How I Took a Course in Historical Combat

I wanted to take a course that would give me a taste of what it's like to use a sword.  I finally happened across the Higgins Armory Museum.  It's one of only two museums in the United States dedicated to arms and armory.  (See Resources for more information.)  The museum is four floors of ancient weapons and suits of armor.  When I discovered the museum, I signed up for a basic course that's a prerequisite for all other historical weapons courses offered, which was taught by Mark Millman and Jeff Lord.

By the second class, I was hooked.  In an odd way, it's a lot like dance.  Sometimes it reminds me of ballet.  Other times it's like ballroom dancing.  Every once in awhile it feels like hip hop.  At the same time, it's like a sport, where the equipment you use (like a baseball bat or a tennis racquet) becomes an extension of your body.

I don't write about the techniques I learned in the novel, because the time periods are too far apart.  But I continued taking courses at the Higgins Armory Museum:  an advanced course in German long sword and a day-long seminar in a variety of medieval weapons, including dagger, rapier and dagger, halberd, and sword and buckler.  In October and November 2004 I took a course in renaissance rapier and dagger -- click here to read my account of that experience.

In the midst of the first course, I went to the Royal Armouries in Leeds, England for a weekend-long seminar in historical weapons given by the European Historical Combat Guild (www.ehcg.net).