Medieval fencing cuts a common ground for fans from all walks of life
It could be a fascination for swashbuckling movies, or a passion for playing fantasy genre PC games. Or information technology could be that sense of wonderment yous get from reading Arthurian legends of chivalrous knights and their quests.
Whatever information technology is that got y'all interested in medieval swords and sword fighting in the first place, information technology is a very real form of martial fine art practised in Europe in the Middle Ages, said Rigel Ng, 24, an instructor and president of the Pan Historical European Martial Arts Society (PHEMAS), as he took out swords of various lengths from a bag.
He was speaking to CNA Lifestyle at the Eurasian Association, where he gathers likeminded individuals twice weekly to railroad train and share knowledge of Historical European Martial Arts or HEMA for short.
Yep, the sword activeness that y'all encounter on TV and in the movies is being practised here in Singapore. And they practice employ swords. The steel stuff.
Martial fine art isn't only about the wuxia genre depicted in Chinese fantasy books and films, or spirituality conveyed through Japanese kendo. Back in the 13th century, Europeans were thrusting, cutting and defending with blades and shields – except that they did it for survival and not health.
"It is interesting to hear that 90 per cent of the European population thinks that Europe didn't have any forms of martial art," said Ng. "They would have because they were fighting each other for about 500 years."
Choose YOUR WEAPON
Medieval sword fighting or fencing isn't about hitting or stabbing the vital points on your opponent'south padded torso with a malleable thin foil. Instead, practitioners ofttimes kickoff off with the messer, which Ng described equally a one-handed, parang-sized sword.
As you lot get more than skillful, you lot may be handed a buckler, a circular shield that is no larger than a frying pan that commonly complements the messer. What good is a small shield? Enough, explained Langley Qu, 35, an instructor at Bastion HEMA, as she sat down to talk nearly the martial art that Lucien Lee, her husband and founder of the school, got her hooked on half-dozen years ago.
"People think y'all must need a large shield to encompass yourself properly. The answer is no. Bucklers were made small for ease of behave. Some accept sharp edges that you lot can use to maim, so you essentially have two weapons in hand when you use it with the messer," she said, adding that their size also made information technology possible to slip into the eye slit of the opponent'south helmet.
There's also the longsword, probably the most quintessential weapon associated with medieval sword fighting. Information technology is a formidable-looking, 2-handed sword with a straight, double-edged bract and a straight baby-sit that makes the sword await like a cross. You might recognise it equally a weapon similar to what Jon Snow in Game Of Thrones uses.
Another single-handed sword is the rapier. It has a slender blade connected to, in some cases, a hilt designed to look like elegant swirls of metallic; it doesn't just protect the manus, it also adds to the sword's aesthetics.
In some instances, the poleaxe may exist added to the mix. It is substantially a long pole with a hammer on top. "It was the anti-armour weapon of the twenty-four hours," said the 36-twelvemonth-old Lee, who is likewise an teacher at Breastwork HEMA. The couple picked upwards the sport while studying in Swansea, the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, and had practised it for three-and-a-one-half years before returning to Singapore and starting the school two years ago.
"Other than learning how to fight with these weapons, there is besides ringen, which is German language for wrestling and is a big part of medieval sword fighting," said Qu.
KEEPING IT Real
The battle scenes that you lot see in movies such every bit Lord Of The Rings are ofttimes of epic proportions. Swords and axes disharmonism, battle cries are bellowed, and the camera goes into slow-motion way to capture the choreographed fight. Those movements may look dramatic on the silver screen just dorsum in the Eye Ages, they'd probably get you killed.
In actuality, information technology wastes a lot of free energy swinging your sword effectually during a battle.
"In actuality, it wastes a lot of free energy swinging your sword around during a battle," said Qu. The movies give you maybe 20 per cent of the truth." For instance, both the messer and longsword tin can each weigh from well-nigh 1kg to nearly ane.5kg. Despite its slenderness, the rapier can tip the scales at 1kg.
The techniques and movements taught in HEMA clubs aren't random. Nearly of what is imparted worldwide – not just in Singapore – is based on aboriginal treatises, the primeval of which was discovered in a German monastery in the 13thursday century.
It was followed by the works of the 14th-century German master Johannes Liechtenauer. "Many wouldn't consider what he wrote every bit a transmission per se. A lot of sources say that he put the techniques into a poem," said Ng.
The next definitive treatise was past an Italian named Fiore Dei Liberi, written as well in the 14thursday century, which he had compiled for his patron. "Information technology wasn't as cryptic as Liechtenauer's but information technology withal wasn't equally basic as a manual. For example, Dei Liberi didn't mention how to agree your sword," said Ng.
Because the techniques are upwards for estimation, Ng, who has been fencing for four years, said that medieval sword fighting is yet evolving. "It'due south like submitting your findings to a scientific journal. If your theory is not accepted past your peers, y'all inquiry further before coming dorsum to the ring with what you have and convince them." In contrast, you don't tweak what the master has passed down to yous in nigh Asian martial arts, he said.
