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Bruno

Administrator
Staff member
I've been watching some rapier fencing recently just to get an idea of how such a sword is used.
There is a LOT less movement than Hollywood would have you believe.
One of the most beautiful strikes here is at 0:30 here (though it is Epee not a rapier I think)

 

cangooner

Cheese enthusiast
I remember when I was a teen (mid-late 80s I suppose) trying to watch Olympic fencing on TV and being completely unable to follow what the hell was going on because it all happened so quickly. The speed and precision of those fencers is absolutely incredible.
 

32t

Active Member
With the rules and not counting only the first hit games like this wouldn't represent real life fights.
 

Bruno

Administrator
Staff member
With the rules and not counting only the first hit games like this wouldn't represent real life fights.
One of those people made the same remark. When you know you can 'absorb' 6 hits before you lose, you fight a significantly different fight than when 1 hit can kill you.

The same thing is true in other arts involving weapons. There is competition based staff fighting where they wear protection and use foam covered staff. You can see even as an outsider that as more and more protection and foam is added, people will just pummel each other with less and less regard for themselves. Conversely I've seen eskrima fighters with rattan sticks fight with no protection at all other than light gloves. They are much more careful and continuously probing distance.
 

cangooner

Cheese enthusiast
One of those people made the same remark. When you know you can 'absorb' 6 hits before you lose, you fight a significantly different fight than when 1 hit can kill you.
Anyone else thinking about that event on Gladiators where two people standing on platforms and wearing football helmets whack the bejesus out of each other with padded sticks? :D
 

Bruno

Administrator
Staff member
I did traditional Japanese MA and we did kata (form) trainign with weapons.
I can absolutely guarantee you that if you're working in pairs with a 6' oak staff is almost 1.5" in diameter, you are really, REALLY paying attention where your fingers are.
 

RezDog

Member
Hi Tim. Things are busy for me. I just finished a one week educational module for the maintenance of my Emergency Medical Responder certification. I’ve done so many of these over the years of me being in first aid. I really want them to just condense it to what has changed since my last certificate. Full review every time. We do have a new drug protocol coming up but it isn’t in place but we covered it. It is for pain management and is intended to replace our entonox. Back to work Tuesday.
 

verndahl

AKA tintin
Hi Tim! I've had the last two Thursdays off from work because orders are slow (i always get Fridays off), It's nice to have a four day weekend but not so nice to miss a day of pay. Got the next two weeks off to spend time with family. Haven't seen my son in two years (they have been in Colombia doing mission work) so it will be fun. Going to celebrate Christmas late with them.
 

cangooner

Cheese enthusiast
Hi everyone!
I'm distracting myself with yet another time (and money) sink... a return to film photography. I came across some old gear while unpacking a box and realized how much I miss it. I also found just under 20 rolls of exposed film I had never developed, so it was pretty nice to see what came from them. They were all between 15 and 25 years old, so the results were a bit wonky in most cases (at least the colour film - B&W were mostly OK), but at least most of them actually had images on them.

So being the obsessive sort of person am when it comes to hobbies, I've been busy on ebay. Most excited to try out a Bronica S2A that arrived yesterday. It's a medium-format, completely mechanical beast from around 1969 or 70. Should be fun. :) I've always wanted a good medium-format camera and can't wait to see what I can do with it.

Now I'm trying to figure out where best to set up a darkroom...

Did I mention I was a bit obsessive with hobbies? :D

Hope you're all well. Enjoy your late Christmas celebration Vern! I have not seen my family since before covid, so I can relate to the separation and how hard that can be.
 

verndahl

AKA tintin
Wow, a film camera huh? That was something i never got into. I had one when that was all you could get but i must say it was alway kind of exciting and disapointing at the same time getting the pictures back from the store and seeing what i had taken pictures of.(and how lousy some of them turned out). still wish i could have some better images of the boys during certain memorable events. I suppose it's a sort of an art.
 

32t

Active Member
Sounds like you guys have been having an interesting time.

I am a certified medical gas worker because we supply the hospital with things like 02 and N20. Once it leaves the wall port my responsibility is over.

I had one job that being in maintenace we worked 5 days a week. Unless there was overtime the rest of the plant worked 4-10 hr days. I was jeleous of their long weekends. I have a small part of my family that I haven't yet ben able to celebrate Christmas with also. The presents are still wrapped but I want to see them in person rather than mail them. Maybe we will have Cristmas in April......

My grandmother burned out many of the ffamily with her exessive picture taking. The only time I got into cameras other than the one I have that also takes phone calls was with a pinhole camera. Talk about a rabbit hole!

Today I found the leak in my sanitary sewer line. I was hoping to get a temporary patch on it but would be harder than I hoped.

2215
 

Bruno

Administrator
Staff member
Things have been busy here as well. cleaned up the house some, and worked on a bunch of razor projects. I fixed up an old chest of drawers and dropped it off at the thrift store. While there I found a heavy yet surprisingly elegant heart shaped Uranium glass ash tray. At least I think it's an ash tray it may also be a bowl for storing knickknacks or whatever. I've yet to take a picture. Currently it's still stashed in the back of the car because my wife and I disagree about how much Uranium glass is 'too much'.

I don't 'need' that ashtray but it's Uranium glass so I want it. These days I always have a small blacklight flashlight with me whenever I visit a thrift store, garage sale or flea market. I figured that in this case, I would either use it for something, or just keep it to trade or worst case have it melt down by a glassblower to make me a fancy brandy glass.
 

Bruno

Administrator
Staff member
Yes. There is a slight greenish - yellow tint to it which I cannot really describe properly. Strong sunlight also makes it increase it's color because of the UV component.
 

32t

Active Member
That is interesting. I know the color that you mention in the sunlight. I had never thought about the natural UV light.

This is another reason to carry a blacklight flashlight. My daughter turned me on to this looking for Yooperlites. I will have to buy one before summer comes along to playwith on my vacations. My only blacklight right now neeeds a power cord.

 

Bruno

Administrator
Staff member
I didn't know Yooperlites. is it a bit like opal matrix?
There's this should called Outback Opal hunters which follows a couple of small mining outfits in the outback who hunt for opal. You'd have to be more or less crazy to do that because it's always a tale of either rags or riches. Anyway they do use blacklight because it makes the opal glow brightly. Some of them who work on the surface sometimes work at night under blacklight for that reason. The drawback is that it highlights the matyrix itself so much of what is found is still colorless potch that is worthless. And scorpions light up exactly the same under blacklight so you always have to careful what you're reaching for because accidents do happen :)
 
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