Lots to look forward to this coming year with more competitions and more full on training. We will be pressing on with a lot more rapier and of course continuing the fine work you've been doing with the longsword. Sword and buckler will return at the end of Febuary after the next open comp and will be taught alongside Obsesseo so you have a reference tool to work with.
We will also be introducing the Dussack as the weapon of choice for beginners as a good simple itnroduction to cutting and sparring. The first of you taking assessments will be assessed not only on how well you learn this yourself, but also on how well you pass this on to beginners in the class. Yes that means assessments are coming.
AND, well lots lots more;)
Don't forget we start on the second (though some of us will be training the new year in). Looking forward to seeing you.
See you in the New year, hope it's a happy one for you. Dave
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Seasons Beatings....
Not much to say at this point, I was going to go into great detail all the school has achieved this year (and it's been a lot) but instead I will simply say, Thanks to all of you that train with me, for your effort and humour, to those outside the school who promote the art. And to the rest of you out there who may wonder what the hell is in those strange big bags yet still don't shuffle further down the train carriage... Let's all of us make the next one even better. The school is closed from the 24th of December till the 2nd of January. Till then peace go with you, and be excellent to each other.
Oh and this week, offline footwork, cross cuts, messer, longsword and of course, rapier.
Dave
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
A review of “Obsesseo” by Keith Farrel (Academy of Historical Arts)
Review of "Obsesseo" by David Rawlings
--------------------------
Rawlings, David.
Obsesseo.
DVD, Region 2,
London Longsword Academy,
23rd November 2011
--------------------------
"Obsesseo" is the latest DVD offering by David Rawlings and the London Longsword Academy. The above date is based on the day the DVDs were received, ready for distribution, as announced by Dave on Facebook.
The DVD looks at the I.33 manual, an early medieval manuscript from the late 13th or early 14th century that depicts combat using sword and buckler. It is not an introductory piece; no time is given to discussing how to hold the sword, how best to relate the sword and the buckler, the context of the manual, how to generate power in the strike, how to stand and step and move; instead the discussion moves immediately to what is shown in I.33 and how Dave interprets the different wards, techniques and concepts in a logical common-sense system. This is not to say that a beginner would not find this DVD useful, but it is clearly aimed at people who already understand the basics of sword and buckler and who want to look at the I.33 system in more detail.
The running time is short, just 30-40 minutes. I was expecting a slightly longer running time but I do not feel that extra time would be required. Dave manages to cover all the important points and all the plays of I.33 in this short space of time, nothing is missing. Sometimes in the manuscript the same actions are repeated again and again, shown through illustrations and text. Dave has chosen to omit many of these repetitions, merely reminding the viewer that "from this position you can do all the techniques discussed already in this DVD" in order to keep the DVD short and concise and to the point. This is another reason why the DVD would be better for more experienced practitioners, as beginners might find themselves lost due to the pace at which the presentation moves forward.
I have read on the Schola Gladiatoria forum that some people find it difficult to understand Dave when he is speaking in his previous two DVDs, and also in fact that sometimes he can be difficult to understand in person when he is speaking softly. In "Obsesseo" Dave speaks very clearly and audibly, and his explanations of what is happening is very clear and straight forward. Personally I had no difficulties at all with hearing and understanding what was being said. Just to be certain, I asked one of my foreign friends to listen to the DVD for a little while, and her opinion as a foreigner with good command of the English language was that she had no problems hearing or understanding Dave either; although she sometimes has difficulty with thicker accents such as from Liverpool or from Glasgow, the voice-over for the DVD was excellent and posed no difficulties at all.
The production is of a very high quality throughout. The audio is handled very well, with a clear voice-over and also a pleasant musical score that does not detract at all from the presentation. It fades away into the background when Dave speaks, and when it does play the volume is kept at a reasonable level, never detracting from what is happening on the screen. The audio in this DVD serves to support the visual aspects without ever disrupting the action or otherwise irritating the viewer. The visual aspects of the production are also very well done; the location is stunning, the actors perform the motions comfortably, capably and fluently without making them difficult to see for the viewer. It is almost always easy to see what is going on in the various plays - occasionally the sequence involves moving in such a fashion that an actor ends up with his back to the camera, but each action or sequence is shown from multiple angles, at full speed and in slow motion, so it is never a problem to see what is happening. Matt Galas made a comment recently on SFI that this DVD has "the best production values" he has "ever seen in a HEMA video"; high praise indeed!
