My shut the f*ck up rant

[Anders Linnard]

This is no surprise, but here are a few things that have caused me some annoyance lately. As most people know we post a lot of videos of us sparring and lately also competing. Apparently that is the kind of thing that makes idiots crawl out of the woodwork. Here is my checklist for idiots that they should consider before posting a comment on youtube, forums and other places. It is not aimed at anyone in this forum I just felt a need to rant, so just sit back and enjoy my anger management training.

1. If you think that fighting from a distance is not a part of German fencing, then shut the f*ck up
2. If you think that movement and athleticism doesn't belong in HEMA, then shut the f*ck up
3. If you think that you have a better perception of HEMA because you do things differently, then shut the f*ck up
4. If you think it is wrong to have tournaments, then don't attend and shut the f*ck up
5. If you have a lot of opinions on people fighting in tournaments, but never fought in a competition yourself, then shut the f*ck up
6. If you get hit a lot, then it is not due to flaws of your opponent, the rules or anyone else, so shut the f*ck up and go train
7. If you have opinions about how we fight in our videos, but would never post videos yourself, then shut the f*ck up
8. If you think that having an opinion is all that it takes, then shut the f*ck up
9. If your website looks quasi medieval and you think shoes are an important factor in HEMA, then shut the f*ck up
10. If you can't fight but think you are doing some sort of art, then shut the f*ck up
11. If you don't spar, then shut the f*ck up
12. If you only spar with people in your own group, then shut the f*ck up
13. If you think that we only fight with nylons, just because you only fight with steel, then shut the f*ck up. Actually if our equipment is what bugs you, you should shut the f*ck up.
14. If you think that control is the only thing you need in a fight and therefore never tried fighting with full intent, then shut the f*ck up
15. If you think that a tournament should be a simulation of a judicial duel, you are deluded and should shut the f*ck up
16. If you think you train as hard as us, but generally don't have any trouble walking to the showers, then shut the f*ck up you are not training hard enough to have an opinion.
17. If you think that mixing modern teaching methods, equipment, language etc with HEMA is wrong, you are an idiot in thinking you are doing things with any more validity and should shut the f*ck up
18. If you feel there is a moral code from medieval times that we should all adhere to, actually, if you think some bullshit notion of chivalry has anything to do with HEMA, just shut the f*ck up
19. If you think we are spamming ze interwebs with videos, don't f*cking subscribe to our videos and shut the f*ck up
20. If you are actually a good fighter or want to train seriously, willing to share your experiences then you are ok with me. And by all means feel free to disagree with all things we do and say.

[Carletto]

Did you copy and past, or you were so upset you typed it all the time?

[Micha]

Agreed, though, anyway.

[knirirr]

http://xkcd.com/481

[Fab]

I agree wholeheartedly with that.

[bigdummy]

I kind of agree with most of that list, youtube comments in particular are notoriously stupid and inevitably the most strident criticisms seem to come from the least talented (most invisible in terms of their own videos) but... you still need to be able to hear criticism. I don't turn off comments on our videos. I just delete a couple of the most stupid ones.

...my only question is how does one know if you are a good enough fighter to be allowed to make a comment? Is there a place to apply ?

[admin]

What amuses me the most is that the people who write the most on Youtube comments are clearly the people who know the least.

[admin]

p.s. Anders, I agree 100% with your sentiment.

As far as I am concerned, people can put up or shut up. That is the essence of Martial Challenge. Talk is cheap. Reenactors are often oxygen thieves, and unfortunately there are some reenactors and role players who are convinced they are doing HEMA.
They will either put up, shut up, or be ignored and left in the dust.

[bigdummy]

Is this another rift with the Maestro set?

[Anders Linnard]

Thanks guys, I will from now on invite all YT posters to events so I can get the opportunity to fight with them.

@Carlo: I pasted the shut the f*ck up bit

...my only question is how does one know if you are a good enough fighter to be allowed to make a comment? Is there a place to apply ?

That's why it is a checklist. Although the webcomic would be even better.

/A

[Anders Linnard]

Is this another rift with the Maestro set?

Don't think so.

/A

[Andreas Engström]

Great stuff, Anders. Post it on SFI and see how long it takes to get banned.

-Andreas

[Matclarke]

Yes!

[Nikos]

lol, so true, very depressing at times and yet very funny when said like that, you already had me laughing at the start and by the time I got to:

"9. If your website looks quasi medieval and you think shoes are an important factor in HEMA, then shut the f*ck up "

I was in stitches, I totally agree with it all, and as Matt says, yes, sadly the people who comment mostly on these things are the ones that know the least. I'd certainly like to do some sparring with you guys at some point too.

[Herbert]

I wanted to post:

Shut the f**ck up!

but then I found nothing I don't agree with, although when put into such a list it seems a bit....strong. But still true.

Herbert

[Stevie T]

What is the shoe obsession all about anyway? I remember it being discussed on SFI quite a bit.

Some people got their first replica medieval shoes a few years ago and were shocked at how slippy they were for training in. They then declared that you could never understand medieval martial arts until you had trained in authentic shoes. I (and others) then pointed out that shiney gym floors were not very authentic medieval floors to train on. More or less they then shut the f*ck up.

Eccept that the few images of medieval training salle, that I have seen, are tiled. From most of the archaeological evidence I have seen are glazed which is far more slippy than your average gym floor.

Personally i don't think it matters that much.

[Stevie T]

delete

[Corpsie]

6. If you get hit a lot, then it is not due to flaws of your opponent, the rules or anyone else, so shut the f*ck up and go train

This is something that I've never really understood- The only rules that exist should be ones necessary for safety.

If some git is trying to hit me with a big, sharp bit of metal, I'm not going to concern myself with much more than making him stop... Isn't that what makes this so much more interesting than sport fencing?

[Nikos]

6. If you get hit a lot, then it is not due to flaws of your opponent, the rules or anyone else, so shut the f*ck up and go train

This is something that I've never really understood- The only rules that exist should be ones necessary for safety.

If some git is trying to hit me with a big, sharp bit of metal, I'm not going to concern myself with much more than making him stop... Isn't that what makes this so much more interesting than sport fencing?

Indeed.

[Lucy]

9. If your website looks quasi medieval and you think shoes are an important factor in HEMA, then shut the f*ck up

This made me very happy.