NZ WMA Convention: What do you want to see?

[Colin]

This is likely to take place in winter, and should hopefully not conflict with any of the various re-enactment events (no promises). Speaking of which is MLHNZ planning on grabbing Queen's Birthday weekend?

Given that I'm organising it, it will be in Auckland, and most likely Waiwera (opposite the hotpools). It will be a weekend affair from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.

Thus far it appears I have volunteers (ie., not me) for
Abrazare (medieval Italian unarmed)
Le Jeu de la hache (medieval Burgundian pollaxe)
Messer (medieval German falchion)
Scottish small sword (18th century)

We are investigating the possibility of running a tournament. We are in fact quite keen to get this off the ground, with Burgundian pollaxe being a likely starter.

WMA conventions are highly organised with numerous workshops. This year we will be experimenting with 90 minute workshops, as two hour workshops seemed too long for a lot of people to handle.

You are invited to offer suggestions for what other workshops you'd like to see, presuming you're intending on attending.

Some suggestions include
Harnishfechten (medieval German armoured fighting) with longsword or spear
Bare knuckle boxing from the Victorian era
Italian rapier according to early seventeen Italian fencing masters
Spanish rapier as espoused by La Desteza
Naval cutlass from the Age of Regency

There are plenty of other styles not listed. It is also possible for theoritical styles to be attempted (like medieval sword and shield).

You are also invited to offer suggestions on what other tournaments you'd like to either watch or preferably partake of.

You can also volunteer to run a workshop.

[Angel]

MLH has its AGM on the Sunday of every QB weekend. But we haven't decided on what we'll be doing yet with regards to an event.
It's a long weekend, there is going to be something on somewhere!

[Colin]

I can make sure only Western Martial Arts of the Medieval era run on the Sunday if that makes it tempting

Besides which Historical European Martial Arts are about trying to reconstruct dead European martial arts as accurately as possible. Something that should be mutually inclusive with a Living History organisation

[Angel]

We have to be able to carry the cost of holding the AGM, as we can't charge people to attend the AGM itself, so I guess that precludes us from holding our AGM at your event.

Last QB we held an ungarbed workshop weekend, and WMA-type stuff would have been a perfect addition to that, so how about you come to our event instead?

[Colin]

Attending an AGM to an organisation I don't belong to seems a bit pointless. I couldn't use the cut and thrust in any of the decisions being made. Inability to influence would be a foible and not a forte of mine. I'd be like a buffalo in a china shop. It would be like taking the woman's position in a bygone era. Like a rabbit to a hawk. I think I'll pass

(puns intended, though some of them are a bit obscure)

(and no, I won't join. I'm not going to join any type or flavour of re-enactment organisation for the foreseeable future)

You could run an AGM via something like Skype. Free and reasonably painless. Thus leaving the long weekend alone for WMA

[Angel]

very punny...
Unfortunately it has to be a physical meeting, but we do minimalist AGMs. You could miss it by going to the bathroom.

"Meeting opens at 1.02pm. Here are the new council members - <list of names> Thanks for volunteering."
*general applause*
"Good year this year, we did stuff."
*general applause*
"Has everyone read the minutes of the last AGM?"
*general affirmation*
"Any problems with it?"
*silence*
"I'll take that as a no. Minutes approved."
*sarcastic "yay" from the cheap seats*
Has everyone read the financial report?
*Yes*
"Any problems?"
*No*
"Financial report approved. Anything else on the agenda? No? Meeting closed. 1.08 pm. Now where's my coffee?"

All other decisions are made at council meetings, by the elected representatives. Skype & phone conferences etc are fine for those.


Who said anything about joining? Non-members are always welcome at our events. (and I'm not just saying that because we get more money out of non-members...)

Kerry (treasurer... )

[Colin]

I'll have to see. I may to be rude in some future year with pinching the Queen's Birthday weekend. It all depends on how successful the NZWMA convention turns out. Having witnessed the growth of WMA conventions overseas two days are insufficient. As it was last year it was a struggle fitting everything in.

[Phil Berghan-Whyman]

[Angel]

[Colin]

[Vorschlag]

I'd really like to see spear addressed but am unsure if anyone has the hafts required to practice such realistically.

With all the misunderstanding about quarterstaff it may also be wise to bring them along, I'd like to see the German system so I can compare it, but I know you have a limited number of ash and oak staves so that may not be possible for the convention.

Though I doubt there would be enough support for it a theme’s day on pole weapons, spears etc might be interesting, ranging from one handed early spears through to the partisan and perhaps further along with obvious evolution of other pole weapons and staves.

[Colin]

The material on one handed spear and shield is pretty limited. There's some untranslated German material with a small ecranche shield. The rest is more in the hypothetical realms.

As the conventions continue to grow I'd imagine it would be possible to include some of the less popular forms of WMA: simply due to sufficient numbers Pollaxe last year proved spectacularly popular though, so who knows?

[Vorschlag]

If you were going to seriously consider having tournaments at the convention we should possibly start discussing what tournaments people would participate in and what safety equipment would necessarily be required for each system.

I think sword and buckler is likely to at least get a few people interested and needs less protection than long sword.

Tristan’s pollaxe would be fun and due to the compromise in weapon needs less safety equipment than other systems.

George silvers basket hilt seemed to be rather popular and even had some members of the S.C.A attending the class, as you’ve stated its also a system people can pick up quickly.

Early Seventeenth Century Italian Rapier would obviously be targeted at the class you already run in it but that then lack numbers.

Bare Knuckle Boxing has the same issue but would be one of the few more sportive systems and has less gear required as long as people are ready to take a few hits should they stuff up.

That at least covers most the periods the school looks at only missing obviously living traditions and the Eighteenth Century - Cane Fighting could cover both of these however....

[Víkarr]

I'd be keen on watching all tournaments (pollaxe would be particularly interesting).

Why would sword and buckler require less safety gear than longsword?

Would longsword be categorised into German, English, etc. and involve the use of wrestling and dagger work?

I would be keen on refreshing some german longsword material if anyone was interested in revising it. Its been awhile since I looked at my books and wouldnt mind getting back into the swing of things.

V.

[Vorschlag]

Sword and buckler doesn't give the leverage advantage that longsword does and doesn't generate as much momentum as using the two hands correctly will.