The interface of the DVD is nice and simple. You can play the whole way through or you can choose to select a particular technique/sequence from the list. The terms used to describe the different techniques and sequences are simple and straightforward, in English so that knowledge of the Latin names for the movements is not required. The only problem with the interface is that when selecting a particular section to view, to return to the main menu is a little convoluted. One must either return to the first page of the list and choose "back" or go through to the final page of the list and choose "main menu", which links to the first page of the list, whereupon "back" must be selected to return to the main menu. I have mentioned this to Dave and he is looking into changing this for the next run of the DVD so that it works more intuitively.
With regard to the contents of the presentation, I think Dave has done a spectacular job. He is recognised throughout the country as one of the best combatants and instructors for the sword and buckler style of fighting, and this DVD is a good way to follow his thought process. Every action is logical and makes sense given the circumstance. There was not a single technique explained in the DVD where I questioned Dave's interpretation, it all made sense and was demonstrated in a clear and effective manner. While of course other groups and other instructors might have a different method for how to interpret I.33, Dave's method is certainly effective and one could not go too far wrong in learning from this DVD.
I have not practiced a lot of sword and buckler yet. I have looked a little into the later styles and have read a couple of books about I.33, but have not yet had the chance to practice or learn I.33 to any extent. I know the rough theory of how I.33 works as a fighting system, and now that I have this DVD I believe that I will be able to train a number of these sequences and add them to my sword and buckler skills. This DVD is certainly a valuable resource and I am very happy to have made the purchase. I would urge anyone with an interest in sword and buckler to invest in a copy, I think it will have a lot of interesting material for everyone.
The price of "Obsesseo" is £19.99 plus shipping and it is available through Dave's online shop: http://www.londonlongsword.com/dvds.html
-- Keith Farrell --
--------------------------
Rawlings, David.
Obsesseo.
DVD, Region 2,
London Longsword Academy,
23rd November 2011
--------------------------
"Obsesseo" is the latest DVD offering by David Rawlings and the London Longsword Academy. The above date is based on the day the DVDs were received, ready for distribution, as announced by Dave on Facebook.
The DVD looks at the I.33 manual, an early medieval manuscript from the late 13th or early 14th century that depicts combat using sword and buckler. It is not an introductory piece; no time is given to discussing how to hold the sword, how best to relate the sword and the buckler, the context of the manual, how to generate power in the strike, how to stand and step and move; instead the discussion moves immediately to what is shown in I.33 and how Dave interprets the different wards, techniques and concepts in a logical common-sense system. This is not to say that a beginner would not find this DVD useful, but it is clearly aimed at people who already understand the basics of sword and buckler and who want to look at the I.33 system in more detail.
The running time is short, just 30-40 minutes. I was expecting a slightly longer running time but I do not feel that extra time would be required. Dave manages to cover all the important points and all the plays of I.33 in this short space of time, nothing is missing. Sometimes in the manuscript the same actions are repeated again and again, shown through illustrations and text. Dave has chosen to omit many of these repetitions, merely reminding the viewer that "from this position you can do all the techniques discussed already in this DVD" in order to keep the DVD short and concise and to the point. This is another reason why the DVD would be better for more experienced practitioners, as beginners might find themselves lost due to the pace at which the presentation moves forward.
I have read on the Schola Gladiatoria forum that some people find it difficult to understand Dave when he is speaking in his previous two DVDs, and also in fact that sometimes he can be difficult to understand in person when he is speaking softly. In "Obsesseo" Dave speaks very clearly and audibly, and his explanations of what is happening is very clear and straight forward. Personally I had no difficulties at all with hearing and understanding what was being said. Just to be certain, I asked one of my foreign friends to listen to the DVD for a little while, and her opinion as a foreigner with good command of the English language was that she had no problems hearing or understanding Dave either; although she sometimes has difficulty with thicker accents such as from Liverpool or from Glasgow, the voice-over for the DVD was excellent and posed no difficulties at all.
