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[samanthaswords]

Sixteen hundred years ago, in Roman-ruled Wales, a well-off teenager called Patricius was ripped from civilisation and taken as a slave to serve king Miliucc, one of the many hundreds of Gaellic chieftains currently ruling over the rich and wild lands of the Irish. There were no Irish towns in 401AD, this was a vast land with a complicated society scattered throughout with farm holdings and war tribes who were ruled by the strongest -male, female it didn’t matter- and all subject to the whims and mysteries of the ancient spirits of the land. 🏔 Despite being cut off from most people in a foreign country and forced into the hungry, isolated life of a shepherd-slave, Patricius showed amazing resilience as he grew from boy to man in the cold and beautiful hills of Antrim. Never one for religion in his youth, he found himself developing a deep spirituality inexplicably centred around a faith in the Christian god, and his holiness helped him endure 6 years of lonely suffering. He found peace in his situation, but after hearing a voice in a dream that told him to “go and seek his ship”, he mustered the courage to escape from his bondage and find his way home. Easier said than done- he was deep inland between Lough Neagh and the mountains of Sliabh Mis- nowhere at all near the coast. ⛵️ Walking some two hundred miles from the inland hills of Antrim to the ocean, Patricius risked recapture and murder as he navigated the dangerous territory of his Irish captors. He somehow acquired money for passage on a ship and despite obviously being a slave, convinced the Irish sailors to take him with them to the European mainland- bad timing, since this was around the time the Roman Empire's borders had fallen to a hundred thousand hungry Germans who were at that moment swarming across the continent ravaging everything in their path (407-8AD). 🗡🦗 After several years of schrewd survival and some heaven-sent good luck, Patricius finally made it home to his adoring- and most likely gobsmacked- parents back in Welsh Britain. The Roman garrison had recently abandoned the isle (409AD) but Britain was still holding onto the structure of the old society. A Roman school drop-out like Patricius was completely unfit for any respected position in the soft and comfortable life of a Roman, and he found himself longing to return to the country where he was once enslaved amongst the strange, passionate, violent and beautiful people who called the Irish lands home. Despite abysmal holes in his interrupted education due to his years of enslavement, and possessing a very simple, sometimes embarrassingly awkward grasp of Latin, Patricius laboured for years in Gaul and finally attained a theological qualification to become a priest and a bishop, which set him up to do the unthinkable for any sensible Roman citizen- leave the ordered safety of urban life and head out to the people of the country-literally pāgānus in Latin, from which we get “pagan”- immersing himself in the world beyond. 🗺 No more a slave-shepherd to the Gaelic king and a qualified man of books, Patricius returned to the land that was once his prison with the full support of the Christian church, but his passion was entirely driven by love for the Irish people. His deep sympathy for the individual endeared him to the warrior people, and his genuine commitment to their happiness -physically in this world and spiritually in the great beyond- gave him widespread respect and acceptance among the violent Irish society. A former slave himself, he became the first person in recorded history to speak out strongly against the slave trade, which was -astonishingly- abolished in Ireland during or soon after his death (461AD). The next outspoken slavery reformers would not appear for another 1300 years. 🗽 Loyal, caring, cultural-accepting and fearless, Patricius won over the proud Gaelic people and instilled in them the value of education, at the same time convincing them the value of their immortal soul. Far at the edge of the rest of the world a new type of Christianity developed that was- for the first time in centuries- not intrinsically attached to Roman culture. Now truly an Irishman, Patrick also spoke out for the rights of women whom he recognised as often enduring a lot of the same treatment as slaves. During Patrick’s last 30 years of life, he influenced the development of education and peace throughout the recently-turbulent Ireland, even while the rest of Europe was hurtling into chaos as the Roman Empire well and truly fell apart. 🏛 Across the known world, barbaric people looted artifacts and burned the records of Western literature. The only place unaffected by the madness was the distant backwater kingdoms of Ireland. Patrick's newly literate Irish Christians faithfully scribed everything they could get their hands on, holding it safely for the hundred or so years it took for Medieval society to establish itself amongst the smoking wreckage of the ancient world. Once the darkest age had passed, Western heritage flowed back into Europe through monasteries, although some of it now contained a distinctly Irish twist. ☘️ Most historians overlook this extraordinary near-miss of the 5th century apocalypse and the role the Irish had in preserving what was nearly lost. The humanity and extraordinary life of Patrick directly led to the existence of the Irish monks, who preserved and gave us back to the world the thousands of years of cultural heritage from the brink of certain destruction that it almost endured. So go and raise a glass and wear the colour green, if you will, but just remember to say a “cheers” for Patricius. Happy St Patrick's Day. 🌅 (This story was written by me and any mistakes or inaccuracies are my fault. It is largely based on what I learned from the book “How the Irish Saved Civilisation” by Thomas Cahill)

