Kollektiv des Messerfechtens

Happy & Joyful Imbolc!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 20:00:00 +0000

Imbolc the celebration marking the mid-point between winter and the arrival of spring. Here in NYC we’re still in for a few more official months of winter but the days are slowly getting longer and we await that slim window of beautiful weather known as “Spring”.

Holidays such as Imbolc are reminders of the importance of milestones and checkpoints. Without them, everyday would simply blur together. This goes for training too! Without identifying markers (big and small) we risk losing perspective and mindless practice.

Mindless practice is when you’re just going through the motions: sure, you show up, do the warm ups, do the drills, but you’re not really present. You’re not thinking about what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. This is both a waste of time and could lead to potentially dangerous situations.

A helpful tool for accomplishing proper mindfulness is to define an active purpose for your training and start making a roadmap on how you can go about achieving your goals. Giving yourself large goals to work towards as well as smaller moments to celebrate along that path is key to keeping you alert and determined.

Today, don’t forget to take a moment to celebrate this milestone towards better weather and we’ll see you in the Fechtschule!

National Motivation & Inspiration Day

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 20:00:00 +0000

So we’ve somehow already reached the second day of January! It’s that time of year when we begin to evaluate how we want to spend the next twelve or so months at the Fechtschule. To help you out, we’re celebrating National Motivation & Inspiration Day! Whether you are new to swordplay or a seasoned student here’s some tips to help keep you on track to achieve your goals for the upcoming year:

Remember to celebrate all the progress you’ve made! Is this your 1st class? WELCOME! You already made huge progress by taking initiative and showing up. Swordplay is wicked fun and you’ve started yourself off on a new wild journey! Is this your 50th class? Congratulations on the dedicated effort: you found a hobby you enjoy and hopefully are benefiting in all sorts of wonderful ways from your training.

Each success is a stepping stone to reaching larger accomplishments. Did you pull off some excellent footwork while sparring? Celebrate with an extra sip of beer at the Taco Bell after class.

Approach your training with purpose, thoughtfulness, and accountability — remember that training any martial art can be both fun and incredibly rewarding work but it is not without its own set of challenges! It’s important to understand when and why things aren’t going how you planned so you can make a plan to practice and improve. There are going to be some days when you feel unstoppable, and others that feel impossible and downright frustrating. Always remember to forgive yourself, move on from difficult feelings and remember you’re surrounded by people who want to see you succeed. We get it. We all have had our difficult days. How can your comrades and mentors help? Go ahead and ask!

Most importantly: the learning never stops! Day 1 or 100, foundational exercises or advanced techniques, every training session is a new lesson in some way or another. Embrace the mindset that martial arts is a lifelong pursuit and always approach class with a humble attitude, willingness to learn, and you’ll get something out of each day on the training floor!

In the comments below tell us what motivates and inspires YOU to train!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 19:02:00 +0000

It’s that time of year to celebrate the wins and reflect on the challenges of the past 12 months! This is also an opportunity to contemplate how we want to move forward with our training and resolve to set goals for and make changes in our practice for the year to come. Stay motivated, be safe, and we look forward to seeing everyone on the Fechtschule floor in 2025!

Don't forget to check out all the HEMA and Historical Fencing classes from Gotham Swords at gemac.club!

German Historical Fencing Class Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:59:00 +0000

Good news Friends,

We have started our new German Historical Fencing course!

German Historical Fencing, or our Deutscher Historischer Fechtverein, explores the Augsburg school of swordsmanship, a tradition of historical dueling arts originating in the southeastern region of what is now Germany. Students will be instructed in the art and techniques of the Longsword, Messer, and Bauernwehr.

This series is designed to guide students towards a fulfilling hobby of Historical Fencing that includes elements of fitness training, skills, and free-fencing bouts. Additionally, students wishing to compete in HEMA Tournament settings will find this class helpful as it builds familiarity with organized fencing exchanges, judging, and score-keeping.

All the German Historical Fencing classes are Beginner Friendly
and are designed for students of all levels of experience.

Newer students will be introduced to fundamental skills and general lessons while experienced students will engage in more advanced practice.

This course runs on Saturdays and is comprised of three related sessions:

Sword Fitness
Skills
Applications

About Sword Fitness

Students will learn various exercises to strengthen the muscles and mechanics needed for swordplay. Class materials would include: Bodyweight exercises (ex. Pushups, crunches, planks, squats, Plyometrics, Yoga, Weighted trainers, Footwork and balance, and Limbering exercises and stretches.

This is not a fencing class, and no swords will be used. However, the class will focus on building strength and stamina for better fencing in our other class offerings. Everything in this class will carry over into any Gotham Swords class!

Skills

In this session students will learn and practice the foundations, concepts, techniques, of the German Dueling system.

Applications

Applications sessions will focus on providing an avenue to put the materials from the Skills classes to work in an uncooperative fencing environment. Students will be expected to fence, judge exchanges, and keep score of matches.

Das Geschrenckt Ortt — "the Crossed Point"

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 13:39:00 +0000

Creating a Covering with the Crossed Point

The following unit covers das geschrenckt ortt, the crossed point: a versaztung, displacement, which employs an ascending cut from First Ward which crosses your opponent's sword in defense against a variety of cut and thrust attacks.

Effective against all manner of cuts and thrusts, this displacement might appear simple but its potency relies upon a particular set of body mechanics.

What Do We Call It?

The ubiquity of this displacement across numerous sources throughout the centuries has earned it the nick name "the universal parry". While helpful shorthand, this cheeky modern moniker deserves a slightly deeper investigation.

Talhoffer, continuing his tradition of scant explanations, leaves the technique unnamed in the Messer section of his manuscript Cod.icon. 394a, but does vaguely allude to the name "the crossed point" in his Longsword section when demonstrating a similar technique.

In the introduction to his 2010 translation of the Glasgow Fechtbuch (MS E.1939.65.341), Christian Tobler points out that similar techniques are referred to as Vidilopoge (fiddle bow) in the Manuscript I.33, and Bogen (the bow) in Lecküchner's tome on fencing with the messer (Kunst des Messerfechtens, Cgm 582).

Depending on your interpretation and translation of the text¹, the Glasgow manuscript appears to possibly refer to this as the Zoll Versatung which can be translated as "commendable"(Tobler) or "reliable"(Haas) displacement. ²

Similar lessons are also demonstrated in Fiore de Libre's MS. Ludwig XV 13 as "the sword in one hand"³, George Silver, and is heavily implied in Sir William Hope's New Method as moving from the Guard of First into the "German Guard."