The production is of a very high quality throughout. The audio is handled very well, with a clear voice-over and also a pleasant musical score that does not detract at all from the presentation. It fades away into the background when Dave speaks, and when it does play the volume is kept at a reasonable level, never detracting from what is happening on the screen. The audio in this DVD serves to support the visual aspects without ever disrupting the action or otherwise irritating the viewer. The visual aspects of the production are also very well done; the location is stunning, the actors perform the motions comfortably, capably and fluently without making them difficult to see for the viewer. It is almost always easy to see what is going on in the various plays - occasionally the sequence involves moving in such a fashion that an actor ends up with his back to the camera, but each action or sequence is shown from multiple angles, at full speed and in slow motion, so it is never a problem to see what is happening. Matt Galas made a comment recently on SFI that this DVD has "the best production values" he has "ever seen in a HEMA video"; high praise indeed!
The interface of the DVD is nice and simple. You can play the whole way through or you can choose to select a particular technique/sequence from the list. The terms used to describe the different techniques and sequences are simple and straightforward, in English so that knowledge of the Latin names for the movements is not required. The only problem with the interface is that when selecting a particular section to view, to return to the main menu is a little convoluted. One must either return to the first page of the list and choose "back" or go through to the final page of the list and choose "main menu", which links to the first page of the list, whereupon "back" must be selected to return to the main menu. I have mentioned this to Dave and he is looking into changing this for the next run of the DVD so that it works more intuitively.
With regard to the contents of the presentation, I think Dave has done a spectacular job. He is recognised throughout the country as one of the best combatants and instructors for the sword and buckler style of fighting, and this DVD is a good way to follow his thought process. Every action is logical and makes sense given the circumstance. There was not a single technique explained in the DVD where I questioned Dave's interpretation, it all made sense and was demonstrated in a clear and effective manner. While of course other groups and other instructors might have a different method for how to interpret I.33, Dave's method is certainly effective and one could not go too far wrong in learning from this DVD.
I have not practiced a lot of sword and buckler yet. I have looked a little into the later styles and have read a couple of books about I.33, but have not yet had the chance to practice or learn I.33 to any extent. I know the rough theory of how I.33 works as a fighting system, and now that I have this DVD I believe that I will be able to train a number of these sequences and add them to my sword and buckler skills. This DVD is certainly a valuable resource and I am very happy to have made the purchase. I would urge anyone with an interest in sword and buckler to invest in a copy, I think it will have a lot of interesting material for everyone.
The price of "Obsesseo" is £19.99 plus shipping and it is available through Dave's online shop: http://www.londonlongsword.com/dvds.html
-- Keith Farrell --
And..
Adam C we are very glad to say is back home getting better, good news indeed, hurry back to training ye lazy git;)
This week...
All this week has been cutting circuits, cutting or thrusting from ochs with either knife, single sword, rapier and longsword. Everybody cutting for one minute with each hand before moving on to the next weapon to start again, as each person finished the run, they trained one on one with me going through one aspect of the Nebenhut for 2 minutes before rejoining the cutting line. Both technique from Ochs and the counter from Neben changed at the end of each rotation. Then we had a little light sparring, moving into slightly heavier sparring, A very nice calm way to learn, but a lot of hard work well done, the rest of you have have this to look forward to...
Thursday, 1 December 2011
The first interclass, a review...
This is a review of last Sunday's event by Mark. The only thing I want to add to this is congratualtions to John Carrozi, who fought hard and earned his win well. Just in time to bugger of back to Oz, we will miss you mate.
You can visit Mark's blog here: http://www.myfavouritebooks.blogspot.com
Research can be a sweaty business.
As some of you may be aware, somewhere around this time last year I came to the decision that classical/ sports fencing just wasn’t floating my boat anymore. I was still enjoying it, but nowhere as much as I wanted or expected to. I'd taken it up partly as an alternative to gym, but also as research to help me get into the mind of the main character of my fantasy novel (first draft done, edits underway, thank you for asking :) ) and to hopefully infuse my action scenes with a dynamic, credible realism.
