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Visa inlägg - Axel Pettersson

Sidor: 1 [2] 3 4
16
Axel:

"I should write about the amazing Rory van Noort memorial tournament, now that Im finally back home for a few days, but I must let that wait a little bit to mention the weekend I spent with Mark Wilkie, Mel, James Burn, Keith Farrell and the fantastic bunch of guys at IHA in Dundee the weekend before the Amsterdam trip.

I taught a two day seminar, with day one focused on bringing up core skills to a level where you can perform the at high speed and force againsta an uncooperative opponent. Stuff like being able to cover with all vier hengen, dominate the centre line, feeling safe in your "box" without having to withdraw with footwork every time you parry etc. The Scottish fencers proved to be very apt learners, and by the end of the day there were marked improvement in the way they fenced comfortably, taking their time behind cover instead of doing the constant "left hengen-left oberhau" counter regardless of situation.

The evening, naturally, was spent getting as drunk as possible. Mark really succeeded with his ambition here, I don't think I have had so much to drink on this side of 2010, and that includes a number of very wet Dijon parties. To my horror and deligth, i learned about Dundee traditions such as "dirty tequila", "kidney punch greetings" and and "licking the eyeball of strangers". I have to admit being quite grey come Sunday morning..

My hosts were all fine however, and we spent the whole day doing various sparring drills, focusing on coaching, giving and receiving feedback, and how to view sparring as just another drill, not a competitive event. At the end of the day we got alot of sparring in, and I have to especially mention Mark Wilkies for his powerful yet technical style of fencing, perhaps I like how he does it because it reminds me so much of my own approach. Both me and Mark are big guys, but tend to hold back on muscle to play a technical game. Keith Farrel was also extremely impressive, with excellent parries (one of the few I know who uses the lower right henger instead of the upper left to parry his right side, giving him a great advantage in covering and countering with the point online). The last time I saw Keith fence was in 2011, and he has skyrocketed since then.

Keith, Mark and their crew also impressed me with their ambition, they already have hundreds of fencers and alot planned for the future, the secret behind it being their devotion combined with a very solid organizational structure, allowing them to grow fast and at the same time steady.

I want to give my thanks to Mark, his lovely Mel, Keith, James and all the other grat people I met in Scotland, and I really look forward to see what they will bring to the HEMA community in the coming years."

Keith:
"I spent the weekend up in Dundee with Axel Pettersson, Mark Wilkie and Alex Bourdas. We did a lot of training and my skills have improved tremendously as a result. Axel is very good at coaching and structuring his workshops to lead towards a single, primary outcome, and as a result everyone who attended the course made quite impressive improvements in their skills.

More importantly, the top practitioners working with steel longswords in this country are managing to pull off more and more of the skills and techniques from the original sources. The fighting is becoming much cleaner and much more decisive - I don't recall seeing more than a handful of double hits between the advanced practitioners at the weekend. We are gradually moving into a place where the fencing is becoming much more technical and historical without sacrificing any of the athleticism or intensity. This is really quite an exciting time for the study of longsword in Scotland!"

17
GHFS did a good showing at the Rory van Noort Memorial Tournaments in Amsterdam last weekend.

Julia Yli-Hukka took 3rd place in Womens Longsword and also received award for best technical fencing
Nicolas Gallardo took 1st place in Open longsword and was awarded a Black Sword,, Samuel Spånberger took 3rd place and Jonathan Wilkins took 4th
Axel Pettersson took 1st place in the Invitational Longsword and was awarded with Rorys own Black Sword to keep until next years tournament.

Several GHFS members also helped out the AMEK admin team, serving as referees, judges and secretariat.

Other Swedish medals was won by Dennis Ljungqvist (2nd place invitational longsword, 2nd place messer) and Johan Lundby (3rd place messer).

Our thanks goes to Ties Kool, Marcos Arinos and the AMEK crew for organizing the event, and our thoughts goes to Rory and his family.

18
Hema News Agency / GHFS takes 2 golds, 1 silver at Bergen Open
« skrivet: 2013-09-09, 16:28:50 »
In early August, Frie Duellister hosted Bergen Open in order to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the club.

