Interesting demo from this years SKUNKS

[Mike Edelson]

That's pretty close to what concerns me but I don't blame the tournaments per se as it's the mindset and quality of training that truly determines how things develop.

It's not about tournaments, tournaments are great, it's about tournaments being the only thing to train for. That leads to sport fencing by default, there's no other way. Regardless of your intentions, you or your students will train what works in tournaments because they want to win, and if there's nothing else to train for, that's all that your art becomes. All you have to do in a tournament is smack someone with a stick, and the best/fastest way to do that is not the best/fastest way to kill with a sword.

The cutting tournament at Longpoint is an example of something else to strive for that will keep your technique more honest, but it's not enough. You have to train so that you cut like you fight and you fight like you cut. In kendo they do battodo type kata as part of their training/testing but they don't fight like the kata. So just having cutting means nothing if your tournament fighting is divorced from it.

[Mike Ruhala]

You have to train so that you cut like you fight and you fight like you cut. In kendo they do battodo type kata as part of their training/testing but they don't fight like the kata. So just having cutting means nothing if your tournament fighting is divorced from it.

That's exactly what I'm trying to work on. The trick is how are we going to handle situations where one combatant is sword fighting and the other is playing tag?

[Mike Edelson]

That's exactly what I'm trying to work on. The trick is how are we going to handle situations where one combatant is sword fighting and the other is playing tag?

That, Mr. Ruhala, is the hardest part. I don't know. Some people avoid training with those who don't share their mindset. I understand that. In HEMA we don't yet have that luxury. If you go to an open tournament you'll be facing all kinds of people with all kinds of different training goals. Some may be trying to fight with a sword with varying degrees of honesty and success, others may be playing stick tag. My approach thus far has been to try my best and try not to get too upset if it doesn't work out. It doesn't always work. I have been known to pout (and bitch and moan).

At the end of the day, I may not be the best HEMA fighter around, but every move I make would work with a real sword (usually, hehe), I can prove it to myself and to others, and that's good enough for me. Or it should be...it isn't always. I guess it's a matter of character. Be true to your beliefs and take whatever comes. Easier said than done, but that's all I've got.

And that's another reason why I don't like HEMA vs. kendo comparisons. Kendo has very different goals from even sport fencing HEMA. It's like asking who can kick whose ass, a tiger or a shark? Well I guess it depends on where that little duel takes place, doesn't it?

[Mike Ruhala]

In the old days a cut with a saber wasn't considered valid unless it was made as a draw cut or push cut but it can be hard to make the distinction in realtime and there's still some question in my mind as to what constitutes a valid longsword cut. I don't think it's a problem that can be satisfactorily resolved by rules alone.

[Mike Edelson]

In the old days a cut with a saber wasn't considered valid unless it was made as a draw cut or push cut but it can be hard to make the distinction in realtime and there's still some question in my mind as to what constitutes a valid longsword cut. I don't think it's a problem that can be satisfactorily resolved by rules alone.

No, it would have to be up to the integrity of each person who professes this as his/her goal. However the ability to cut with a sword can be measured independently, which helps. Because if you profess to have this goal and to having achieved it to whatever degree, and you can't cut with a sword, at least we can know you're full of shit.