“There is always strength in numbers. The more individuals or organizations that you can rally to your cause, the better”. Mark Shields, PBS NewsHour commentator

Today, Our modest offering concentrates on numbers – or rather the growth in numbers of the art.

Not only does HEMA/WMA have a international, cross-cultural and cross-gender reach, but from time-to-time We find a city benefiting from having more than one salle within its boundaries.

And why not?

“London doubled in size to 200,000 inhabitants between 1580 and 1600, and it saw a vast influx of restless young men. By 1586 the city had eight major fencing schools and many smaller, less formal venues of instruction.”

As Canada’s eighth largest city, Vancouver should be entitled to what …. 24 schools?

{Please note; due to the demands of service, exacerbated by parts of the world’s attention being on Ukraine and Russia, We’ll only be able to get back here fortnightly for the indefinite future.}

Vancouver – An Embarrassment of Riches

ROYAL CITY RECORD (New Westminster, British Columbia) 22 April 14 Sword swinging into shape (Niki Hope)

Lee and Nicole Smith run sword-oriented, ‘killer workout’ out of their seven-year-old Blood and Iron Martial Arts centre in New Westminster.

"Most of these people are looking at fitness, but something different – (they’re) not so much interested in the gym or going out for a jog, … We (do) get the people who have been looking for this for a long time - they are the Game of Thrones fans, the Vikings fans, Lord of the Rings people …," Nicole says.

And their sword-play credential appear impeccable … Blood and Iron staff and students took six medals during the recent SoCal Swordfight competition.

A Woman’s Touché

FOCUS (Berlin, Germany) 05 May 14 Weltmeisterschaft im Langschwert - Ritterkampf wird zur Trendsportart (Thomson Reuters)

In international news, we have Germans writing about American and Belgian women participating in the Medieval Combat World Championships hosted in Spain.

Suzanne Elleraas took this years’ longsword honours

All for One, …

THE FREE PRESS (University of Southern Maine, Portland) 26 April 14 The Blade Society fights to preserve history (Francis Flisiuk)

The student-run USM Blade Society brings together an eclectic grouping of swordplay enthusiasts from their local Society for Creative Anachronism, Fencing Club, Quasi Historical Group and their Historical European Martial Arts Club to learn and bout together in a mutually supporting exploration of HEMA/WMA techniques.

“I’m a big history nerd,” says instructor Johanne Matzke, who, apart from teaching 14th and 15th-century swordplay to anyone who wants to learn, also has two master’s degrees in history and combat archaeology. (“Combat” archeology?)

Learning self-improvement through historical swordplay is an ideal that Robert Tupper, a Blade Society instructor and former president, shares. “Through the practice of these forms we can improve our minds as well as our bodies.”

Reality Swordplay Programming?

NOTTINGHAM POST (UK) 25 April 14 Want to train as a medieval sword fighter?

Jack Butler is planning to teach 20 people how to swordfight in just one month and show their progress live over the internet with a finale tournament.

Auditions for the show are due to take place in June and you can audition if you are over 18, … and have a doctor’s note!

Snippets

- Exploring the challenge of creating authentic and entertaining melee combat systems in games.

- Swordplay and fresh fish supper … what am I missing?