Anyway. My eye began to rove and fixed itself on a class offering lessons with the longsword. Intrigued, I crossed my fingers and plunged into the strange and fascinating world of historical martial arts. To be brutally honest, having been poisoned by a near miss with the SCA I wasn’t expecting much beyond a few beardy part time re-enactors. What I found instead was a group of largely intelligent people with an infectious enthusiasm and passion for what they were doing, and none more so than the head honcho, Dave Rawlings. He threw me in the deep end, which was perhaps the best thing he could have done, and blew my preconceptions of medieval combat out of the water by the end of the first lesson. I'm looking at you here, Hollywood.
So there I was, barely a year later, agreeing to take part in our first club longsword competition. Dave runs a number of classes across London under the banner of the London Longsword Academy, but most of us rarely get to interact with the other classes on anything resembling a regular basis due to the constraints of modern life. Hence the competition- a chance to meet the rest of the mob.. and then fight them. A bit of competition is healthy, and sparring against someone new really forces you to raise your game.
And so it was that this Sunday past I found myself packing my stuff into my kitbag and heading out the house to cross swords with who knows how many strangers when by all rights I should instead have been ensconced on the sofa finishing Deliverance Lost. It’s a strange world I live in.
Having squeezed the car into a quasi legal parking space I joined about 30 others at a gym in Hither Green and jotted my name down on the roster. There were a few faces I recognised, having met a few others at other classes I’d gone in on when I’d missed my regular Tuesday night slot, as well as some I’d sparred with at Fightcamp and other events. Everyone seemed to be equal parts excited and nervous, but the atmosphere was friendly. We filed inside and quickly thawed under the rather large, chipshop like heaters (which were soon switched off when the fights started!).
Dave had enlisted the support of the School of the Sword to help with the scoring, but they’d been delayed by the evil machinations of their SatNav, so a few of us took the opportunity to do some light sparring while the circle was being chalked out, a good way to shake the Sunday lethargy from our limbs and generally loosen up, even if it did cost me a small but annoyingly painful bruise on my knuckle within the first few seconds (thanks Toby). However, soon enough our guests arrived and we divided into pools under Dave’s directions, each one a mix of both sexes and folk from each of his classes. Then it was time to take a seat while the first pool readied themselves for the opening bouts.
The fights progressed smoothly, with Dave doing most of the refereeing and the line judging shared by a selection of members from other pools. The scorekeeper kept things blessedly clear and simple and there was little delay once things got moving, with plenty of hands willing to help people in and out of the coloured shirts and various bits of protective gear. The fights themselves were as much of a mix as the participants and were generally a pretty good match in terms of ability. The one thing they had in common was fantastic sportsmanship- there were no egos butting up against each other as we were all there of our own choosing and because we enjoy what we do.
My pool was last to fight, and my stomach instantly knotted itself into a pretzel when we moved into the staging area and started getting ready, courtesy of that primal part of the brain that refuses to recognise a friendly fight and prepares for the worst even if you don’t want it too.
It all changed as soon as I stepped into the circle though. No more worries, no more nerves, just the game at hand. The fights were only two minutes long- to those outside the circle anyway. Inside, it felt far longer. Suddenly it was over, and the nervous grin that had been there before was gone. It’s like the build up to a theme park ride you’ve never been on. You’re beset by doubts as you inch closer to the point of no return, but once it’s over you’ve got a fat smile across your face and all you want to do is get back on and do it again. And that’s what it was like.
Unfortunately I didn’t make it into the next round (insert excuses here!) and the fights that followed between each pool’s top scoring competitor were well fought, with flurries of good techniques exchanged until a winner emerged to collect his well deserved laurels and prize. Once the congratulations and thank you's were done, a vote was taken as to whether we should we do this again- the answer being an uncontested YES.
I can’t wait.
You can visit Mark's blog here: http://www.myfavouritebooks.blogspot.com
Research can be a sweaty business.
