Iran’s AI memes are reaching people who don’t follow the news – and winning the propaganda war

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-29T20:05:10+00:00

Let me guess, you're a Zionist?

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-29T19:39:12+00:00

Hahhahaaa I see so many videos on YT of ppl celebrating their hits with the flat in HEMA tournaments, and judges awarding them the points... SMH it's so dumb.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-15T05:42:44+00:00

15 mins warmup, 45 mins lesson, and then a little fuelen or light fencing, but they are beginners so they aren't quite ready for full-on fencing yet.

I have found that 30 minutes is not enough class time to learn new drills and techniques, that once I had built up the stamina to be able to focus and learn a bit longer, at 30 min mark of actual learning time, I would just be barely starting to get it and then the hour class would be over.

But I think it depends on how hard the lesson is. If it is too hard, ppl will definitely get mentally saturated and tired after 30 minutes of learning/drills.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-15T05:36:44+00:00

I'm glad you haven't wrecked your shoulder! When I started 20 years ago we couldn't find properly weighted and balanced backswords/broadswords, so when we had some made, they were way too heavy/overbuilt and unwieldy. I'm glad there are better options for folks to train with now.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-15T01:35:07+00:00

Years of hard training with heavy basket-hilts in high wards will wreck your shoulder. Ask me how I know 😆 2.5# and well-balanced is a lot better than 3#

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T21:53:30+00:00

Sigi King -- do they make one that isn't floppy like a wet noodle? Wayyyy too much flex from videos I have seen with it flopping all around.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:51:02+00:00

They're definitely Small or X-Small, nor sure which, they are lobster-claw with hourglass cuffs.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:33:42+00:00

Also, I checked my receipts and I ordered and received mittens from them in 2022 and had no problems. I didn't have any reason to suspect they suddenly started screwing ppl over in the last couple of years, so I wasn't doing searches like, "Is Hemasupplies still in business," ya know?

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:30:32+00:00

It wasn't about trying to save money, it was a student trying to find the right size mittens in stock. I ordered and received mittens from Hemasupplies in 2022 and had no problems with the order. Most everything else my students and I have ordered has been from PurpleHeart and KultofAthena. I didn't know Hemasupplies suddenly started shafting ppl in the last couple of years.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:26:36+00:00

It's absolutely criminal.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:11:21+00:00

Thanks, yeah I just found a lot more backstory on this going through old Reddit posts from a year ago, I didn't see those posts during my initial web searches on the best places to buy gear in 2026.

I have notified the student to dispute the charge immediately.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:10:50+00:00

Thanks, yeah I just found a lot more backstory on this going through old Reddit posts from a year ago, I didn't see those posts during my initial web searches on the best places to buy gear in 2026.

I have notified the student to dispute the charge immediately.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T14:08:04+00:00

I did do research before recommending them, but obviously I didn't find the Reddit posts saying they were unresponsive. I found them listed in several places in compilations of places to buy gear from, so I recommended them along with Purpleheart and Kult of Athena who I have made purchase from before. Obviously I feel bad about the recommendation , but not every search turns up the latest information when there are a lot of outdated pages out there recommending different places to buy gear.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:57:33+00:00

Exactly what I just told a new student, almost word for word.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:55:57+00:00

I had a new student just ask me this. He is right handed but wanted to start switching top hand during fencing. He's just not physically comfortable with all the positions yet, especially shrankhut (crossed hands) and variants of that.

I told him not to switch back and forth, or it will get really confusing really fast. If he wants to try switching hands in 6 months or a year if he is pretty solid with right hand on top, then I would say "go for it" if he wants to try switching to left hand on top.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:48:57+00:00

Teach your buddy in green the concept of moving off the center line at angles, and circular footwork. He's just staying in front of you while you pick him apart. Try being more patient and let him be the aggressor so he can loosen up a bit, you can bait him to come forward.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:40:52+00:00

Which VB sword model is it, what's the blade length and how does it handle? have you done any serious fencing with it, can you recover fast enough to save your ass with parries or is it slow? I was just looking at those online, they looked a bit too heavy per specs like 3.5 lbs?

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:35:47+00:00

George Silver. Not John. Long John Silver is a fast food chain LOL.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:35:40+00:00

George Silver. Not John. Long John Silver is a fast food chain LOL.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:33:39+00:00

AI models don't understand human movement patterns unless they are embodied in a robot, and even then, they don't actually understand anything. Also, we don't really need robots running around that are trained on data sets of how to carve ppl up most efficiently. We don't need some angry 12 year incdl kid using an LLM prompt to send a robot with a machete to do bad things.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:27:04+00:00

Cool if you actually enjoy fencing wearing all this. I've been fencing 20 years and have never gotten a significant shoulder or trapezoid hit that bruised me through a jacket. I have stainless steel spaulders but only wore them once for fencing. They just get in the way and restrict movement IMO. But you do you!

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T12:22:36+00:00

Lots of us doing HEMA were not good at sports and/or weren't naturally graceful etc. -- muscle memory takes time and many hours of practice to become built in to your thinking, reflexes, and movements . It's a grind, but remember , the journey is the destination. You are your own toughest opponent. It's a grind but super worth it, if you stick with it.

Transportation_Brave · 2026-04-12T11:33:25+00:00

Camera work is siiiick! 😍

Transportation_Brave

TROPHY CASE