From GHFS, Axel Pettersson took gold in both the longsword and the mixed weapon (using sword & dagger) tournaments, Nicolas Gallardo took 2nd place in longsword.

Axel and Mikael Widegren also hosted a well attended judges workshop.

our thanks to Frie Duellister for hosting this great event.

19
Hallå vänner, nu är registreringen för GHFS ute!

Till er som ska tävla, vår policy är att man enbart tävlar i de vapen som man tränar aktivt och regelbundet i, och om man känner att man kan träna i princip alla pass fram t.om Swordfish.

Om man alltså inte tränar i sabel, så får man inte ställa upp i sabeltävlingen.

Swordfish är en elittävling, det är inte en tävling man ställer upp i "för att testa" eller om det är din första tävling. För GHFS långsvärdsutövare gäller att man måste ha tävlat i minst en annan tävling innan man får ställa upp i Swordfish.

Vi har också ett begränsat antal platser till våra tävlingar, och vill i längsta möjliga mån att det finns platser för folk från andra länder och klubbar så att vi får ett varierat startfält. Det handlar också om att vi i tävlingarna vill se fäktning efter systemen, och inte "Nisses hemmagjorda långsvärdsfäkting".

Tills vi har fått ett seedingsystem i HEMA gäller alltså hederssystemet när man anmäler sig till Swordfish som GHFS-medlem, tävla inte om du inte tror att du är mogen och har tävlat förut och om du inte tror att du kan träna mer intensivt än vanligt månaderna innan, och anmäl dig inte till tävlingar i vapen du inte tränar aktivt i. Fråga din tränare om råd om du är osäker på hur du ska göra.

/Axel

20
Köp och sälj / Säljes, begagnade Ensiferhandskar
« skrivet: 2013-08-22, 09:57:55 »
Jag vann ett nytt par i Bergen i helgen så jag säljer mina gamla.

Pris: 1200 (nypris ca 1800 + frakt).

21
Julia Ström claimed 3rd place in a hard fought bout with Amanda Trail of USA in the largest womens longsword tournament in the USA. First place was won by Kiana Shurkin of USA with Eliisa Keskinen of Finland taking 2nd place.

The entire livestream of the Longpoint finals which also included grappling, cutting, sabre, sword & buckler, nylon longsword and steel longsword tournaments can be found here:

Longpoint 2013 Finals Livestream

22
Hema News Agency / Swordfish 2013 facebook group
« skrivet: 2013-07-29, 10:49:40 »
Visit this page for all info regarding the upcoming Swordfish event, home to the largest Historical Fencing and Wrestling tournaments in the world.

https://www.facebook.com/GothenburgHFS#!/pages/Swordfish-Celebrating-European-Martial-Arts/399467700158699

23
Tillkännagivanden / Anmäl er idag till GHFS 10-årsjubiléum!
« skrivet: 2013-07-15, 12:15:20 »
Vi firar 10 år i år! Självklart kommer det firas i stil.

Datum: Fredagen 23e augusti
Plats: Skansen Kronan, Göteborg
Tid: 18.00

Pris: 300kr
Buffé och ett glas vin ingår i priset, baren kommer att vara öppen hela kvällen (egen alkohol är inte tillåtet att ta med).

Vi kommer att få se tillbakablickar på klubbens historia, höra spännande föreläsningar och få se en och annan spektakulär uppvisningsfight vars like ingen sett på 400 år.

Ni anmäler er till mig via mail: axel.ghfs@gmail.com
Betalning sker till GHFS plusgirokonto: 22 28 52-6, skriv "jubileum" samt ert namn när ni betalar

klädkod: uppklätt

Sista anmälningsdagen är torsdag 15e augusti

Ses där!

/Axel och GHFS styrelse

24
"

GHFS’ guide for instructors now available in English

Postby Anders Linnard » Sat May 25, 2013 1:33 pm
It is with great pleasure that I am able to present How we train – a guide for instructors in English. This is our primary study material for instructors on how to teach in our club, and I hope that people outside of Sweden will find it useful.

