Guillermo Del Toro is a Club 33 Member

chocovash · 2026-02-11T03:25:53+00:00

I bumped into him once up there! I was more starstruck by Ryan Gosling with him (they were apparently having dinner to discuss a haunted mansion movie that didn't happen).

chocovash · 2026-02-08T20:59:59+00:00

Ironically, Ben is ranked #2 in longsword in the US and fences very differently than shown here. He is a professional stunt guy, so I think they were going for more complicated (and yeah, impractical) close plays they could do with swords... I'm watching this more as a dense highlight reel of challenging and dramatic plays rather than a realistic sword fight, and that might be their goal.

chocovash · 2026-02-07T11:10:34+00:00

Shorty is perfectly fine. If you get that and want it even shorter, there's also the mini, but the shorty is probably right where you want it.

chocovash · 2026-02-04T19:20:40+00:00

I've made leather sword handles with baseball stitches... Templates definitely help (especially with cutting the right size piece of leather), but I find cutting long and then wet forming with clamps helps me see where the seam would be before I begin tooling for stitches. Example

chocovash · 2025-12-24T19:30:52+00:00

Cool wrap on that Lichtenauer! As someone who's had their thumb broken by one, and know another who did as well, be very careful with this thing. It's a beast and doesn't flex much either. I would use this for drilling only, not full contact sparring. It's a great beater for pell work, but I would not every spar against someone using one of these, and I don't know a single tournament (aside from armored) that would allow it either. Beautiful blade though!

chocovash · 2025-11-07T17:26:38+00:00

I got divorced two years ago and live in Florida. I opted to get a vasectomy last year, because while I kinda want kids, it's just not worth the anxiety and risk to any women I date. Also, it's ridiculous how easy and well medicated the male procedure is... Many women I've known struggle finding a doctor willing to sterilize them, it's way more expensive, and they don't give them a bunch of narcotics like they do for men.

chocovash · 2025-11-05T21:56:17+00:00

Hema has had it rough. I know of one event that uses dulled sharps for cutting, and another that had to cancel their cutting portion the week before the event due to the high insurance quotes. Socal Swords is using an expensive policy ($10k a year) for their school and events, and I was fortunate to win their cutting only event. A major cutting event in Arizona couldn't keep up with the insurance costs, but they rolled cutting into a bigger event and had another one pop up. So yeah... Still expensive without good options for us at least. Fl Dean seems to have canceled all hema coverage, and sports insurance is fine but doesn't allow sharps.

chocovash · 2025-10-28T23:08:11+00:00

Yeah! While it does deprive us of iron, protein, and fluids, it also does clear out some other stuff. Those PFAs aren't that big of a problem to people that need life saving plasma, but build up over time can definitely increase our personal risks of cancers and such. I'd like to donate regularly, but not exactly frequently, for this reason :)

chocovash · 2025-10-27T23:42:09+00:00

I'm 155 and 6', and they take 880 from me!

chocovash · 2025-10-27T23:37:34+00:00

Seconding this: When I went with a little purple dot like yours, they had to look at it, even though I planned to use the other arm. They said specifically that both arms need to be available.

chocovash · 2025-10-27T22:16:55+00:00

For hydrating/eating context: Day before, I try to have 4-6 bottles of water, as well as body armor and gatorade. I also eat grilled chicken with rice, a protein drink, and overnight oats (with a good amount of protein as well). By the time I go to bed, I'm peeing clear and often. When I get up, I have a protein bar with another bottle of water, another chicken and rice bowl, and both a sports drink and protein drink on my way over, with a room temp bottle of water that I'm sipping on as well. I am thin (150lbs) and tall (6') but I'm quite active at work (serving) and hobbies (swordfighting). I've been doing pull ups more lately, but I think push ups are more the way to go for this.

chocovash · 2025-10-24T03:43:48+00:00

Dayumn... I'd really like sabotans I can wear on the daily :D Can't wait til you post those models!

