The Benefits to Adding Yoga to Your Routine

Some may say that yoga and swords don't really mesh but yoga can add enormous benefit to one's workout routine.  Practicing yoga develops strength and endurance, enhances your focus, improves your balance and increases your performance in every aspect of your life. It works the whole body synergistically, working every joint, muscle and fiber improving all of your bodies functions.  Several eastern martial arts that use swords also use some form of yoga , tai chi or stretching in their practices, Japanese Bushido, Kendo and Shaolin Kung Fu come to mind. 
  While strength is a major consideration in HEMA, especially with larger weapons like the Poleaxe or Montante, I would argue that speed and endurance are more important. With technique being equal, the faster swordsman will win. I mostly use yoga as either a cool down after kettlebells or bodyweight sets or to keep me active on rest days. If I hit the weights a little too hard and two days after I am still sore, a 20 minute session works out the kinks and I am ready to continue the next day.
  Lastly I like how yoga aids my focus. I am fairly active, mentally, and that combines with a photographic memory my brain is like a web browser with about sixteen windows open all the time.  Physical activity help settle this down to some degree and yoga aids this further. After a session I can focus better without so many mental distractions. I seem to be treading close to Kendo's Mokuso and that is exactly what I am looking for. Mental discipline is every bit as important as physical when it comes to HEMA or any martial art.

Red Meat, Red Holiday

Valentine's Day is coming and I can think of no better way to impress your mate (girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband etc.) than cooking them a fancy dinner at home. Further more we fight with swords as a hobby so it only makes scene that the showpiece of such a meal be red meat.
  But isn't steak bad for me you ask? Well, no and yes. I would like to state here for the record that my last check-up included praise from my doctor that my blood-work looked great and I should live for a very long time. Steak is made of animal muscle and absolutely nothing is better for rebuilding your muscle that breaks down when you workout than consuming the flesh of another animal.
  But what about fat you ask? That's the tricky bit. The problem lies in that cows are mostly fed corn here in the US. The thing is that cows aren't designed to eat corn, they eat grass. When you feed cows corn then their Omega-6 fats increase and that is the bad fats, it also makes the poor cows sick so you need put medicines through them to keep them functioning, medicine that you will be ingesting secondarily. That's also bad.
  If you stick to grass fed and grass finished beef then, guess what?, they have increased levels of Omega 3s, the healthy fats.  Everyone goes on how wild salmon have healthy fats but if you let the cows eat what they are designed to eat it is the same thing for them! I will admit that is is more expensive than regular beef but ask yourself "How much does a heart attack cost?" or "What does an Ambulance Ride run me?" It's all about perspective.
  Below is my go-to recipe for steak, beautiful in it's simplicity and essential sustenance for any swordsman or woman.

How Steak Should Be
  Steak (Any good cut is fine. Rib, T-Bone, Sirloin, Tenderloin, etc. Grass fed and Grass finished)
  Kosher Salt
  Beef Tallow (Rendered fat)

Turn on your stove vent and crack a window. Then put a cast iron skillet over the top end of medium high and add the tallow. We are looking for an oil here that will take the high heat and have a neutral flavor, tallow works pretty well for this.

When the iron smokes, only then remove the steak from the fridge. Cold meat will stay rarer in the middle, and rare is good. Sprinkle lightly on one side of the steak with kosher salt- the flake shape of the salt sticks better to the meat.

Place the steak salt side down on the cast iron and don't touch it for three to four minutes. Flip the steak with tongs and again do not touch it for three minutes. Evacuate the steak to a platter and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

This produces a steak know as 'Black and Blue.' The outside should have a nice deep sear (especially on the salted side) and the center should be basically still raw. Because of this I do not recommend this style of steak to anyone pregnant, nursing, has a weakened immune system or is rather young. Additionally I would make sure the steak is fresh, good quality and from a reputable butcher. Use caution here because used improperly this recipe can make you ill. Good Luck.