This text came about as a result of my own need to write down my thoughts on training methodology, and I then realised that there was much that I didn’t know. So I started to do some research, and adding things to my own ideas. Writing How we train was very much a learning experience. I hope that I will continue to learn from the community, from my students and fellow instructors, so that I get the pleasure of updating and revising this text many times over in the future.

I also hope that all of you interested in this subject will join me in a conversation on how we teach and train HEMA. If you have input, criticism or just want to share ideas, please don’t hesitate to write to me.

There are a few people that I have to mention for their outstanding work. Axel Pettersson translated the English version, and I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to him for taking the time to do it. I would not have been able to do it myself, and just as so many times before he was there to cover my back.

I also want to thank Keith Farrell for proofreading and editing, and Andreas Engström for feedback on the original text.

All the best,

Anders Linnard, Head Instructor of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School"

http://ghfs.se/images/manualer/langsvaerd/how-we-train-final.pdf

25
Hema News Agency / Swordfish 2013, November 1-3
« skrivet: 2013-05-22, 23:11:39 »
Swordfish 2013, November 1-3

Swordfish 2013 is drawing near, the largest HEMA tournaments in the world, organized by Gothenburg Historical Fencing School in cooperation with the Swedish HEMA Federation.

Workshops and instructor list:
The instructor and workshop list will be updated during the coming months, but we can already promise a lot of new faces!

Do you want to judge at the 2013 Swordfish tournaments?
We are always looking for capable judges, this year especially for rapier & dagger. Depending on how many tournaments you judge, you will get reduced or free participation cost as well as help with your travel expenses.
 If you have previous judging experience and would like to act as judge during Swordfish 2013, please contact Axel Pettersson at:  axel.ghfs@gmail.com


Planned tournaments:

Open longsword
Womens longsword
Rapier & dagger
Sabre
Sword & buckler (TBD)
Wrestling (light, middle & heavyweight divisions)

NEW: Franco-Belgian longsword (invitational)
We are very happy to include the Franco-Belgian tournament this year. The Franco-Belgian “Traditional” style of tournaments with historical rules provides another style of tournaments with a lot of technical fencing and beautiful performances. It is our hope that this type of traditional fencing tournament will become a standard sight at HEMA events worldwide as a separate track of tournaments with its own top fencers and adherents.

Note: there will be a maximum of 2 tournaments that you are allowed to enter


IMPORTANT INFO REGARDING THE TOURNAMENTS:
Swordfish has grown immensely in the last few years, both in number of attendees, quality of organization, fighting and instruction as well as in importance in the HEMA community, for which we are very happy and grateful. Last year almost doubled our numbers of attendees, and the live stream and the international lineup of competitors attracts a lot of attention. This year promises to give us even more of the same.

For the tournaments, this means both that Swordfish has grown into an “elite” tournament, and that we are reaching the maximum number of tournament participants we are able to host. While there is no way of measuring this through seeding, most people count Swordfish as the number one arena for the top competitors. Swordfish is also perhaps the only arena available today where top fencers from all over the world actually meet up , as we try to maintain a low cost (this is why you sleep on mattresses folks) in order not to exclude fencers coming from far away or from low income countries.

We aim to have Swordfish as a tournament scene for the more experienced, as there is a need for this in the community and we want to cater to this need, and there are already a host of other tournaments open for everyone. But here our popularity gives us some problems. We cannot host an infinite number of participants, and we have no way of deciding on who is considered a “top fencer” in any manageable way. If we had a seeding system or national federations in place it might be different, but until then we have no way of enforcing a “top fencers only” policy.

The only thing we can do is to appeal to the community and so we ask the following of any participant or instructor planning to participate or sending students to Swordfish:

- Do not allow your student to participate in the Swordfish tournaments if they have not competed before or you do not consider them to be one of your better students. There are plenty of other tournaments available to gain experience in first.
-Do not enter any Swordfish tournament or allow your student to enter a tournament in a weapon system they do not normally practice.


