Hair is a good shock absorber. CS CEO Lynn Tomphson in "The Fighting Machete" tells of a friend who got into a bar fight one night. Someone coming in from the fields saw the brawl, charged in with a machete, and chopped Lynn's friend hard on the head straight downwards. But the machete was dull from not being well-maintained and a hard day in the fields, plus this guy had a lot of curly bushy hair, so his skull wasn't split. He just got a nasty bruise, shallow cut, plenty of bleeding, and helluva headache!
I sweat like a pig the moment I exert myself at all, so I understand the struggle. I wear prescription sports goggles when I fight and if I don't wear a headband during training they will look like I've been staring up at a rainstorm. Also, those headscarves that doctors and cancer patients wear are really good at keeping sweat away. I have a few that are made from material that lets it wick up into it and dry very fast. They are lifesavers.
Thank you for the video, map! I started doing this when I first started doing reenactment and HEMA as my reenactment directed people towards doing it. While I don't do something quite as substantial to that, I do use a hood or coif that hugs my chin with about three layers of linen. It's a nice fit, it helps with avoiding damage to my head (though not nearly as much as that), and I don't have to maintain my mask as much! My first mask, which was a basic 350n olympic fencing mask, had barely any discoloration or smell to it when I retired it!
Scrum caps are actually primarily defense for the ears. Helps stop cabbage ear among second row forwards. The padding does little to actually prevent concussion. The brain still is subjected to much of the same concussive force of a tackle. I'd imagine quite effective for fencing strikes with the mask though!
you can wet the cap with water to keep you cool. I am bald too (though by choice) and wet a microfibre faceshield thing (it is basically an elastic cloth tube) when training in hot conditions, works great for me, and between bouts I can renew the water and basically wash the sweat out of it to keep it fresh.
I added helmet padding replacements in my mask. My mask is much more secure now and it's still reasonably breathable. I still wear a bandanna for the sweat though.
I'm a pretty sweaty guy too (have hair though). I just have a face cloth on hand, and wipe up between exercises and sparring matches. Some of the people at my club do recommend a gel cap sold by purpleheart armory. Might be good to have a look at.
As we get older we lose hair, teeth and patience. Still have most of the first two and eyebrows I could almost comb over. They get bushier every year. Quite freakish actually. Time has treated you well, from the looks of it - your knees must still be functional. Cheers.
Having long hair, ever since I bought my fencing mask I encountered the issue of snagging the hair at the back of my head on the mask velcro strap - which is slightly painful to say the least, so a bandana provided the best solution (I also wear one when working out, same problem with sweat from my forehead onto my face)
What I do for sweat is wear a hand towel on my head, but it makes it hard to put on my mask without moving the towel over my eyes. I considered making an arming cap, but never got around to finishing it (too many moving parts and too much sewing). I do have a rugby cap now though, I haven't fought in it yet but I plan to use it for tournaments at least. I do have hair, but it seems like I sweat more than most.
From being bald and wearing a hard hat: Trying to rely on a single liner for any length of time tends to not work all that well I've found. Sure they can soak up sweat for a long time and keep it out of your face, but they also come with the risk of releasing that sweat if you get hit. - A sponge can hold a lot, but if you squeeze it... One trick I've used has been to keep a bunch of liners on hand, and spray them down with a bit of water. Get them damp, not soaking, and leave the extras in the shade. Like felt sided canteens, they'll naturally cool by way of evaporation. (On really hot days I'll even go so far as to stick them in a cooler with ice.) Swap out often as you sweat. Depending on condition you can get away with just a pair of them, hanging the spare liner from your belt to dry/cool off, and swap regularly. Padded ones would carry more of a heat sink effect and 'last longer' between changes, but lighter cloth ones may be easier to swap out as the damp ones could hang from a belt without much issue while they're allowed to cool. Pop the mask off, use the one you're wearing to mop the sweat, tuck it in your belt and grab the next in line kind of thing.
I use a regular arming cap which protecion-wise I have great experience with, however it does not stop as much sweat, as I would like (properbly because it is padded with wool instead of a fabric that soaks up water more easily). Also, it inhibits my hearing, since it covers my ears. All in all, an extra padded layer underneath the mask I find alot more comfortable when getting hit; one should just choose (or make) the exact headpiece with consideration
you might check out a helmet liner (American, circa wwII, if you watch the tv show M.A.S.H. it is what the Radar character was wearing) I think they are still being made, they are thinner than your rugby helmet and don't cover the ears, alternately a navy watch cap might work and look a bit more stylish.
