ARMA demo at a Nerd Party

[Hiro P]

these guys are training in a style that is outdated for self defence and sport but as long as they don't pretend that their mad longsword skills will save them from a mugger and its just for fun I see no problem with them doing what they do.

ARMA studies more than longsword. We train dagger and unarmed combat with at least as much "liveness" as you see in the vimeo link. The manuals we take our material from represent the combined knowledge of one of history's most violent culture's warrior classes - it's a comprehensive martial system that spans from less applicable weapons to knife and combat wrestling. Just because I use a longsword as a training tool, doesn't mean I'm throwing tennis ball lightning bolts.

I'm not deluded into thinking that I will ever have to defend my life against a sword attack - just as I'm not deluded into thinking that I may never have to defend my life against a knife attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNOP3X9OyzM

While we leave hardcore RBSD training up to individual members, we definitely use violent methods to learn violent skills.

[P Marsh]

You didn't read my whole post didn't you? I said I'm perfectly fine with them just doing it for fun. I can't see why you seem to be so mad that I've made a not so positive comment so either you're doing a half decent job trolling me or you've had one shitty day my friend.

[Petter]

these guys are training in a style that is outdated for self defence

Shit! Someone better tell them that longsword is no longer a practical weapon for self defence.

Fortunately, I mostly practice with a much more modern blade (renaissance rapier), so I should still be good. Right?

and [outdated for] sport

[Permalost]

Hence, Arnis/Kali/Escrima.

Or he could study with the ARMA or one of the other European armed combat groups- the Filipino arts don't have a monopoly on bladed weapon fighting.

[P Marsh]

Well I do have observational skills and deductive logic so I can comment on what I see. I mean, these guys are training in a style that is outdated for self defence and sport but as long as they don't pretend that their mad longsword skills will save them from a mugger and its just for fun I see no problem with them doing what they do.

[Lebell]

Small world. My wife was at this party last night. She told me about it this morning.

aah you're having one of them modern marriages eh?
i couldnt do that.

[Styygens]

So, for those of you who were there: How was the party?

It looked like fun...
http://io9.com/5493076/stormtroopers...yline=true&s=i

and

http://io9.com/5493130/music-and-swo...mebender-party

[Petter]

If I added swords to grappling I'd learn some goddamn swordsmanship

The clip was far too short to judge the skill of the fighters but from what I saw it was a weird tackle done by a tubby guy by on another tubby guy.

So you lack the skillset on display, and acknowledge that the clip is too short to judge the quality anyway, but for some reason you feel qualified and motivated to comment.

Hm.

[khallenb]

I'm [the other guy]. Hiro described that engagement pretty well. Here is a link to a longer vid showing some bladework.
http://www.vimeo.com/10176730

[Hiro P]

Well shit - I guess I've arrived. Being the subject of a YMAS thread... fulfills a life goal? This is a 20 second video of a 5 minute bout, taken by someone in the audience, I guess. We're fighting on a hard concrete floor so takedowns weren't really an option - this is me wrenching [the other guy] down with a halfsword grip, a somewhat gentler way of putting someone on the ground. I don't know if he gave it to me or not, but I do know that if he'd gotten into a good position on me I probably would have let him have it, as opposed to going down hard on the concrete.

Once we were down I held him with the knee and set up for punches, giving him the opportunity to yield. When he didn't I reached for my sword - he saw this and rolled on top of it to take it himself. While he did this I grabbed his left arm for a break, but waited to see whether or not he could get a hold of the sword before committing. When he did I dropped his arm, pulled mount, and wrestled the sword away, putting the point to his throat.

Like Wounded Ronin said, grappling with weapons changes the game completely - if we had been wearing daggers (the REAL anti-grapple) that would have changed things as well. Hopefully we'll have one of our copies of the video up soon, which should display enough "goddamn swordsmanship" to go around.

[100xobm]

Small world. My wife was at this party last night. She told me about it this morning.

Was she the blurry sith lady?

Nice lightsabers.

[Sley]

If I added swords to grappling I'd learn some goddamn swordsmanship to make use of the damn thing. The clip was far too short to judge the skill of the fighters but from what I saw it was a weird tackle done by a tubby guy by on another tubby guy.

So do we now all need to add Arma to our Muay Thai/Judo/BJJ mix in order to stay cool, cuz I have low self-esteem and need to be a cool kid ok.

[CarlosJesena]

If I added swords to grappling I'd learn some goddamn swordsmanship to make use of the damn thing. The clip was far too short to judge the skill of the fighters but from what I saw it was a weird tackle done by a tubby guy by on another tubby guy.

Hence, Arnis/Kali/Escrima.

[jnp]

Small world. My wife was at this party last night. She told me about it this morning.

[P Marsh]

Hey, if you tried to grapple but added swords to the equation, there'd be a lot of techniques you wouldn't use since you'd have to be focused a great deal on immobilizing the other guy's weapon. Grappling with dull swords causes me to crapple for the most part.

By the way, longsword would be correct terminology, not broadsword.

If I added swords to grappling I'd learn some goddamn swordsmanship to make use of the damn thing. The clip was far too short to judge the skill of the fighters but from what I saw it was a weird tackle done by a tubby guy by on another tubby guy.