[samanthaswords]

I really want to start sparring but there isn't a good HEMA instructor in my region, and it is at least a 3 hour drive to the closest club. I have done some dueling with LARP swords, as well as regular Olympic fencing, and I have someone I trust who does martial arts to practice with, but I'm afraid I’m more likely to hurt them (or myself) while sparring. What should I do?

Thanks so much for asking! I always encourage people to take the plunge and get into sword-fighting as soon as they can. We all somehow find ourselves doing it one way or another, so we might as well take initiative and practice it responsibly. ;)If you feel confident in your basic handling and have done some form of sword sport already as well as having a partner you trust, then I suggest you get going! I’m going to centre my advice around longswords and single-handed arming swords, since that is the most commonly practiced form of HEMA at the moment, but it could be adjusted for other forms as well.

There is a wealth of historical fencing instruction on the internet, but if you are short on time to filter through vast resources and full of the need to start moving, then it is still possible to start, with some of these things in mind.

First, I suggest you start sparringwith something very safe, such as a good foam sword, and always wearsafety glasses, or if you are using rigid and semi-rigid training weapons, wear a fencing mask. Regardless of how blunt orsoft the sword is, always treat any sword as though it weresharp to build good habits.

Gun users will appreciate theimportance of always treating any weapon as though it were loaded. Likewise, any and all types of sword simulators should be handled with the same respect.

Above: There are many affordable beginner swords available. Durable and attractive foam swords are produced by Calimacil, which have some of the best handling characteristics that I have seen in a commercially-available foam sword. However if you do hope to train with a HEMA club soon, a good semi-rigid sword to start with is the Rawlings Synthetic, also widely-available and reasonably-priced.

In sparring, the places most at risk of injury are your hands, eyes and sensitive areas of the body such as genitals, as well as your spine. The simplest and most basic protection is safety glasses and leather gloves, as well as a firm vest or some other form of torso protection. However, at this stage of your training and without an instructor, no one should be striking with force enough to damage your partner. Strikes dealt during novice sparring should not leave many bruises, although some scrapes and bruises from training are inevitable.

Real historical swordsmanship is relatively calm, intentional and extremely subtle, nothing at all like the desperate flailing seen in almost all forms of popular media and a lot of modern medieval sword sports. It can get heated at HEMA competitions, but there is still a measure of reserve in the top fencers. Even some of the most experienced sharp-sword fencers move with clarity before applying speed and force.I’ll talk more about force a bit later on.

You don’t have to rock any science-lab goggles to save your eyeballs. Many slick, low-profile safety glasses are available for anywhere between USD$2-30, such as these CrossFire Infinity Safety Glasses.

Once you have safe tools and some basic protection, establish cleartarget zones and win conditions with your sparring partner. Targets always excluded for novices should be vulnerable areas such as the groin, breasts (if you can avoid striking them), face, spine, neck and hands*. These zones should be restricted until youhave had more experience with controlling your blows and regular coachingfrom a fencing master. However, it is bad to cast shots that expose your hands, so once you have developed control and trust with your partner, I encourage threatening exposed hands as a target, but don’t connect with any force. In a real sword fight, the hands are the nearest and easiest place to connect, so you need to learn to cast the blade first.

