HEMA or Not? | Response to
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- DISCLAIMER:
I am not an all-knowing expert on all matters, and am not claiming to know more about HEMA or HJMA than any instructor in these fields. I am purely making a contribution to this discussion based on my own experience and what I know. As always, this video is made purely in a discussion context, and is not meant to belittle either HEMA and/or general historical enthusiasts in any way.
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I find your mentioning of universal principles to be quite interesting. The English Fencing Master George Silver actually goes into quite a bit of detail on basic rules and techniques that can be applied to any weapon. He encourages readers to find and abuse any targets and openings they can find in their opponent while also keeping themselves out of danger. It pretty much allows you to use something like a katana or a Gladius while still making it HEMA.
Cheers for sharing your thoughts and for your words mate 🙏
Yeah, George Silver’s words here I agree are very crucial. Using a katana and a Koryu system can mean fighting effectively, but one does not necessarily need to know Koryu to use a katana effectively (for example of one studied HEMA longsword). This is, of course, balanced with the fact that certain weapons are specifically designed for certain uses; trying to use an arming sword in the same manner as a rapier is not always the best. And, of course, HEMA is not Koryu.
The key, though, at least in my opinion, is as you say here: at the end of the day, ‘what works’ is ‘what works’. There are multiple ways to find this, some more direct than others, but neither way is meant to replace the other. Rather, each way should inform each other depending on what they are able to contribute.
The problem of elitism arises when one way pouts itself in places where it shouldn’t or, even worse, try and replace and/or deny the validity of all the others.
This is brilliant and so true. 👌👍🙏
My sincere thanks mate for your comment and words 🙏
You don't need to know how to do surgery in order to stab or cut someone.
Of course someone doesn’t need to be a surgeon to cut someone with a sword, same as how someone doesn’t need to be a historian to be an archaeologist or a nurse to be a doctor. That would be like saying you don’t need to know how to practice archaeology to dig into the ground. However, that isn’t really the point of what I am positing and is actually misleading.
The point I was bringing forward is that the tool cannot tell you every single thing there is to know about it’s relevant practice. Like any source, it can tell you certain things, but not everything, hence why I was using a scalpel as an example.
Weapon martial arts is about more than just “hitting the person”, same as archaeology is more than just “digging a hole in the ground and cleaning old things”. In martial arts, there is footwork, angling, physics, body mechanics, range, etc. This is why martial arts exist and why you often have to work with already established systems, such as those within HEMA (notice how I didn’t necessarily say one must become a student of one of them). If it was purely just about “hitting/cutting/stabbing the person” and nothing else had to be included, then the martial systems would not have evolved into what they are.
i love that you acknowledge that Koryu Bujutsu styles are a japanese historical martial art. this point seems to be lost on many people. where HEMA is concerned with reconstructing lost martial arts japanese historical martial arts are concerned with preserving their living traditions as best as they can
I very much appreciate the kind words mate 🙏 I believe it is crucial to ensure that the lense through which we view all aspects of history remains consistent, which includes historical martial arts around the globe. While the approach to HEMA and Koryu Bujutsu and how they are viewed is often very different, which itself has interesting implications, historical martial arts are historical martial arts.
That makes it a traditional martial arts
@@arpioisme that is a very good point 👍 although I would still add ‘historical’ to that phrase.
That's true... Moreso because historical source CAN also be derived from oral / living traditions. With caveats of course.
I don't think Matt's point has anything to do with who can come up with a valid conclusion, it's simply that studying sources is part of the definition of HEMA (in his opinion), and it's not elitist to try to define your activity.
I added the "in his opinion" caveat because in my opinion, the acronym "HEMA" has gained a meaning of its own that has nothing to do with its constituent words (historical european martial arts), and we as practitioners don't have much power over that. To most people who have heard of HEMA but are not practitioners, it means people in black jackets, heavy gloves, and reinforced masks hitting each other with feders. HEMA is also a hugely broad term which encompasses so many different unrelated arts, traditions, and activities, that I fail to see how it is even useful anymore. My point is there's no reason to quibble over what is and isn't HEMA, just do what you want to do.
Thanks for your thoughts mate 🙏
Keep in mind that I do not state complete agreement or disagreement with either of what Shad and Matt are saying. I specifically stated that, while both mention valid points, there are other concepts that need to be considered and/or clarified.
The meaning of HEMA has very much evolved in certain ways, I agree. A form of elitism DOES exist on both sides (in and outside of HEMA, have seen it personally). Trying to just simply brush it off and say it doesn’t exist is sweeping it under the rug so to speak. Instead, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible for people to do what they do and contribute to the discovery of martial arts according to their own practices and backgrounds and not beyond them. Easier said than done ofc, but it is still very possible.
Leaving a comment for the algorithm. Hopefully you get some more views because you presented some good information
That is very neighbourly of ya mate 🙏 I very much appreciate it and your words