For the sake of simplicity I will refer to this technique as "the crossed point".

Overview

By the end of this lesson you will fundamentally understand the body mechanics behind the crossed point, demonstrate these mechanics while avoiding four different incoming strikes from an opponent, and finally crossing the four strikes with a proper displacement that opens up your opponent to other handiwork.

Before we begin you should be familiar with the Erstehut or First Ward. Before you continue, please see the previous lesson.

Let's take a look at the most basic scenario:

You sit with your weapon in the posture of first ward against an opponent who stands ready to attack you, say in the high guard. The two of you stand in a wide measure.

Wanting to incite your opponent to strike, you step a little further in, shifting your right foot forward. Seeing an opportunity, your opponent strikes down from above to your head. They've fallen for your ruse! Now it's time to act.

You quickly take your body off the line of attack, and displace their strike with an ascending stroke. From here you can safely act indes with a Nachtschlag, after-strike, based upon the Fühlen, feeling, of the situation.

Effective against all manner of cuts and thrusts, this displacement might appear simple but its potency relies upon a particular set of body mechanics.

The Basic Mechanics

The most straightforward method of exploring the mechanics of of this displacement is to begin practice "*mit leere hände", with empty hand.

In this first iteration we will put the Player against a Feeder/Context Provider who will strike a descending blow to their head. Both the Player and the Feeder will have no weapons.

Two Fencers meet at a wide Measure:

The Feeder will stand in a high guard, threatening the Player. This could simulate a simple blow from high to low or maybe the Feeder hypothetically is going to swing a rock at the Player.

The Player assumes a solid Fechtstellung, engaging posture, keeping the arms low.

At the onset, the center line between the two opponents is straight down the middle. As the Player reaches middle distance they move their right foot to this line. From here they provoke with small half-steps.

Once the Feeder believes they can appropriately reach the Player, they attack with a descending strike to the Player's head.

With the Feeder committed to this action, it's the Player's time to act. Utilizing their hips, the Player makes a wide step out to their left (opponent's right), avoiding the incoming strike.

As they complete this leftward step, the Player realigns their feet towards their attacker. This modifies the centerline in favor of the Player.

Once an understanding of these core mechanics are established we practice a displacement with empty-hands knowing as die scherein⁴.

The setup repeats much the same set up as before, the Feeder looking to strike the Player in the head with a descending attack. The Player steps forward onto the center-line, seeing an opportunity, the Feeder attacks.

While they step off to the left the Player will now shoot their arms out in the posture of the scherein, catching the Feeder's wrist or arm.

Some key points about performing Scherein:

It's important to note that the Scherein should be performed with the right hand over left as it more closely resembles similar techniques with weapons.
Fingers should be kept together to avoid spraining.
When being deployed, this action should be thought of as "up and out", not simply up and/or out. This up and out action will be significantly more grounded through the body and not rely on arm strength alone.

This grip, along with their newly established dominate position allows the Player for a swift follow-up attack.

From here we can experiment with Fühlen and add a nachschläg or after-strikes.

Fühlen, or feeling is one of the core concepts of our fencing art. It is the ability to extend your senses through the implement(s) you are using and make a judgment based on the feedback you're receiving. The decisions you make are based upon how heavy or light your opponent's presence is.

A quick shout-out to Kimberleigh Roseblade for masterfully distilling the important part of this decision down: The other person has already decided what direction they want to go in, your job is to help them get their and take exploit their actions along the way to win the exchange.

In the case of our current set up, after the Player has displaced the attack, our Feeder can either continue to move forward along their current line of action or attempt to move backwards.

In either case the the Player will gladly allow them on their way, adding a bit of an arm turn along the way:

A Note On Safety Either one of these actions can lead to breaking or dislocating the Feeder's arm, and thus should be practiced with responsible levels of force.

Adding a Weapon

As the mechanics of the technique remain the same, the addition of a weapon is an easy one.

The power for the Crossed Point still comes from the movement of the hips and the changing of the centerline - not from the strength of the arm. If the Player is putting too much power into the swing it will tighten their muscles. Not only will this produce fatigue, it will also make their warding and all follow up actions slower.

The additional consideration lies within the synchronization of your grip with your hip actions: squeezing your pinky and ring finger to ensuring that you get the tip moving out towards your opponent before your hands do. If the hand goes first, it will be in endangered of being struck by your opponent's attack. In the case that you are able to swing your sword out in time to block the incoming strike, the displacement will likely lack the strength to prevent your opponent's strike from passing through it.

Timing is always going to be something you have to work on practically, on a case by case basis. But in general we have found that if you are taller than your opponent you should experiment with reacting sooner. Alternatively, if you are shorter than your opponent you should experiment with acting slightly later in their arch of attack.

This displacement is adaptable to a number of other strikes by simply modifying the height to which the ascending cut is made. For example, a thrust is easily displaced by cutting to a mid-height guard, as is an ascending cut to the legs.

In our next lesson we will take a deeper look at Fühlen and the trove of possible Nachschlägen, follow-up actions, we can employ after arriving at the Crossed Point.

At the time of this writing I believe that Mr. Tobler and myself interpret this section differently. If I am incorrect please let me know. ↩︎
Zoll was both a unit of measurement and a way of referencing a thing that could be quantified or predictably accounted. ↩︎
I personally hold the belief that Fiore and Talhoffer have a good deal in common, but that's for another lesson. ↩︎
Scherein is written as schärr which has sort of a double meaning. Yes, your hands do look like a pair of scissors, but this is also reference to the word sheared, as in "remove, break off or cause to break off, owing to structural strain." This is reference to the strain you are about to put on your opponent. I love the puns. ↩︎

An Introduction to First Ward / Combative Stance / Mittelhut

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:00:00 +0000

We begin our Primary Lessons with the introduction of the First Ward, Ersteläger, along with the various defenses and attacks which can be deployed from it. In this first section serves as a brief introduction to the guard.

In general First Ward refers to a posture that places your weapon low to your left side:

Example of First Ward with a weapon as seen in Talhoffer, Cod.icon. 394a 113r.

The posture of First Ward begins with assuming a basic Fechtstellung, engaging posture: knees slightly bent, hips and shoulders heavy towards the ground, chin turned slightly up, and head held aloft to create tension in the spine. For simplicity's sake we'll have you begin with the right foot forward. As stated before, the sword is held comfortably low, and to your left side. Your hand should be in the Ellenläge or Underhand position: palm facing the body, thumb down.