A Swordfish tournament is not the place to see if you are interested in a weapon system; it is a place to test your hard earned skills in a tough and chaotic environment against skilled and determined unknown opponents. Inexperienced fencers competing in an unknown weapon system brings down the quality of the fencing and damages the reputation of competitive HEMA.
The reason we are unsure of hosting a sword & buckler tournament again is because it has to a large extent been populated by fencers who do not actively train in sword & buckler, and the quality of fencing has suffered because of it. Although one of the primary usages of tournaments is to encourage people to train more and harder (i.e. the tournament comes before the community gains in skill) it is also necessary that people actually do train on a regular basis, not only compete occasionally with the weapon.

This does not mean you have to be a tournament champion in order to compete at Swordfish, but you should have a few tournaments under your belt already, and you should be a regular practitioner of the weapon system in question.

If we had the option we would have a complete open doors policy, but we don’t have neither the time nor space for this and so we have to limit the number of participants and when we do this we run the risk of having to exclude skilled fencers because the roster is already filled with inexperienced fencers who registered first. An example would be that half of the roster immediately fills up with only Swedish fencers of varying quality as we happen to have payday at the day when registration opens. Swordfish would lose its unique character as a result.

But don’t feel you can’t come to Swordfish as a beginner; it is only the tournaments we reserve for the more experienced fencers. As always, Swordfish will have a packed schedule of workshops, lectures and sparring time, and a large part of our participants don’t come for the tournaments at all.


More info to follow soon, we are getting our act together and we will this year have a much better presence in social media.

please visit www.ghfs.se/swordfish to see new updates


Regards,
Axel Pettersson and the Swordfish crew

26
Tillkännagivanden / Eventuellt försenade tränare 21/5
« skrivet: 2013-05-21, 11:56:43 »
Forts.gruppen, vi förvarnar om att tränarna kan bli sena idag.

27
Hema News Agency / Interview with Axel Pettersson in AMHE bulletin
« skrivet: 2013-05-20, 16:54:22 »
The French HEMA Federation (Fédération Française des Arts Martiaux Historiques Européens) hs made an interview with GHFS longsword instructor Axel Pettersson:


Bulletin des AMHE – Hi Axel. In a few words, could you tell us about your path in HEMA and in the competition circuit?

Hello Gaetan and the French HEMA community! I started HEMA in 2002 with a local ARMA group, at that time of course tournaments were frowned upon, and I think also that at that time that was a good point of view, we were simply not good enough to make any use of tournaments. In 2006 I moved to Gothenburg and started to train with GHFS, in 2007 I also started to teach longsword there, and do so to this day.

I won my first tournament in 2008, a small local one. In 2009 I won the Dijon tournament and I guess it was then I started to be recognized outside of Sweden. In 2010 I won several tournaments in Europe and in the US, this was also at a time when HEMA tournaments were just becoming more professional and accepted as a part of HEMA, and I hope that my performance to some extent helped legitimize tournaments as a vital part of the ressurection of our martial heritage. Since 2010 I have won or placed in the top 3 of other tournaments, though unfortunately I was injured for almost all of 2012.


BD- AMHE – How do you see the evolution of the international competitions? Where do you the trend is going?

Both as a tournament organizer and as a competitor, the three main areas of development needed are firstly; tournament administration and procedures, secondly; improved skill of judges and thirdly; rulesets. These three areas are also seeing alot of attention. The two main trends are increased professionalism in how tournaments are run, and the increased awareness of how rulesets affect the fencers behaviour. Here we are split between having rules with as few limitations as possible in order to provide a free arena with few variables, but that also allowes fencers to use "cheaper" tricks like hand sniping and single hand "whip" cuts (in longsword), and on the other hand rulesets with more limitations, like disallowing hands and legs as a target, which was done historically in order to see more technical and spectacular fencing.

