack on exercises and practicing swings. I've never been good at doing my homework, so it'll be an uphill battle. And the increased newness of everything is lightening my depression a bit, so I'm hoping to use the momentum to get to a doctor, so maybe things will be looking better for me here in the new year!

Sweet! I'll be rooting for you!

Thanks! This Friday is my second heavy practice. It's the one where I strap on armor and they hit me to guage how hard they can hit me. I've been warned many times about the bruising heavy fighters get. I am going to aim to fulfill my childhood goal of becoming a knight!

Best of luck! Though I've always rather not get hit in the first place...

Thanks! This Friday is my second heavy practice. It's the one where I strap on armor and they hit me to gauge how hard they can hit me. I've been warned many times about the bruising heavy fighters get. I am going to aim to fulfill my childhood goal of becoming a knight!

I bruise way to easily for heavy fighting sadly. Does not equate into real life well. I'm hoping to get into heavy combat archery though. Good luck and ha fun!

Homan, heavy combat archery sounds really cool! I haven't talked to anyone about archery much, but I am aiming to go to a practice tonight. I'ma head out right after work!

 

Even though I don't like the feel of bruises, I don't mind getting them. However, if they're visible, my friends and family ask me often if my fiance is abusing me, and that's rather embarrassing. My poor Al.

Even though I don't like the feel of bruises, I don't mind getting them. However, if they're visible, my friends and family ask me often if my fiance is abusing me, and that's rather embarrassing. My poor Al.

And that is the reason I couldn't do it XD

XD Well, at least we know they care enough to worry, right?

True, annoying, but true XD

At my martial arts club we have done chinese jian fighting. A jian is a double edged straight sword. Think green destiny from crouching tiger.

 

A lot of the beginner/intermediates that tried it weren't so much interested in drilling proper technique though, they were more interested in hacking at each other. Then they'd wonder why some of us old timers would completely destroy them. Because we used training swords there was no respect for the blade, so they'd just some straight in and take a cut that would maim/kill or disarm them to swat at us, usually hitting us with the flat of the sword. They'd leave red marks on us, but we'd leave them with huge welts in the shape of the blade or stab marks over vital spots. lol.

XD Well, it's their choice if they just want to smack people around instead of learning proper form. That's one problem I had in kendo. I was a lot slower if I stuck to proper form, because I didn't have too much experience in it. But if I just wanted to spar, I still lost because I didn't maintain proper form and defend weak spots. But once in a while it was nice to just smack my friend around.

yes, but they didn't have the patience to learn how to be decent at it, thereby getting better at it so they wouldn't suck...

 

But then they would get frustrated when they got beat all the time and quit anyway.

Ah, that is too bad they quit. Frustration takes the fun out of things. I hope I don't get frustrated with getting the tar beat out of me all the time. O3O

I've got a new update! XD I've not had a good time of things in real life, so rapier combat was getting a bit frustrating for me. It's hard for me to deal with frustration with technique in a practice that I go to to unwind. So, I put rapier aside for a bit and I'm focusing for a while on heavy combat. It's nice to kind of clear my head and get some of the tar beat out of me on Fridays. My group doesn't have a thrown weapons marshall yet, so there's no practices for it until we do, and I periodically go to archery, but I've only shot once. If I happen to come across a bow at the right price, I'll be able to shoot more often. But until then, I've got an offer of a barrel for armor, and loaner gear for other things! I'd really like to try equestrian things in the neighboring barony, but that's a bit further out. Also, after I go further along and if I eventually authorize in a combat style, I'd like to practice a Japanese swordfighting style and compare it to kendo. I miss kendo.

 

I have a basic persona! I'm not too sure about things yet, they say that when you finally talk to someone about what you want, you come out with someone completely different than you expected. I just want to wear something decent, not hose, that's all I ask. XD