Last message before I fly to WMAW 2009

Well, the bag is mostly packed, the fencing kit is packed and the nerves are sky high.

I'm off to WMAW 2009 and really looking forward to it but really nervous. Here in Australia or NZ I'm pretty much the most knowledgeable guy in the room for fencing stuff, or close to it. This event is going to be the first time in quite a while that I'm at the same event with a large number of people who understand fencing to the same level I do.

There's a number of people I'm actually looking forward to meeting. The primary ones are Steve Reich from The Order of the Seven Hearts and Ilkka Hartikainen from The School of European Swordsmanship. These 2 gentlemen are the only other 2 people besides myself openly discussing the Bolognese material, and I'm really looking forward to swapping notes. It'll be refreshing to actually discuss the material with people who actually have had their own insights in the material. Up to know I've been bouncing ideas off people but haven't really had anyone to critically challenge the interpretation. I'm a bit envious of the German longsword guys as they have lots of people working on and discussing the material, whereas the international Bolognese group is quite small. There's pockets, but most seems to be tied up with people charging for lessons and seminars. It's a shame as it inhibits the ongoing critical analysis for the material.

The other are Puck and Mary Curtis, who are working on the Spanish material. I'm really keen to see their take on it, as I've only seen the Martinez approach up to know, and I believe he worked from later manuals. Puck is also one of the Maestros in attendance from the Italian Fencing Masters program, and they are putting on pedagogy sessions. That will be great material to sit in on, as teaching is not easy! I'm looking forward to seeing a different perspective.

Well it's now officially only one more sleep before I go to the US. I guess I should go get some sleep. I'll be taking plenty of notes amd hopefully find some time to post while I'm in the US. Catch you all later.

Rick