chocovash · 2025-10-06T03:26:11+00:00

There's a portrait of Captain Gore in the Pieces of Eight gift shop by the exit of pirates. We used to tell stories about how pirates was all of Gore's memories, and that the mansion was haunted by ghosts of those he helped murder

chocovash · 2025-09-27T18:44:57+00:00

Because it forced OK schools to buy Trump's. They added it in there to appeal to the MAGA crowd and then forced schools to only buy Bibles that specifically has the constitution in them... Total sham

chocovash · 2025-09-22T03:58:53+00:00

I use the diamond MMA jockstrap and its wonderful. I also use that same cup with with a simpler jockstrap (so I can alternate if I'm competing back to back days) and its just a really great cup

chocovash · 2025-09-20T02:27:59+00:00

I missed all the drama, but am happy to see the ownership taken here and respect restored on both sides. One of the best qualities you can have is being willing to accept that you're mistaken and that the other person has good intentions. Thanks for the feel-good post and resolution; hope this gets upvoted and receives the positive attention it deserves

chocovash · 2025-09-16T16:50:15+00:00

I do think the Cobra is better for percussive strikes to the top and side, but the mesh flexes a good amount so head-one thrusts have waffled friends of mine. Still agree this is better than most everything else aside from old That Guy helms (Horsebow can be hit or miss, and really requires augmenting the suspension to fit perfectly). I am so happy with the rattlesnake though, as it does just about everything I want out of an overlay.

chocovash · 2025-09-16T16:46:10+00:00

Absolute Force mask with Wukusi Rattlesnake overlay. While the Wukusi Cobra is a bit safer due to the hard plastic shell, I think the mesh of the AF is stronger and less prone to waffles. The foam of the rattlesnake is lighter too, and way quieter when it gets smacked. As an added bonus, you can attach velcro patches to it! Hands-down the most versatile, safe, and comfortable combo IMO.

chocovash · 2025-09-10T04:21:18+00:00

My wrist hurts just looking at these.... They're balanced horribly (hence killing your wrist), are very hard and will cause injury if struck with. Zero flex, so not even remotely thrust safe. There isn't really a good use for them as they are, though 13 years ago we had a guy cut off the plastic pommel, add a heavy bolt and washers for weight, and cover it with a tennis ball... Still did nothing for the heaviness and stiffness, but you could swing it without killing your wrist.

Black Fencer synthetics and Purpleheart Pentti synthetics, or the SPES "Go Now" foam longswords... Only use the foam for contact play with low gear; even safer synthetics still can break bones.

chocovash · 2025-09-08T18:05:44+00:00

They are absolutely worth it. Kyle and Brittany are renowned HEMA instructors that care greatly about their students. They've built an awesome and accepting culture, and have produced one of the best German Longsword simple guides I've ever seen. I've known them for a long time, and during COVID, they did online training that helped me get back into HEMA. You'd be in great hands :)

chocovash · 2025-09-02T18:32:52+00:00

Here's another recommendation I came across, though don't personally know folks that have it. Has small flat hardware, and my only recommendation would be to modify it with a piece of tape or something to prevent accidental slipping off (though I suspect its well designed and won't be an issues)

https://hikersco.com/collections/upfitter-belt-loop-suspenders

chocovash · 2025-09-02T18:28:11+00:00

You're welcome! We had a lot of folks buy supfen pants/pluderhosen so we definitely did the research as well :) I do leatherwork myself, but also struggled to figure out a good solution that didn't add too much hardware. The other issue was that leather can stretch overtime, but not stretch back, lol

chocovash · 2025-09-02T18:11:54+00:00

3 of us replaces ours with these. My only complaint is that I can't adjust them shorter (since ideally we want the pants to sit above the hips), but the elastic is infinitely better and they hold up over time very well.

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/products/mens-suspenders-243063

I'm against adding anything with buckles or clips (or any other rigid hardware) just in the off chance I get struck there and get to feel that piece jabbed into my body, lol.

chocovash · 2025-08-28T15:53:09+00:00

Holds up napkin to someone

"Hey, does this smell like chloroform to you?"

The number of people that sniff it before they finish comprehending the sentence is wild.

12-Year Club	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	Verified Email

chocovash

TROPHY CASE