I really love both formats and I think we will end up with these two "tracks" in tournaments. The modern format is more like a real fight (relatively speaking of course, it will never be exactly like one, but that is not the goal of a tournament) but it is also more rare to see really beautiful techniques since fencers want to stay safe. The Traditional, "Franco-Belgian" format makes it more easy to perform longer exchanges because of the limited taget area making you safer and forcing you to come up with advanced tactics to break through your opponents defence, but also removes the need to learn to protect the hands, close in for grapple and developing a warriors mentality of standing up in a scrap. In this we are also in agreement with the sources, many of them mention that in a real fight you should use simple techniques, but that the Art consists of much more than that and should be practiced as a teaching tool, to use in display fights and tournaments and if nothing else for its own sake. I do however also see more and more advanced techniques even in the modern format (because they work so well!), so maybe it is simply a matter of where the collective skill of the community is at the moment.


BD- AMHE – What do you aim for in a competition? Is victory the sole goal or to you want to portray a given style (say J. Meyer’s longsword)?

My aim is to win my bouts and to test myself and my skill against others, an important part of anybodys life that most of us don't get to do at work. When I fence in tournaments I do not think about which "style" I use, since I work both with Meyer and also the earlier sources like Ringeck as well as gaining skills from training with other weapons. Trying to hit the other person and not being hit yourself must be closer the the orignial "style" than anything else.

Subconsciously though, I know that I often avoid what I personally dislike, like too much hand sniping or striking without a tactic or taking too many chances. This is an ideological thing, firstly because even though I have my own personal goals of winning a tournament, I also strive for our collective goal to ressurect historical european martial arts, and I don't want to act cheap and have other people emulate that behavior. Secondly, fencing for me is a form of self realization, it is the ladder on which I strive to climb higher and develop my personality, my understanding of myself and the world and my strength of character. As Ilkka Hartikainen has said, fencing is my way to express myself, and I want my fencing to be beautful and true. I think this is true for many of the top competitors (but certainly not everyone), once you ask yourself the question of what you want to accomplish in life and you try to seriously answer that question, winning by faking it beomes meaningless.


BD- AMHE – Is there a difference between the way you fence in the walls of your school and how you fight in competitions? I heard several instructors say that some techniques do not work in competition; do you share this point of view?

not really, except that in my school I fence to train and not to win, so I dare do more advanced techniques , but I train them under more and more pressure until I can also perform them in a tournament. Of course, some techniques are forbidden in tournaments, like striking to the achilles tendon or striking with the crossguard, as well as joint breaks, but those who say some techniques are impossible have not internalized those techniques enough yet in order to perform them under pressure against an unknown opponent. That is another reason why we don't see so many advanced techniques in tournaments as we think that we should, we don't train enough and not in a functional way.


BD- AMHE – Could you describe a typical week of your training?

When i wake up I either do some Indian Clubs, florysh or make some sprints up a nearby hill, then some stretching before I have to go to work. After work i go to the club, I have longsword practice 3 times a week and do explosive strenght training 2 times a week, I also train in other disciplines, wrestling and Meyers Rappier, 1-2 times a week. For fun I do rock climbing.


BD- AMHE – Do you work with a individual coach/instructor?

No unfortunately there is none as I am one of the instructors myself even though Anders Linnard in many ways is a mentor and older brother to me. We have to do this ourselves as pioneers but I hope that I one day can do this part time or full time and help new young fencers and be their personal coach. However we work very hard to both encourage every member to learn to be a good coach and comrade, in our sparring we always train in groups of three so that there is always someone to give feedback and pointers so that the sparring does not become mindless bashing or informal competition. We also make sure to foster good bonds of friendship and a sense of a common purpose and identity in order to make everyone feel like part of a team, this creates for our fencers an environment where they can get feedback and also ventilate their thoughts, hopes and fears as persons and as fencers. When it comes down to it I think this is the secret behind the succcess of GHFS.


BB- AMHE – Do you have any advice for aspiring competitors who would like to seriously get in the circuit ?

Take it seriously. You might think that it is more fun to practice fencing if you don't take it seriously and you also don't think that you risk anything, but it is not, that kind of fun is of the shallow kind. In order to really have fun you must immerse yourself in it, dedicate yourself and not be ashamed of this dedication. In my opinion, only in this way is it possible to understand the deeper aspects of what it means to be a fencer and how it will help you grow as a person. This is where the real fun is, that euphoria if realizing you have reached a higher level of understanding and skill. Anyone who has become really good at an instrument, at math or some other discipline knows what I mean.

