Gear details

Hi, We can get Red Dragon gloves for $72 +tax. Nylon wasters are $72+ tax. If we order some now, we should get them by three weeks out. I am sure you have all heard about the dock worker's strike which is slowing down shipping. Gambesons can be ordered here, and you should do that on your own. Contact me if you are not sure which one to get.

New Sparring rules and an apology

Wow, it has been a whole since I posted. I need to get better at that. Sorry. Anyway, we instated a new rule in sparring. If you get hit, you drop and do ten pushups. Double hits mean you both drop and push. I did more pushups to day than I have done is quite a while.

Another news story about HEMA

Here is a news story about the Swordfish tournament in Europe. We are growing!

The head instructor is growing a mustache to help fight men's cancers.

Please view my Movember page and donate.

Sacramento Open 2014 Highlights

Here is a nice video of the tournament we had in town a couple of months ago.

A terrific video about "time" and movement in martial arts.

All the sword treatises tell us to move the foot after the blade. Here is a great demonstration of why, and it has action figures and people getting slapped.

Footwork for following after

According to Ringeck:

 Another following-after.

When he cuts against you from above and he continues downwards towards the ground with his sword, follow after him with an Oberhau to the head, before he comes up with the sword. ...

You need to control distance so that your opponent misses their cut, but then return in time to perform your own cut. This might require you to switch your stance from a left lead to a right lead as you cut. Here is some footwork to help you do that.

Good fencing!