Wessex School of Arms-Our Closest Look at Martial Arts From the Middle Ages

Backswords

Evan Burgess looked into fighting styles of days gone by and discovered Wessex School of Arms in Bath...

There are many popular martial arts today such as MMA, Krav Maga and Asian disciplines. However, if you have ever been curious about what happened in Europe before these styles reached our shores, HEMA might be for you. Historical European Martial Arts is a practical use of old techniques. Best practice is taught from the rivers of knowledge surrounding combat from Italy, Germany, Britain and other places.

The focus of HEMA is mostly between 1300 and 1800. The skills are both technical and physically challenging, so when I went to Wessex School of Arms in Bath, I was curious about how everything worked.

The lesson on this night was about backsword technique. This sword is one handed and principally for thrusting and slashing. Sounds simple, but when someone else had one defence becomes the priority. Being a responsive style of learning, a pupil must defend themselves before launching an attack.

Photo by Richard Isley

With plastic practice swords, the first part of the lesson was about different methods of blocking. Though there aren’t a large amount of stances, the difficultly comes from coordinating hand and foot placement. Teamed up in twos, the pragmantic use of responding to an opponent was drilled as myself and my partner worked on a simple block and counter routine.

In this style, less is more. Understanding the arc of attack an opponent has is vital in blocking effectively and protecting oneself. A lot of the initial techniques felt counter intuitive, yet they are tried and tested through hundreds of years of utilisation.

After technique training with the plastic swords, I moved on to blunt edged metal swords which were a rather different sensation. Heavier and more powerful, the ring of metal against metal reverberated through my bones. It was fun, but also developed more concentration with the realism increasing.

Being my first lesson, I didn’t take part in the group spa at the end. With three against three, two teams took on each other with plastic swords in order to score points for contact. Each round was over surprisingly quickly and it brought home just how fast things would happen in real life.

 

Harmless fun

On another night the lesson could have been daggers, quarter staff or hand to hand fighting. Good for fitness and historical awareness, Wessex School of Arms provides a thrilling experience for people of all abilities. Sessions cost £8 and last for 1 ½ hours.

You can find out more here:

http://wessexschoolofarms.co.uk/

www.facebook.com/WessexHEMA

The Tomorrow Festival at the Nelson 04/07/15

Local musician Andrew Heap is helping support mobile chemotherapy units facilitated by charity Hope for Tomorrow. The noble cause allows patients to skip the stress of making appointments or visiting hospitals.

Taking part in this endeavour are 11 locals acts with space for an open mic at midnight. A raffle will take place in the evening. With a great deal of entertainment and the chance of prizes to be won, the event will start at 3pm and finish late. Pop in or stay for the whole night, there won’t be an uneventful moment.

The running order is as follows:

3pm Leon Daye
4pm Two Lost Souls
4.50pm Iron Lotus 5.40pm Jamie Blackburn 6.30pm Charlotte Gaish 6.50pm Siren's Harbour 7.40pm Daniel Billing 8.40pm Raffle etc. 9pm Ethemia 10pm Running Sky 10.20pm Subslider 11.20pm The Tomorrow People 12am Open Mic

If you cannot make it to the event but wish to support the cause you can visit Hope for Tomorrow’s webpage here:  http://www.hopefortomorrow.org.uk/

Free First Lesson: Ashtanga Yoga That can Open you up to a World of Flexibility...

Noriko Spencer comes to Cirencester three days a week to teach yoga at Active4Less. Her company Ashtanga Yoga Connection is an ideal aid to stiffness or stress. Being flexible is useful in all day to day situations, and can enhance people's quality of life at any age.

Noriko, from Japan, has been teaching in Cirencester since April and her loyal students have made great improvements under her tutelege. With the first lesson free, there is nothing to lose in giving these stimulating lessons a shot. At only £5 a lesson from then on, this cheap and enjoyable way to relax will leave a lasting impression on your body and mind. 

Noriko teaches three times a week in Cirencester. The dates are Monday 12.30-1.30pm, Wedsnesday 12.00-1pm and Friday 5.30-6.30pm. With a friendly teacher and class, people of all abilities are welcome.