In terms of active engagement, you may have arrived to the First Ward from any number of starting points. The most obvious reason to begin on this stance is the drawing of the sword from the scabbard, demonstrated here in Talhoffer's personal manuscript, as "Der nott stand im messer." or "The emergency/ready stance with a messer."

MS Thott.290.2º 079r. "Der nott stand im messer."

Descending and horizontal strikes can be smoothly transitioned into the First Ward, allowing for a thoughtful flow between various techniques.

First Ward is an advantageous and sneaky guard to place yourself in. You benefit from the fact that your hand is safely held away from you opponent, preventing laming attacks. Keeping the weapon to your side or directly behind you disguises the length of your blade as well as obscuring any intended actions.

Like most guards, First Ward enables you to both easily defend yourself while offending your opponent as cuts, thrusts, and strong parries can be easily deployed from this posture. First Ward offers an additional tactical advantage by giving the appearance of weakness. As you'll see in later lessons, this impression of vulnerability is an important aspect of how the corresponding techniques operate.

More samples of variations of First Ward:

a. Dürer b. Kal

c. Lecküchner d. I.33 e. MS Ludwig XV 13

In our next Lesson we will begin our exploration of techniques that utilize the First Ward to create a covering/displacement against incoming attacks. Later, we will continue with a consideration of offensive techniques that exploit Mensur (timing and distance) to either lame or incapacitate our opponents.

Since Kunst des Fechtens builds upon a holistic skill-set, emphasis will be placed on interlocking the mechanics of techniques with their underlying concepts and applications. We will demonstrate how Lessons of the First Ward can be utilized across various dueling methods including wrestling, sticks, and bladed weapons.

Until then, keep up the good practice!

Preliminary Lesson: Standard Warm Ups

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 12:30:00 +0000

Standard Warm Ups

Our standard regiment of warm up exercises before classes.

Exercises are done in an eight count: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8; 2,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

Shoulder stretches
Arm Floats
Arm Rotations
Torso Bend and Reaches
Back stretches
Big Circles
Arm Swings
Jumping Jacks
Knee bends
Hamstring stretches
Thigh Stretches
Knee Rotations
Calf & Wrist stretches

LESSON: Mensur or Measure

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000

A basic introduction to Mensur, or measure! The ability to understand and control the measure of an exchange is an important and over looked component of fencing.

Key Concepts

Measure (Mensur)

The distance between two fencers.

Out (Außer)

Both fencers are unable to reach each other's bodies or weapons.

Wide (Weite)

Also referred to as Engagement Measure, is when it is necessary to advance at least one step in order to be near enough to touch the adversary. Often swords are crossed at the tip or weak-on-weak. This Measure is most suitable for those who confine themselves to defense and want to find out about their opponent’s first.

Middle (Mittel)

Also First Distance, is when on the lunge (ausfallen) or step you can strike some part of the opponent.

This is also sometimes called the common or ordinary, or gewöhnliche oder ordentliche Mensur.

Close (Enge)

Also Within Measure, is when you are so near that you can touch or be touched without lunging (ausfallen) or moving.

At the Body (Am Körper)

Is when the combatants have come so close together that it is possible for them to grapple.

Moving Between Measures

Moving Into Measure

Moving forward (ab- or vor- wärts), towards your opponent; such as pushing from wide measure into middle, close, or to the body.

Breaking Measure

Backing away (rückwärts) from your opponent, such as moving from close to middle or close to wide, etc.

September Announcements & Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 15:16:00 +0000

Hello everyone, just a few announcements for September!

LED-Saber Update
Guided Solo Practice Sessions
September 16th: German-American Steuben Parade
September Class Schedule

LED-Saber Update

A bittersweet announcement: LED saber classes will be on hiatus starting in September. TA reminder that **Saturday, August 26th** will be the last LED saber class for a while. We've had a great run, but now it's time to make way for other programming and give those poor sabers a break for the big event Kat wants to plan for the spring.

For the month of September the 11:30 AM slot will be occupied by "Guided Solo Practice". In October we are planning a new Sword-Fitness class, more details TBD!

Thanks so much to those of you who have come to class! It has been really fun to work on glowstick fencing with you.

New Class: Guided Solo Practice

For the month of September we'll be holding an hour, of Guided Solo Practice on Saturdays at 11:30 AM. This period is an unstructured time for student-led practice, supervised and optionally guided by an instructor. This time may be used for:

Solo practice of previously learned materials from any class
Requesting feedback on how to improve techniques and body mechanics
Supervised, self-led paired drilling (with appropriate safety gear)

No sparring or uncooperative paired drilling. Open Floor sessions are available for that type of practice.

For cooperative paired drilling, consider making arrangements with a training partner ahead of class time.

September 16th: German-American Steuben Parade

We're excited to announce that Gotham Swords will be marching in the 2023 German-American Steuben Parade! Come check us out!!!

September Schedule

Our September calendar is now online and available for sign-ups.

As always, the First Saturday of the month is OPEN FLOOR, a semi-structured time for students to come practice the application of their art.

Tuesdays:

Sidesword & Cape
Longsword Fundamentals

Saturdays:

Greatsword
Longsword Fundamentals
Guided Solo Practice
Sword & Buckler
German Longsword — Concepts & Techniques
Longsword: Under Pressure
Bauernwehr & Messer
Fiore Longsword — Concepts & Techniques

Regarding Uniforms and Practice Gear

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 23:09:00 +0000

Piles of Swords, fencing masks, and endless conversations about gloves: navigating the complexities of HEMA protective equipment can be an exhausting task. We've assembled some helpful resources to help you understand what exactly you need and how you can go about finding the correct piece of equipment for your practice.

If you're just starting out, you won't need much, only comfortable athletic clothing and shoes.

Once you begin to frequently attend class you will be expected to procure a uniform and some basic training equipment. Coming to practice sessions with a clean uniform is an important part of proper Fencing Hall etiquette.

Fencing Shirt — Gotham Swords shirt.
Fencing Pants: Historical ¾ Length in Black
Over-knee Socks in Purple
Fencing Shoes: Flat Bruce Lee Shoes, Feiyue Shoes, or flat heeled shoes.
Wooden Sword Trainers can be acquired here.
Fencing Mask and Light Gloves — see the GEMAC Guide to Buying Gear

Once you're ready to participate in more advanced drills and sparring you can begin to purchase additional protective equipment. Check out the GEMAC Guide to Buying Gear for more information.