If you really can’t help yourself and keep hitting at the restricted zones but you still want to sword-fight, then you need to spend a lot of time developing control with your training tool and a non-animate target, and purchase standard HEMA safety gear for when you and your partner spar.

Decide what is a strike and what is dangerous play, such as mutually stopping and breaking apart if you get intograppling range before you have been taught how to grapple and fall. For me, I consider a strike good if it is a firm touch or impact with a sliding motion of two to three inches of the weapon over my body. The impact isn’t a light tap and it isn’t a hard thump either. To gauge the pressure needed, think about the force needed to cut cleanly through a tomato or a steak. Thrusting also does not need to be excessive. A decent thrust is one that can compress around two to five inchesinto the opponent, although a good sparring partner will acknowledgethe thrust even if you have stopped before you deliver it.

Agree on the win conditions: whether youare fencing to first strike, or if you allow returning shots from theperson struck before the other one can get out of range (which I like to do). Make sure you are both clear on all of these things, andbe honest with your partner about the results of their fencing.

If you or yourpartner don’t immediately register the shots you’ve taken, it isn’tnecessarily because you are cheating- it’s just that it takespractice to feel and acknowledge your own hits. It’s even harder when you have adrenaline and are getting used to new motor skills. Don’t stress if you or the other person aren’t acknowledging hits, build up to it slowly with each other, like everything else. Also aim for precision in your feedback. Letting eachother know exactly where the other weapon has struck helps you both knowwhat you did, and better calibrates how you use your body and sword.

If you don’twant to call your own hits and are feeling overwhelmingly that you want to winduring sparring, then you need to find another competitive outlet, because sparring only works when it is cooperative. Fencing “towin” will escalate the sparring to a competition or a fight and results in injury (which is the pointof historical fencing, really), or it needs a third partypresent to referee the success of the combatants. Until you are bothvery experienced martial artists who can self-moderate, don’t spar to win unless there is someone presentto coach or marshal you.

The goal insparring isn’t winning. Save that energy for competition or getting out of a real fight. The goal in sparring is to develop your abilitieswith a partner, learning how to move in control as you defend against or strikean opponent and exiting the encounter safely without being struck.

Don’t talkwhen you’re in range. Talking takes your attention away fromyour body and the weapons. It makes your fencing sloppy, inefficientand potentially dangerous to both of you. If you both start tochat, just discreetly move back out of range and reset your sword toan obvious place to indicate you aren’t sparring at that moment*,until you both stop talking about whatever it is.

Experiencedfencers can get away with talking while sparring, but I stronglyadvise against it whilst you are first starting out. If you are comfortablewith your sparring partner, it can be really easy to want to talkduring practice. Talking keeps you both relaxed and calm, but is a poor way topractice swordsmanship.

*I personally putthe sword to my side, where the sheath would be, or hold it low and flat across the front of my body with both hands, seen below.

“Don’t talkin range” goes for calling hits as well. You can verbally call hits, and many experienced fencers do, but I find that remaining non-verbal makes it easier to keep the flow and focus of the session.Instead, you can indicate hits by tapping the body part that was struck,followed by a thumbs up to indicate if it was a particularly goodstrike that you want to applaud. Verbally calling out shots can easily lead you both back tochatting, which reduces the quality and safety of the sparringsession. Once you start to train with a club you might find that the culture around talking may be different, but this is what I recommend when you are away from an established training environment.

Recognise whenyou need time out. It is completely and always okay to take the time you needbefore you engage in sparring. I had an excellent Muay Thai coach for a while whorecognised when fighters were going to become aggressive a full five minutesbefore they knew it themselves, and he would pull us off the floor long before we evergot our tempers up. A hot head leads to injuries. Taking a moment or stopping altogether means you can learn and be a better partner, as well. “A moment” can be anextra breath before stepping in range, a short water break, a five minute gap, or more, as long as you let your partner know how long you need. If you havea good partner you will help each other, and part of that is knowingwhen you shouldn’t be sparring.

