There's two extremes I notice when it comes to armour. There is the one extreme where armour is portrayed as being bulky and hard to move in such as the knights armour. And there is the other extreme where since armour was made to fit person for persona and to be distributed evenly so that even a 100lb armour would not feel heavy and be so light that you can do cartwheels, hand stands, jumps, run, and even fancy acrobatics. That armour is so light that someone who's not conditioned would feel its like wearing a T-Shirt.

So when I found my sister's weighted vest that totals to about 20 lbs, I decided to test it out. At first it did not feel heavy at all and it felt so light I can jump around it and even walk 2 miles without feeling exhausted. So I thought real armour must be as light as the other extreme is, so l thought plate armour was lighter than a shirt.

However once I started crouching and doing other prone movements to test swordsmanship and aerobics I began to feel pressure. In fact I was surprised as hell how tired I got just doing squats and practising low level attacks. In addition when I tested running, it suddenly felt so heavy. Not as heavy as Hollywood portrays mind you but I began to wonder if some of the tests such as the link below had validity.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-14204717

As I was finishing my first mile and I reread the above article while I was resting, everything was so spot on.

Also trying to do high level acrobatics such as jumping over hurdles in a track field and some of those fancy gymnastics was almost impossible.

So it makes me wonder how wearing an armour would be like. I know its a running vest I used that had pockets filled with metal bars that totaled 20lbs, far less than a typical breastplate so its a different tool. In addition I'm not exactly a nerdy waste as I lift weights enough that I can curl 2 sets of 50 lbs dumbells casually and benchpressing a barbell with 50 extra weights on both side for 100 reps ain't hard. So does that explain why wearing the vest was initially not difficult?

I am so curious how armour felt like but don't have money right now to buy it so I ask people with experience here!

Last week I watched the very old movie Fire Over England starring the GODDESS Vivien Leigh (in fact it was her first major role). The movie takes place during the naval wars between England and Spain. During a ship battle early in the film, a Spanish battleship boards into an English one and a chaotic melee occurs where sailors from both sides are using their swords. I was surprised to see kicks, punches, and wrestling shown on screen and even people shoved off the both into the water.

Later in the movie the protagonist is sent on a secret mission as a spy to Spain as a pretending doublecrosser committing treason but his true allegiance was discovered. While he's being escorted to the palace's prson, out of nowhere he throws a double backfist that hits the palace guards briefly fazed as he begins to flee. He finds a rapier and fends off some soldiers with speed that surprised me (to the level of modern action movie). But what surprised me the most more than anything was the English spy finds a dagger and than fights with dual wielding. He does basic moves like using the dagger to aid in disarming an enemy's rapier and other stuff. I was so mindblown at how some HEMA techniques were shown.

Couple of days ago I watched the 1952 Ivanhoe, the one with one of my fav actresses of all time Elizabeth Taylor. Well I'll just link the castle fight scene which absolutely flabbergasted me because I was not expecting to see anything like it at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQYfkBydEns

And thats just one scene. The whole movie is full of stuff that shows varying degree of accurate weapons use like joust scenes and so on.

I also watched the Lester Three Musketers last night, and well I'll just share Youtube vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj_DmO9jC3U

The absolute best part? Yes this scene is intentionally supposed to be comedic and the musketeers are just playing around with the Cardinal's grunts because they really were just having a game! Yet stuff like kneeing, use of cloak and sword as an offense and defense combination, dual wielding, and so much more are used. Just wait till you get to the serious stuff later in the movie and esp n the sequel The Four Musketeers if you chose to watch the whole thing...........

During my lunchbreak I began a rewatch of The Lion In Winter and after the opening overture, the first scene shows Peter O'Toole as King Henry teaching his youngest how to use a sword. His son manages to overpower him and knock O'Toole to the ground but just as he's throwing the finishing blow........... O'Toole does a scissor legs that knocks his son to the ground! The scene ends with O'Toole praising his son's improvement with a sword. It was followed by a scene shortly afterwards where Anthony Hopkins wins a duel in a jousting match and than goes to a bunch of spearmen marching in solid formation on the beach only to be ambushed by heavy cavalry. They fend off the first charge but out of nowhere another cavalry appears and hits the spearwall from behind which was completely unprotected and the battle is decided. I had to stop because lunch break ended but I am so excited about rewatching the rest of the film because I am blown away at how much HEMA and accurate Medieval warfare was shown so far!

But this all reminds me of a question I seen back in 2009 at yahoo answers. The poster was stating his excitement that HEMA was finally being given proper treatment and movies are portraying accurate swordsmanship starting from Kingdom of Heaven and so on to 300 all the way up to the year that question was posted. He was asking if other martial artists are appreciate that movie makers are finally showing accurate fencing and other European sword styles.

