Hello Everyone..... Welcome to the new Forum Section dealing with indigenous Westen Martial Arts, researching and discussing existing and revived European arts such as: Scottish, English & European Martial Arts Irish Bata Stickfighting Pugilism & Prize Fighting (Pre-1800's) Traditional Celtic Wrestling Icelandic Viking Glima Canarian Juego del Palo Portuguese Jogo do Pau Savate Canne Italiana and much more!!! Louie
Congratulations on the new forum. I take part in Viking reenactments, using such weapons as the sword, various axes, spears staves and many others. I don't know if this classifies as western MA but it's bloody good fun
Hi Shaolin, There's a big Viking Battle re-enactment coming up some time soon at Largs near to me, I'm not involved but may join in the audience... I'm interested in Viking Glima which survived in Iceland (There's a manual of techniques which you can download if interested) I think it's related to the close-combat kicks and trips of Highland dance/wrestling and hope to train with a glima instructor at some point in the future. Louie
This is a very cool idea. I think I am not the only one who is totally ignorant of the western MA's. I have heard of savate but virtually none of the others you have mentioned. This is exactly why I like MAP- learn something new everyday!
Yes, after 20 years of Kung Fu and every other asian MA, neither had I, only after doing a little research and keeping an open mind... ooh.. and the internet, did I discover that westerners used exactly the same techniques, arm locks, wrist locks, finger locks, throws etc with the illustrations to prove it! Louie
Yet one more place for me to further my knowledge of WMA. THanbks Louie and well evrybody else for creating this forum.
Hi Louie and all! Thanks for getting the ball rolling here. My journey in the western arts began much as Louies did...a good number of years devoted to the Eastern Arts and a healthy curiosity. Currently my main interests are Irish stick, Pugilism from Mendoza to Dempsey, Folk wrestling, navaja/bowie knife work, savate and Scottish broad sword and English backsword....lot's of other stuff too but that is just the short list for now.
Appreciate the support!!! Hi Ken & Cudgel Appreciate the support and look forward to your posts!!! What training are you doing at the moment Cudgel? Ken, there's a WMA-FMA discussion you might be interested in, on the FMA forum... And did you get my post on the Irish Matachine dance material it's under the 1600-3 heading at: http://www.setdance.com/journal/miscdanc.html Louie
Savate, the french style of kickboxing and the one thing that was weird is that they use shoes to fight or spar with, very unusual because I never did heard of a kicking art involving shoes in their curriculam for kicking.
Hello Guy, Yes, the very name 'Savate' means old shoe! I believe it was originally a kicking art practiced by French sailors who trained on the wooden decks of sailing ships and used it in ports and harbours around the world. The Basque people also have a similar art which can still be seen in their folk dances....
No, I had not seen this before, thanks greatly. Did you send it to me and I just missed it or did you post it somewhere else? Ken
Yeah you can pretty much use your shoes as a weapon with savate. A shoe with a nice solid toe changes the whole game of kicking. I have a pair of steel toed tennis shoes that I sometimes put on to hit the bag with....it is like kicking with a hammer for a foot. Truly devastating.
Hi 1One... Yes, I hope we can provide info on the wrestling that was once part of boxing and there's also the traditional styles; The UK's Backhold, Catch & Cornish, Irish Collar & Elbow French Gouron & Savate wrestling Icelandic (Viking) Glima and a number of other European styles! There's are also manuals from the 1400's onwards with grappling techniques, locks sweeps and trips that can be researched and revived! Louie
SCA Stick fighitng at the moment with some dabbling into knife and dagger fighting and plans to start single stick as soon as I can convinces some of my sparring buddies to try it out. Shoes as weapons ehhh? I knew there some reason why I liked to sound of savate seeing how I wear work boots all the time.
Hail! I've dabbled in many of the eastern martial arts in my time, including most of the ones involving long pointy objects. Now I am learning WMA, specifically longsword of Fiore dei Liberi, with an interest to the single-sword material of Liberi and Silver. Oh, and I also do Viking-Age reenactment!
Hi Orkin I'm particularily interested in Fiore's knife & unarmed combat work, I go through some of it in the class, combined with other European works & techniques of early pugilism.... Louie