Blind Knights

Stephanie Green (right) has found ways to adapt sword fighting to her abilities

When I entered university as a bright-eyed teen, I wanted to try lots of different things, and I was immediately drawn to the martial arts clubs on campus. The idea of combining my fascination with history and culture with keeping fit really appealed to me. Over the years, I participated in several forms of Japanese and Brazilian hand-to-hand combat.

Then one day, my husband said, “I’d love to learn to sword fight. I’d like to use a two-handed sword, like the Saxons.” I thought that sounded awesome, so off I went in search of a European sword-fighting club.

We ended up at the New Zealand School of European Martial Arts, which teaches many different styles of armed and unarmed combat from the Middle Ages through to the Victorian period. Its focus is on understanding and reconstructing combat techniques from the written records of the period. The school encourages students to do their own research and experiment with different fighting styles.

My instructor had never taught a blind student before, but he took it as a personal challenge. I have a rare genetic condition called achromatopsia, in which the retina contains no cone cells. I can’t distinguish colours, am photophobic (sensitive to light) and severely short-sighted.

We weren’t sure if I would be able to participate, but so far I have had no major problems. My biggest obstacle has been my eyes focusing on the mesh of my fencing mask rather than my opponent. Wearing my glasses under the mask and reducing the light in the room helps.

The medieval martial arts masters developed their manuals around techniques that could be taught quickly to peasant armies with no combat training. Because of this, they had to invent styles that people of various ages, strengths, weights, heights and levels of fitness could use.

Sword fighting is primarily about bio-mechanics – taking advantage of your body’s natural reactions to the threat of the sword. I’ve learnt to place my sword in a position where my opponent’s blade cannot hit me. I don’t even look at his blade, because if he isn’t threatening me with it, I don’t have to worry. Attacking is more difficult because I have to be very aware of distance, but practising the moves with my husband really helps.

A person with a greater degree of vision disability might rely on verbal commands or choose another European martial art, such as bare-knuckle boxing or grappling. (Back when I did hand-to- hand karate, I found that when grappling with opponents, I could “feel” where they moved by the way they shifted their body weight.)

Depending on the disability of a person who uses a wheelchair, he or she may find sword fighting difficult because of the range of movement required.

However, a German academic duelling style called Mensur could be adapted for participants who use a wheelchair. In this duel, opponents must start an arm’s length away from each other. They may only take minute steps as they attempt to hit the unprotected areas of the face and head.

Alternatively, I’ve seen people with quadriplegia participate in jousts by strapping the lance to their arm or horse. Research the types of martial arts that appeal to you and be creative in how you can modify the moves to your needs.

GETTING STARTED
There are literally thousands of medieval martial arts clubs all over the world, each focusing on different eras and styles, and each with a different purpose. There are some clubs, like the one I attend, that focus on very serious scholarly study of martial arts.

There are other clubs, like the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA), that focus on re-enactment of a specific time period. For instance, medieval club members wear costumes, attend medieval-style feasts and hold tournaments where combatants can participate in duels, jousts, archery and other activities.

I’ve been in a club like this, and it was a lot of fun. I enjoy crafts and cooking, so I loved making costumes and researching and preparing medieval food. One of my favourite dishes: lamb simmered with beer, onions, butter and pepper – a feast fit for warriors!

The differences between clubs like these and the school I study at are the way sword fighting is taught and the rules for engagement. When fighting with steel weapons, safety is the primary concern. Most clubs have rules prohibiting fighting at full speed, and insist combatants “check” their blows by pulling back their weight as they swing the sword, so it only touches their opponents. Most clubs also prohibit shots to the head.

However, with these restrictions, a fight will not be a historically accurate re-creation. At our school, we practise at full speed and with head shots (using protective gear, of course).

Many clubs fall somewhere between the two extremes. It’s up to you to explore the clubs and schools in your area and figure out which one is right for you.

To be a sword fighter, you need a sword. Because we train at full speed, beginners at our school use bamboo shinai. These are kendo sticks with an added hilt to produce a crude two-handed weapon. They are light and won’t hurt your opponents when you hit them.

When everyone is used to hitting each other with the shinai, we use wooden swords called wasters, which is how medieval masters trained their warriors. Wasters retail for about $40 to $60, and are a good training tool because they’re heavier than the shinai and behave more like swords.

Only when students have adequate protective gear do they train with a steel sword. (Different clubs have varying systems. We have visited several that let members use steel weapons from the start, but do not allow full-speed fighting or head blows.)

For fighting at a club, you need a practical sword (as opposed to a “live” sword) that has a 4-mm or greater foiled (blunted) edge on all sides. The blade of a practical sword is normally thicker and heavier than a live blade of similar design. You can buy these blades from many online retailers. They cost anywhere from $100 to $800, depending on the style and quality.

Next, you’ll need protective gear so that you won’t break any bones. The most important item is a fencing mask, which will protect your face from head blows. Beginners also need gardening gloves, as you’ll get hit in the fingers a lot until you learn how to fight properly.

To protect your torso, we recommend a gambeson (quilted coat) with a mail shirt over top. A mail shirt will set you back about $400 to $600, although, if you’re patient, you can buy steel rings and make one yourself for around half that price. You can also buy gauntlets (armour gloves that extend to protect the forearms), greaves (armour for the legs) and a helmet, but they’re not necessary.

Some martial arts, such as bare-knuckle boxing, require good fitness, but sword fighting is more technical. You will need training partners whom you trust and respect, and plenty of bravery!

The best parts of participating in European martial arts are being able to interact with history on a tactile level and socializing with an international network of interesting, passionate people. Also, swinging a broadsword around really does wonders for your self-esteem!

People with disabilities can enjoy European martial arts, provided they are willing to hunt around for the right club and accept the advice of their tutors when it comes to safety issues. It may take a bit of experimentation to find a European martial art that you can adapt to your disability, but the effort is worth it – the challenge is both intellectually stimulating and a whole lot of fun.

Example of a medieval-style sword   (Image courtesy of Medieval Reproductions)