(Untitled)

[fechtbuch]

15 good things meme:

1. Swords
2. Pilsner Urquell
3. Wine gums
4. Darcey Bussell
5. Powell and Pressburger films
6. The dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park
7. Blue skies
8. The moment on take-off when an aircraft's wheels leave the ground and you're flying
9. Hot baths
10. The theme from The Magnificent Seven
11. Thornton's chocolate mice12

Comments

[whytraven]

Why swords?

[fechtbuch]

I like swords. I do some practising with 15th century longsword.
Also, lots of people are putting quite fluffy answers (and there's nothing wrong with that - some of mine are a bit fluffy), so I thought I'd start with something a bit different.

[whytraven]

I used to do historical reenactment and live roleplaying, so I'm quite fond of swords. I used to use either a quarter staff or a scramasax, since I wasn't muscular enough to wield a broadsword at that time. (I'm not sure I am right now, either.)

[zornhau]

You don't need to be muscular to use a longsword, you just need to know how to use it properly! You need guy Windsor's book.

(My 15 good things list probably reads:
1. Zornhau
2. Zwerchhau
3. Krumphau...etc)

[whytraven]

I couldn't pick the things up when I was 18 - let alone wield one. Those things were *heavy*.

[zornhau]

They shouldn't be - my twohander weighs only 5lbs. My longsword, perhaps 2.5.

Besides, if you can't pick up a sword, that sounds like an argument for revisiting your general fitness, lest you get mugged by 5 year olds.

[fechtbuch]

Where do you get your swords from, Zornhau? And how much do they cost, if you don't mind my asking. My entry-level Czech longsword weighs about twice that.

[zornhau]

Ah. You have a reenactment blade. Ptui! OK for mashing bills (I have one for that purpose).

Mine come from a variety of sources. Your best bet, ifyou have the money, are St George Armoury - http://www.stgeorgearmoury.co.uk/ and Heron http://heronarmoury.itworkshop-nexus.net/

In either case, it's really important to say you want a light blade for Western Martial Arts. It helps to cite Oakshott.

[whytraven]

Uh, hello? I was referring to when I was 18 - nearly 20 years ago. I've come on a bit since then.

You also forget that women have the lower body strength, and upper body strength tends to be an issue unless we work at it.

No, these things didn't weigh 5 lbs. They weighed, at a guess, 20-30 lbs - I believe they were made from cast iron. Solid metal. 5 lbs I can do.

[zornhau]

>They weighed, at a guess, 20-30 lbs - I believe they were made from
>cast iron. Solid metal.

God's Teeth! I've heard of these. I thought they were a reenactment legand. I couldn't wield one either!