If it seems to work then perhaps you could collaborate with a HEMA gear make to design specifically for wearing under a mask. You could start by moving the brow padding to the inisde of the helmet and cover it with a mesh material and/or a moisture wicking material. You then shape and place the pads in such a way that it helps promote air flow, they do this with a lot of military style tactical backpacks now a days. You could probably make the pads on top narrower since the primary protection is coming from the mask and it will help provide better air flow to the top of your head. Btw, that scrum cap looks a lot like a Russian tanker cap to me. I wonder if you could wear one of those under your HEMA mask. :D
+Rami Bairi 2 reasons can to mind: Poison is not easy to obtain, and it wouldn't be effective at stopping someone from killing you. Many poisonous plants, in Europe and elsewhere, cause rashes and indigestion and can be fatal in some cases. But this is due to other symptoms, such as dehydration from diarrhoea. Plants that cause rashes might irritate the skin on contact, but at close range, that's not likely to stop your opponent in their tracks either. So, it's not effective, and working with poisonous plants and their extracts would come with an additional risk, and no one wants to take risks that have no gain.
Poison is hard to come by, often illegal and expensive and lacks stoping power. If you are a better swordsman, chances are you kill your opponent on the spot. If not, he kills you and you don't get anything from him dying a few days later. So unless it's something personal it's not worth the hassle.
Like the other fellows said, stopping power would probably be a big part of why it wasn't used that way I'd imagine. If you nick me with a poisoned blade (assuming it is effectively delivered) I may die, but not before one of us dies from blade wounds.
The only blades forged with poison/toxins that I'm aware of is in the history of the Keris/Kris/Crease, where along with incantations arsenic was forged into the blade. I have no clue when the mystical aspects of Kris smithing ceased to be common practice, but I have heard there are still some very traditional smiths working deep in the interior of the islands where Kris' are used/carried who may still use arsenic to bring the damascene colours to life. Malay accounts of Kris blade finishing require many hard to get, toxic materials and is more akin to alchemy than blacksmithing from old accounts of manufacture.
Rami Bairi ninjas did poison shuriken, but not their swords, simply because in sword fights, they don’t last for days, they last for minutes. One of the combatants would have died within the duel.
I am willing to design prototypes if you seriously want a viable cooling system integrated into your headgear, it can be tackled a few different ways, making a completely new mask from scratch with the system already built into it, but this would close the market for people who don't want to buy new equipment, because they may already have spent thousands on good Spes gear for example. So I think the second way would be better, building a smaller system that can be placed inside already existing protective gear. There are lots of ways to combat sweat and heat, we could use hydrophobic material as a liner, that has a network of channels and tubes to filter the sweat into removable pockets, that can be emptied and replaced. Or you could use air to reduce the amount of sweat that can potentially build up, it could be battery powered, with the components protected and built in a slim line strong box. Or you could use a system that works similar to hydraulics, so you would actually line the inside of 2 or more sections, make them air tights, so that internal pressure from movements force and pump air in and out of your suit. For example the elbow joints and shoulders would force air into the headgear every time you make a cut or raise or bend a joint. The tubes can be made of very tough plastic/fabric , like industrial hose pipes, so they take no damage from sword blows if struck. LEt me know if you want to seriously develop something, and we can have a chat with some other craftsmen who are interested in making prototypes and sending them off for production and IPR.
Sweat is quit an advantage for huma, because this way human can really good regenerate stamina and even better when running. the problem is when you where thick protective clothes you cannot really use it because the sweat will no longer work as soon as the clothes is sooked in it because it cannot evaporate and cool down you body this way. So you will get heated up even more... I think a nice idea would be to put a cpu-fan in the back of it to cool your head...but well it would look stupidand you need a power source...
Hi Matt, any advice for those of us living in really warm countries and fencing outside? I personally prefer not getting heat stroke, plus the humidity where I live is crazy in summer.
I am a massively sweaty fellow, especially the head and face. I do have hair and before long, in a heated situation, the hair will not protect you from sweat. I suspect that the scrum cap will not make a lot of difference for the sweat, either. maybe a terry clots wash cloth, on top of your head, held down my the cap. I grew up in the American south, in sweat or die weather. Now, on the very mild west coast of Canada, I still sweat liters. It is great in hot dry places but not so great in wet places, of any temp.
When you brought up heat being an issue for HEMA it made me wonder if Liquid Cooling Garments (NASA LCG underwear) would be useful and/or feasible to wear under armour as well as under spacesuits.
