Most annoying people in HEMA?

[bigdummy]

People who expect you to learn and recognize Latin, French, Italian, Japanese and Swahili terms of art related to fencing, but their knickers in a twist whenever someone uses a German term.

Though admittedly, it can be over done. When Jeff Hull starts pulling all those German terms out of the air it makes my skin crawl. There should be a maximum, something like 2 German words per post is reasonable I think. Fechten. Sorry had to clear my throat..

BD

[admin]

people that insist you can't translate the term to English, as if the Italian or German term is somehow magical and needs special reverence.

True.

I'll add to this all English-speaking people who say "zweihander" as if it is a specific technical term that does not just mean "two handed sword".....

[Keith P. Myers]

Ok. Here's mine! People who DON"T use the period terms or language for what they do. People that learn Kendo or Karate are expected to learn Japanese terms for a lot of what they do. I learned a crap-load of Cantonese terms over the years I studied Wing Chun. So why is it too much too ask that people say "Pflug" instead or "Plow"...or "Underhaw" instead of "low cut"....? Does calling a guard or position by its English translation mean any more to you than calling it by its original German name? ....or Italian name? Does saying "Plow" really mean any more to you than saying "Pflug"? That annoys the hell out of me. And Jeff Forgeng's translation of Meyer is one of the biggest offenders in my book! So there!

Keith

[Joeli]

I am getting a vibe here that to be annoying in hema is like shadow boxing.

You first pick a shadow. This is the fact about hema currently equaling to (language/nationality), (activity-verbing) people of (source) (weapon) and then you spar against it, maybe in the internet among like minded buddies. Except that unlike in shadow boxing, you are this time supposed to try and hit the shadows. I have even seen people who stated their desire that certain breeds of these shadows should be seriously mauled or killed.

I have met these in the Internet, I have met these in Dijon, I have met these in Finland, I have met these in Mölndal. That's ok. Each one in their own style. But what really gets me, is when these dudes and dudettes take my time and concentration away from me as I try to train. Those are annoying. The only thing worse is the same people still doing the same as I try to concentrate on my after training alcohol. Special hell for them.

[zarlor]

I'm annoyed by Doctors, who obviously have to have some decent memorization skills, who insist that those folks who have terrible memories must remember all these weird foreign words to describe stuff that good English words can handle just fine.

Of course I'm far more annoyed by people who try to make excuses for their own shortcomings, like having a brain that is too dysfunctional to actually remember a bunch of foreign words to describe important stuff. Come to think of it I don't know how I've lived with myself this long consider how annoying I find I am!

[Ben Floyd]

And Jeff Forgeng's translation of Meyer is one of the biggest offenders in my book! So there!

Keith

How about translations which translate into another foreign langauge? For instance, forte and foible instead of the German terms which means the exact same things... argh! Shakes fist at Forgeng.

But, minus a few things like this, I'm happy with his book.

[John H]

People who think that just because you study one system, like Fiore means you are precluded from doing actions that would be characteristic of a different system, even if you get into a spot where the other systems characteristic actions just might be the most appropriate. Just because you study Cappo Fera means I can’t use a position favored by Swetnum.

Ya so I binded, the situation called for it, so what?

[Mink]

Just because you study Cappo Fera means I can’t use a position favored by Swetnum.

People who can't spell the name of the masters

[Keith P. Myers]

I'm annoyed by Doctors, who obviously have to have some decent memorization skills, who insist that those folks who have terrible memories must remember all these weird foreign words to describe stuff that good English words can handle just fine.

---Hey! I have to remember two weird names for every drug ever created! So others should have to suffer as well!

Come to think of it I don't know how I've lived with myself this long consider how annoying I find I am!

---I know what you mean. Its a burden, but we learn to cope with it.

Keith

[Michael Chidester]

People who leave half the text untranslated because they somehow feel that a foreign word I don't understand has more meaning than an English word that I do. (Or because they secretly don't feel competent enough to capture the meaning of the text, so they pretend that every other verb and noun is a special technical term that must be preserved.) Your job as the translator is to render the text into a different language; it's my job as the reader to decide when I prefer the original over the translation.

[the_last_alive]

People who leave half the text untranslated because they somehow feel that a foreign word I don't understand has more meaning than an English word that I do. (Or because they secretly don't feel competent enough to capture the meaning of the text, so they pretend that every other verb and noun is a special technical term that must be preserved.) Your job as the translator is to render the text into a different language; it's my job as the reader to decide when I prefer the original over the translation.

This.

[The Salmon Lord]

Oh how I love working with manuals written in English in the first place.

[the_last_alive]

People who bring 'politics' into every discussion. No matter the subject.

[Jamie]

People who rip on reenactors (which I do myself) and even LARP (which I don't do)

This annoys me greatly, just becuase it isn't your thing, doesn't mean others don't enjoy it, historical, accuratly swordy or whatever. I get great pleasure from HEMA and reenacting, and can even see where they can cross over (You know what I mean Gary if you're reading this ).

[admin]

I think ripping the piss out of reenactment or LARP or sport fencing is fair though, because HEMA is a more worthwhile activity on every single level.

[Ivan]

People who give themselves and other group members titles and ranks. Nothing is worse than self-proclaimed "Masters"
People who don't give credit to anyone else involved but themselves in any aspect of HEMA, be it research, exercises, demonstrations, etc. If you attend a workshop and take the drill home, don't act like you invented it. Same goes research. Googling and finding someone's transcription isn't your research.

[Paul B]

People who bring 'politics' into every discussion. No matter the subject.

Pinko.

[bigdummy]

People who bring 'politics' into every discussion. No matter the subject.

Pinko.

LARPER fascist

BD

[Phil C]

Nothing is worse than self-proclaimed "Masters"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=672QshEX ... AAAAAAATAA

[Cutlery Penguin]

Nothing is worse than self-proclaimed "Masters"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=672QshEX ... AAAAAAATAA

Perfect.