You can visit Noriko's website here: http://www.ashtangayogaconnection.co.uk

Soular and guests rocked the Brewery Blues last night

Competition winners Karima and Sylvie, having a great time

A well selected and diverse line up hit the stage for the Brewery Blues, Evan Burgess reviewed last night's performance...

Starting off the night was convenient at Made By Bob, with great food on offer and friendly and helpful staff, Made By Bob has something for everyone. An ideal place to eat whatever time of day, it was particularly rewarding as the reasonably priced starters sated the appetite, yet left enough room for a dance later.

The sold out night at the Brewery Blues was no doubt a lot due to local openers A New Leaf. With lovely harmonies and defined song structures, everything was pitch-perfect. With a debut record out later in the year, they’re definitely ones to watch for the future.

Great deserts at Made by Bob

After the confident start, Salisbury based solo artist Antoine Architeuthis took to the stage with his lovely bouzouki. The 8-stringed instrument gave a slight mandolin feel but had the depth of a guitar. Accompanying himself with a loop station and drum machine, the tunes hit the spot and were entertaining. Getting the audience to join in a chorus was a nice touch and endeared Antoine to the crowd.

Soular were glamorous and fun

Headline band Soular may have experienced a bit of a drop off in crowd numbers, but they more than made up for that by the enthusiasm the audience put into dancing. With a loving crowd joining in with the well picked covers, it was no wonder this band were picked as headliners. With powerful vocals by Dolly James covers of acts like Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross fit well together in a tight set. By the end of the night people still wanted to dance and Soular came back for an encore.

Light Blue Cube on display at the Pop Up Gallery

Light Blue Cube is the brain child of locally based Canadian artist Lorenz Freiberg, and well worth checking out on a rainy day, Evan Burgess found out more...

Lorenz with some exquisite pieces

Light Blue Cube Ceramics Studio is exhibiting at New Brewery Arts’ Pop Up Gallery. The exhibition, titled elements, has delicately refined ceramic pieces on display. Most pieces represent one of the four elements, but there are exceptions, such as a popular ceramic puma. Already in its first week, Lorenz Freiberg, the artist behind the studio, has found Cirencester to be full of art lovers.

A good use of space in the small studio

Freiberg, a Canadian national, has other beautiful wildlife in his art such as bears and birds. These hand-made pieces are available to see in person until Sunday 21^st June. Whilst some of the art is ornamental, other pieces are quite useable day to day. In particular the ceramic light shades, which offer a fiery glow when the bulb is on.

Puma decorative piece

There are often features in the art that might not be noticed with just a short glance. Fossil outlines are designed into some of the ceramic pieces , when in others faces erupt from the wall as lifelike visages oversee the exhibition. Pointing to one of them, Lorenz states with a smile, “I can’t hang this in my house because it scares my wife”, indeed it is a rather potent work which would be as at home in a chic cafe or a bohemian study.

If you would like to find out more, pop into the Pop Up Gallery before the 21^st or visit Lorenz’s website, www.lightbluecube.co.uk Both commissions and original work are available, and what better way of decorating your home than supporting a locally based artist.

Like Light Blue Cube on facebook here.

Some faces wrought of clay

New Cafe/Restaurant Toro Lounge Opens in Cirencester

Tasteful fun at the international table

With a free bar to celebrate opening, Toro Lounge in Cricklade Street impressed a vast throng of locals on its first night...

Toro Lounge endeared itself to the local foodies with a packed opening night showcasing a well decorated interior with an expansive balcony.

Filling

The food on offer was well presented and enjoyed by the diverse crowd. Reasonable prices mean that Toro Lounge has something for everyone. Friendly staff worked hard to provide intricate cocktails which on a warm night were very welcome.

The Falafel burger was tasty and the accompanying fries were a little out of the ordinary with a rustic flavour. The tapas menu was

French Enjoying Stella

popular with the new comers and allowed for people to easily share and tuck into their favourite items.

Cocktails on offer included the usual mojitos, but some had been devised in house. Open until 11pm, this central eatery is an idea place to start a night

out. The view from the balcony is illuminating as there aren't many other public views from the angle Toro Lounge provides. Definitely a place worth dining at, we can heartily recommend this growing chain.



Toro Lounge is located next to Monsoon in Cricklade Street.