I received the following email from Electric Dan, a man I sparred with.
Hello James
I don’t know if you have seen or heard of these guys before but it’s something you would probably do.
The group says they’ve had two fatalities, no thrusts are allowed or Im sure there’d be more than that. I believe it says they go until first blood.
Of course lots of critics from their techniques or lack of, and lack of protective gear etc, or just why do such a crazy thing. I think it’s because it gives them something nothing else can in this soul crushing age. Especially in Germany.
Take care
Dan
Dexter put up a new video if you are interested
For the record I would do this, as I have done something more lethal, which is full contact stick with a fencing mask. The hand gear and head hear employed here is better protection against a sharp sword than a fencing mask or lacrosse gloves are against a stick. However, at this point, I would like to stay in the masters division and have no intention of going sharps against the fellow in the second video, though I will do stick or blunt steel with him if we meet.
The spirit of honor and creativity and the responsible armor and the fact that no one is trying to take an arm off, but still going for head and neck strokes even though they have no effect with this gear, is commendable. There is no rush I have experienced like fighting with steel. All the best to these men.
Dexter's lesson on the rotational slash is excellent. I would like to point out that when doing such work with a stick, you still have to pretend it has an edge. If you do not hit with the part of the stick that would be the edge if it was a blade, then you will either damage your own thumb and/or slap ineffectively. So even with the stick, his advice applies. Also, the upward slash, I have used against a heavy man's arm with a dull machete and "tooled up" my wrist as he points out.
Ah. It reminds one of the "schlager mensur", the German dueling fraternities of old. It's how the German aristocrats acquired the decorative scars on their faces. vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/r__/images/3/32/Fearless_leader_999.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20161022214525&path-prefix=rockyandbullwinkle
A high class fight club. A way to show you're a tough guy and still have couth courtly manners. The ladies love that.
dannydutch.com/post/the-traditional-german-sword-fighting-tradition-called-mensur
J. Christopher Amberger wrote about his experience in a mensur duel in "The Secret History of the Sword". I guess the mensurs still exist, but of course they are under attack like all other forms of conventional masculinity and individual thought are nowadays. Interestingly enough the Nazi's forbad the dueling fraternities as, like today's PC Woke culture, they opposed individual thought that didn't support the official narrative.
“Set your life toward righteousness and be mindful of your knightly exercises: rock throwing and rock pushing, dance and jump, fencing and wrestling, thrust and tourney, and the courting of beautiful ladies.”
Hans Talhoffer, German Fencing Master, 1467