Teaching a seminar to people who are mostly talking in a foreign language is a very, very odd experience.
But they’re good guys. And, yes, they pretty much look exactly like their personalities, particularly the ex-special-forces guy who’s now running a bakery (the gut, he says, is “advertising — is good for business”).
(as a side note, “Holy Widow’s Peak, Batman!”)
Happycrow's Eyeball Factory 
Alex
/ September 30, 2008Forgive my ignorance, were you giving a seminar on saber use or historical fighting styles? Also, what type of sabers are these? Cossack or some other style?
I wish my fire science seminars were more lively. All we do is sit around and gripe about the data not being meaningful. 😦
happycrow
/ September 30, 2008Cossack and various other military sabres. The method I was taught encompasses pretty much all of them once you know what you’re doing.
JimDesu
/ September 30, 2008I’m waiting for your instructional videotape series….
happycrow
/ September 30, 2008There’s another guy who’s suggested that. GREAT way to lose money, though. :-0
JimDesu
/ September 30, 2008No, this is a great way to lose money!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170267540438
(I WANTS it! Or perhaps a less ornate version of the same — false-edge plus clipped thrusting point with a DEEP curve? Hot damn….)
JimDesu
/ September 30, 2008Hey, why do so many of those guys have scimitars?
happycrow
/ September 30, 2008More common in their area. Probably the most common sabre type when it comes to Cossack types… not hard and fast, but… very reasonable for them.
JimDesu
/ October 1, 2008By area, do you mean Chicago, or do you mean Ukraine? Do they make scimitars with false edges?
happycrow
/ October 1, 2008Scimitars are relatively uncommon in Chicago. 🙂
(and usually lack false edges)
JimDesu
/ October 1, 2008I meant via antiques or such…. 🙂
It’s funny the timing that you should put up the post just as I was slavering over something on *bay — whenever there’s the prospect (even window-shop version) of a piece of steel, the sabre-stuff’s suddenly very exciting. Whereas battle-pancake and foam bopper don’t quite have the same allure. What does it say that something’s much more fun if you can screw up and hurt yourself with it…
So how did the lesson’s go? I assume they’re already practicing given the amount of metal in the picture….
happycrow
/ October 1, 2008That’s a “Juratus-szablya.” Csaba has one, a bit more plain: they’re lovely light-duty weapons, and the steel is usually of fantastic quality — with effort, Csaba can take his point-to-hilt, and it springs right back. Common carry for lawyers.
Lessons went well, they’re training, and some of them may actually get good if they keep going.