#swordsquatch

Swordsquatchis an annual HEMA event that brings together historical martial arts practitioners from across the Pacific Northwest for 3 days of workshops, tournaments, and legendary socializing. With 50 workshops from over 30 instructors, the schedule for this year’s Swordsquatch is packed to the gills with amazing programming. Overstuffed, even. With so much to fit on the roster, it was…

“ ***ORIGINALLY AIRED ON ZOOM SUNDAY 09/08/2020 AT 7:00 PM PDT***

Workshop Title: Experiments in Arms Instructor: Charles Lin Type of Workshop: Lecture

Description: I’ll share some of my experiments that explore the context of the use of armor, and objective-oriented trips exploring how a small military unit might function. Some topics I’ll be discussing are squiring and the support necessary for heavy armor, enduring the elements, keeping watch, medieval military theory and historical sources. These projects are part of a broader exploration of the military context of the late 15th century.

Find more of Charles here: https://practiceandart.wordpress.com/

If you enjoyed this video consider donating to Swordsquatch today via https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/swordsquatch

Buy Squatchmerch at: https://society6.com/swordsquatch

To ensure you're up to date on all of our announcements be sure to follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swordsquatch

Your purchases and donations support future Swordsquatch events!”

If you’re interested in learning more about armored combat check out the HEMA Harnischfechten and  XIV century European Armour and   XV Century European Armour and  XVI Century European Armour and the armor tag here.

Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with some of these issues.

Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by Kaja Sadowski may be relevant as well.

Another useful book to check out is  The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts

Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.

Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.

“Workshop Title: Do You Bite Your Thumb at Me? Instructor: Matthew Benedict Type of Workshop: Lecture

Description: This will be a talk about Honor and honor cultures: defining what these are, looking at how the role and understanding of honor changes over time, and the influence that it has in understanding how martial culture worked in the medieval and Early modern period.

If you enjoyed this video consider donating to Swordsquatch today via https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/swordsquatch

Buy Squatchmerch at: https://society6.com/swordsquatch

To ensure you're up to date on all of our announcements be sure to follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swordsquatch

Your purchases and donations support future Swordsquatch events!”

While on the topic one may want to read The Martial Ethic in Early Modern Germany or Manhood and the Duel: Masculinity in Early Modern Drama and Culture

Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with some of these issues.

Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by Kaja Sadowski may be relevant as well.

Another useful book to check out is  The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts

Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.

Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.

“What was your favorite moment” Zach asks, as we’re chatting at the Saturday night post-finals party.

I have to think about it for a moment. I’ve just lost the women’s bronze medal match and the adrenaline is still dumping. Waiting all day for one fight and then losing that fight isn’t a fun feeling - but neither is it a good idea to rate my experience based on that one encounter, especially when the other fencer happens to be a good friend. Soon enough, my thoughts lead me down a completely different road.

“You know, I think it was at the end of open steel, just to make it through two whole tournaments in one day, without a break.” There’s a pause, as some math computes in my head. “You know, I think Amanda and I had more fights than anyone else. That’s kind of crazy.”

****

The debate between doing women’s competitions and doing open competitions is one of the most hot-button issues in the HEMAsphere, but my motivations in doing both here were simple - I wanted to fight. I wanted to fight as many times as I could. I wanted to fight people bigger than me, people smaller than me, people faster than me, people slower than me, people better than me, people who have different styles of fighting than me, and so on.

More importantly, I wanted to encourage others to fight, and there’s only one real way to make that happen - you have to be the example. If I want others to fight, if I want others who may be hesitant to enter the ring to feel the sense of empowerment and accomplishment that comes with fencing, then I have to make sure I am fighting.

I was on the outside of the ring not too long ago, prevaricating about whether or not I even could step in the ring, terrified that I would be murdered at the hands of an unsympathetic opponent, but then I saw others doing the Thing, and it gave me the courage to do it too.

*****

The women’s tournament at PNW is medium-sized as women’s events go, but it is one of the hardest women’s events I’ve done. None of my pool wins were easy - I trail Callie for most of our match, and Olivia and Hannah both manage to run me out of the ring, and I got soundly beaten in all of my losses (in my three combined losses in pools, elims, and finals I managed a total of exactly one point).

The break I get between women’s and open steel is only just long enough for me to corner for Tristan for his first fight. It’s not long enough for me to eat anything, or to go pee, or to properly rehydrate. I know nothing about any of my opponents in open steel - I don’t know if they’re good or not, or if they are Big Scary Guys, or what. I don’t even have my coach for my first two fights - because he’s fighting in his own pool.

Thus it’s probably not surprising that I am getting decimated here - in my first three fights I managed only one point and a few double hits. I didn’t know it at the time, but the third fight I have in the round is with Shawn, who will later go on to take silver.

No, the surprising part is that it’s in my last fight that I start to breathe again. In my last fight, my tenth of the day, I manage to claw all the way back to a score of 5-4 and lose only by that single point.

Ten tournament fights. I can barely stand, but there’s still more to do.

*****

I spend most of Saturday and Sunday participating in the Bigfoot Brawl, sparring with whomever and *what* ever you can find, and prizes given to those who fought the most.

For the first time I spar with spears, with rondels, with a tomahawk, and a smallsword; I also spar with messers, longswords, sword and buckler, rapier, saber, sidesword, and I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting something. There was a dance-off with spears, a thumb war, and a birthday bear pit for Leigh. I fight many people for the first time, and some for only the second or the third.

I came to Seattle to fight, and I will not be going home disappointed.

****

Finals this time is something special. Ashleigh, Kimmie, Amanda, and myself are all friends, rooting and supporting each other throughout the entire competition. We’ve helped each other warm up and relax, but as Brent introduces myself and Kimmie for the third place match, she does something that leaves me floored.

In front of everyone who’s gathered to watch, without any prompting, Kimmie says that she is here because of my encouragement.

Every single win I’ve ever had, every single point I’ve ever scored - they mean nothing to me compared to this. After all, it’s Kimmie that’s been an inspiration for me, keeping me going even when my body is at its most rebellious. She doesn’t know it, but it’s her that got me to try taking a few (small) risks with my diet that, so far, are mostly paying off.

Our support for each other doesn’t end there - after our match is done and I’ve lost, I’m straight into Ashleigh’s corner, in her fight against Amanda for gold, and Amanda sportsmanship-one-ups all of us by refusing four points she doesn’t think she earned.

At the party, realizing that I am out of edible options, Amanda and Ashleigh help me abscond to find some sushi nearby. They don’t have to do this - as gold and silver medalists, they’ve earned themselves the right to enjoy the party - but they do.

The blood, sweat, and tears of HEMA is worth it for their friendship alone.

****