Matt I spar in Florida, USA in the hot sub-tropical sun and I also sweat profusely from my forehead. My solution has been a sports beanie, not sure sure what you guys call it over there. Not bulky like that rugby head protector you have and it absorbs sweat. If it works for me in the insane heat and humidity we have here, it’ll work for you and the so called “summers” you get in England. ;)
Matt, have you ever heard of anyone that has suffered a bout with tennis elbow and managed to recover enough to continue HEMA? I’ve been trying to recover from it for the better part of 6 months and it just seems like the gift that will not stop giving! Wondered if you had any insight, if for nothing else, just some good old motivation to keep my spirits up...
Yes absolutely. It does last months, even years for some. But usually months. I can't give medical advice for your specific case, you should see a doctor. For some it seems to be rest, for others specific types of exercise. One of my friends had an operation which fixed it.
I still have all of my hair, and when I fence I sweat buckets, and I get loads of salty sweat into my eyes, so I don't see that as a baldness-related issue. I also end up with my hair soaked in sweat, so my mask doesn't stay dry either. Maybe the cop in Terry Gillian's "Brazil" found the solution. (If you didn't watch that film, do it. Now.)
Hey Matt! Something I've wondered for years about it how helmets and armor, specifically helmets though, restrict movement, hearing and sight. The added protection is a given, but it seems to clash with survival instincts quite a bit. I know that I personally when I encounter any sort of danger immediately rely, on my eyes and ears excessively to spot and avoid any danger as well as wanting to be light and nimble on my feet. Adding to that the natural fear of the unknown, which is increased when those senses are restricted, doesn't that add a large amount of psychological stress to a person fighting? Does it take quite a bit of training to overcome that sort of ingrained fear/instinct?
Not bald, but I have a questions regarding fencing mask sizes. I'm looking to get into HEMA in the next few months, I have a rather large head I wear a 7 5/8- 7 3/4 hat depending on my haircut and need to know if I should opt for a large or extra large fencing mask.
Another solution - a turban. "The full reference that Egerton uses provides more details of this helmet worn by the Ghouchara Fauj. Baron Charles Hugel who visited the Sikh Kingdom of Lahore in 1836 wrote: ‘Some wore a steel helmet, inlaid with gold and surmounted with the kalga or black heron's plume; others wore a cap of steel, worked like the cuirass in rings: this cap lies firmly on the turban, and covers the whole head, having openings for the eyes.’ (Hugel, 1845)" Of course you'll need to swap your sabre for a Tulwar. Luckily you have one on the wall.
Have you thought about growing your remaining hair very long and then tying it all up on the top of your head kinda like an onion? i think that would make excellent padding.
Deodorant makes you sweat smell nicer. Antiperspirant stops the sweat, but it does so by compromising the thermoregulation of your body. Having a lot of hair doesn't help a lot either, a wet mass of hair in your eyes is as nasty as it sounds.
Same boat, sweat alot regardless of my fitness level and my hairline is well on its way to going full easton. Maybe there is some genetic correlation...
I wish I saw this before I bought my mask. I'm not bald, just worried about brain damage. Cheers
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Rugby caps look too thin to avoid any concussion. Maybe to avoid cauliflower ears. I trained Taekwondo for years, and the caps I wore in championships were way thicker than that.
Bold head needs no hair cut + Sun shines-Opponents eyes dazzled by the reflection.(Win/Win). Yul Brynner Charisma comes free. Out of silly jokes...Good video. :)
I think you're severly overestimating the advantage of hairiness here Matt. As opposed to you I have quite a lot of hair on my head, and I don't sweat a lot at all (which actually sucks, as my body can't regulate its own temperature very well), but I once lost a foil match 14-15, partially because of the sheer amount of salt dripping into my eyes, obscuring my vision. There might even be an advantage to baldy sweat baldness in fencing: the sweat either evaporates, runs down immediately, or gets absorbed by the padding in the mask, instead of getting trapped in your fabulous afro, only to be slowly distilled and channeled across your face in all its saline purity.
One thing I have experimented with is tying the helmet to me, basically I need a chin strap. If this is bald problem I’m not sure, but it doesn’t help; the helm will more easily slide off when bald and sweating buckets. Also tried wool caps, and while it doesn’t make me sweat more (cause that is impossible), the heat will actually affect my stamina.
rediius Yeah, I could see just rubbing some on your hands, then applying it to the scalp. Not sure how well it’d work, but it might be worth a try. I’d like to see Matt do different anti-perspirant reviews, lol.
