As a collector, I decided I needed to learn some sword techniques to more fully appreciate my acquisitions. Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of ways to get exposure to Western Martial Tradition. Outside of books, ARMA is perhaps the most widely available option. As luck would have it, there is an ARMA study group in Columbus, Ohio. About three weeks ago, I made contact and again, as luck would have it, they were hosting a NTP 1.0 training seminar the weekend just past.

This involved having an experienced ARMA scholar come to Columbus and explain fundamentals about the organization and introduce ARMA martial arts methodology. Jake Norwood came in from Tennessee to lead this one and proved to be a excellent fellow. In fact everyone that attended seemed to be very good natured people. No egos, nothing to prove, just a desire to learn and an share.

Cost was $50 per person for two days (12-14 hours of instruction). I only got to attend day 1. Day 2 ended up with the family going for an extended drive to buy a new car (leaving me with no toy money but a happy wife!!)

The experience was amazing. Some things make sense that never did before. Intent is intimidating, especially for a complete novice, but things click when its there. I won't bother boring everyone with details. Feel free to PM me if you want more info. However, I strongly recommend attending one of these events to everyone who is collecting now and wants to expand their understanding of swords and their use.

It was a great experience that I hope to repeat. :D

Thanks for sharing some feedback Joe. I've been a member for years now and overall it's been a great learning experience and a lot of fun. The one thing that attracted me most to ARMA was the "hands on, no frills" approach. We've received some serious criticism over the years but what it comes down to is the end result and I think were definately on the right path.

I've crossed swords with Jake and he's an excellent swordsman :D