Givefeedback during breaks, not between exchanges and passes. Again, thishelps keep you focussed on the body and weapons, not words. If the feedbackis about something small such as “you were targetting my bladeinstead of me”, then that kind of feedback between exchanges is reasonable,but if it is going to lead to a longer conversation then I suggest keepingit for a time when you both take a break. When in doubt about it, take a break. If you’re there to spar you will both be back trying out the results of the feedback soon enough.

A final thought: make sure the place you are training in is enclosed from wandering passersby/family members/college students/people walking their dogs. If you are visually exposed, make sure you can still limit how people approach you, such as positioning yourself on the far side of a row of park benches or behind a garden bed with a single path for access. Also be careful where you leave your gear, which will always draw interest. I suggest covering it with a blanket or towel even if you are right beside it when you spar. Most people lose a portion of their mental functions when they see sword fighters and their equipment in public, so you need to be smart about where you put yourself so they don’t constantly interrupt you to ask if you ever worked on Game of Thrones. (No, I haven’t.)

Overall, get out there and havefun, breathe, help your partner and don’t be too hard on yourself as you learn and grow.

Every good sword-fighter started somewhere!

(If you want to learn more than what I’ve said here, you might like to check out my 10 minute video about how to get start training with swords.)

[samanthaswords]

"The worst thing you can do is think that you know enough. Never stop learning. Ever."

Arnold Schwarzenegger

[samanthaswords]

My workshop on "the care of medieval swords" transformed into "the use of medieval swords" due to overwhelming interest. #thefannexus (at Spokane Convention Center)

[samanthaswords]

I *could* adjust to mundane clothes again after playing the Reeve for Weekend Warrior, but where's the fun in that!? ;) (My gorgeous aketon and fancy hat are from @steelmastery)

[samanthaswords]

My zuparello is getting some points! I've had the same 14th C Italian wrestling jacket for 8 years and although faded and torn in some places and the buttons falling off, it has lasted terrifically. A great investment. Well done, Revival Clothing! (http://revival.us) #HEMA #medievalcombat #gambeson

[samanthaswords]

This January I was contacted by blade and steel maker Ed Schempp, who has designed a very beautiful and unique folding knife that he sent to me me upon its production- the EuroEdge. I've been travelling for months and finally picked it up today, and I absolutely love it. It has been heavily influenced by the many European weapons that Ed has seen in museums, but with lightweight modern materials and a slick aesthetic. I already carry, and this knife will be a close ally through many future travels. Thanks so much, Ed! #edschempp #spyderco #euroedge

[samanthaswords]

Chilling with General Asher after a great scenario at Bicolline’s Grand Bataille, where I fought in a 3000-person forest and field battle. I was posted to fight as Windstick (spear), with the elite unit that held the front lines (that was where I was stationed by the General, I didn’t choose it) and my army were outnumbered 3:1, so control of the line by the forward unit was vital. The terrain where we fought was narrow forest paths, which were hilly and muddy and pretty challenging. The goal was to control key points around the map for set times, or push the enemy off those points, which was determined by the game marshals. We had a terrific commander for our unit, and our enemies had to scramble because we were sending them to Valhalla faster than they could respawn! They were happy though; the other army was full of veteran fighters and we gave them a big challenge. We succeeded by working well as a unit, having a good mix of weapon types (shields, spears, archers, etc) who paired up and covered each other closely within the team, and refusing to listen to anyone’s “tactical suggestions” but our unit commander. It was fast-paced, but also everyone played a clean game. Heads for the Master! ⛰⚔️🏹 #OrdoCervi #Bicolline #thevoyagenorth (at Duche de Bicolline)

[samanthaswords]

Word got out at work that I’m an avid sword fighter. I arrived this morning to find a colleague had put on my desk this prop he’d made- one of the original swords of Mallory Grace, from the Spiderwick Chronicles. I love my job.

[samanthaswords]

I ran into a famous fellow during work this week. Guess which movie this guy was in? Hint: it was made in Montréal.

[samanthaswords]

Broken hearts don't ever fully mend. You just learn to recycle the fragments.