I have used a very effective anti perspirant called Mitchum on my feet when I've needed to be barefoot but not want to be scrabbling around like a dog on ice. Personally I sweat from the head a ton, but also everywhere else! It was effective in making my feet less slippery, but it's horrible feeling to apply with your hands for even coverage, feels icky lol. Antiperspirants clog the pores and prevent the sweat from making an appearance, in theory. It doesn't stop my armpits from sweating but it does somewhat reduce the amount and improves the smell in the short term at least. Mitchum is good for 48 hours - in addition to being the only truly effective one I've ever found, which is a bonus for we heavy sweaters.
Just for comparison its 31 degrees here at about 8:30 at night. The sun's gone but the heat remains. A Brit complaining about heat is like a rich guy complaining about cab fare
Odin029 Depends on the relative humidity. I'm happy at 50c if it's dry heat like that in the Mediterranean or Africa. The British summer is unbearably muggy, like Florida, but nobody has aircon here as it's not worth it for four weeks of sun in a "good" years summer. Most years it rains every couple of days but this is the longest stretch of mugginess since 1997 at the moment, and 1976 before that if we best the 90's record. Anyway, point being it's not pleasant and there's no real relief from it because nobody spends money on quality cooling in a mostly windy and rainy country.
hehe Yul be....ryner a Telly owner in the town of Savalas and Kluase Kinsky is a very good friend hey if I missed any body Max Shreck will be in touch? but anyway Matt you like many amateur boxers wrestlers karate practitioners and so on treat it as a sport! so like rugby or football or even turning your ankle playing a Saturday squash/tennis match with a mate such things happen! HEMA is (I suppose)no different! OK? the last thing you or your "opponent" want is concussion or serious injury but hey it happens in rugby( it or other things even happens in a marathon) sport can be unsafe! any sport! but you take "that on the chin" its better than sitting and getting fat eh? and its fun?
I appreciate the "Super Dry" shirt in a video about sweat.
The image of Matt rolling deodorant on to his head has made my day.
Ἀντίγονος is
'This is about bald men in HEAM' - Matt Easton 2018
Hair is a good shock absorber. CS CEO Lynn Tomphson in "The Fighting Machete" tells of a friend who got into a bar fight one night. Someone coming in from the fields saw the brawl, charged in with a machete, and chopped Lynn's friend hard on the head straight downwards. But the machete was dull from not being well-maintained and a hard day in the fields, plus this guy had a lot of curly bushy hair, so his skull wasn't split. He just got a nasty bruise, shallow cut, plenty of bleeding, and helluva headache!
Really enjoying the sparring clips at the end! Thank you!
Matt, you can make anything look good, hardware included. Plus, not getting your head smashed is always a good look.
I sweat like a pig the moment I exert myself at all, so I understand the struggle. I wear prescription sports goggles when I fight and if I don't wear a headband during training they will look like I've been staring up at a rainstorm.
Also, those headscarves that doctors and cancer patients wear are really good at keeping sweat away. I have a few that are made from material that lets it wick up into it and dry very fast. They are lifesavers.
I am 20 and I sweat a LOT from the head ! Now I am afraid to lose my hair. Well, if it leads me to the same type of life as yours, I take it!
Thank you for the video, map!
I started doing this when I first started doing reenactment and HEMA as my reenactment directed people towards doing it. While I don't do something quite as substantial to that, I do use a hood or coif that hugs my chin with about three layers of linen. It's a nice fit, it helps with avoiding damage to my head (though not nearly as much as that), and I don't have to maintain my mask as much! My first mask, which was a basic 350n olympic fencing mask, had barely any discoloration or smell to it when I retired it!
Scrum caps are actually primarily defense for the ears. Helps stop cabbage ear among second row forwards. The padding does little to actually prevent concussion. The brain still is subjected to much of the same concussive force of a tackle. I'd imagine quite effective for fencing strikes with the mask though!
you can wet the cap with water to keep you cool.
I am bald too (though by choice) and wet a microfibre faceshield thing (it is basically an elastic cloth tube) when training in hot conditions, works great for me, and between bouts I can renew the water and basically wash the sweat out of it to keep it fresh.
How about putting a variable speed fan on the back of the helmet for cooling?
OrkStuff A compressed air tank to the back, and some hoses :)
As soon as I heard the outtro music, I was instantly reminded of Catt Easton staring at the camera.
Genius idea. I’ll do this next time I buy a new mask. I’ll be bald in the next few years as well.
Great idea I have a helmet that needs padding. Here in Oklahoma 38C 40 to 60% humidity. Sweat big buckets. As many as 4 shirts per day.