Oil Your Sword

I own several swords, none display pieces, all have seen action. When in use they get marred up and this needs to be looked after. They also become exposed to moisture and are liable to rust. Care for your swords is a must. I have seen few articles on sword maintenance so I figured it would be helpful to go over my kit in case others are in need of ideas.

Oil. I have a small jar of coconut oil for keeping my swords oiled. I prefer coconut oil because it is thick so it stays put. I have heard of some who will mix coconut oil with beeswax for swords. It is also easy to get, is antibacterial as well as antifungal and will not go rancid. I have spoken with others and they all seem to have their preferences. Gun or machine oil is a common one but I prefer the smell of coconut to chemicals and it is a little thin for my liking, it seems to get on everything in the gear bag. Another is Choji oil, used on Japanese swords, it is purpose made for swords and smells nice but is slightly more expensive. I don't use it because I can grab coconut oil from the local supermarket and Choji is harder to acquire. Some use olive oil, which is cheap and relatively available but will go rancid on you. Still others us WD-40 which I do not recommend because it will eventually corrode the steel of your sword, no thank you!

Small Metal File. Sword use causes nicks in the steel which I do not mind aesthetically. Unfortunately it also causes metal burrs on the sword and that is unacceptable. Small sharp areas on your sword must be dealt with immediately. You don't want to slice into an opponent's gambeson or, even worse, their skin. I check my swords for burrs with an ungloved hand and smooth them off with the file. Don't forget to check the guard and pommel too!

Sanding Block. Same as for the file but not as aggressive but can handle larger areas.

Rust Eraser. An abrasive eraser that will take care of a lot of surface rust. It scours the sword surface but I don't mind that in a sword I spar with.

Rubbing Alcohol. I like alcohol for cleaning the steel of a sword because it is cheap, evaporates quickly and doesn't leave any residue. I use 70% Isopropyl.

Microfiber Cloths. Generally I have two of different colors, one for cleaning with alcohol, the other for oiling with coconut oil.

Spare Rubber Tips. I use these on rapiers or any sword that I do a good deal of thrusting with. I also keep a roll of electrical tape to help secure them. 

As I said before that care for your swords is a must. Keep them well maintained and they will last you many years. If you neglect your blades, they will soon begin to neglect you.

The Eyes of a Warrior

I have read in several treatises that the feeling through the sword allows for faster reaction that that of sight but until those blades are in a bind you have to rely on your eyes. Additionally we all have fought opponents in which we recognize their personal tells. Be it a twitch of the ankle or a drop in one shoulder, it is a motion that signals their attack and allows you to seize the Vor and control the fight. Additionally I have seen while fighting in the SCA that some fighters attempt to distract your attention with a wave of the off hand or twitch of the sword. It seems that it is almost necessary to be able to see everywhere at one. Well, I am here to let you know that you CAN and I am going to tell you how to do it.

