It has been mentioned that this blog is all about what I don't like. That's not true, there is a picture of kittens, and what's not to like there?
Though I'd like to make a special mention for these guys.
They seem to have got the balance right between aesthetic and safety when it comes to equipment. They look modern and professional, something most groups struggle with.
They fight as if they mean it without being overly aggresive, I have yet to see a single video (and there are a lot of them out there) where they look sloppy.
Lastly, and most irritatingly,somehow they all seem to be decent people. If you're going to copy any group then you could do a lot worse than the GHFS.
To entertain you here are two of them in the final of the longsword competition at this year's Fightcamp. (A co-incidence? Probably not.)
Wednesday 29 October 2008
Monday 27 October 2008
Under pressure
It seems I may have created a monster
Every day a new HEMA Blog appears, Hemaman, Hemagirl, Hemadog, Hemagoth, and more lately Baskethilt Broadsword Boy and Sword Punk.
I don’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed.
A part of me believes that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, that somehow my actions have made it acceptable to be honest about your feelings and get them out there for other people to read. That part of me is quite happy indeed with the situation and would dearly love more to start
However there is another part of me that isn’t quite so keen. That part of me understands that there is a finite amount of reading any one person can do and that the larger the pool of writing there is to draw from, the smaller the chance it is me that they are reading. That is the part that enjoyed it immensely when I stood alone and people were discussing my every word.
It isn’t a very big part of me though.
I am too much a capitalist at heart. I honestly believe that competition is a good thing.
The more blogs there are, the more I have to strive to make mine the one that stands out. The more competition there is, the better the overall result will be.
This is also true of original source interpretations.
Every time I talk to someone about what I do I want them to question me. I don’t want them to simply take what I say as the gospel truth (an odd phrase for an atheist I know). I want to be constantly under pressure to show my reasoning. I want my interpretation to be forced to prove itself both against the intricacies of the source manuscript, but also against physical pressure.
Yes it works, but does it work when I am tired, gasping for breath, filled with adrenaline and being watched by everyone else?
Ok so it works, but does it match the manuscript? Is there anything that I do that is contradicted by the text or the pictures?
Does my interpretation make sense when compared to that of other people who have looked at the same source? Can they show me something that better fits the facts?
In summary, am I the best? If not then why not?
Could it be that I spend too much time typing and not enough training?
Is it too much to ask to be the best at both?
Every day a new HEMA Blog appears, Hemaman, Hemagirl, Hemadog, Hemagoth, and more lately Baskethilt Broadsword Boy and Sword Punk.
I don’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed.
A part of me believes that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, that somehow my actions have made it acceptable to be honest about your feelings and get them out there for other people to read. That part of me is quite happy indeed with the situation and would dearly love more to start
However there is another part of me that isn’t quite so keen. That part of me understands that there is a finite amount of reading any one person can do and that the larger the pool of writing there is to draw from, the smaller the chance it is me that they are reading. That is the part that enjoyed it immensely when I stood alone and people were discussing my every word.
It isn’t a very big part of me though.
I am too much a capitalist at heart. I honestly believe that competition is a good thing.
The more blogs there are, the more I have to strive to make mine the one that stands out. The more competition there is, the better the overall result will be.
This is also true of original source interpretations.
Every time I talk to someone about what I do I want them to question me. I don’t want them to simply take what I say as the gospel truth (an odd phrase for an atheist I know). I want to be constantly under pressure to show my reasoning. I want my interpretation to be forced to prove itself both against the intricacies of the source manuscript, but also against physical pressure.
Yes it works, but does it work when I am tired, gasping for breath, filled with adrenaline and being watched by everyone else?
Ok so it works, but does it match the manuscript? Is there anything that I do that is contradicted by the text or the pictures?
Does my interpretation make sense when compared to that of other people who have looked at the same source? Can they show me something that better fits the facts?
In summary, am I the best? If not then why not?
Could it be that I spend too much time typing and not enough training?
Is it too much to ask to be the best at both?
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