Each time I hear that music I think in Cat Easton.
I do the exact same thing (and i have a hair :D). Many fencers in Poland use this kind of combination.
I added helmet padding replacements in my mask. My mask is much more secure now and it's still reasonably breathable. I still wear a bandanna for the sweat though.
Hasn't washed HEMA mask in 2 years crew checking in.
I like to keep my codpiece in the freezer. I find this has the same effect as holding your wrists under a running cold tap
I'm a pretty sweaty guy too (have hair though). I just have a face cloth on hand, and wipe up between exercises and sparring matches.
Some of the people at my club do recommend a gel cap sold by purpleheart armory. Might be good to have a look at.
As we get older we lose hair, teeth and patience. Still have most of the first two and eyebrows I could almost comb over. They get bushier every year. Quite freakish actually. Time has treated you well, from the looks of it - your knees must still be functional. Cheers.
Have you thought of using a toque (knit wool cap)? It is breathable, washable, and you can get them in various thicknesses.
Having long hair, ever since I bought my fencing mask I encountered the issue of snagging the hair at the back of my head on the mask velcro strap - which is slightly painful to say the least, so a bandana provided the best solution (I also wear one when working out, same problem with sweat from my forehead onto my face)
Hey Matt, do you still have that American saber? And will you still do a video on it?
In kenjutsu we use a “towel” called tenugui on our head, it protects quite well
Don't worry too much about being Bald, Matt, you actually pull it off really well.
Funnily enough, I found about you Matt by the video about bald youtubers from TopTenz Net :-)
When i was shaving my head i used a very light hoodie and that acted as the arming cap under my mask.
What I do for sweat is wear a hand towel on my head, but it makes it hard to put on my mask without moving the towel over my eyes. I considered making an arming cap, but never got around to finishing it (too many moving parts and too much sewing). I do have a rugby cap now though, I haven't fought in it yet but I plan to use it for tournaments at least.
I do have hair, but it seems like I sweat more than most.
Maybe try keeping a few of them chilled and switch them out as you start sweating.
Could you do a video about the person who DOES have the worlds biggest eyebrows? Suddenly, I am fascinated.
I think a regular knit cap would work just as well with slightly less bulk
Make an arming cap with silica-gel packets mixed into the padding.
From being bald and wearing a hard hat:
Trying to rely on a single liner for any length of time tends to not work all that well I've found. Sure they can soak up sweat for a long time and keep it out of your face, but they also come with the risk of releasing that sweat if you get hit. - A sponge can hold a lot, but if you squeeze it...
One trick I've used has been to keep a bunch of liners on hand, and spray them down with a bit of water. Get them damp, not soaking, and leave the extras in the shade. Like felt sided canteens, they'll naturally cool by way of evaporation. (On really hot days I'll even go so far as to stick them in a cooler with ice.) Swap out often as you sweat.
Depending on condition you can get away with just a pair of them, hanging the spare liner from your belt to dry/cool off, and swap regularly.
Padded ones would carry more of a heat sink effect and 'last longer' between changes, but lighter cloth ones may be easier to swap out as the damp ones could hang from a belt without much issue while they're allowed to cool. Pop the mask off, use the one you're wearing to mop the sweat, tuck it in your belt and grab the next in line kind of thing.
I use a regular arming cap which protecion-wise I have great experience with, however it does not stop as much sweat, as I would like (properbly because it is padded with wool instead of a fabric that soaks up water more easily). Also, it inhibits my hearing, since it covers my ears. All in all, an extra padded layer underneath the mask I find alot more comfortable when getting hit; one should just choose (or make) the exact headpiece with consideration
Would Olympic fencing background be an advantage? would a sabre be the closest to hema?
you might check out a helmet liner (American, circa wwII, if you watch the tv show M.A.S.H. it is what the Radar character was wearing) I think they are still being made, they are thinner than your rugby helmet and don't cover the ears, alternately a navy watch cap might work and look a bit more stylish.
Matt, maybe you could install a small fan in the mask like cosplayers use in their hot costumes. Maybe a laptop fan?
If it seems to work then perhaps you could collaborate with a HEMA gear make to design specifically for wearing under a mask. You could start by moving the brow padding to the inisde of the helmet and cover it with a mesh material and/or a moisture wicking material. You then shape and place the pads in such a way that it helps promote air flow, they do this with a lot of military style tactical backpacks now a days. You could probably make the pads on top narrower since the primary protection is coming from the mask and it will help provide better air flow to the top of your head.
