The Sword Guy Podcast

Founding Longpoint and Fencing in Armour, with Jake Norwood

Episode 19

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/founding-longpoint-fencing-in-armour-episode19/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Jake Norwood is a highly experienced and widely respected historical martial arts instructor. He co-founded the HEMA Alliance (one of the largest historical martial arts associations), and Longpoint (one of the best-known US historical martial arts events). He has taught and competed internationally. We talked about the founding of Longpoint, creating tournament structures that give you the outcomes you want, preparing for armoured combat, and many other things.

 

Women in Armour, and Translating Latin Fiore, with Kendra Brown

Episode 18

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/the-sword-guy-episode-18-kendra-brown/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Kendra Brown is a swordswoman, researcher, and translator of the Latin version of Fiore’s Il Fior di Battaglia (known as the Florius manuscript). She has an awesome blog at https://darthkendraresearch.wordpress.com/

In this wide ranging conversation we discuss the perils and pitfalls of translation, women in combat in medieval times, and even what a very pregnant Caterina Sforza wore to occupy the Castel Santangelo.

 

In this episode we cover a lot of ground, and make a lot of references. For a complete list of references, please go to: https://guywindsor.net/2020/10/the-sword-guy-episode-18-kendra-brown/

Maori Martial Arts, Bartitsu, and can an Uruk bench-press a motorcycle? With Tony Wolf

Episode 17

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/maori-martial-arts-bartitsu-episode17/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Tony Wolf is an author, lecturer, antiquarian, and has trained in a very wide range of martial arts. In this conversation we discuss everything from Maori martial arts to Professional Wrestling, Victorian combatives to the Lord of the Rings (he designed the fighting styles for the different peoples of Middle Earth).
And yes, he answers the question: can an Uruk bench press a motorcycle?

In the show we discuss the Maori martial art Te Mau Taiaha, and he mentions the reality TV series called "Toa" ("Warrior").  In addition, Tony recommends "The Dead Lands", “which is basically "Apocalypto" set in prehistoric New Zealand.  Lots of stylistically accurate fighting.”
The weapon is a Taiaha:

You can find his many books at his Amazon author page here.
You can see his excellent documentary on the Suffragettes’ martial arts training, “No Man Shall Protect Us” here: https://vimeo.com/275968947

 

Dr Eleanor Janega on medieval history, the Dark Ages, and who gets to have a sword?

Episode 16

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/dark-ages-episode16/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Dr. Eleanor Janega (whom Dan Snow refers to as “The most awesome medieval historian in the world”) is a Guest Lecturer at the London School of Economics in their International History department, and she has published many articles, including: “Suspect Women: Prostitution, Reputation, and Gossip in Fourteenth-Century Prague” and “Lies, Damn Lies, and Bohemians” in History Today. She has a PhD in History from University College London, writes a fascinating blog called “Going Medieval”, and you can find her on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GoingMedieval.

Her latest work is The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, which is available for pre-order here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-middle-ages/eleanor-janega/neil-max-emmanuel/9781785785917

 

Anyone can do HEMA! With Robyn Alman

Episode 15

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/anyone-can-do-hema-episode15/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Today's guest on the show is Robyn Alman, from the Athena School of Arms, in Boston. She is well known on the US tournament circuit, and believes that "anybody can do this and enjoy it and engage in it in the way that is the most meaningful to them." In this episode we talk about how she got started (hint: there was a Sci Fi and Fantasy Con involved), the challenges of training during a pandemic, and the magic of putting swords in peoples' hands.

 

Making videogame swordfights real, with Kirk, Knight of Green

Episode 14

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/videogame-swordfights-episode14/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Kirk Williams, also known as the Knight of Green (to find out why, listen to the interview), is a practising historical martial artist… and also recreates video game sword fights in real life. Let’s be honest- most of us take up the sword because of something we read in a book or saw on a screen. I certainly spent a good chunk of my childhood trying to recreate sword fights from movies. Kirk takes that idea to a whole new level, and he has a youtube channel devoted entirely to his recreations.

 

Indian weapons, aerial combat, and German longsword, with Alina Boyden

Episode 13

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/indian-weapons-episode13/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Alina Boyden is a pilot, swordswoman, and the author of Stealing Thunder, a fantasy novel that you really should read (no spoilers! but I really enjoyed it, especially the dragons-as-fighter-planes). We talk about birds of prey, fighter pilot training, Indian swords, Kunst des Fechtens, and even pedal powered flight.

 

Mindset, military service, and why we train, with Rigel Ng

Episode 12

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/mindset-military-service-episode12/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Rigel Ng is the president of the Pan Historical European Martial Arts Society (PHEMAS) in Singapore. In this conversation we cover a lot of ground, from military service to establishing your training goals. The Society was founded in 2005 by Greg Galistan and Chris Blakey, who spent a month training 24/7 in my salle in Helsinki, and I've taught there many times since, so it's especially gratifying to me to see the next generation pick up the torch and run with it.

 

Setting fire to nunneries, Fiore’s wrestling, and more. With Kimberleigh Roseblade

Episode 11

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/setting-fire-to-nunneries-episode11/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

Kimberleigh Roseblade is a historical martial arts instructor, specialising in Fiore's Art of Arms. She teaches at AEMMA in Toronto, and has taught at many international level events including Swordsquatch, VISS, and Longpoint. 

 

Armour, building gauntlets, travelling in Europe, and the perfect sword for Marozzo, with Tomas Suazo

Episode 10

For transcriptions and more detailed shownotes, please go to https://swordschool.com/podcast/armour-episode10/ 

To support the show, come join the Patrons at  https://www.patreon.com/theswordguy

My guest this week is Tomas Suazo, a historical fencer and armourer from Chile. I first met Tomas when he came to train with me in Finland in 2014. He did a Grand Tour of European historical fencing clubs, before returning home to run his own. He's a professional maker of protective equipment for HMA, as well as what I think of as "proper armour". You can find his work at Broken Anvil: https://www.facebook.com/brokenanvilarmourshop/