Also, do not be afraid to loose. It is not your goal of course and you should never excuse yourself when loosing, but you will guaranteed loose several times, no one only wins. The art of loosing and knowing how to turn that into a positive learning experience is something very valuable to have.

You can find the interview in French here: http://www.ffamhe.fr/archivesNL/Bulletin_des_AMHE_05_2013.html

28

What is a fencer?

by Anders Linnard Posted on May 16, 2013   


The four cardinal virtues

I know I am not the only one who feels fencing is more than training, research, techniques, sparring, and competitions. Being a fencer means something—but what, exactly?


Some of the best people I know are fencers, and their personalities are a part of their fencing. Their greatness as humans carries over to their fencing and vice versa. I have witnessed students and teachers grow and better themselves as a result of their commitment to these arts. I certainly feel that I have made a positive personal journey over the last decade. Much of it can be attributed to this art.

I do not mean ‘good’ here as in someone who altruistically makes the world a better place, but rather, ‘good’ as in personal growth. That distinction is counter-intuitive for the modern man because the ideal historical swordsman is a far more violent creature than what is acceptable today. He would use his sword to defend even minor infractions on his honour, which seems rather excessive by today’s standards. Likewise, practising HEMA raises a few eyebrows once people understand the level of contact that we allow. “Why on earth would anyone want to do that?“

But there is no way around it. Fencing is anachronistic. Regardless of the fact that having a propensity for lethal violence or training for it is considered bad in today’s civilian world, I still think there is value in accepting it as part of our endeavour. We cannot recreate historical martial arts without trying to understand the true meaning of what we do, which is why I don’t think it is such a bad idea to celebrate injuries, scars, and broken bones to some degree.

This martial approach to life is a recipe for personal growth. It is obvious when I watch my students and fellow fencers. If someone steps into GHFS with an attitude, they will be humbled. If they are too nice to hit someone over the head, they will toughen up. Learning to stand up for yourself, as well as understanding that you don’t need to push people around when you know who you are, are lessons inherent in fencing. There is perhaps also something less tangible, the recognition that life may not always fit the box that we try to squeeze it into.
You have to pay the price

These lessons of personal development have to come at a cost. You do not learn them in your comfort zone. Fencing is about putting your life at stake, and that is perhaps the least comfortable thing you can do. Fencers used to know this, and still preferred to risk their lives rather than accept even an insult. I believe we have to embrace some of this attitude. As modern people we may not have to rely on fencing to defend our lives, nor do we generally settle disputes with duels, but we should still recognise that core truth about what we do. This means that at the very least you have to face your fears, even if it means taking the risk to lose a fight, break some bones, or receive a few scars. You have to push yourself further than you are comfortable with if you want to develop.

And it has to hurt. If you put yourself through hell regularly, you will grow as a person, because by doing so you confront whatever flaws in your character that tell you to quit. It makes you a better fencer and builds character. If you do it right, it will spill over to the rest of your life, since you have learned how to commit to something.


Making a decision

I don’t care if you approach this in a stick fight, boxing, Battle of the Nations, or whatever flavour of HEMA you prefer. Your choice is your choice, and that is all that matters. Stepping outside of your comfort zone has to be a personal decision. It defeats the purpose of the act if you require someone to hold your hand.

All of the best fencers I know have an inner drive to train hard, fight hard, and read the sources without being told to do so. They have no excuses. Besides, it is important to remember that stepping out of your comfort zone cannot be quantified by anyone but yourself. After all it means different things for someone young and someone old.

My point is that you have to fully dedicate and immerse yourself to get the most out of being a fencer. Of course, it is possible to train a little on the side and do twenty other things without full commitment, and still enjoy all of them, but that will never truly test your mettle. There is room for fun and games, but at the heart of our fencing, we must commit entirely and take it seriously. Dedication is the only way to enjoy anything on a deeper level.