Btw, that scrum cap looks a lot like a Russian tanker cap to me. I wonder if you could wear one of those under your HEMA mask. :D
Matt did posioned sword blades exist historically ? If yes why were they not common ?
+Rami Bairi
2 reasons can to mind: Poison is not easy to obtain, and it wouldn't be effective at stopping someone from killing you. Many poisonous plants, in Europe and elsewhere, cause rashes and indigestion and can be fatal in some cases. But this is due to other symptoms, such as dehydration from diarrhoea. Plants that cause rashes might irritate the skin on contact, but at close range, that's not likely to stop your opponent in their tracks either. So, it's not effective, and working with poisonous plants and their extracts would come with an additional risk, and no one wants to take risks that have no gain.
Poison is hard to come by, often illegal and expensive and lacks stoping power. If you are a better swordsman, chances are you kill your opponent on the spot. If not, he kills you and you don't get anything from him dying a few days later. So unless it's something personal it's not worth the hassle.
Like the other fellows said, stopping power would probably be a big part of why it wasn't used that way I'd imagine. If you nick me with a poisoned blade (assuming it is effectively delivered) I may die, but not before one of us dies from blade wounds.
The only blades forged with poison/toxins that I'm aware of is in the history of the Keris/Kris/Crease, where along with incantations arsenic was forged into the blade. I have no clue when the mystical aspects of Kris smithing ceased to be common practice, but I have heard there are still some very traditional smiths working deep in the interior of the islands where Kris' are used/carried who may still use arsenic to bring the damascene colours to life. Malay accounts of Kris blade finishing require many hard to get, toxic materials and is more akin to alchemy than blacksmithing from old accounts of manufacture.
Rami Bairi ninjas did poison shuriken, but not their swords, simply because in sword fights, they don’t last for days, they last for minutes. One of the combatants would have died within the duel.
I am willing to design prototypes if you seriously want a viable cooling system integrated into your headgear, it can be tackled a few different ways, making a completely new mask from scratch with the system already built into it, but this would close the market for people who don't want to buy new equipment, because they may already have spent thousands on good Spes gear for example. So I think the second way would be better, building a smaller system that can be placed inside already existing protective gear. There are lots of ways to combat sweat and heat, we could use hydrophobic material as a liner, that has a network of channels and tubes to filter the sweat into removable pockets, that can be emptied and replaced. Or you could use air to reduce the amount of sweat that can potentially build up, it could be battery powered, with the components protected and built in a slim line strong box. Or you could use a system that works similar to hydraulics, so you would actually line the inside of 2 or more sections, make them air tights, so that internal pressure from movements force and pump air in and out of your suit. For example the elbow joints and shoulders would force air into the headgear every time you make a cut or raise or bend a joint. The tubes can be made of very tough plastic/fabric , like industrial hose pipes, so they take no damage from sword blows if struck.
LEt me know if you want to seriously develop something, and we can have a chat with some other craftsmen who are interested in making prototypes and sending them off for production and IPR.
Sweat is quit an advantage for huma, because this way human can really good regenerate stamina and even better when running. the problem is when you where thick protective clothes you cannot really use it because the sweat will no longer work as soon as the clothes is sooked in it because it cannot evaporate and cool down you body this way. So you will get heated up even more...
I think a nice idea would be to put a cpu-fan in the back of it to cool your head...but well it would look stupidand you need a power source...
In that little clip at the end, is it just my imagination (or the camera angle?) But is Blue's point way off line?
Hi Matt, any advice for those of us living in really warm countries and fencing outside? I personally prefer not getting heat stroke, plus the humidity where I live is crazy in summer.
As I understand it Museum Replicas Ltd used to sell arming caps
i got the same, boldish and puddles under me at the heavybag
Hi Matt I’m new to your channel and I’m loving it.
Where o where can I get a fencing mask that has been beefed up for HEMA?
armingguild.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63
Maybe you should try wearing a swim cap under your fencing mask. Swim caps are waterproof right? (sweatproof in that case)
Holy shit almost 200k now? Daaaammn matty e
Rugby cup? What an english solution! :D Haha jokes out, it is a great idea!
When you're bald your hair can never be out of context
How did the experiment go? Do you still do this?
This does seem like a generally good safety idea for everybody
I am a massively sweaty fellow, especially the head and face. I do have hair and before long, in a heated situation, the hair will not protect you from sweat. I suspect that the scrum cap will not make a lot of difference for the sweat, either. maybe a terry clots wash cloth, on top of your head, held down my the cap.
