We few, we happy few, we band of sparring watchers

It is sad that sparring videos get less views on youtube than the show pony ones.
Don't get me wrong, the show pony ones are nicely done, but why so many more views than sparring? Does it make them hold their manhoods cheap? Or perhaps, like me, it gives them raging boners, which are potentially troublesome if working as a school teacher (but not if you are a ninja).


Principal: Explain to me, Mr Willet, why did you burst into class after lunch today with your erect phallus protruding from your pants? Several children have had to be be sent for counselling.

Mr Willet: Well you see sir, I was watching some HEMA sparring videos on youtube at lunch and lost track of time. In my rush to return to class, I forgot about my the effect it has on me.

Principal: HEMA sparring videos?

Mr Willet: Yes sir, you know...swordfighting. Two men clashing their swords together in a battle for the true place, the best of which is behind them. It has wrestling and all, very popular in the olden days..even monks did it!

Principal: Mr Willet must I re-affirm our internet usage policy to you? Pornography is a dismissable offence.

Mr Willet: What? Usage poli... No I didn't mean that swordfighting!


"Oh but there are no good sparring videos out there! They all give HEMA a bad name!" say the new romantics.

Bullshit. There are some fantastic sparring videos out there. Drilling videos can be nice to watch, but it is no good doing a perfect drill if you can't use the techniques and principles of that drill in free fencing. Sparring videos show were people are really at with their training. So what we need are more good fencing videos and more good people watching them. Why? Because it encourages discussion of peoples TRUE form, not their drilling form.* Because it shows to the non-HEMA martial artists out there that HEMA is effectively pressure tested. Because it can reveal the failings in your drilling that couldn't otherwise be seen. Because it gives me a raging boner.

So make more sparring videos! Watch more sparring videos! And most importantly, discuss what you see in them!


*Well as close to the true for as we can get without actually fighting with swords for real.