Don't panic. We are not giving up fighting.
It was a conversation that Josh and I had had a number of times: what to do about the people who wanted to start sword training, but who couldn't, for whatever reason, make it up the hill to our venue on a Tuesday night. Lift clubbing only helps so much when you have more and more people showing interest.
At our event a couple of weeks ago, we had the same experience as we have had time and time again. People asking where they can train locally, and us smiling and saying the only place is in Hillcrest, 60km away.
At the same time, during the months leading up to the event, Josh and I had realised that there were things we had neglected in our lives because we were living and breathing only sword fighting. The house was an even worse mess than it usually is, the car and the bike were both in dire need of some serious attention, and Tala, the small beastie who is my offspring, was beginning to get over sword without ever even having been in it. Josh picked up a guitar and realised that he hadn't played it in six months.
While I was pushing for MORE to be done to promote the sport of medieval combat in our province, like development initiatives and recruiting for a women's buhurt team, Josh was pointing out that we already don't have time for anything else.
It was a dilemma that concerned both of us. We came to the realisation that in order for us to be able to do what we need to do, in all aspects of our lives, we would have to give up the one comfort zone that had cushioned and supported us (much longer for Josh than for me, but still a number of years). The decision to leave Durban Sword and Shield was not taken lightly, and we announced it with heavy hearts.
Instead of being members of DSSC, and only training in Hillcrest every Tuesday, Josh and I will henceforth be independent fighters (a team of two, if you will), and we will spend one night a week travelling to a different group to train with them. The groups that will be starting up will not be "our clubs". They will choose their own leaders and decide on their own system of governance, etc. We will just be there to advise and coach.
Of course, we will still have buhurt training at our place for everyone who wants to attend. But really, what we want to do is open up access for people who are unable to get to training. And that means, more than anything else, connecting people with each other and ensuring that they have a suitable venue (free is always first prize) and access to information about where to get armour and weapons, as well as training in combat techniques.
As I said, it wasn't the happiest announcement we've had to make. We certainly didn't leave because of any bad feelings, and in a way that makes it harder because we love the DSSC people. They are our family. I think, though, that being independent and able to move from group to group, wherever they train, and helping the sport to grow and the standard of fighting to improve through diversity, will justify the decision. It won't be easy; we know that already. We knew it when we made the decision.
But let's see what we can get going. Wish us luck. This may be the start of something epic...
It was a conversation that Josh and I had had a number of times: what to do about the people who wanted to start sword training, but who couldn't, for whatever reason, make it up the hill to our venue on a Tuesday night. Lift clubbing only helps so much when you have more and more people showing interest.
At our event a couple of weeks ago, we had the same experience as we have had time and time again. People asking where they can train locally, and us smiling and saying the only place is in Hillcrest, 60km away.
At the same time, during the months leading up to the event, Josh and I had realised that there were things we had neglected in our lives because we were living and breathing only sword fighting. The house was an even worse mess than it usually is, the car and the bike were both in dire need of some serious attention, and Tala, the small beastie who is my offspring, was beginning to get over sword without ever even having been in it. Josh picked up a guitar and realised that he hadn't played it in six months.
While I was pushing for MORE to be done to promote the sport of medieval combat in our province, like development initiatives and recruiting for a women's buhurt team, Josh was pointing out that we already don't have time for anything else.
It was a dilemma that concerned both of us. We came to the realisation that in order for us to be able to do what we need to do, in all aspects of our lives, we would have to give up the one comfort zone that had cushioned and supported us (much longer for Josh than for me, but still a number of years). The decision to leave Durban Sword and Shield was not taken lightly, and we announced it with heavy hearts.
Instead of being members of DSSC, and only training in Hillcrest every Tuesday, Josh and I will henceforth be independent fighters (a team of two, if you will), and we will spend one night a week travelling to a different group to train with them. The groups that will be starting up will not be "our clubs". They will choose their own leaders and decide on their own system of governance, etc. We will just be there to advise and coach.
Of course, we will still have buhurt training at our place for everyone who wants to attend. But really, what we want to do is open up access for people who are unable to get to training. And that means, more than anything else, connecting people with each other and ensuring that they have a suitable venue (free is always first prize) and access to information about where to get armour and weapons, as well as training in combat techniques.
As I said, it wasn't the happiest announcement we've had to make. We certainly didn't leave because of any bad feelings, and in a way that makes it harder because we love the DSSC people. They are our family. I think, though, that being independent and able to move from group to group, wherever they train, and helping the sport to grow and the standard of fighting to improve through diversity, will justify the decision. It won't be easy; we know that already. We knew it when we made the decision.
But let's see what we can get going. Wish us luck. This may be the start of something epic...
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