Finally listened to this, and, yeah. I think people who complain that they don't see real fencing in tournaments probably have a skewed idea of what fencing is supposed to look like that isn't backed up by any rigorous testing. And I think we need to accept that we're playing a very different game than they were back then, so even the people who are interested in using the sources are still going to need to adapt them for modern use. It's important to be honest with yourself about your own ability, your own knowledge and mastery of the modern and historical contexts of HEMA, and ideally the longer you spend in the community the more you can help to grow and shape it and bring about the type of fencing you want to see. I like to think about, for instance, how the meta has shifted away from the twercopter as people got better at thrusting; rather than learning the meta, some people were willing to put in the effort to transcend it, and now the fencing scene is a lot more dynamic and we're seeing more options opening up. That's how I think the sources are going to find their way back in, not quitting tournaments because you don't see everyone fencing the way you want them to.
Finally listened to this, and, yeah. I think people who complain that they don't see real fencing in tournaments probably have a skewed idea of what fencing is supposed to look like that isn't backed up by any rigorous testing. And I think we need to accept that we're playing a very different game than they were back then, so even the people who are interested in using the sources are still going to need to adapt them for modern use. It's important to be honest with yourself about your own ability, your own knowledge and mastery of the modern and historical contexts of HEMA, and ideally the longer you spend in the community the more you can help to grow and shape it and bring about the type of fencing you want to see. I like to think about, for instance, how the meta has shifted away from the twercopter as people got better at thrusting; rather than learning the meta, some people were willing to put in the effort to transcend it, and now the fencing scene is a lot more dynamic and we're seeing more options opening up. That's how I think the sources are going to find their way back in, not quitting tournaments because you don't see everyone fencing the way you want them to.