However one poster responded that this stuff is nothing new and has been around since as early as the era Talkies began to dominate Hollywood just as The Great Depression was coming out, even pointing out even Silent films do have authentic displays of HEMA from time to time.

Indeed just like the Yahoo Answers poster, cinema and to a much lesser extent TV gets bashed for creating popular myths on European warfare such as battles being fought without organized formation, and being disorganized brawls, European knights in heavy armor being clumsy rigid and slow as they swing their swords with brute strength, European sword systems being simplistic and lacking in complex precise parries and attacks as well as lacking any unarmed moves such as punches and kicks, and so much more.................

But just from four movies, I have to wonder just how much is Hollywood responsible for promoting the myth of undeveloped sword systems and martial arts in Europe and creating the Asian superiority myth?

I mean Fire Over England was released in 1937........ Yet the simple fact disarms are featured as well as knife and rapier dual wielding is shown onscreen already makes doubt the perception that movies created the notion of undeveloped fighting systems in Europe and other myths! And don't even get me commented on Ivanhoe and Michael York's Musketeer movie!

I mean scissor legs to successfully take out an enemy who's gonna bash your face while your knocked on the ground with his sword? In a 1960s movie taking place in Medieval France? As well as distracting a formation squareblock of spearmen armed with shield in a wall of pokey objects and metal rectangles with a cavalry charge so you can hit their unprotected flanks with another surprise cavalry attack from an unseen angle?!!!!!!

It really makes me question the blame the movie and TV industry gets! Whats your take?

hey everyone! im a novice blacksmith but ive always wanted to make some armor, namely a kettle hat and a simple cuirass. anyone know where to get good sheet metal cheap?

The year is nearly up, and I ran out of materials and money. My buyer hasn't paid up yet. I trust he will, but I understand how life can be sometimes. I'm still holding it until he pays. What about y'all? Anything interesting?

I've been successfully working with scales, and I am finally happy with my vest design. Now I need to find a buyer near me. What about y'all? Making anything interesting?

I finished my first scale vest, and already have someone wanting to buy one now. What about y'all?

I got my scales and have been making my first scale vest. What about y'all? Anything interesting?

I'm rather happy this month. I finally have a gameplan to get into crafting stuff. I'll try to do a fundraiser, and if it works I'll open an Etsy shop. What about y'all? Anything interesting?

It's hard to believe half of the year is already gone. I finally found a place to get some half decent leather in my area, so I'm experimenting a bit. No noteworthy results so far. What about y'all? Anything interesting?

I'm toying with some stuff in my free time, I've not gotten a worthwhile example to show yet, but maybe in the next 3 months I'll have a bracer or a greave finished.

What about y'all? Anything interesting?

Great opportunity has shone it's face upon me. My sister is buying her own land, an old Amish property with a brand new Amish built barn. She's wanting to start making saddles. If I can convince her to let me also use the workspace, making leather armor will be much easier.

How about y'all? Anything new or interesting?

I am determined to get started if only out of spite at this point. I build a little tin shelter to keep the wind off me, goat knocks it down. I try to do a dugout fire pit, rain fills it in. And I lost my materials somehow.

But how about y'all? Any problems? Any projects?

So... Weather sucks. Rain, snow, hot, cold, constantly shifting. But I'll eventually get my stuff set up and get started on a piece. What are you guys up to?

I wanted to try using a bowling ball to raise a helm or a bowl. I wouldnt be doing this cold. I will be using a small home-made charcoal forge for the forging process and annealing. Does anyone think this'll work as a shaping tool? I dont have any good hardy tools for this.

So, that polar vortex kinda threw my plans off. But today everything finally thawed, and once it dries I can finally get to work. What about you guys?

Happy New Years! And for me, they have been happy indeed. I've been clearing the yard and saving money. I'm finally able to start a project of any kind. If things work out, I will finally be able to set up a small workshop and get started smithing and making tools, and from there I can start making armor pieces.

What about you? Any new developments, or plans for 2019?

Howdy howdy! Mental health issues are still being resolved here so my activity is still down. However, I inherited some leatherworking tools. I'm gonna sort through them, discard the damaged and rusted ones, fix and polish what I can. Some have been rusted clean through, some look pristine. Now I just need to get my hands on some leather to try them out.

What are you guys up to? Any new projects, or progress?

Howdy howdy, how are things movin'? For me, life decided to change to a gravel road that leads in a circle, so I haven't had time or money to do anything once again.

Hey hey, how's your day? Any new projects or progress?

Due to mental and physical health issues, my own projects have been shoved even farther back. Pneumonia, sepsis, and dehydration almost killed me. But one day, I shall finally make my first piece.

How about y'all? Any updates?

Yadda yadda you know what to do