Regarding Our Use of Wooden Swords

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:00:00 +0000

For a number of reasons our classes often train with wooden swords. Despite what you might think, very little of it has to do with the "safety"...

Wooden swords can be equally destructive as blunt-steel trainers. For comparison, imagine being struck in the face by a baseball bat; frankly it matters little whether the bat is constructed of solid oak or stainless steel. The two implements might ring your bell with a slightly different sound but as it happens, you still end up missing teeth.

Instead, our reasons behind the use of wooden swords are a bit more practical. The first of which is that swords made of wood are generally both more available and cost effective for keeping on hand as common shared gear. The low cost of purchase also allows for students to more quickly acquire their own tool for practicing both in and outside of class.

Second, these wooden swords are frankly more "sword-like". While they lack the flexibility of a steel sword, the shape and balance of these training devices is more appropriate to the Thrust and Slash (Stoß-und-Hieb) style of Longsword we study.

On a similar note, while the wooden swords are often a little lighter than many Feders (but not necessarily swords), newer students require time to build strength and flexibility before taking up steel. Attempting to wield a heavy implement without building strength leads to poor posture and grip, which in turn leads to a lack of control: a major culprit behind hitting or thrusting too hard. Building this level of control also leads to the ability to fence with a "light touch", and greater speeds.

Additionally, while the literal unbending nature of the wooden swords prohibits thrusting at full force, many of us would argue that this should also not be done with steel Feders, ask anyone who has received the all too common HEMA "waffling" why.

Third, even with the wonders of contemporary metallurgy steel training swords (colloquially, yet incorrectly, referred to as Federschwert or Feders) have a limited lifespan. With every instance of contact we chip away at that lifespan. This is in part due to the nature of the steels used to construct the swords, but also the method used to assemble them. Wooden swords have the nickname of waster because they are designed to get you through the common slog of training. There is no logical sense in beating up an expensive steel sword when a wooden one would do just as well.

A quick side note: breakage is in fact a positive quality of any contact-training tool. This means the implement is "absorbing" at least a good amount of force behind the blow. It's better to break a blade than your training or fencing partner.

Fourth, and most controversially, it is the opinion of many of our instructors that the blunt sword-like objects being used in contemporary HEMA tournaments are simply the wrong implement for use in a competitive environment and most training situations.

The Feders are poor analogs to their sword relatives, and frankly that's fine. For all intents and purposes they're not intended to be real swords; they are the implement of swordplay, yet modern Feders also fail in that arena as well. Even the most flexible and light Feder on the market requires such a cumbersome and stifling volume of protective equipment that they transform what should be fencing bouts into semi-armored MMA-style matches with the addition of a sword-shaped crowbar.

This is not to say that HEMA competitions or Feders themselves are bad or wrong (competitions can and should be rather fun!), but we must understand that these implements involved create a radically different context in terms of the application of the fencing arts. There seems to be a lack of introspection and outright refusal to blame the implement, these Feders, for a number of the issues experienced an tournaments that so many members of the HEMA-sphere are keen to point out; such as the lack of technique application, the inevitable deluge of injuries, particularly amongst smaller fighters, the application of excessive force, concussions, broken fingers, etc.,.

Obviously some of these issues are cultural problems that must be addressed socially in the training halls and at the tournaments themselves, but the physical object at the center of the activity should not be precluded from examination.

A prime example of this lack of reflective analysis is the never-ending-quest-for-perfect-gloves™. For years, HEMA practitioners have pursued adequate hand and finger protection that also allows for dexterous use of the sword. Mountains of research, labor, and money have been spent on attempting to build a modern "fencing gauntlet" appropriate for fencing with modern "Federschwerts". The results have been... varied.

The same spend-cycle has applied to modified fencing masks, jackets, and basically every piece of protective equipment from the exhaustively long list required to compete in a HEMA tournament. When the artful expression of fencing becomes radically more difficult or impossible to execute, at what point does one stop and think about ways to modify the fencing implement to allow for more a more adroit expression of the art?

To be clear, we do fence with Feders in our club. Likewise, many of us do have fun competing in a variety of tournaments with full understanding of what HEMA tournaments entail and how to specifically train for them. We also believe there to be better options available or just in reach of development (to be clear: not wooden swords) for tournament settings and we hope in the future to help contribute to that.

Wooden swords provide a practical way for our group to diversify our training; with an eye both towards the intended application of the tradition we study, as well as preparing us for the contemporary HEMA environment.

LESSON: General Handling of the Sword

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:44:00 +0000

Regardless of the device you are utilizing to study swordplay, you should revere the training implement at all times. This practice builds an important consciousness around sword-safety as well as bolsters the important foundational skills.

Key Lessons

Always handle your wooden sword with the attention that you would a sharp steel sword. This practice builds important safety skills.
Always manipulate the sword by the grip/hilt section (see § Parts of the Sword) and not the blade, regardless of the sharpness of the sword’s edge.
You can, of course, touch the blade if a given technique calls for it (such as the armored hand, half-swording, general commanding of the sword, etc.,). If you have to touch a steel blade, it is highly recommended you wear gloves.
Always hold the sword in Stellung, with the flat of the blade on the left shoulder when not in an active training situation.
Never rest the tip of the sword on the ground or your toe.
When setting the sword on the ground, make sure to lay the sword on a solid, low, flat surface. The sword should never be in danger of free falling.

Passing the Sword to Another Individual

Grip the sword near the pommel, holding the sword vertically, the tip facing upwards towards the sky.
Hold the sword with outstretched arms, the flat of the blade should be facing the individual receiving the sword.
The person taking the sword will grip the handle near the crossguard.
Neither person should handle the sword by the blade (nor the crossguard).

LESSON: Parts of the Sword

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 01:44:00 +0000

The sword is composed of a steel blade which should be customized in length to the height and reach of the fencer, a parrying shield and crossguard, grip, and pommel.

The blade is divided into two primary parts:

The strong which runs from the crossguard/shield halfway up the length of the blade.
The Weak which runs from the halfway point to the tip of the blade.

When holding the sword in the forehand position, the edge closest to you is the short edge, the one facing away is the long edge.

The shield is a feature found on blunted fencing swords, designed to help deflect an incoming blade away the fingers. The shield provides supplementary support to the sword's overall balance.