Samantha Swords

[samanthaswords]

I found this great footage from the behind the scenes of Warcraft, which I worked on as a scenic sculptor, between 2013-14. I've edited the footage a little so that the cuts between different shots now have fades and are less abrupt, and have also attributed the majority of the weapons and armour design and construction to my former company, Weta Workshop, who were not mentioned at all in the previous version of the video. You can see some of the pieces that Weta created on their website here.

Below 1: Shooting in the enormous throne room.

2: Weta’s weapons are fit for any royal army.

3: Conceptual design of the energy chamber.

[samanthaswords]

I’ve often been asked, “How do you suggest that someone start training with swords?”. Here’s a full video to give you the best advice I can. Best of luck, and welcome to the journey!

Transcript below.

My apologies for the low audio levels- you need to boost the volume or put on headphones.

TRANSCRIPT (with images and hotlinks): I've often been asked, how do you suggest that someone start training with swords? It depends on what you're interested in! Sword-fighting comes in many forms. There were rich martial traditions both in the east and west, but I'll focus on European styles. Perhaps you want to revive the martial systems preserved in ancient fighting books, or to connect with heroism in history and mythology. You might want to master the meditative art of cutting, or to fight for glory in prestigious competitions, or create dynamic fight scenes for stage and screen, or reenact epic battles with a field full of fellow warriors, or compete at full force for the glory of team and country There are so many ways and reasons to sword fight! Also, within the type of sword fighting you want to do, there are dozens of weapons and forms to study. 

We have limited documentation of European martial arts, so the bulk of the historical swordsmanship revival focuses on the 14th to 19th centuries. It is especially strong around the German and Italian schools of medieval swordsmanship, since that's where most of the martial arts records have survived. There are also strong traditions from the Spanish, French, English and Scottish schools that grew during the Renaissance. These later evolved into classical fencing, and then modern fencing as we know it today.  With these meanings of swordsmanship in mind, the first thing is to do some internet research and find out what is near you. Also, you'll need to find a person or at the very least a tool to practice with!

You need tools to be able to train. Your sword or sword-like object should have a blunted end and any sharp burrs or splinters should be sanded off with sandpaper or rasp. These are some wooden wasters that I've used in the past. I now work with a unique wooden sword, designed specially for my needs. If your sword is far too heavy, it will teach you bad habits, and is potentially dangerous for anyone that you’re training with. Historically, most swords weighed between 1-3 pounds or, a kilogram. They were sophisticated, agile, and streamlined for fighting. To study historical fencing, you'll want an agile tool that is going to give you the best response.  However if you want to fight in armored battles, the weapons you'll use will be limited by the rules of the combat sport that you do. In combat sports, a weapon's function always changes so that it's safer and less lethal. Blades will be thick and rounded, suitable for cuts instead of thrusts.

For Historical European and Western Martial arts, most clubs train with wooden or nylon wasters before graduating to steel longswords, sabers and arming swords. However, rapier and side-sword students tend to go straight into using steel. You can find a range of gear at any of these shops online, through Ebay and on Amazon. It's best to read reviews before purchasing anything. For higher-intensity combat styles such as Heavy Medieval Battle, the International Medieval Combat Federation, and the Armored Combat League, you want to get gear that can take some punishment. Most of this equipment comes from individual blacksmiths working with clubs, so it's best to ask around for good suppliers. However if you're based in the US, you can get good gear at IceFalcon Armoury, or through the Facebook group, Cat's Discount Armor Emporium.

Common sense checkpoint!

Fantasy weapons and collectibles are not made for training. Whilst having some kind of sword is better than no sword at all, just remember the steel and balance on a collectible isn't going to be the same as a real weapon, so if you use it to hit something the metal will chip, bend or shatter. There are many suppliers out there making great equipment. There's really no excuse to practice with a wall-hanger if you're serious about swordsmanship.

