Most annoying people in HEMA?

[admin]

Who are they? Keep it light-hearted please

I notice that lots of non-Liechtenauer people find Liechtenauer people quite annoying.

In contrast, I don't think anybody finds sword and buckler people annoying do they (whether I.33 or Bolognese or whatever)?

Spanish rapierists seem quite annoying to me.

[Lyceum]

People who constantly go on about "heritage". Shut up, muppets.

[Angantyr]

Fiore-people.
Damned snobby pasta eating know-it-alls!

Seriously, I don't really know of any one HEMA system being more annoying than the others, I do know of some clubs and people. But I would be a bad person to start naming on the internetz. There are some trends like the mentioned "heritage" and "reenactors with a black belt in no-can-do talking way out of their league (TM)". So not so much people, more about trends and cults.

[Ben Michels]

People who try to inject one of the various codes of 'chivalry' into my martial arts. =|

[admin]

Ah yes. The faux chivalric crowd.

[bigdummy]

For me it's the "chivalry" people with the flowery quotes about honor while they are making venomous forum posts, and the pan-European people with their crazy modern politics. When you get both in the same package that is particularly bad.

BD

[Phil C]

For starters:
People who assume HEMA = Longsword
People who assume HEMA= Medieval
People who make assumptions about the smallsword, especially those that relate to it being effeminate
People who assume that , just because it isn't on the internet, it doesn't exist in the fencing world
Peopel who use the term "maille", "maylle" or other bombastic spelling of the word "mail"

[admin]

People who assume HEMA = Longsword
People who assume HEMA= Medieval

Despite being a medieval longsword-ist this also annoys me... and many of those people also assume HEMA = Liechtenauer.

Peopel who use the term "maille", "maylle" or other bombastic spelling of the word "mail"

Yes. That bloody annoys me. I have no problem with the word chainmail, because ordinary common people know exactly what it means.

[bigdummy]

I'd like to say categorically that while I am committed to remaining annoying, I'm not one of those people who looks down on other weapons or systems that I haven't studied. I try to make this clear to my guys, I think all of the living traditions with weapons are very 'real'. Having handled some antique smallswords I appreciate their lethality. In fact I'm hoping to get down to this marvelous antique store downtown and take some photos of several beautiful weapons they have there hopefully this weekend, as they are, sadly, going out of business.

Sometimes I percieve a certain defensiveness among some rapier and smallsword people, due to other weapons like longsword being so common in HEMA. I admire the rapier and, frankly, the smallsword as well (particularly our locally popular version the Colichmarde) a great deal, even though I've not had the time to study them deeply and have only acquired mediocre skill wiith the rapier.

When I talk about HEMA, or anything really, I try to stay on ground I'm pretty familiar with. I'm familiar with late medieval history and Liechtenauer KDF fencing. Sometimes this seems to make people feel like I'm attacking other weapons systems, masters, or manuals. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I reserve my contempt for sports fencers and taekwando practitioners.

BD

[The Salmon Lord]

People who think that an inability to do a technique straight away means the technique or interpretation is wrong. Rather than they are unfit and a malco. They vex me mightily.

[bigdummy]

I also recognize that there is still a rivalry between Liechtenauer and Fiore people, which I think should not be more than a joke. There are a few differences between the two systems, but having fenced good fencers from both systems, not enough to make a major difference. I think it's ridiculous on either side to be contemptuous of the other. Maybe there was a reason for this ten years ago, it's passe now.

BD

[Motley]

oooh this is a Pandora's box!

Mainly as Matt pointed out in his original post (I suspect I had a part in inspiring this topic), I get annoyed by some of the attitude that Liechtenauer fencers portray. This comes a few parts really.

The attitude that HEMA == Liechenauer and everything can be traced to a subset of it. Mainly making statements of fact that are not true out side of their sphere, and maybe not always in it.

Also that when they discover that there is something other than the vor and single time counters, it is a big discovery that changes everything, almost revolutionary. To the rest of us it is a bit "hmmm yeah that is what the arguments a few years ago were about!" If you had ready anything else you would know....

Sometimes they can be quite adamant that the Liechty texts are saying one thing, I read it and I see something different and it seems quite clear to me. But I try not to argue as I don't study Liechty that closely. This is mainly with newbs though but some old hats too.

So to stop rabbiting on at Liechty fencers...

People that try and tie all S&B fencing to I.33 and if it is different it is wrong... But the Bolognese separate the sword and buckler!!! And they have more info than you!

People that have their own pet theory that is ... err 'very strange' and not supported by the text or images but will just keep on arguing it anyway.

The aforesaid Chivalric attitude is a little annoying, I like the context of what we are doing and find it informative but really?

I am really starting to dislike the reenactor-reject look.

People that wear all black.

I fully agree with the above comments about the pan-european crowd.

Oh people that try and read too much into the texts.

Oh and people that take then selves too seriously... ... oh right, you mean I do? doh! damnit!

[Motley]

People who think that an inability to do a technique straight away means the technique or interpretation is wrong. Rather than they are unfit and a malco. They vex me mightily.

This!

[Motley]

I also recognize that there is still a rivalry between Liechtenauer and Fiore people, which I think should not be more than a joke. There are a few differences between the two systems, but having fenced good fencers from both systems, not enough to make a major difference. I think it's ridiculous on either side to be contemptuous of the other. Maybe there was a reason for this ten years ago, it's passe now.

BD

I think this plays into one of my rants about Liechty types (sorry to be picking on you BD, it's not personal ) I see more than a few differences the more I learn about each one.

Another annoying people.... Those that try to fill 'gaps' in their system by borrowing from other systems. As to my mind this leads never really understanding your own system very well as you are using a crutch, how will you ever learn to run?

[KevinMurakoshi]

People who talk about sport fencing but don't understand it.

People who refer to their hobby as "the Art" as if it was their religion.

People who say loose a bout and say "I would have won if it was sharp" or "You gamed the rules and I tried to be authentic, if this was real I would have won"

[Cutlery Penguin]

Everyone.

Everyone in the entire world whether they do HEMA or not.

They piss me off.

Except the people that live in my house with me, they are ok (most of the time).

I have a special place in my loathing for those people who say every system is the same. I stand them next to people that dismiss systems without actually bothering to find out what those systems are saying, and child murderers.

[The Salmon Lord]

Cool I recognise me! I call it the art all the time.

[knirirr]

People who assume HEMA = Longsword
People who assume HEMA= Medieval
People who make assumptions about the smallsword, especially those that relate to it being effeminate

Definitely.
There's a special sort of rascal in the last of those categories who will say something like "if you think the small-sword is so cool, then we should have a bout where you have a small-sword and I get a long-sword and plate armour!"

[John H]

People who use the excuse “we are still reconstructing the art”

Refund all your student and members money then, you have no right to take it.

[Andrew Shultz]

People who are more interested in proving that the thing they already know is right than anything else. Also the people who think that if you can't stop to listen to someone else's idea without betraying your own. And the people who can't shut up and learn in the first part of class and save chattering what-ifs for after they understand what is being presented.

I think we've all been those people, but some people never stop being those people. You people know what I mean? People people people.