A.	Die Spitze / Ort	— Tip
B.	Schwech	— Weak
C.	Stark	— Strong
D.	Schielt	— Shield
E.	Hiltze	— Crossguard
F.	Greiffen	— Grip or hilt
G.	Knauf	— Pommel
H.	Lange Schneide	— Long Edge
I.	Kurze Schneide	— Short Edge
	Klinge	— Blade, runs from crossguard (E) to Tip (A)

Regarding the UBÜNGEN, Our Paired Drills

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:33:00 +0000

At first glance many drills can appear rather simple, yet upon closer inspection these practices provide complex insights to training various concepts and techniques... but only if utilized correctly.

Ubüngen are our drills/exercises designed to develop skills and techniques as well as amplify an understanding of the concept(s) behind them. Ubüngen differentiate themselves from Gängen (lit. a chasing) as they require the involvement of two participants.

For each staging of the drill, each participant takes on one of two roles: Leitermensch, the Guide, and the Scholar, the Student. The Leitermensch offers the context for the drill, as well as controlling the distance and timing (Mensur und Zeit) of the events. The Scholar follows the Leitermensch's timings while engaging in the appropriate actions of the lesson.

The individual who takes on the role of Leitermensch also undertakes the responsibility for the education of the person in the Scholar role.

There are many instances the Leitermensch is called upon to "lose" the exchange. It is important that this "loss" occurs, as a lesson is being transmitted about the technique or concept being explored.

For initial iterations of this drill the Leitermensch should use a large, schwingungen version of the “cuts/slashes” and include "tells" in their thrusts in order to signal the incoming attack to the Scholar. As the students advance in experience, the attacks should become smaller and more complete.

Remember: It is only through mindful practice that we can produce improvement! It begins with the most basic form: proper footwork, posture, grounding, handstellung, etc., are critical. It is the combining of these "lower-level" fundamentals with the more complex action at hand that allow for the proper training of a technique.

With this in mind Do not rush these drills. It's easy to fall into a pattern or speed through an assignment, particularly when you're familiar with a drill. If you find this is happening, signal to your partner that you need to take a moment to reset and communicate what adjustments you would like to make.

Ensure that your actions, be they the attacks or responses, embody the proper intent of the drill. Focus on practicing the concept and technique at hand, expelling any attempt at "winning" the exchange. Any attacks should follow-through, meaning they should travel with intent and consistency (note that this does not mean "fast" or "hard") that properly illicit the desired response from your training partner.

Although the Ubüngen require two participants to fully function, you can practice both the Leitermensch and Scholar rolls as Gängen, on your own in a sort of "shadow boxing" way. When you practice in this manner, remember to follow through with any action, not stopping at where you think the opponent would be.

Finally, if you're having trouble making a particular drill work "correctly" you should review your distance, time, and the core mechanics of the technique to evaluate if any particular piece needs modification. You are also encouraged to ask for assistance from the instructor(s).

Resources to learn more about Mindful Practice:

Class Notes: Stöße / Thrusts and Void Counters

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 17:37:00 +0000

Outline

Warm Ups
Practice Cuts, Thrusts, Footwork
Stoß / Thrusting Part 1: Structure
Übungen: Voiding the Thrust
Free Play (if time)

§.1. Stöße

Stoß, lit. thrust or stab, is “bringing the Klinge (blade), using the Ausfall (extension or lunge) so close to the opponent that the Spitze (point) hits the opponent in an available Bloß (opening).”

There are two primary types of Stöße: Flüchtige Stöße or direct “plain” thrusts in which the arm and blade are brought in a straight direction to the opponent. The Feste Stöße, thrusts against opposition, which are made after crossing your opponent’s sword and attacking them utilizing the correct response to the perceived Fühlen (feeling); Stark (hard) or Schwech (weak).

The secondary thrust is the HalbStoß, lit. half-thrust, known in the Sir William Hope system as the Feinted Thrust. It can also be doubled akin to Hope’s Double-Feint. In the HalbStoße the tip is targeted and the arm is extended but the body remains back and no step is taken. If your opponent attempts to ward this perceived attack, tip Durchwechseln (change through) to another Blöße (opening) and launch a Feste Stöße.

There are two timings of the Stöße: Angriffs, lit. attacking, and Nachstößen, lit. after-thrust. In the Angriffs you act your opponent’s openings in the Vor (before) timing and Nachstößen in the Nach (after), meaning that ward your opponent’s incoming attack before returning your own.

Stöße actions are governed by the components of balanced fencing: Einschätzung (judgment), Mensur (time and place), Wachsamkeit (vigilance), Fühlen (feeling) and Vorsatz (intent).

§.2. Basic Actions

When committing to a Stoß, the structure of the body should be a correct and balanced Fechtstellung: feet and weight being held in a stable way, the back remaining straight.

Ausfallen, lit. standing or stepping out, is a German style of lunging that involves a small structured forward-extended action.

It is important to remember the correct order of attacking with a thrust: First, your hand moves the tip to the intended target. Then you should extend your arm, followed by the hinging of the body by straightening your rear leg, and finally, if necessary, the foot moves no more than a normal step or so. Reverse this sequence for the Abzug (withdrawal). This order of operations should be practiced slowly at first, building towards smooth motion.

Some key points to consider:

The front toe should be facing towards your opponent.
The arm should be well extended on both the attack and the Abzug (withdrawal) in order to remain properly protected.
When you hinge forward with the Ausfallen, your font knee should never pass the position of your toe. Doing so will result in a slow timing, weak structure, and stress on your knees that could lead to chronic issues.
With the Ausfallen always remember that you are pushing from the back leg using the core and the buttocks.
In some systems, keenly the Italian and French systems, the fencer is told to throw their off-hand back and lunge, as the German Ausfallen is smaller we do not throw back our hand, instead reserving it for emergencies parries, sword-commanding and gripping/grappling actions.
The order of thrusting is important, if you lift your foot too soon or in preparation for the Ausfall before the hand moves forward you are: creating a Bloß by telegraphing your next action, unsteady yourself leaving and risk losing balance, equally by telegraphing your action lose the opening in your opponent.

§.3. Voiding and Counters to the Thrust

The primary counters to a thrust are the void and crossing; both include a “make safe” action followed by a counter attack.

A key concern of countering a thrust is getting your body out of the line of attack, using your sword as an “insurance policy” of protection before initiating a counter attack.

Imagine a straight line between yourself and your opponent. When they attack you down that center line, you can remove your body by swiftly stepping in an oblique manner. During this action you can either displace your opponent’s sword with a true-cross then attack, or counter-attack with a laming action.

