Real Swords

If you are a martial artist studying ernstfecthen with the sword, you need to own a sword. A real one. A sharp one. A historically accurate one(should look, handle, cut and thrust like a period sword).

Just owning one isn't enough though. You need to practice with it. Every time you practice solo. In class and at home. Your sharp does not handle like your blunt. It is much more difficult to use, and you need to be able to use it, not the blunt, not the plastic, not the waster. Practicing with a sharp also has mental and emotional aspects not present with any simulator. It brings you closer to the reality of the sword, something we as a civilization have drifted away from.

Can you practice a sword art without a real sword? Sure. Much as you can practice it without a steel blunt, or even without a waster. You can go in the woods and get a stick and use that. Yet each step away from the sharp nets less and less returns on your investment of time, blood and sweat.

We today have the luxury of doing this as half assed as we want. Our lives don't depend on what we do. However, if we want to be true to our art, then we owe it to ourselves and those that came before us to do it right in every way we can. This is but one of those ways, and it is also an area in which corners are frequently cut. How easy would swordsmanship be if you didn't have to cut with all of your techniques? Or if you never had to put your skill to the test in free fencing, or were allowed to free fence without being expected to cut with every move? What a breeze, right? Well not using a sharp for solo practice is another way to make it easier. How great would it be if all of our swords were perfectly balanced and had hilts designed for comfort and were easy to swing around because they had no mass in the cutting portion of the blade?

You don't need a sharp right away. It's okay to wait until you feel you are competent enough to handle one safely. You also don't need one if this is just a casual hobby to you. This is why we have a cutting loaner. But if you're serious, and you want to take it to the next level, get a sharp, and use it. Every day.