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Max takes Hits from Peter (2024-11-22)

A one minute session of The Game during an Applications class. Here, the Scholar (Max) is tasked solely with defending themselves against incoming hits from the Mentor; forcing them to respond to a variety of stimuli while focusing on the correct responses. The game comes to our practice of Bauernwehr by way of the Haitian tradition of Tiré Machét, to which we owe our core curriculum.

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Reading Range Drills

How close can you get without being struck? Can you read/size up your opponent and their reach?!

Range: Mensur, Measure; The important distance between you and your adversary that delineates safety from danger. See also: Out of Range, Near Range, In Range, Wrestling Range.

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We are very excited to share that Gotham Swords was featured in @timeoutnewyork 🤩!!! Instagram Reel & Article:

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A post shared by Time Out New York (@timeoutnewyork)

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Our LinkTree is live — Quickly access resources for joining classes, learning about events, buying merch, and more!

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A glimpse into the past week of training: Test cutting, free-play fencing, and weighted trainers, oh-my! We are very excited to share that Gotham Swords was featured in @timeoutnewyork 🤩 [link in bio]. More announcements are coming soon, but we have some new classes starting in October: Longsword: Skills and two Bauernwehr: The Peasant's Defense classes!

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Here's a quick article that discusses how our German Fencing System: Concept & Techniques class approaches drilling:

"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."

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wood and steel are both fantastic training devices with their own lessons! ... .. . #longsword #hema #nyc https://www.instagram.com/p/CqN_D_RLyrV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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So you want to play with swords?

Learn how to join our historical fencing classes right here in NYC!

Gotham Swords is a community-driven non-profit that offers training in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) and Historical Fencing. We host weekly classes in Longsword, Langes Messer, Sword & Buckler, LED Saber, and more!

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Parts of the Longsword

A. Die Spitze, Tip B. Schwech,Weak C. Stark, Strong D. Schielt, Shield E. Hiltze, Crossguard F. Greiffen, Grip G. Knauf, Pommel

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some snapshots from this weekend! #swords #hema #historicalfencing #ledsaber https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp-vBuyrVzI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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What are YOUR training objectives for the upcoming year?

Sure, this is the sort of click-bait title you expected to see along with a flurry of "new year new you" self-improvement e-mails the moment January 1st rolls around. Well, the joke is on you because you can begin a new year of training any time you want. 

In this post I'll break down my own approach to answering the titular 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! 

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."

Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on the Langes Messer Blog in February.

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Did you know we have **new** Gotham Swords Swag!? Show off your favorite hobby: swordplay!

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Group photo after a great weekend of training!

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Notes on Balanced Fencing Part 1: Two Governing Philosophies

Editor's Note: This post was originally shared on the blog LangesMesser.com

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:

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

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

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.

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Hello Friends!!

We are officially adding TUMBLR to our toolbox of community outreach.

The centuries old Art of Swordsmanship offers countless challenges, rewards, and opportunities for personal growth. From general fitness to tournament training, we look forward to being a part of your journey!

Join our Community Discord Server for general updates and sword-related discussions!

Visit our website, www.GothamSwords.com for more information about our organization and what classes we offer.

Don't forget to check out our trusty Handbook for student resources including:

Our Code of Conduct.

View our schedule and sign up for classes on BookWhen. 

Learn more about where to buy HEMA Gear and Practice Weapons.

Contact & Other Social Media

contact@gemac.club

Discord Server

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voiding and distance practice in #longsword ... .. . #hema #swords #nyc #longsword #class #fitness https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5KgqKLlhc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=