If you want to learn historical European swordsmanship, there is a wealth of education available. The best resource we have is the Wiktenauer, a wiki with a huge collection of source material. Books, DVDs and online channels like Youtube will also give you a strong base for learning at home, if you're too far to travel to a reputable school. You can use the HEMA Alliance Club Finder to connect with groups near you. A lot of groups aren't even listed there, but it's still a great place to start. You can also start your own study group for your region. When you're researching historical manuscripts, there is a lot to learn. There are many forums and social media groups who can help you make sense of them.  Forums also help you meet instructors to answer specific questions and help you grow. Also, go to events! They often have workshops, and it's great to just turn up and meet the community, even if you're not training yet.

If you are looking to get started without making a financial investment, all you need is a sword or sword like object and a pell (or pole) to strike. Striking the pell is a medieval training exercise that will teach you targeting and coordination needed to work with weapons.

Sword fighting is dangerous when people are dangerous. Building precision and trust with your partner is the way to develop as a martial artist. Realistically, most people starting to sword-fight just want to play and have fun. So how can you have fun and still stay safe? 1) You could find an instructor who can teach you the risks and keep you in line 2) You can use equipment that is built for play-fighting, such as foam LARP swords, rubber swords or other soft simulators. There are some lovely simulators on the market now that are very nice to work with and really well balanced. 3) You can practice and master your coordination with a sword, use a lot of control, and work with someone you trust. Hey, that's fun, right? To stay truly safe you need to be on the same page as your partner, no matter how much safety equipment you wear. If one of you is Jack Sparrow and the other is out to win Longpoint, then there's going to be a problem. Remember, sword fighting is dangerous when people are dangerous. If you’re training (or even just playing around) with a partner I strongly recommend wearing safety glasses, or even sports sunglasses that wrap over your eyes. There are lots of different goggles built for extreme sports. You don't have to go buy expensive goggles, but safety glasses are a cheap way to look after yourself. I keep several pairs with my gear at all times. As soon as you can afford a medieval helmet or fencing mask, I urge you to buy one as they'll really help protect you during your training. You will want some protection for the back of the head, such as this leather mask overlay from SPES Historical Fencing Gear. I have more advice about simple safety gear when you're on a budget on my ‘Sword Combat FAQs’ page. You can also check out the Facebook group, 'HEMA Hacks' for useful gear-crafting ideas! As you become more involved with sword training, you'll want to get better equipment, especially when it's time to join a group.

Sword groups come in all shapes and sizes, and we use a lot of different names to describe what we do. There's no 'one right way for everyone' when you start learning to use weapons, and each style will have a different approach or rule set based on the comfort level of the participants. Instead of stressing about starting with the very best group, it's more important that you keep looking for better instructors and competitors as you go, even if it means changing groups eventually. Be aware that within the martial arts community different forms are judged very harshly, based on whether people think that they're valid- and I'm not only talking about medieval sword sports.  

There simply isn't a one-size fits all solution when you're learning to become a martial artist, and what feels good and engaging to one person may feel threatening and uncomfortable to another.

It can be confusing, but just getting started and trying different things really is the best way to learn your way around. Once you know the type of sword fighting you want to do, and what groups offer it, you can start trying  them out to find a good fit for you. Qualities you should look for in a group are: Open, positive attitudes to training and other groups, Committed members who come for weekly sessions or at least fortnightly, and regular sparring. Now, if the group are purely for scholarship, there should still be some form of practical testing of what you find. Another thing to look for in a good group is if they encourage members to cross-train for their own growth.

If a group restricts or actively discourages members from meeting with others, then there is something very weird going on. Every new physical experience helps a fighter grow, so it's good to encourage cross-training at every opportunity, especially if it's out of your comfort zone. Just remember cross-training should be a supplement to the main thing that you want to learn.  If a group are afraid to spar or fight, ”in case someone gets hurt" then it’s probably a sign that the instructors  aren’t confident in the techniques they are teaching  or their ability to control their environment Physical safety is very important, but it also needs to be balanced with actual practice. That's the only way to improve! Swordsmanship is a wonderful art, one that you will never stop learning. Welcome to the journey. Want more great sword content? Here are some places to start.