As some of you may be aware, somewhere around this time last year I came to the decision that classical/ sports fencing just wasn’t floating my boat anymore. I was still enjoying it, but nowhere as much as I wanted or expected to. I'd taken it up partly as an alternative to gym, but also as research to help me get into the mind of the main character of my fantasy novel (first draft done, edits underway, thank you for asking :) ) and to hopefully infuse my action scenes with a dynamic, credible realism.
Anyway. My eye began to rove and fixed itself on a class offering lessons with the longsword. Intrigued, I crossed my fingers and plunged into the strange and fascinating world of historical martial arts. To be brutally honest, having been poisoned by a near miss with the SCA I wasn’t expecting much beyond a few beardy part time re-enactors. What I found instead was a group of largely intelligent people with an infectious enthusiasm and passion for what they were doing, and none more so than the head honcho, Dave Rawlings. He threw me in the deep end, which was perhaps the best thing he could have done, and blew my preconceptions of medieval combat out of the water by the end of the first lesson. I'm looking at you here, Hollywood.
So there I was, barely a year later, agreeing to take part in our first club longsword competition. Dave runs a number of classes across London under the banner of the London Longsword Academy, but most of us rarely get to interact with the other classes on anything resembling a regular basis due to the constraints of modern life. Hence the competition- a chance to meet the rest of the mob.. and then fight them. A bit of competition is healthy, and sparring against someone new really forces you to raise your game.
And so it was that this Sunday past I found myself packing my stuff into my kitbag and heading out the house to cross swords with who knows how many strangers when by all rights I should instead have been ensconced on the sofa finishing Deliverance Lost. It’s a strange world I live in.
Having squeezed the car into a quasi legal parking space I joined about 30 others at a gym in Hither Green and jotted my name down on the roster. There were a few faces I recognised, having met a few others at other classes I’d gone in on when I’d missed my regular Tuesday night slot, as well as some I’d sparred with at Fightcamp and other events. Everyone seemed to be equal parts excited and nervous, but the atmosphere was friendly. We filed inside and quickly thawed under the rather large, chipshop like heaters (which were soon switched off when the fights started!).
Dave had enlisted the support of the School of the Sword to help with the scoring, but they’d been delayed by the evil machinations of their SatNav, so a few of us took the opportunity to do some light sparring while the circle was being chalked out, a good way to shake the Sunday lethargy from our limbs and generally loosen up, even if it did cost me a small but annoyingly painful bruise on my knuckle within the first few seconds (thanks Toby). However, soon enough our guests arrived and we divided into pools under Dave’s directions, each one a mix of both sexes and folk from each of his classes. Then it was time to take a seat while the first pool readied themselves for the opening bouts.
The fights progressed smoothly, with Dave doing most of the refereeing and the line judging shared by a selection of members from other pools. The scorekeeper kept things blessedly clear and simple and there was little delay once things got moving, with plenty of hands willing to help people in and out of the coloured shirts and various bits of protective gear. The fights themselves were as much of a mix as the participants and were generally a pretty good match in terms of ability. The one thing they had in common was fantastic sportsmanship- there were no egos butting up against each other as we were all there of our own choosing and because we enjoy what we do.
My pool was last to fight, and my stomach instantly knotted itself into a pretzel when we moved into the staging area and started getting ready, courtesy of that primal part of the brain that refuses to recognise a friendly fight and prepares for the worst even if you don’t want it too.
It all changed as soon as I stepped into the circle though. No more worries, no more nerves, just the game at hand. The fights were only two minutes long- to those outside the circle anyway. Inside, it felt far longer. Suddenly it was over, and the nervous grin that had been there before was gone. It’s like the build up to a theme park ride you’ve never been on. You’re beset by doubts as you inch closer to the point of no return, but once it’s over you’ve got a fat smile across your face and all you want to do is get back on and do it again. And that’s what it was like.
Unfortunately I didn’t make it into the next round (insert excuses here!) and the fights that followed between each pool’s top scoring competitor were well fought, with flurries of good techniques exchanged until a winner emerged to collect his well deserved laurels and prize. Once the congratulations and thank you's were done, a vote was taken as to whether we should we do this again- the answer being an uncontested YES.
I can’t wait.
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