Over the last few years I've been into Medieval stuff, and slowly developed my own gear and so on. Over the weekend,
my brother in law and I decided to film a sport we take part in, HMB. Some may have heard of it, some may have not.
It means Historical Medieval Battle, it's quite popular in central and eastern Europe. It is a full contact, steel on steel
armoured combat sport, with Medieval armour and historical weapons.
Here's two videos we put together earlier this week of us dueling, hope you enjoy them.
My brother in law is in the black armour, it was made for me so it's a bit too big for him - he's got some
armour coming in the post
Brutality involves taking your shield and smashing your opponent with it as well as charging your opponent whilst knocking them to the ground and then
spearing him/her through the neck or soft areas of armour into the flesh. Kicks and elbowing also involved in the skirmishes.
These fight scenes look more of a Monte Python fight...minus the missing limbs and jokes
edit on 28-8-2015 by Skywatcher2011 because: (no reason given)
I can appreciate the idea of practicing old technique.
It looks like fun. Watch your fingers.
A couple of good dogs and a shotgun would be a lot more effective.
My issue with these sports, is that they are not sports. Swords are not competition weapons. They have one purpose, and one purpose alone. The defence
of the self, ones loved ones, and ones community. They are supposed to be used when blood must run in the streets, when hell comes a knocking on your
door. The art of the blade is not in technique, it does not score you points. Its purpose is to maim and kill the enemies of liberty when they seek to
take it from you. That is all.
A true swordsman does not spar, because he seeks at all times to take a head, to ram the point of his steel between the ribs of his enemies, to take
legs and arms from their sockets, to bludgeon his opponent to ruin beneath its weight, to crush the face of his enemy with his shield. Every blow
should be designed to kill, he should never stop moving, be always seeking the life of his foe. You cannot practice that. It is something which
resides within, and is only ever truly utilised when death walks not far behind.
I disagree, you can pratice, and in HEMA it is shown time and time again that a large, strong yet inexperienced man throwing his full weight and
trying hard to smash a trained opponents defences ends up feeling foolish after the first clash, practice is needed to know what attack is likely to
be used from different stances.
This is why there exhists hundreds of period books on swordsmanship from rapier up to bastard and 2 handed swords. Later on, in European society young
men carried swords for duelling as a fashion item, but those who did so and did not train ended up dead or maimed, spawning many many schools on
duelling.
I did not learn of the arts martial by way of dojo training, nor the art of close quarters melee battle under a tutor. I learned them by experience
exclusively, and for all the technique and footwork a person can learn in a lifetime, there is no replacement for being educated by way of being dead
if you fail.
I wasn't insinuating you diddnt know, Brit But to say sword are not competition weapons is to ignore all the sword based competiton!
Kinda like a rifles main use is to take life, but there are many sports that grew from it. No disrespect taken or meant
But it is shown that someone who practices is more likely to win, excepting of course those like me who forget all learning and training in a
kerfuffle and just try kick the balls and run. Training stress management may even be as equally viable as technique.