    The basis behind what I call 'Eagle Vision' (yes, like from Assassin's Creed, I know) is to relax your vision and allow yourself to take in everything in front of you in a half-sphere. Everything looses focus, becoming a little blurred but it makes your vision very acute to movement. Humans basically evolved as predators and being receptive to the twitch of a rabbit's ear or the flick of a deer's tail allows us, as humans, to be better hunters. We evolved this ability over countless generations but most nowadays have had it blotted ot buy modern-day living.
    I can't claim to have come up with this method, only that I am the first to consciously apply it in sword combat (at least I think I am the first). My father was a green beret and taught my sisters and I outdoor skills from a very young age. He has a book in his library I remember reading in high school authored by the outdoorsman Tom Brown; Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking. Mr. Brown seems a tad out there but I enjoyed the book, found it helpful and even own a reprinted copy for myself as a reference. In this book, Mr. Brown states he was taught how to stalk and track game by an elderly Apache named Stalking Wolf. One of these skills is what he refers to Splatter Vision; allowing you vision to unfocus and become more sensitive to movement.
    To start, have a seat on the ground outside where you have the whole world to look at. The first step it to relax. Try taking a few deep breaths. It may help to close your eyes when you readjust your vision between your normal sight and Eagle Vision. Open your eyes and stare at the horizon but don't focus on it. Instead try to 'adsorb' the entirety of your field of vision. Everything may be less focused but quite suddenly the whole world comes alive! You notice the clouds sliding overhead, the wave of the grasses in the breeze or perhaps the twitch of a bird upon a distant limb. You can 'see' these movements all at once and without focusing your eyes upon any of them.
    Next spread your hands wide, point your fingers forward and wiggle them. Inch your hand forward until you can perceive the movement at the far edges of you field of vision and take note of the angle it illustrates of your expanded sight. For many people it is nearly 180 degrees! Repeat this with your hands above your head and again take note the angle once you see them, vertical field of vision for many can reach 120 to 130 degrees. That is a huge area in which your eyes can perceive motion, infinitely larger than what they see when focused in.
    I explained this to my wife, a special education teacher, and she noted that it basically sounded like feeding one's ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). I had to agree with her but remembered reading in Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief that the Half Bloods didn't look at as ADD, it was combat reflexes.
    Once you practice a few times to get comfortable with it, try Eagle Vision while out for a walk.  With you eyes taking in movement, you will notice how everything moves in waves as you stride, the farther objective less so than those closer. You will begin to notice movement that contradicts the sway of everything else. It may be a bird flying across you vision or a car driving down a distant street. As you become more adept at picking out movements while moving yourself try picking up the pace. It become more difficult the faster you walk but as your eyes gradually adjust to Eagle Vision you will be able to register movement from a pretty far distance even while jogging.
     Once you have mastered that you are ready to use this new found skill while fighting. The trick is switching rapidly from Eagle Vision to normal sight and back rapidly. Your eyes will pick up the movement and if it needs closer scrutiny then focus your eyes on the movement, assess it and return to Eagle Vision.  With practice this can be dome very quickly in succession and I have found that if I am accustomed to fighting another person then most of the time I can stay in Eagle Vision and only switch back to normal sight when I register a movement I am not familiar with.
    It does work I assure you. I have bested opponents with my eyes trained on the wall behind them. It is also very handy should you find yourself in melees fighting multiple opponents, allowing you to track all their movements at once in your new enlarged field of vision.
    Not only during fighting does it have its uses. I have found it helpful while crossing streets or hiking through the woods. So many of us only focus on small points in our lives and fail to see the broader picture. I encourage you to try it, not only in your fighting, but in other ventures in you life and truly see how alive the world is around you.

The Greatest Upper Body Excercise for a Swordsman

This is my opinion of course but would you be interested in an exercise that strengthens your striking muscles? An exercise that strengthens you abdominals, pectorals, deltoids and triceps? How about one that can be done anywhere because all it requires in a floor and gravity?  An exercise that has more variations than coffee at Starbucks and that can be made challenging for any level of fitness. I know I have built it up way too much here but I am referring to pushups. Really? you ask. Yes, the humble pushup. It is basic but the beauty of it is that it works and can be tailored to fit into just about any workout program.
  First basic form needs to be gone over. As with any exercise poor form will do more damage than good. When down on the ground, set your hands at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Next your feet should be a comfortable distance apart and your whole body in a straight line. Lastly your head should be looking slightly ahead of you and not straight down. Once in position, keep your core locked and steadily lower yourself down until your chest touches the floor. Once there pause for a minute then explode up until you are back in your original position.

Some variations that can keep things interesting include: 

Knuckle pushup.  Do a normal pushup but put your weight on your knuckles rather than on the palm. Great for strengthening the wrist as well as the upper body. You can focus on the index and middle knuckle if you fight alot of rapier, or the middle, ring finger and pinky knuckles if you fight alot of arming sword or singlestick.
 
Wide-grip pushup. Start from a normal pushup position but spread your hands wider than shoulder width. This will force your chest to pick up the brunt of the work from your triceps and shoulders.

Narrow-grip pushup. Do normal a normal pushup with your hands just a few inches apart from each other underneath your chest. This focuses on your triceps.