Qualities of a fencer

There are also certain values that are intertwined with fencing. One example is loyalty. Today there are very few consequences for doing your friends an injustice, turning your back on them, or abandoning them, since you do not rely on them to defend your life. Modern people can come off as immature teenage girls who trash talk each other as soon as the other person is absent. However, if you really want to be a fencer, then loyalty is not such a bad thing. Pay your dues and be loyal to your club, your fellow fencers, and your instructors! Be there for them when they need you, and back them up, even when you do not fully agree. If you disagree with them, you can always tell them face-to-face.

Another trait of the modern man is the need to define himself in opposition to others, rather than by his own achievements. In this digital age we can express exactly how we feel about other people’s work without much consequence. We are brought up with such a conflated sense of being unique snowflakes that we think that our opinions hold as much value as other people’s deeds. I have also been guilty of this, and it is unbefitting a fencer. Looking back at times when such behaviour could easily end in a duel, it was prudent to be open-minded and showing a bit of temperance. Although today’s world may not offer the same lethal outcome, it is still prudent to be polite, well mannered, and open-minded. As fencers we should consider it our obligation.


Carry yourself with pride


The way we dress and carry ourselves is important. If you look at historical images of duels, you will see that not only the fencers, but also the seconds and other officials, dressed for the occasion. These are honourable affairs where life is on the line, and you had better show up in formal attire. Dressing well is a sign of respect and shows that you take fencing seriously. This is also why I personally do not like to see historical clothing at HEMA events, other than possibly in certain displays. They usually add a feeling of escapism and dorky dress-up party, instead of something profound and serious. Carrying ourselves well and dressing like we understand the underlying sober reality of fencing is an important aspect of what we do. For that reason escapism is counterproductive. If we don’t look like we take this seriously, how can we expect outsiders to respect us?



To be loyal and fair, to have some back-bone and not step down from a fight, to show restraint, to commit and take HEMA seriously—these are excellent things to strive for. After all, they fit the cardinal virtues rather well. For me, this is the heart of what we do, the glue between the drills, techniques, sparring, academic work, and competitions.

The reason for posting this is to encourage the community to continue on that positive journey where we use HEMA as a way to challenge ourselves and to find our own paths. In doing so, I believe there is less interest in polemic argumentation and more focus on sharing and mutual aid. When we understand that we can work together, though our personal goals may differ, everyone will benefit.


Anders Linnard Head Instructor of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School

_______________________________________________________________

Acknowledgements

I must credit Scott Hellroth and Axel Pettersson for much of this article, not only because many of these ideas are a direct result of their influence, but also because they inspire me in my life. Thank you!

A huge thanks to Meg Floyd for proofreading and giving me some valuable feedback. All remaining errors are entirely my own.

Thanks also to Matt Galas, the Godfather of HEMA, for being who he is and giving me some excellent feedback.

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Jonathan Wilkins took 2nd place in Örebro Longsword Open hosted by ÖrebroHEMA on Aprile 24-26. Jonathan defeated fellow GHFS members Nico Gallardo (16th finals) and Scott Hellroth (quarter finals) before facing Thomas Nyzell of UppsalaHFS in the final. Besides Jonathan, Scott and Nico GHFS was also represented by Albin Svensson (made it to elimination rounds), Conny Corneliusson, Rakel Fröyen and Fredrik Eiman. 3rd place was claimed by Marcus Pettersson of KungshamnHFS who defeated the energetic Christoffer Holm of Örebro HEMA.

32 fencers from 4 countries participated in the tournament.

Scott Hellroth and Axel Pettersson of GHFS hosted the first judges workshop on behalf of SvHEMAF, the Swedish HEMA Federation, with participants from both Sweden and Norway. The workshop included both fencing theory, practicla know-how of running a tournament aswell as definitions of the roles of the staff, video analysis and practical training as referee, point judge and secretariat during both practice bouts and the tournament itself.


All bouts from the tournament can be found on the ÖrebroHEMA Youtube page:

OOL 2013 Finals - T. Nyzell vs J. Wilkins


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Tillkännagivanden / Ingen träning för f-gruppen idag
« skrivet: 2013-04-30, 09:59:21 »
Ingen ordinarie träning idag för fortsättningsgruppen, jag låser upp om man vill träna på egen hand.

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