You can also follow me on my social media channels where I share news and interesting things from around the wide world of swordsmanship. The swords depicted in the background of this video are from the makers Albion. You can check out their range of museum replica swords at Albion swords dot com. These, and other images were Royalty-free through Content Samurai, or I've credited their sources wherever possible. Thanks for watching!

[samanthaswords]

Sword restoration: Boss Level. x4 hours of deep cleaning and scrubbing to get this poor babe feeling good about life again! ⚔ I love being able to do this for people’s tools. It makes everyone happy, especially the sword. I don’t care how they got that way- just give them to me and I’ll make everything better.

[samanthaswords]

Today I had the enormous joy of learning an ancient and (at one point) nearly extinct form of #HEMA - boiscín or #bataireacht (Irish stick-fighting with the shillelagh), in a workshop by specialist researcher & martial artist Maxime Chouinard. Bataireacht is unique amongst surviving stick combat arts, and there are clues that it possibly represents a form of combat used throughout Europe as far back as Roman times, preserved by Irish and Bretons. In practice, it feels very similar to Dog Brother's style of fighting, and also some of the street combat I've seen in Asia. Overall I had a lot of fun.

[samanthaswords]

Here you are folks- video 3/3, the short trailer and an interview explaining what this is all about. (Video transcript follows) For more, check out our Weekend Warrior Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1336679351/weekend-warrior Transcript: Hey guys, I'm Samantha Swords. I'm a medieval martial artist and filmmaker and I'm really excited because I'm joining forces with Skip Lipman and Ron Newcomb of the Forge Studios- they're well known for the series, 'The Rangers', and also Zan Campbell of Fell and Fair, and together what we're doing is we're creating an event called 'Weekend Warrior'. Now Weekend Warrior is an immersive cinematic experience, and what that means is it's like a live-action experience but it's also going to be filmed. So we're going to have a documentary crew led by Arel Avellino, and he and his team are going to be following us around in the word as players and filming it. So it's going to be very exciting because a lot of it is going to be like an unscripted movie where you are actually the heroes and you are creating the story, and role play, as well as fight, and solve puzzles, and basically do outdoor adventure, medieval-style. It's very exciting. We're going to be having some really great sponsors (partners) on board. We've got Calimacil, who are the really beautiful producers of high-quality foam swords that look like real swords. We have Epic Armoury on board, we have Armstreet, we have Burgschneider, we have LARP distribution, we have Crows Head Archery, and many more people who are getting on board as craftsmen for the project. I was able to visit Calimacil at their workshop in Quebec, and it was an amazing experience. They have this beautiful workshop set up to create all these amazing swords, and it was actually a lot like my time at Weta. I got the same kind of vibe- the passion from them, as producers of these beautiful, beautiful weapons. So this event is really getting people excited, and what we're doing is something that hasn't been before. I play Amurin, the Reeve of Olaran, and I'm the leader of the Kingsmen. Now the Kingsmen are one of four factions- I personally think it's the best and you should totally join my faction- but if you feel like you want to join the Men-at-Arms, who are like the Vikings of the world, or the Lords of the Sea, or perhaps the Rangers, then that option's open to you as well. Now this event can't happen without your support. This is a Kickstarter, and we're using it to get people involved, and get excited and also get the event off the ground. We have a little bit of time left, and we're almost there with our funding, but we need you to help us to get this to happen. So- tell your friends, bring them along, and join us for Weekend Warrior. Let's make this a reality. Cheers guys.

[samanthaswords]

Close up photo of Symphony, who I can say without exaggeration is the most exquisite wooden weapon of medieval design that I’ve ever encountered. She’s not just beautiful- she is very strong, and her balance in handling is precise and intuitive. ⚔ I now have a sub quest in my travels through the world of swordsmanship: to find her equal. She is my design, but entirely brought to life through the handcrafted traditional techniques of James Dinh from @riverreedcrafts, as an extraordinary gift to support my work of promoting historical swordsmanship and the medieval warrior arts. What an honour.