I grew up in the American south, in sweat or die weather. Now, on the very mild west coast of Canada, I still sweat liters. It is great in hot dry places but not so great in wet places, of any temp.
When you brought up heat being an issue for HEMA it made me wonder if Liquid Cooling Garments (NASA LCG underwear) would be useful and/or feasible to wear under armour as well as under spacesuits.
The US Military uses a variant for vehicle mounted troops in Iraq/Afghanistan. Apparently too heavy for use for foot troops
and the mic sounds great btw ^_^
Matt I spar in Florida, USA in the hot sub-tropical sun and I also sweat profusely from my forehead. My solution has been a sports beanie, not sure sure what you guys call it over there. Not bulky like that rugby head protector you have and it absorbs sweat. If it works for me in the insane heat and humidity we have here, it’ll work for you and the so called “summers” you get in England. ;)
But I suppose you like the Rearguard, when you have one? I'm waiting on my own :-)
Matt, have you ever heard of anyone that has suffered a bout with tennis elbow and managed to recover enough to continue HEMA? I’ve been trying to recover from it for the better part of 6 months and it just seems like the gift that will not stop giving! Wondered if you had any insight, if for nothing else, just some good old motivation to keep my spirits up...
Yes absolutely. It does last months, even years for some. But usually months. I can't give medical advice for your specific case, you should see a doctor. For some it seems to be rest, for others specific types of exercise. One of my friends had an operation which fixed it.
I still have all of my hair, and when I fence I sweat buckets, and I get loads of salty sweat into my eyes, so I don't see that as a baldness-related issue. I also end up with my hair soaked in sweat, so my mask doesn't stay dry either.
Maybe the cop in Terry Gillian's "Brazil" found the solution. (If you didn't watch that film, do it. Now.)
As a sweaty person, at least you live in a relatively cold country. Imagine being a sweaty Greek or a sweaty Spaniard...
Hey Matt! Something I've wondered for years about it how helmets and armor, specifically helmets though, restrict movement, hearing and sight. The added protection is a given, but it seems to clash with survival instincts quite a bit. I know that I personally when I encounter any sort of danger immediately rely, on my eyes and ears excessively to spot and avoid any danger as well as wanting to be light and nimble on my feet. Adding to that the natural fear of the unknown, which is increased when those senses are restricted, doesn't that add a large amount of psychological stress to a person fighting? Does it take quite a bit of training to overcome that sort of ingrained fear/instinct?
Not bald, but I have a questions regarding fencing mask sizes. I'm looking to get into HEMA in the next few months, I have a rather large head I wear a 7 5/8- 7 3/4 hat depending on my haircut and need to know if I should opt for a large or extra large fencing mask.
If I go without a haircut for several months my hat size goes up to an 8 (US sizes)
Your head and my hands. I feel you :D
Another solution - a turban.
"The full reference that Egerton uses provides more details of this helmet worn by the Ghouchara Fauj. Baron Charles Hugel who visited the Sikh Kingdom of Lahore in 1836 wrote:
‘Some wore a steel helmet, inlaid with gold and surmounted with the kalga or black heron's plume; others wore a cap of steel, worked like the cuirass in rings: this cap lies firmly on the turban, and covers the whole head, having openings for the eyes.’ (Hugel, 1845)"
Of course you'll need to swap your sabre for a Tulwar. Luckily you have one on the wall.
Have you thought about growing your remaining hair very long and then tying it all up on the top of your head kinda like an onion? i think that would make excellent padding.
Deodorant makes you sweat smell nicer. Antiperspirant stops the sweat, but it does so by compromising the thermoregulation of your body.
Having a lot of hair doesn't help a lot either, a wet mass of hair in your eyes is as nasty as it sounds.
Also, dark coloured natural hair absorbs more heat than blond or ginger hair.
Maybe ask London Longsword if he has any eyebrow growth tips
A swimming cap would also work to capture the sweat. You could even throw it at your opponent once full for the extra biological warfare points.
This may be just me; but if the mask grill touches someones face, that sounds like a calibration problem.
helmet liners, mtb or bmx check em out
Same boat, sweat alot regardless of my fitness level and my hairline is well on its way to going full easton. Maybe there is some genetic correlation...
I wish I saw this before I bought my mask. I'm not bald, just worried about brain damage. Cheers
Rugby caps look too thin to avoid any concussion. Maybe to avoid cauliflower ears. I trained Taekwondo for years, and the caps I wore in championships were way thicker than that.
