Out of the way

I get a lot of email. Occasionally I get real mail - a letter or card that isn't a bill, and I love it. Unfortunately I am a terrible correspondent, so I only get a bit more than I deserve...

But last night I put on my mail - the armour that I made over a long time. I took my "object designed to represent a sword in theatrical and educational reconstructions of medieval times", and spear, (well, object designed...) and shield, and went to training.

I'm not a complete slob. I don't mind physical exercise as such. I don't like gyms because I get bored, and the same goes for running, normally. As my reader would be aware (oh, my readers - both I like swimming, when I get around to it. Which seems odd, since I just go up and down, up and down. I don't quite understand myself.

But for a long time my main form of exercise has been practising medieval style fighting - sword, shield, spear, armour, and so on. Living in Norway I don't really do it much, but the group that I helped found 10 years ago is still going, and when they are training and I am in Melbourne I try not to miss it.

It feels good. Hard work, skill and motor control, controlled agression, teamwork. All the things that make a sport. Plus 20 or so kg of weight, by the time I add a training shield and sword (slightly heavier than most originals, since the edges are thicker). It is like riding a bicycle. You don't forget, but you do get rusty. Being basically a careful kind of fighter, I enjoy feeling the control come back. After nearly two decades there are a lot of reflexes that have slowed with disuse, but not gone away completely, and there is a great feeling as they slowly start twitching again.

Although I won a few times, I lost quite a lot. I'm also not as fit as I used to be when I trained week in week out, so didn't last nearly as long as I once would have.

It's not winning or losing, it's how much fun it is to play. I had a fantastic time, and came out hot, sweaty, sore, tired, and smiling from ear to ear.