Moving backwards to avoid a thrust is not highly recommended. When stepping backwards you have only one or two steps of rapid, stable action before your opponent will gain distance and likely the advantage as the further you move backwards, the more you undermined your balance.

Some would ask about the idea of Absetzen, lit. interrupting attack committed in-time. I would argue that these actions are in fact voids with skilled timing; in order to properly protect yourself you still need to move your body offline in one direction or another to create the correct angle to locked-off your opponent’s attack.

§.3.1. The Voids Drills

The drill begins with both the Feeder and Player using “the empty hands”. At first the Player practices just voiding the attacks, iterate adding a gripping of the wrist by the Player against the Feeder.

Repeat the drills giving the Feeder a dagger, then a messer, then a longsword or staff.

Voiding thrusts from the Fechtstellung.
Voiding thrusts from Stier, both inside and outside.
Voiding thrusts from Eber, both inside and outside.

§.3.2. Voids with Laming Counters

Void to the right, cut the wrist, threaten the throat.
Void to the right, cut to wrist, cut to the head, threaten the throat.
Void to the left, cut to the wrist, void again, cut to the wrist again, threaten the throat.
Void to the right, hanging to the inside, winding into a cut to the head.
Void to the right, cut the wrist, attack the wrist.

Notes on Balanced Fencing Part 1: Two Governing Philosophies

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Over the next few weeks my Gotham Swords classes (Concepts & Techniques, Messer) will examine some core ideas about fencing and how to apply those lessons during free-play bouts. This post is meant to serve as an introduction and brief study guide to the many subjects we'll be discussing, including:

Governing Philosophies
Four Principal Considerations
Key Components
Timing of an Offensive Action
General Considerations of the Engagement

In this first post, we'll be looking at what I like to refer to as our Governing Philosophies. What I love about these two statements is how they sit neatly on a fine line between the theoretical and practical. You'll notice that on the surface they offer some pretty solid advice: "expertise is good", and "don't get hit". Yet when broken down these sentiments offer more than mere superficial remarks: they serve as a reflection on the art of fencing itself.

1.
Der Kunst beseigt die Stärke.
“The art conquers strength.”

The idea that art conquerors strength implies that time spent on meaningful and mindful training will out-benefit brute-strength.

Oafish strength regularly begins as an attractive alley in youth, often yielding what seems to be quick rewards. Yet this type of strength wanes with time, slows with age. The rewards of this approach quickly diminish as the never ending arms race of pure-strength becomes a heavy burden working against the user rather than with them.

In contrast, art is plastic: rooted around a lifelong journey of exploration, investigation, able to adapt to the artist as they mature and age. Art is an internal and external game that requires meaning, reflection, and growth. Ultimately, when we engage in art, we engage in a collaborative process of creation from which we collectively benefit.

2.
Treffen ohne getroffen zuwerden.
“To strike without being struck in return.”

While I can think of no greater way to sum up the most practical advice regarding fencing, this phrase also serves an important reminder of where this art comes from. As Lehrer Sir William Hope is keen to point out in his NEW METHOD, the term "fencing" has its roots in the word "Defen[s]e", as in the preservation of one's life against sharp swords.

The German word Treffen literally means "to encounter", in this context it expresses the idea to "reach (with a hit, push, throw) and more or less great force and to injure/damage a target." Pretty mean stuff.

Practicing the art of fencing should be a fun and engaging process. Yet we should should at no time be dishonest regarding the ugly history and original purpose of these much tamed devices. Our classes frequently focus on etiquette and certain sword-handling protocols as a sort of recognition of this past. Saluting, respectful handling and passing of the sword, etc., these acts of courtesy are a sign to our collaborating artists that we're here to work with them, a promise that we'll take care of each other when we're training.

This concludes part one of Notes on Balanced Fencing. Keep an eye out for part two, in which we will begin to explore more practical lessons, including Four Principal Considerations and Key Components of Balanced Fencing.

What are your training objectives for the upcoming year?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Sure, it's February, just past the Lunar New Year, and this is the sort of thing you expected to see along with a flurry of "new year new you" self-improvement e-mails. Well, joke is on you because you can begin a new year of training any time you want.

Part One: The Question

We all have different reasons for coming to the fencing hall and a variety of ambitions that result in our sticking around. As a teacher at Gotham Swords I want to do my part in helping everyone achieve their goals.

Want to incorporate more cardio?
Get more into free-play fencing?
Sharpen your skills for an upcoming competition?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your teacher(s) or me directly via e-mail or Discord [peterjhaas#7618] and let us know what you’re aiming to do this year — we’ll work together to make a plan!

Longsword: Concepts & Techniques Class

Part Two: Introspection

It would be unfitting of me to ask everyone to engage in this deeply personal exercise without participating in it myself.

My goals this year are:

Work towards being more concise in my teaching
Be more analytical and reflective of my personal time in the fencing hall.
Work on the "openings" I'm creating and consider more often "the etiquette of the heart".

Some of this likely comes off as a little vague, so here, without much filter is the motivation:

My earnest study of martial arts began amid a difficult period of my life. The ability to focus on training helped me bare the misery I was experiencing at the time. During this period I trained with a mindset geared towards competition. However, the ensuing years have substantially challenged that approach. I will speak to some of the details in a later post, but for an assortment of reasons I have reached a point in which tournaments have become difficult to attend.

Yet, I still train every day.

Why? Because I believe there is something deeper and more meaningful to the art of swordplay. I will address it in greater detail in a later post, but to paraphrase one-a-many coaching books: It's an internal game as much as it is external. There is a formal etiquette and approach to what we do in our fencing hall, but there is also “the etiquette of the heart,” which is to approach swordplay with an open and frank attitude with the aim of self-improvement.

I wanted to share this, admittedly extensive quote from Hiroshi Ozawa Sensei, which I believe sums up the sentiment pretty well:

"Swordplay involves putting on your uniform and practicing with a partner. The relationship between you and your partner may be thought of as one in which each person discovers their own particular weak points through an exchange of strikes and thrusts. When you receive a strike, it should make you aware that you have a weak spot in that particular place.

Being on the receiving end of a strike, however, will inevitably make you feel disappointed and consequently practice can turn quite rough. As a result, more openings to attacks will appear, causing you even more problems and leaving you open to even more strikes. You must always take care that this does not happen.

