3 Things from Fight Camp 2023

This Summer I attended Fight Camp, organised by @ScholaGladiatoria
As it was my first HEMA event, I wanted to spend my time in the moment, rather than getting too much into video making while there, but here are 3 things I learnt while there.
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[@scholagladiatoria]

Really great to have you there Zac, your class was really well received - looking forward to hanging out soon.

[@scholagladiatoria]

p.s. the strap stretch issue is fascinating and not at all something that had occurred to me before!

[@ZacharyEvans]

It seemed to go well! Thanks for having me.

[@texasbeast239]

​@@ZacharyEvans But it sounds like your fauld already "hung out" more than enough, mate! 🤪😂

[@NoBSSurvival]

Yes please. Your great together.

[@HobieH3]

Lovely. Thanks.

[@zsoltbocsi7546]

Matt Easton is a legend. I hope he is nice person IRL

[@ZacharyEvans]

He's a lovely guy.

[@feeseize9569]

@@ZacharyEvans Lovely people don't throw a friend away via "post" without even talking to them first.

[@caspar_van_walde]

​​@@feeseize9569 What do you talk about here (I actually don't know, but am curious)?

[@zsoltbocsi7546]

@@feeseize9569 are you talking about Shad?

[@feeseize9569]

@@zsoltbocsi7546 I was talking about Matt Easton, but in regards to Shad, yes.

[@rubberdc]

WOW Zac you look phenomenal in your armour .

[@timothyburbage]

I thought the first rule of fight camp was that you can't talk about fight camp

[@ZacharyEvans]

I arrived a bit late and missed induction...

[@timothyburbage]

@@ZacharyEvans so you didn't even know where the fire exits were? Man, Fight Camp is dangerous

[@texasbeast239]

​@@timothyburbage Dude's got a horse and medieval weapons. He can blast out his own fire exit. 😁

[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

Very cool that you enjoyed your first HEMA event! I'm sure that your workshop was excellent as well.

[@katecapek3116]

I hope that the new gig goes well for you.

[@NoBSSurvival]

Did the leather shrink back? Were they oiled before they got wet?

[@irrelevantfish1978]

Zac's specific experience can't really be used to extrapolate to other scenarios. Leather _always_ permanently deforms to some degree after water exposure, but there are a huge number of variables that can greatly affect the manner and extent to which it deforms (eg, how wet it gets, how it's stressed, how it's dried, etc, etc, etc). Additionally, oiling/waxing only _delays_ the ingress of water, so the leather _will_ saturate after exposure of sufficient duration/pressure. Suffice to say, YMMV ... greatly.

[@tsylvester2523]

Pleasure to train with you Zak! Having done it the other way it's brilliant to see reenactors dipping into the HEMA sphere. I've found it odd that reenactment and living history enthusiasts will put impressive effort, research and practice into clothing, arming and feeding themselves correctly, will delve into antiquated trades in pursuit of authenticity, but will almost entirely neglect MOVING correctly when it comes to fighting, which is very often the centre piece display. I believe there's a place for learning the historical techniques and incoprating it into display - not necessarily choregraphed sequences (though with commentary this is phenomenal, like the Royal Armouries pollaxe demonstrations easily findable on KZbin) but improvation either slow and controlled or with full intent subject to protection levels. Even done a little slowly and with some dramatic emphasis a throw or flashy disarm looks better than pointlessly clattering blades in a five star pattern. I also feel a very big trick is missed in talking about the heritage aspect of the sophisticated martial arts the people we portray practiced. Reenactment can support the big mission of HEMA too in showing the world martial arts aren't just a semi-mystical aspect of East Asian cultures

[@ZacharyEvans]

I can't disagree with any of that.

[@docstockandbarrel]

👍🏻

[@katrinapaton5283]

Clearly one of them wasnt "Dont talk about fight club!"

[@andrewsock1608]

I would imagine that medieval people were smart enough to pre stretch their straps. The straps also would have been better leather than today’s poorly skived leather. If you thin the leather down to the thinnest and glue and stitch two straps together rough to rough it would probably be fine. I highly doubt a knight would put up with poor quality straps. They would have nicked that problem in the butt fast.