Single-leg pushup. Lift one leg up off the ground and do a set. Switch legs on the next set. This intensifies the workout for you core.

Feet-elevated pushups. Do a normal pushup, but with your feet elevated on a stable platform like a box or bench. The higher the platform, the more you'll work your shoulders, chest and core.

Spiderman pushup. Do a normal pushup but raise one knee toward the elbow of the same side as you rise (like Spiderman climbing a wall). Switch knees with each rep. Killer for core.

Generally I do four sets of 25 reps with 2 minute breaks a few times a week. I try to mix it up with variations just to keep things interesting. As I said before they are pretty fundamental but they are absolutely ideal for anyone participating in a striking sport, especially when the number of variations are taken into account.

You Are Bulletproof Until You're Not

I have been fighting for almost four years now and I have a respectable collection of aches and pains. One shoulder cracked, the other torn, a pulled hamstring, cracked rib and more bruises than I can count. They are all thanks to rattan or steel weapons in the SCA and synthetic or steel in HEMA. As with any physical sport (an some not so physical) injuries are just part of the game. Pain can be good teacher, reminding us not to do something rash or carelessly disregard an opening. The threat of pain adds to the thrill and especially when starting out in a sport like HEMA, your armor can make you feel bulletproof. But sooner or later you it catches up with you.
  You have one body, and while the human body has an incredible capacity to mend itself (within reason) it is the only one you have. A momentary lapse in judgment can leave you with consequences that can last the rest of your life. For example a gentleman I know through my work, in a fit of anger punched a wall and found a stud in the process. After numerous surgeries and bone grafts his hand could not be properly mended resulting in the need to amputate his right pinky all the way back to the wrist.
  I believe these consequences force us to learn temperance. This temperance can slowly turn the brash young hero into a cautious and calculating warrior. While these injuries do force us to learn this caution, it in not the only way. Making smart choices and thinking your way through can teach you temperance as well as any torn shoulder but without the regret. Don't do stupid things. If your gut says don't then by all means listen. Sparring without hand protection? Bad idea, even if you are doing it "half speed." Saving some money on cheaper armor? You may up paying for it later in more than one way. Swing a sword in anger? WAY BAD IDEA!

  With any martial art there is a mental discipline along with the physical. I think HEMA lacks this to a certain extend because we are resurrecting an extinct combat system. There is no unbroken line of master like that of other martial arts but the principles are the same. Respect is necessary. Respect for the weapon, respect for the art, respect for you teacher, respect for you opponent and most of all respect for yourself.

The Second Half of HEMA is 'Toma"

Bruises, we all get them. It seems like every time I go in to see the doctor I tell her to ignore the bruises, I am not abused -well, not unwillingly at least. You ever get a really good one? One so large or dark that you want to ask the fighter who gave it to you to autograph it?

  A bruise forms when a blow breaks blood vessels near your skin's surface, allowing a small (or large) amount of blood to leak into the tissues under your skin. The trapped blood causes a bruise that at first looks like a black-and-blue mark and then changes color as it heals. Blood, while necessary to keep on living, is treated as a foreign substance once it leaks into the damaged tissue. There are a few things we can do to help reduce the severity of the bruise and increases the rate it heals.

• Elevate the injured area. This reduces the blood flow to the damaged area, the less blood going to the area, then the less there is to leak into the tissue.
• Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel or a cloth dampened with cold water. Do this for about 10 minutes. Repeat several times a day for a day or two after the injury as needed. Again this will reduce blood flow, the cold constricts the blood vessels.
• Rest the bruised area, if possible.
• Consider acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) for pain relief, or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) for pain relief and to reduce swelling.

  I have a small lunch box cooler filled with ice packs already wrapped in cloth. I keep the whole cooler in my chest freezer in the garage. I grab it on my way out the door to practice and toss it in the car with my gear. That way if we need an ice pack I can grab one out of the car and get it on the bruise asap. The quicker you can get cold on it, the less blood leaks into the tissue and therefore faster the bruise heals. The quicker it heals then the faster we are back to fighting 100%.