Paradoxically, successful swordplay depends on your ability to keep up a fighting spirit while continually showing appropriate respect to your partner. Your swordplay will become very unbalanced if one of these complementary elements is missing. Observance of etiquette helps you make the most of practice, and find the beauty in fencing.

When you receive a strike, it is because there is an opening. You opponent draws your attention to your weak spots, and you endeavor to ensure that you do not receive a strike in the same place again. Through endless repetition and practice, the openings will gradually disappear.

No one can ever rest on their laurels, however, even when they have reached the top level: because in swordplay there is always unlimited room for improvement."

###

Gotham Swords is a community-driven 501(c)3 non-profit that offers training in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) and Historical Fencing. We host weekly classes, workshops, and special events throughout the year.

Explore our class catalog and sign up today!

Join our Community Discord Server.

2023 Begins!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Catching Up

Jeez, it's been a long time! Things have been, to say the least: busy. I'm happy to announce that major time-consuming HEMA-related projects are now, for the most part, on auto-pilot which leaves me with time to get back to contributing more here.

A roundup of the big ticket events so far:

Gotham Swords has been up and running for just over two years (hurray!). We've radically expanded our class offerings to include a variety of one and two-handed weapons.

Highlights:

LED Saber is on Saturdays.
Side Sword Study Group is on Tuesday nights.
Great Sword is now on Saturday afternoons.

The 2022 Dueling Workshop was a resounding success! Thank you to everyone who joined us for a dive into Sir William Hope's New Method. Don't worry if you missed it, we're planning another for 2023, dates TBD.
A huge shout-out and thank you to the wonderful people at Doors of Divergence and Future Proof for hosting our '22 Holiday Bash!
For the next two quarters I'm teaching two courses: German Longsword, and Bauernwehr & Messer. Both classes will focus on the "Altes Kunst des Fechtens" (Old Art of Dueling) rooted in the Augsburg/Lübeck School of swordplay. Check out our website for more information and Bookwhen for sign ups.

Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to watch this space for notes and updates!

Our first Dueling Workshop in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 19:00:00 +0000

GEMAC + KdMF are excited to announce our first Dueling Workshop in NYC!

Join us Saturday, June 25th, for a three hour seminar introducing the dueling methods of Scottish Fencing Master Sir William Hope.

Event Tickets Include:

- A three hour fencing seminar featuring an introduction to Sir Hope’s New Method, and the art of dueling.

- Synthetic training spadroon

- GEMAC purple kilt from Sport Kilt

- Training pamphlet for your future reference

Visit www.langesmesser.com/dueling for more information!

About

Displeased with the rising number of deaths resulting from the fashionable practice of dueling, Scottish Fencing Master Sir William Hope created A New Shorter Method of Self-Defense. Hope's “new” system, based upon contemporary German techniques, focused heavily on defensive strategies, imploring students to attack only if and when it was absolutely necessary.

In this three hour seminar Instructors Peter Haas and Kat Hamilton of Kollektiv des Messerfectens provide a well rounded introduction to Sir Hope’s New Method, and the art of dueling.

...

#HEMA #Dueling #Swords #HistoricalFencing #Gemac #Fencing #HistoricalSwordsmanship #Sword #Workshops

Happy π Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Happy Pi Sword Nerds!

To help you celebrate, here are some pies you can make at home, and a very special crustless version!

Peter found this recipe on the British Museum's blog:

Mushroom Pasties/Hand-pies (vegetarian, can be made vegan)

Mushrooms of one night are the best, if they are small, red inside, and closed at the top: and they should be peeled and then washed in hot water and parboiled, and if you wish to put them in a pasty add oil, cheese and spice powder.

This recipe is from the Medieval household book Le Ménagier de Paris (the Goodman of Paris). At home it is likely that the fictional narrator of the book, who kept a well-furnished table, would serve a large double-crust pasty or plate pie – but on his journeys to and from the farm, small ones probably seemed more suitable.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 450g home-made or bought shortcrust pastry, thawed if frozen
• 450g button mushrooms
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 1⁄8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 egg, beaten

To make this recipe vegan use vegan pastry, omit the cheese or use vegan cheese, and use soy, rice or almond milk instead of the egg to seal the pastry.

Method

Use two-thirds of the pastry to line small, deep pans. Chill while making the filling. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Trim off and discard the bottoms of the mushroom stems, then dip the mushrooms in boiling salted water, holding them in a sieve. Drain them, pat dry, then chop or slice them. Put them in a bowl and mix them with the oil, cheese and seasonings. Fill the mixture into the pastry cases. Roll out the remaining pastry and use it to make lids for the pasties. Seal the lids with beaten egg. Decorate the tops with pastry trimmings and brush with the remaining egg. Make a small crosscut in the centre of each lid.

Bake the little pies in the oven for 15–18 minutes. Serve warm.

Kat’s Own Apple Pie

This recipe can be made vegan by substituting out the butter for vegetable shortening or vegan butter.

Crust Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 sticks of unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
2-3 tablespoons ice water
Pinch of salt

Filling Ingredients:

2-3 large apples (I prefer using tart apples, but you can use your favorite)
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
2-3 tablespoons of sugar
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons cornstarch

You’ll also need 1 beaten egg mixed with a few drops of water for egg washing the crust. If you’re making this vegan, you can do the wash with your favorite plant milk.

Directions:

Begin by making the crust: place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles or coarse sand. Add the ice water by sprinkling with a spoon or spraying with a misting spray bottle (this is the best!) and pulsing a few times after each addition of water. Do this until the dough just barely comes together, i.e. you can pinch the dough and it sticks together. Try not to run the mix in the processor too much as the butter will start to get too warm!

Turn the tough out of the processor and into a zip top bag. Shape the dough into a disk and rest in the fridge for about an hour.

Note: if you don’t have a food processor, you can make the dough by hand. Rub the butter and flour mixture between your fingers until you achieve the pebble consistency. Add the water a little at a time while working the dough with your fingers. Finish the same way as above.

While the dough rests, make the filling: zest and squeeze the lemon. Add the lemon juice to a large bowl. Peel and slice the apples (thinner slices if you want a softer filling, thicker slices if you want a crunchier filling). Add them to the bowl of lemon juice, and fill with cold water until the slices are just covered.

After the dough has rested, remove from the fridge and divide in half. Keep one half in the fridge while you work with the other half. Sprinkle your work surface and rolling pin with flour, and roll out the first half of the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Transfer to a pie pan; press the dough gently into all corners without squashing it, and let the excess dough overhang the edge. Take a fork and stipple the bottle (poke it a bunch with the fork to make tiny holes all over!). Place in the fridge.