One affair was articulate though. Information technology was most upping your killing efficiency. "The plays consist about one or two moves considering you wouldn't want to drag it out. You want to make quick work of catastrophe your opponent," said Ng.
"But when you get to the belatedly 15th century, the plays were five or six moves long. You get the feeling that it was a more than sportified version of swordsmanship. There were besides performances and tournaments in those days where people could run into your prowess with a sword. But it was however less sportified than what we do today."
Almost of the people who come to the classes take played games that have realistic sword fighting, and are curious how information technology would look and feel in existent life.
MEDIEVAL COSPLAY?
Simply as the people who practised swordsmanship in the 13thursday century were an eclectic grouping, according to Ng, and so too are the modernistic practitioners. In Singapore, there exists a small community of fewer than 50 active members, said Ng.
PHEMAS, which was founded in 2005, has about 20 active members. Owing to Singaporean co-founder Greg Galistan, the group has been convening in the hall at the Eurasian Clan to practise and spar since its inception.
"The affair about the sword is that it's such a cultural symbol of risk and fantasy. Nearly of the people who come to the classes are MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) nerds who accept played games that have realistic sword fighting, and are curious how it would look and feel in real life," said Ng.
"You also have Japanese civilization enthusiasts who are into kendo and kenjutsu. Even anime has some western influences like the i based on Joan Of Arc, a historical effigy in France."
Despite the element of role playing (knight in figurative shining armour, anyone?), Lee doesn't consider medieval fencing as cosplay in the popular sense. "Nosotros're non exactly cosplayers; nosotros don't wearing apparel up. We are trying to re-enact a certain kind of fighting system from the medieval ages."
Lee added: "But I call up there are individuals who adopt a certain persona when they train considering this is stuff you're non going to use in your everyday life. Once in a while, anybody only wants to experience like a swordsman or knight. And nosotros give them the adventure and the space to do that".
Girl POWER WITH SWORDS
HEMA clubs' propensity to concenter men doesn't preclude women from joining them. Qu, for one, is a female instructor. Of the xxx active students at Bastion HEMA, nine are women. In fact, they have just started running women-only classes this year.
"We had a German chief Jenspeter Kleinau over late last year, and he said this shouldn't be a macho sport," shared Qu. "Women should be comfortable to bring together and women's involvement should be fostered, he said.
This shouldn't be a macho sport. Women should be comfortable to join and women's involvement should be fostered.
Only because there is a lot of contact and guys are stronger, women may feel a little uncomfortable or intimidated." So they started offering women-only classes one time a week, which aren't taught differently from the regular ones.
"The only deviation is that women may not take the initial arm and wrist strength, and may not exist and so in melody with their bodies. When they come here, they learn to be mindful and intentional with their movements," said Qu.
June Gan, who has been participating in the regular classes for close to 6 months, enjoys learning most medieval swordplay and how the techniques came nearly. "I've ever been a bit of a nerd," said the 25-year-sometime, who works in sales and marketing. "I did a bit of riding when I was younger and archery at university, so I guess HEMA and swordfighting were simply a natural progression."
Run into THE LION CITY KNIGHTS
With an unusual name similar Gawain Chew (it is also the first proper name of King Arthur's nephew and a knight of the Round Table), it is evident that the 31-year-old executive, who specialises in intellectual law, is a fan of Arthurian tales.
"I have been fencing for near 17 months," he said. And so dedicated is Chew to fencing that he started judo lessons recently. "A lot of what we practice here is basically wrestling, so judo actually complements fencing," he said.
David Han, who is a martial arts enthusiast, has tried fencing and used to practise muay thai and battle. He finds historical swordsmanship more than practical than fencing. "When you read martial fine art-themed novels and they depict the swordplay, I can visualise the movements better after picking up HEMA," said the 38-year-old, who works as an Information technology software tester.
While most teens get their kicks from gaming, educatee Brendan Toh prefers to disharmonism swords in person and non in a RPG figurer game. The 16-year-old has been taking HEMA lessons since last October and loves information technology. "It's a head rush! It's competitive and withal, information technology's also about strategy. Information technology is interesting to learn about the very things that people hundreds of years ago were doing," he said.
HEMA practitioners may come from all walks of life merely they share a love of swords. Marking Tan, for instance, is the proud possessor of a longsword and rapier. The 29-year-one-time research assistant has been fencing for four years and has spent a few thousand dollars on his gear, including fencing mask, padded jacket and pants, and gloves.
"I probably have spent more I should!" he laughed. "Most of the gear tin can only exist bought overseas and sometimes, the shipping tin can cost more than the items."
Discover out more about historical sword fighting at PHEMAS and Breastwork HEMA.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/lion-city-knights-223226
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