César Rodrigues de Oliveira He'd be using it to supplement the protection offered by the fencing gear, not as a stand alone.
Blackbeard used to go through four black bandanas while boarding one enemy ship, so you're quite close to the legend Matt. You're quite close.
Bold head needs no hair cut + Sun shines-Opponents eyes dazzled by the reflection.(Win/Win).
Yul Brynner Charisma comes free.
Out of silly jokes...Good video. :)
Actually sportive people sweat faster than lest fit people according to one of my doctor friends :)
I already wear an XL mask and it's kind of too small... I might just be doomed
"This, is a rolling pin!"
10/10 support a video all about being bald
Try soaking it in water before you start... logically, the body would not have to sweat as much if there is already water there cooling the head...
"I don't have any hair"
Collar and cuffs?
I think you're severly overestimating the advantage of hairiness here Matt. As opposed to you I have quite a lot of hair on my head, and I don't sweat a lot at all (which actually sucks, as my body can't regulate its own temperature very well), but I once lost a foil match 14-15, partially because of the sheer amount of salt dripping into my eyes, obscuring my vision. There might even be an advantage to baldy sweat baldness in fencing: the sweat either evaporates, runs down immediately, or gets absorbed by the padding in the mask, instead of getting trapped in your fabulous afro, only to be slowly distilled and channeled across your face in all its saline purity.
Why deodorant though?
The Bald will rise again!
Sweat is a problem, I haven’t found a solution yet that doesn’t make me even hotter.
One thing I have experimented with is tying the helmet to me, basically I need a chin strap.
If this is bald problem I’m not sure, but it doesn’t help; the helm will more easily slide off when bald and sweating buckets.
Also tried wool caps, and while it doesn’t make me sweat more (cause that is impossible), the heat will actually affect my stamina.
you need to do another chorizo video
Not a turban?
Do-rags seems cheaper, better, easier to clean.
Deoderant will keep your sweat smell tolerable; antiperspirant (there's a difference even if many products are 2-in-1) is what you were looking for.
rediius Yeah, I could see just rubbing some on your hands, then applying it to the scalp. Not sure how well it’d work, but it might be worth a try. I’d like to see Matt do different anti-perspirant reviews, lol.
You will literally cook your brain. Let your body do what it needs to do.
I have used a very effective anti perspirant called Mitchum on my feet when I've needed to be barefoot but not want to be scrabbling around like a dog on ice. Personally I sweat from the head a ton, but also everywhere else! It was effective in making my feet less slippery, but it's horrible feeling to apply with your hands for even coverage, feels icky lol. Antiperspirants clog the pores and prevent the sweat from making an appearance, in theory. It doesn't stop my armpits from sweating but it does somewhat reduce the amount and improves the smell in the short term at least. Mitchum is good for 48 hours - in addition to being the only truly effective one I've ever found, which is a bonus for we heavy sweaters.
Thirty-eight degrees is a lot.
No shame in being sweaty, I am a sweaty man as well! Is that why you wear all those Super Dry shirts? Sort of an esoteric approach to the problem?
Just for comparison its 31 degrees here at about 8:30 at night. The sun's gone but the heat remains. A Brit complaining about heat is like a rich guy complaining about cab fare
Odin029 Depends on the relative humidity. I'm happy at 50c if it's dry heat like that in the Mediterranean or Africa. The British summer is unbearably muggy, like Florida, but nobody has aircon here as it's not worth it for four weeks of sun in a "good" years summer. Most years it rains every couple of days but this is the longest stretch of mugginess since 1997 at the moment, and 1976 before that if we best the 90's record. Anyway, point being it's not pleasant and there's no real relief from it because nobody spends money on quality cooling in a mostly windy and rainy country.
how about make a pirate head rap
"I don't have a large head... I don't have a small head eader..."
I see what u did there, sweaty Easton...
Have you got a licence for that fencing mask
Sweat a lot, superdry
hmm
HEMA toupe, obv.
hehe Yul be....ryner a Telly owner in the town of Savalas and Kluase Kinsky is a very good friend hey if I missed any body Max Shreck will be in touch? but anyway Matt you like many amateur boxers wrestlers karate practitioners and so on treat it as a sport! so like rugby or football or even turning your ankle playing a Saturday squash/tennis match with a mate such things happen! HEMA is (I suppose)no different! OK? the last thing you or your "opponent" want is concussion or serious injury but hey it happens in rugby( it or other things even happens in a marathon) sport can be unsafe! any sport! but you take "that on the chin" its better than sitting and getting fat eh? and its fun?