Drain your apples and mix in the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The apples should be coated with sugar mixture, so add less or more sugar and cinnamon depending on the quantity of apple slices. Add in the reserved lemon zest. Place the apple mixture into the prepared pie pan and keep in the fridge while you roll out the other half of the dough.

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Roll the dough until about ¼ inch thick, and then place on the top of the filled pie pan. Seal the edges with your preferred method (I like taking the overhanging bottom crust and rolling it up over the excess top crust, then twisting and crimping around the edge until I have a pretty and rustic crimp pattern. My mom always just mashed it with the stippling fork, and it also looked gorgeous, so you do you!). Cut a vent in the top crust by making a small X in the middle and peeling back the tips.

Cut aluminum foil into 1-inch strips and cover the crimped crust. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes, check to see if the filling is bubbling (you can look at the vent and see). If not bubbling, bake for 10 more minutes and check again. Once the filling is bubbling, remove the aluminum foil from the crust and egg wash the entire top. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until you get a nice golden brown color.

Let the pie cool completely before eating. No really, let it cool down! The filling will thicken as it cools, so you don’t want to slice it too soon or you’ll have a runny slice of pie. Pair with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, and enjoy!

Dr. Josh Wickman presents

"A Crustless Option"

The pies presented so far can be made using ingredients found in your kitchen or your local grocery store. But in the immortal words of Carl Sagan: “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”

As it happens, the universe has recipes for at least 3 different flavors: 𝝅0, 𝝅+, and 𝝅– . These symbols refer to particles known to physicists as pi mesons, or pions.

Mesons are one of two main categories of hadrons: particles which interact via the strong nuclear force. Hadrons are made up of quarks, and due to the principles of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the quarks can be arranged in groups of two or three. The latter are called baryons, which include the proton and the neutron, as well as many more exotic particles. The former are mesons.

As far as we know, there are six flavors of quark. Pions are made up of the two most basic, lowest-mass flavors, known as the up (u) and down (d) quarks. QCD also demands that mesons come in pairs of one “particle” and one “antiparticle” (the antimatter counterpart of the ordinary particle). This means pions also must contain anti-up (u) and anti-down (d) quarks. (The traditional notation for an antiparticle is an overline, but since overlines don’t always show up on the web, we’ll use an underline.) There are four pairwise combinations of these particles: uu, dd, ud, and du .

These combinations can be distinguished by their electric charge. If q is the magnitude of the electron’s charge but positive, then the up and down quarks have electric charge values of ⅔q and –⅓q, respectively. Their antiparticles have the same magnitudes with reversed polarity, –⅔q for anti-up and ⅓q for anti-down. Pairing these off, we get the following:

Quark pair	Electric charge
uu	0
dd	0
ud	+1q
du	–1q

Generally, the first two are indistinguishable in experiments: they are both electrically neutral, and they lack other quantum properties that could set them apart. So these are two varieties of the neutral pi meson, 𝝅0 . The third has net-positive electric charge, making it the 𝝅+ , and likewise the fourth is the 𝝅– .

Just as quarks have antiparticles, so too do mesons. For a composite particle like a hadron, the antiparticle is just the combination of the antiparticles of all of the original constituents. If we try this with the quark pairs making up pions, we find that the 𝝅– is the antiparticle of the 𝝅+ , and vice versa. Interestingly, the 𝝅0 is its own antiparticle!

Happy New Year: the 1,000 Cuts!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 03:59:00 +0000

We have a great tradition of challenging ourselves to practicing 1,000 cuts for our first class of the year. Thanks to everyone who came out to join us!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gotham Swords (@gothamswords)

In Memory of Vincent Lloyd Malveaux

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 18:22:00 +0000

Vincent Lloyd Malveaux
Brooklyn, New York
November 28, 1990 - December 3, 2021

It deeply saddens me to report the passing of Vincent Malveaux, a member of our fencing community and FDNY Probationary Firefighter.

I knew Vincent from our days at Sword Class NYC; quiet, inquisitive, enthusiastic, and over-all super lovely person. He will be greatly missed.

His obituary, published in the Bronx Daily, can be viewed here.

Vincent's family has asked that folks wishing to show their support please donate to the following in his name:

Fired Up for a Cure

UFA WIDOWS AND CHILDRENS FUND

The EMS FDNY Help Fund

THE FDNY FIRE FAMILY TRANSPORT FOUNDATION

Tip Jar

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 22:44:00 +0000

Instructors work hard to design and teach classes. I am not paid, so if you are able to contribute, please tip and help keep these classes coming!

PAYPAL: www.paypal.com/paypalme/peterjhaas

VENMO: @peterjhaas

If you'd like to donate on a more consistent basis please visit www.ko-fi.com/peterjhaas

Open Floor Class 11/27

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 19:23:00 +0000

Peter will be supervising an
Open Floor Session on 11/27
BUT IT WILL BE AT A DIFFERENT RIPLEY-GRIER LOCATION
520 8th Ave, 16th Floor, Room 16D
at 12:30PM

Again, please note that this class is not at our normal Ripley-Grier location, instead it will hosted at the nearby 520 8th Ave location, in room 16D.
Open floor means that there will be no official class plan; instead we will be providing a space for folks to come and spar/gekken, or practice in a supervised environment.
Students are encouraged to come prepared with questions or things they want to work on.
This is a great opportunity to explore other systems and/or weapons! Please contact our instructors if there are any particular subject(s) of interest.
Don't forget to sign up on our schedule page or by visiting gemac.club!

Class Notes: Underhand Ward

noreply@blogger.com (Peter J. Haas) — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

This module examines the application of Versetzen using a häwen to the Läger of Stier. Beginning with the posture of Mittelhut, and expanding to other Läger, students will learn how to defend themselves from a variety of attacks using Stier as well as the appropriate nachschlag work.

Newer students will be introduced to the foundational techniques, and senior students will work on details of timing and footwork.

So put your right foot forward and hold your messer in an angle the point is downwards. As soon as he hits from above, shoot up your Messer and displace him. Then jump to his right side in the triangle and hit him at his head or stab him.

Download the Class Notes PDF here.

TIP JAR
GEMAC instructors work hard to design and teach classes. We are not paid, so if you are able to contribute, please tip and help keep these classes coming!

PAYPAL: www.paypal.com/paypalme/peterjhaas
VENMO: @peterjhaas